Perceval didn’t wait for the receptionist to get the key. He kicked the flimsy door open, trying to give the person inside no time to react.

Three Knights swarmed in, rushing into the room at top speed and assuming combat stances within the small space.

But it was dead silent. The figure of that detestable Mage was nowhere to be seen.

The detective brought the receptionist and manager over.

"Excuse me, where is he?" Perceval asked the woman, trying his best to sound pleasant and maintain the decorum of a Knight.

The receptionist stammered, "He... he checked out..."

"Why didn’t you say so!" The realization that he’d been fighting with thin air made Perceval feel like he’d been played for a fool.

"You... you didn’t ask..." The receptionist looked like she was about to cry for the second time today.

"Detective, please lead the search of the room. We’ll go check the guest register." With a dark expression, Perceval went downstairs with his two brothers-in-arms.

The manager watched the cops bustling about, turning the place upside down. He let out a long sigh. "Another customer gone... There’s something cursed about this room. I should just turn it into a storage closet."

...

’They kicked the door right in...’ Rorschach put away Balan’s Pearl, confirming the Knights’ hostility.

Rorschach’s choice was to head to the nearest Magic Guild. In a way, a Guild headquarters was like an embassy—for a Mage, it was an even better sanctuary.

Of course, Rorschach was still a law-abiding tourist who hadn’t caused any trouble in Istani. He was more concerned about Teacher Caroline’s whereabouts, which was why he had come to the Guild to try and find some trace of her.

"Hello, I need to find a Mage. Her name is Caroline. She’s a relatively young woman with brown hair... She’s from the Empire, but she’s one of the Valois people." Rorschach added, "I’m her student. I haven’t received a reply to my letters, so I wanted to ask the Guild if you have any information on her movements."

"Please, don’t worry, sir... When did she approximately enter the country?"

"Around December of last year. She came to the seas near Istani to observe a meteor shower..."

After hearing Rorschach’s description, the staff member led him to a reception room and brought over several boxes of files. However, even after searching through them with the staff member, Rorschach found no information about Caroline in the Guild’s records. Her name wasn’t there at all.

"Your teacher has no entry record, or she hasn’t conducted any business with the Guild since her arrival."

"That’s impossible. I sent her letters through the Guild’s Teleportation System before, and she received the first few."

The staff member was very patient. "Well... perhaps your teacher has already returned to the Empire? I suggest you try contacting the Empire now."

It was a viable option. Rorschach calmed down and sent letters not only to the Empire’s Royal Magic Academy but also an inquiry to the Tower of Stars. He sent them as urgent correspondence. After waiting in the Guild’s reception room for about an hour, the first reply arrived.

"Rorschach Mage, you have a reply!" The staff member waved a paper tube and unsealed it for Rorschach.

When Rorschach took it, he saw it was the reply from the Empire Royal Academy. But the words written on it were unexpected. It starkly read: "No such person found." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

’How is that possible?’ Rorschach read it again and again, but the words didn’t change. It stated unequivocally that there was no teacher named Caroline at the academy.

"Did you perhaps write the name incorrectly in your letter?" The staff member’s expression had already changed. He’d seen his fair share of crazed Mages, and in his eyes, Rorschach was the type who looked normal on the surface but had something wrong in the head.

"Absolutely not."

When the reply from the Tower of Stars arrived, Rorschach unsealed it himself. He spread the paper open:

"To Rorschach:

"Master Caroline has not returned to the Tower of Stars. Given that her initial purpose in coming to Istani was for a stargazing event, you can try contacting the Tower of Storms or the Tower of Time to find her. If you still have no luck, you may seek my help again.

"Kano."

Although it wasn’t an answer, Master Kano’s letter put Rorschach slightly at ease. However, when he let go of it and placed it on the table, the writing suddenly changed!

"The writing on the letter changed!" Rorschach snatched it up again. The main text now read: "The Tower of Stars has had no visiting Mages for exchanges recently."

In short, the name "Caroline" had been erased.

"What are you talking about?" The staff member grew even more certain of his judgment. In truth, he knew there was another possibility—that some magic had made the target of this Mage’s search disappear. But that possibility meant trouble, and as long as he continued to play dumb, he wouldn’t get too involved.

Rorschach realized something was wrong. He carefully put away the two replies. "Can I take these with me?"

"Of course, you’ve already paid for them." The staff member saw Rorschach out of the Magic Guild.

’Will the Iron Crown Knight Order cause more trouble for me?’ Rorschach looked at the fog-shrouded city and had an idea. He hailed a horse-drawn cab.

"Where to, young master?"

’Where to? The Guild was no help, and the Tower of Storms, Tower of Time, and other Magic Towers aren’t in Storm City. Where should I go to find reinforcements? The Adventurer’s Guild, to ask Singrev and the other Adventurers to help search?’ Rorschach looked at the mysteriously altered replies and made up his mind.

"To the address on this card." Rorschach handed the small piece of paper Benedict had given him to the driver.

"Right then, hold on tight."

Benedict’s "office" was also his residence: an apartment in an old but well-maintained building that someone with a modest income could afford to rent long-term.

The person who opened the door for Rorschach was the landlady. She wore an apron and huge oven mitts.

"Benny, you’ve got business!" The landlady was happy to see her tenant earning money. She was also happy to answer the door for Benedict, as it allowed her to gauge how well his business was doing so she could raise the rent at an opportune time.

"You’re a lucky young man. Benny’s free right now."

"Thank you." Rorschach was in a hurry and quickly changed his shoes as he entered.

A faint smell of something burning wafted from the hallway. The landlady cried out, "My pie!" and disappeared down the corridor. Rorschach closed the door behind him.

"Rorschach Mage? I didn’t expect to see you again so soon." When Rorschach entered the living room, Benedict was holding a script and reciting lines, so what Rorschach saw was the handsome Elf still in performance mode.

He had draped a tablecloth around himself and was using a walking stick as a prop sword, pacing on his tiptoes across the rug with his head held high. He looked every bit a Prince.

"I need to find someone. A person being pursued by the Iron Crown Knight Order." Rorschach didn’t know if he could trust this Elf, but he could start by testing him with the Iron Crown Knight Order. From their interaction that morning, Rorschach knew the Elf was dissatisfied with the Kingdom, or at least sympathized with the Gray Elves, and his final words had been somewhat cynical. Gauging his attitude toward the Knight Order that served Her Majesty the Queen in Istani would help Rorschach decide whether he could ask this "detective" for help.

The Elf stopped his performance. "Pursued by a Knight Order? Mr. Rorschach, you’re new here. I take it you don’t understand the power structure in Istani?"

"What does that have to do with my request?"

Benedict poured himself a splash of amber-colored liquor, just enough to cover the bottom of the glass. "The Iron Crown Knight Order is one of the Kingdom’s Twelve Knight Orders. Their Knight Commanders form the Round Table Council, also known as the Upper House of Parliament. Other Nobility and elected representatives form the Lower House. In other words, in this little game of hide-and-seek, you’ll be racing against the rulers of Istani. The Knights are not incompetent fools like the detectives from Stran Field."

He poured the same amount for Rorschach. "Interesting. I’ll take your case!"