Seeing that Ain’s state was a bit off, Lola’s expression also grew serious.
“When did you first discover this card?”
“In a... place I don’t know, but it looked like some kind of ruins.”
“There was a member of the Nightingale Secret Order there at the time. I tried to peer into her fate using my divination cards, and that was when I discovered this card.”
“What’s more, it had space-type magic runes engraved on it.”
Lola knitted her brows.
“So why did you think I was the one who put it on you?”
“Of all the Diviners I’ve interacted with, who else could connect all these clues together besides you...”
Ain’s mind was completely in a muddle.
Lola indeed had never said this card was hers.
It had all been his own assumption.
“Wait, let me ask you another question. Helping me get the Scale of Astral Judgment—that was your idea, right?”
Lola nodded.
“Then why did you think I would succeed?”
This was currently the thing that confused Ain the most.
If the trip to the ruins wasn’t Lola’s doing, who was deliberately showing him all of this? And who was secretly guiding him to uncover the truth behind it all?
“Remember those scenes I showed you? Just like that, by helping you get the Scale of Astral Judgment, I foresaw the outcome of Lillian surviving.”
“Did you know what I was going to do?”
Lola shook her head dismissively.
“No. To me, it didn’t matter how you did it. As long as the final outcome satisfied me, then it would all be worth it.”
“So, you never told me that the academy and the Titan Prosecution Office were also involved in this?”
Lola’s frown deepened even more.
“No, why would I tell you that? Even if they were involved, I would never let them get in your way. Didn’t I make myself clear that day?”
“Wait... my mind is a bit of a mess right now.”
Ain clutched his head, trying to recall the entire sequence of events.
“Ai—”
Lola stared at the card in her hand and said, “There’s no time. Come with me.”
“...What?”
Lola tightly grabbed Ain’s hand and pulled him along as she ran into the distance.
Behind them, a young girl wanted to call out to Ain, but seeing this scene, she swallowed her words right as she opened her mouth.
Since the end-of-term ceremony had only just concluded, there was hardly anyone in the garden at the moment.
Lola gripped Ain’s hand tightly, dragging him all the way to a hidden corner where no one would see them. The next second, she suddenly exerted force, pushing him heavily down onto the grass.
“What are you do—”
“Don’t speak. Look up, keep your eyes wide open, and look at the sky.”
Ain clutched his head in slight pain, but without saying anything more, he obediently did as he was told.
“There’s a trace of lingering mana on this card, but that’s all.”
“The person who hid this card on you must have had some apprehensions as well. If they had infused any deeper mana into it, they probably feared it would trigger your vigilance.”
“Don’t worry, the card itself doesn’t harbor any ill intent. If it did, with your level of skill, you probably would have discovered it long ago.”
Ain wanted to say something, but Lola straddled him without any hesitation. Propping her hands on the ground, she leaned down, forcefully cutting off his train of thought.
Her exquisite face magnified infinitely before Ain’s eyes until their noses almost touched. Their warm breaths intertwined in the minuscule gap between them, making even the air feel thick and sticky.
To an unwitting onlooker, this scene would look like nothing more than a couple seeking a thrill in the garden.
“Look into my eyes and listen carefully. We only have one chance. The lingering mana on this card is about to dissipate.”
“Remember the images you are about to see.”
The moment she finished speaking, an extremely gorgeous magic circle swirled within Lola’s pupils. Complex circuits intertwined like stellar tracks, wrapping and rotating layer by layer, rippling out into a magnificent sea of light.
Ain felt his entire body suddenly enveloped by brilliant starlight, as if he had been transported into an infinite sea of stars.
After a long time, Lola slowly closed her eyes, her tensed nerves finally relaxing.
Meanwhile, Ain, like a drowning man, struggled to break free from the mire of the illusion. Completely drained of strength, he could only rely on heavy, ragged breaths to calm his racing heart.
If a passerby were to walk past at this moment, they would probably think this was just a couple who had just finished a passionate kiss, cuddling in the silence and enjoying the lingering warmth and tranquility.
“What you just saw are the scenes left behind from when you cast divination magic in the past.”
“Do you remember the scene on the combat platform when you summoned the God of Light?”
“The laws of divination have always been harsh. Only at the exact moment a Diviner actually activates their divination magic can another Diviner with deeper mana intervene, interfere, or even secretly swap the cards.”
“Back then, I used this exact method to swap the God of Light card into your hand.”
“Search along the lines of the scenes you just saw. That person must have either interacted with you or been present at the scene at the time.”
Lola slowly stood up and climbed off of Ain.
Ain let out a breath and began to recall everything he had just seen.
There were still only three scenes, all of which were instances where he had divined The Banshee.
The first scene was outside the potionology laboratory. It was the second time he had met Lillian, and the moment he had divined her fate.
The second was when he went to the Titan Prosecution Office to interrogate Belinda.
The third was in Sevis’s office, when he had divined that document.
The first scene that flashed through his mind was indeed the one where he divined for Lillian, and it was also at that moment that Belinda had appeared.
In the second scene, it was also Belinda who had pointed out The Banshee card!
At this thought, Ain’s pupils suddenly contracted. He quickly stood up, wanting to rush over to the Titan Prosecution Office.
He had wanted to pull Lola along with him, but upon seeing her face, Ain instantly froze in place.
Belinda was merely a Tier 3 Mage. How could she possibly use such a high-level magic?
It would have to be someone who was at least a Tier 5 Mage or higher, like Lola!
A Tier 5 Mage or higher?
Wait...
Of the people who had appeared in these three scenes, there was only one who met this condition...
Wesley, who had appeared in Sevis’s office at the time!
That guy was actually a Diviner?!
Ain carefully recalled the third scene.
Initially, in order to uncover the truth behind that document, he had secretly cast a divination on it.
Wait, the document?
Thoughts raced through his mind. Ain immediately reached inside his coat and pulled out that document. But the moment he flipped open the pages, his pupils shook violently, and an unbelievable shock instantly seized his mind.
“You’ve got to be kidding me...”
“What’s wrong? Why do you have that look on your face...”
“Let me see too.”
Lola leaned in close to Ain. Once she clearly saw the name written on it, she frowned slightly.
“Who is this?”
Ain pursed his lips tightly, saying nothing. He suddenly clenched the paper in his fist and ran off into the distance regardless of everything else, leaving Lola standing there in a daze.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the garden, a young girl with hollow eyes stood frozen, watching all of this unfold.
The girl seemed to be somewhat lost in thought. Two travel passes to the south slipped from her hand just like that, quietly resting by her feet.
Rate on N.U.
