Echo Trace is a Third-tier spell that cannot be chanted unless a weapon is tied to its user with three Threads.
Adrian and everyone in the room were aware of the ability of Echo Trace.
That explains why a few officers and Moret were so worried at the moment.
However, their concern couldn't stop Vermillion from conducting the investigation.
The runes on her whip glowed, a sign that the woman was feeding her mana into the weapon.
Everyone gave her some space to perform the magic.
Her red lips moved in a quiet chant.
She twirled slowly, her eyes catching a glimpse of Adrian, who still had a frown on her face.
She liked that expression.
A smile bloomed on her face as she finally struck her whip in nothing but thin air,
*SPLASH*
The air was split by the strike before darkness surrounded the seven people in the room—engulfing them in the traces of the past.
A moment of darkness and then, vague clarity.
It was as if they were looking at things through dark glasses—there was fog around them that covered everything that was not on their focus.
They were allowed to move freely in the room and see things from whichever angle they preferred.
Their eyes showed them the same room they were currently standing in but the condition of the room was similar to pre-investigation.
Things were situated at their original places and Adrian had just entered the room.
He hung his coat at the back of the door, and while folding his sleeves, he slowly moved toward his briefcase.
Albec narrowed his eyes, as he approached Adrian in the echo world and looked into his briefcase as he opened it.
'There is no question paper in it...' Albec made sure.
Just as Adrian was about to close the briefcase,
*Knock*
[Who can it be at this hour...]
The Adrian of the past muttered before he turned toward the door and approached it—without closing the briefcase.
"Who came knocking on the door at that time, Adrian?" Ariana asked aloud so that everyone could hear her.
"It was one of the officers who came to notify me about the test tomorr-WHAT?!" Adrian exclaimed as he looked at the small window above the bed, becoming an entrance point for a man.
A grown-up man sliding through a small hole was a horrifying sight, as he safely landed on Adrian's bed and hurriedly rushed towards his briefcase.
His movements were so quiet and practiced that Adrian never sensed someone trespassing into his room.
He instantly picked a few papers from Adrian's briefcase and placed a familiar paper in between.
Albec's expression turned bitter, "It's the question paper."
Moret gritted his teeth...this was completely out of the equation!
Soon, Adrian returned to the room and closed his briefcase without checking if someone had added something to his collection.
Soon, he went to take a bath, and the same man entered the room using the hole before moving toward Adrian's coat and plucking a button before escaping.
*THUMP*
The redhead broke the spell and their surroundings returned to normal.
Everyone was standing at their original spot.
Moret had an ugly expression on his face, his eyes drawn to the ground and his fists clenched.
Everything was going so perfectly...why did this b*tch have to appear now?!
"It's strange, no? Sir Albec?" Adrian began his voice containing the suppressed anger he possessed at the moment, "Sir Moret was so sure of me being the culprit that he didn't even bother telling me what this investigation was for. Is this how you treat your guests, or is Moret a special case?"
Albec lowered his eyes, not intending to say anything right now. He was ready to fulfill any demand Adrian might ask as compensation.
Moret spat, "I had the evidence! It was obvious that I would come right at you!" He was not lowering his voice and confidence.
Adrian looked down at the baldy, "Then now I suspect you. Should I also go to your room and investigate a little? After all, the officer who came to distract me at that time works under you."
Moret's face turned red in anger.
Ariana had a grim expression, and her body was tense. She was ready to intervene if the man resorted to physical play.
"You...!" Moret roared, only to be interrupted by the redhead,
"Such an insult, Sir Moret. Why not allow me to chant Echo Trace in your room and let this lowly creature know his place?" Ruby suggested with a playful grin on her face.
Moret's breath was caught in his throat...if they peeked into his room....they would know everything!
"That seems the best option. I also don't want my senior to be blamed." Albec insisted, his eyes dead serious.
Moret's breathing was ragged, his knuckles white and his whole demeanor now oozing with blood lust.
"Damn you-agh!" The man wasn't able to explode as suddenly something flew through the window at a blinding pace and impaled Moret's forehead—dark veins instantly started spreading and in a blink,
**BOOOOOM**
Moret's head exploded, blood and innards flying around, making the officers stagger back in shock. Adrian was disgusted by the sight as well.
Ariana didn't miss a second as she took the position before Moret and threw a blade in the same trajectory from where it flew in.
"It's useless...they must have already dashed away." Ruby shared her view. By the throw and precision, she could tell that the culprit was a seasoned warrior.
Ariana clicked her tongue as she turned to look at Moret...who had already fallen on the ground—dead and gone.
Albec was overwhelmed by the turn of events but he didn't miss to command, "Don't you all dare to run away." He spoke while pointing at the four guards who were under direct command of Moret.
Several other guards and students have already started gathering by the noise.
Even if the officers wanted to escape, they couldn't...unless they were prepared to face the fourth and seventh-ranked Wardens.
Albec turned towards Adrian, his head lowering in apology as he said, "There is no forgiveness for what you have faced, but still, I would like to somehow compensate for the humiliation you had to go through today."
Adrian exhaled an exasperated sigh as he said, "Just let this contest happen as it was planned and allow my students to participate in it."
Albec nodded, "I assure you that none of this would affect the contest."
°°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Adrian is going to be paid hefty~ Thanks for reading.