Nothing Accidental

A soft tapping sound emanated from the door.

"Aquinosevee?...are you in there? ". Melissa lightly tapped on the door, her voice soft and soothing.

"You may enter". Aquinosevee responded in a calm demeanor.

As Melissa opened the door, she noticed Aquinosevee's serious expression. He seemed to be engrossed in writing something on sheets of paper, possibly plotting something.

"Please...put it there". Aquinosevee, in a neutral tone, directed Melissa to the designated spot by pointing with his pen.

Melissa tried to sneak a look at Aquinosevee's work.

Aquinosevee noticed.

"What are you doing?".

Aquinosevee tilted his head, speaking with a hint of suspicion.

Melissa, who was eager to get a glimpse of Aquinosevee's work, was taken aback.

"Ah!... it's nothing...I'm just being curious about the expression you installed on those works". Melissa responded.

"Well...I do predict this...to get her least suspicious for my early request...I need to pull this act off, smoothly". Aquinosevee pondered silently.

"Oh...haha...pardon me...do my expression looks that serious?". Aquinosevee chuckled slyly in response.

Aquinosevee sighed.

"It's nothing...I'm just plotting something with my students...I think they need some improvement in magical control...well, there was a junior magician tournament upcoming in three months.

"I see...". Melissa responded with a smile.

Melissa pondered silently.

"He thinks I'm dumb?... I never once saw him taking care of his students...all the achievements of his students mainly came from his assistants' guidance. Yet, I saw a file... it's from the Magician Investigation Team...I see what you are trying to do".

"Let me pull this off".

Melissa started to wonder around Aquinosevee's room

"Aquinosevee...you owe me something...don't you?". Melissa asked.

"I do...as a gratitude for the information I asked for". Aquinosevee replied.

"Anything ~ no... perhaps...everything~". Melissa spoke in a playful tone as she smirked.

Melissa slowly approached him. Therefore, as she got closer, she sat on the table, facing Aquinosevee, and leaned her head closer to him. Hence, as their eyes locked, she discreetly snatched a file.

Moreover, After she grabbed the file, she quickly moved a few steps away from Aquinosevee.

"I need this...". She spoke with the file in hand.

Aquinosevee's lost in deep thoughts.

"What a poor girl...I know from the beginning you are a freak!...well, the seduction I did earlier sure produced nothing. Lucky me...I did predict this freak woman. Her obsession with Michael did make her this invulnerable to seduction. After reading the document, she might investigate it herself, ultimately obtaining what she desires".

"After all, only Michael's validation will satisfy her".

As he regained his consciousness back, he then replied.

"I never knew that you had an interest in such things as those case files...sure, you can have it...I'm done inspecting it". Aquinosevee spoke calmly and composedly.

"Thank you". Melissa responded with a smile as she departed from the room.

As the door closed, Aquinosevee was in deep thoughts again.

"She will likely put effort into investigating the case. Eventually, she found the pieces she needed to satisfy her desire".

"I could use her as my tool to dig the mysteries in these cases".

"W-wait...what if she noticed that...the reason for me asking her for a piece of information about that boy, had a deep connection with the cases".

"No...the percentage for that to happen is nearly zero. After all, she would not notice it unless she met the boy. No...she also won't notice it even when she met the boy".

"After all, to notice it...one's soul must have the strong instinct as the beast itself... humans only rely upon their conscious feelings".

"Well...it's a different story if one's had grown up and living as the beast itself".

"There is a quote, a problematic soul will notice another problematic soul. However, living and growing up under the same roof with my problematic brother, really developed my instinct toward a problematic person".

"Maybe...I've become a problematic person...".

Aquinosevee snapped back to reality.

"Oh...looks like I lost in thought again...I should checked the kid's information".

He sighed as he walked to where Melissa put the pieces of paper that contained Lucian's personal information.

He picked up those pieces of paper and returned to his table, sitting comfortably again. Therefore, as he read thoroughly about Lucian's personal information, he was indeed shocked and misbelievable.

"He doesn't have any magic blessing...I already know this... but, his name goes by only Lucian? even a person who is not of noble birth has a surname...something fishy".

As Aquinosevee flipped through the paper, he shook his head slightly.

"Oh...he was once from a noble family...a very known noble family...so he does have a family name, but it was a punishment for scratching the family name and reputation...his name was taken by the father itself".

"What kind of decision was that...". Aquinosevee laughed.

"The child will lead a life without a family name...then, does it affect his life?... such a bias. Moreover, there is no further information about him? his information was restricted".

"Thus child is really up to something".

Aquinosevee looks up blankly, touching his chin, deep in thought. His expression is serious.

"Who is this kid? What is his family name? What is the reason for his unworthy? This kid was surrounded by a lot of mysteries...this raising the suspicion I had with him".

"Hmmm...is there anything else I can do to dig up this kid's mysteries?...w-wait isn't the day before his confrontation with the teachers... a butler is taking attendance under his name. Indeed... I do remember it clearly...the butler's name was Ethan".

"Maybe I should meet the old butler...Ethan...".

"The pieces of paper didn't much that helping...such a waste, to seduce Melissa with nothing to produce with it, and involving her into the situation, giving her a hand by showing her the purpose file...you are such a clever Aquinosevee...a terrible genius".

Aquinosevee returned to reality once more with a small sigh while adjusting his glasses.

A moment ago, after Melissa departed from the room.

Melissa pondered quietly as she walked slowly to her room.

"Magician Investigation Team, I wonder... does this file contain the information of the investigation that was conducted with the current mass murder".

"Soulless fire burned the souls".

"pfft...such a lame title". Melissa accidentally let out a small laugh.

"So...it's the second case...".

"6 children were burned to death by a 1st class student, their body was completely burned on the abandoned house. As a result, the children lose everything, including their identity. Unfortunately, their magical core still missing. A further investigation toward the suspect is still ongoing".

"I do see the kid's face, the time when the abandoned house was completely in a massacre of fire...I arrived at the scene alongside the teachers". Melissa quietly contemplated, a hint of suspicion crossing her face".

"If the magical core still missing... the killer can have it in their hand. However, if the killer wants their elemental core for the killer's benefit...there is no benefit at all...the rumors have traveled faster than the wind. It's said that there is a group of missing students, and sadly...if they are the ones that are victims in this case...there is a total loss for the killer. After all, those kids was a commoner".

"Why?. A commoner elemental core isn't that strong, if the killer was a maniac that used an elemental core from a person...or rather I call it a soul core for their power up, that killer must be a total dumb. ".

"If he was to use that elemental core for money, pfttttt...there is no value at all, I mean, it does...but, what a 1 silver coin can do...2nd grade elemental core, didn't have any beast enchantment...that's hilarious. Also, Underworld Market rather accept a dead body than a useless yet no-value elemental core". Melissa chuckled as she walked through the hallway.

"Isn't keeping the victims' elemental core the same as self-trap?".

"Why did the killer keep the pieces of evidence?".

"So, the 1st class child isn't the murderer...well, he was framed by the actual killer...that's why the I formation states the poor child was a mere suspect".

"If the killer wants to frame the poor child...he should not leave such a visible mistake. Does the killer do it on purpose?".

"Or the killer was a fool".

"This case isn't too risky for me to submerge into it, also...there are too many flaws, smart women like me will easily dig into it, and find the truth".

"After that, Michael will compliment me... Melissa~ you did a great job, Melissa~ you are my best assistant, Melissa~ I wish I could have dinner with you". Melissa blushed deeply while hiding her face with the file she was holding while she walked down the stairs.

"So, why did Aquinosevee want the information about a child?... I do read on the child information. Sadly, he was a failure...".

Melissa pondered silently once again as she walked through another hallway.

"If Aquinosevee's goal was to investigate the case, found out that the failure child had a connection on the case...".

"After all, he envied Michael's achievements and considered him his rival. Therefore, his mind must be thinking that, if he found the killer first, he win and this would be a mocking toward Michael. Moreover, he was too foolish to get me involved with the matter".

Melissa had a mischievous expression on her face.

"Well, the child cannot have a connection on the case...unblessed child created a massacre on the abandoned house, burned the children to death, framing a 1st class child". Melissa displayed self-assurance as she engaged in a conversation with herself.

"Yet, why did I feel confident with my deduction, but still, something is missing and it feels fishy". Melissa shook her head slightly.

Suddenly, A boy with long hair, a pale white skin, the boy's gaze was beautiful yet calm, passed by her, abruptly bringing her consciousness back.

"W-wait...I've seen this boy somewhere...but my mind vaguely".

As Lucian walked past Melissa, he briefly looked at her face and then smiled slyly as he continued down the hallway.

"Everything goes smoothly according to my plan". Lucian whispered in a calm demeanor.

"Such a pathetic lady".

"She put too much trust in her ideology and snapping out her instinct away".

"Well...".

"The peak of intelligence exists on one's soul that never trusts the intelligence itself".

Lucian's expression conveys an air of tranquility, combined with a touch of sorrow.