War council.

When led to the place where Father was staying, the building turned out to be a temporary lodging for teachers—strictly off-limits to students.

Kai, though a student, was allowed inside under the guise of my escort.

After being shown to my room, I found it equipped like a suite.

Relaxing in the living room with everyone, Kai seemed to remember something.

"Lord Lovell, there's something I'd like to share…"

He mumbled something vaguely, reporting something unclear.

At that moment, Van was in the process of reverting from his human form, so I was thoroughly enjoying the softness of his fur.

"Van-kun, let's tidy up your coat, shall we?"

"Your Highness deigning to touch me… I am overjoyed."

Van flopped onto his back, utterly unguarded. I started by gently brushing his fur with my hand-comb, then slowly slid the brush through, careful not to tangle him.

Van’s eyes fluttered shut in pure bliss. From a distance, his father watched, listening to Kai’s report.

“…Raffilia?”

“Yes. Given the attention from others, it’ll likely be gossip for a while…”

“What in the world is Sauvel teaching that brat?”

Unbecoming behavior for a noble. Not even able to tell the difference between a servant and a vassal.

I’d heard it beforehand, but Sauvel sending Raffilia to the lady’s academy… well, that just means he’s got no intention of making her his heir.

The lady’s academy is for training future brides—preparation before marriage.

If Raffilia were to be the heir, she’d have been sent to the noble’s academy or the healing school instead.

At present, the Vanclift domain was expanding its healing clinic—growing in scale alongside the increasing demand for medicine. It had become the domain’s crown jewel.

If he were in charge of the domain, Sauvel should’ve had Raffilia choose between the two.

"Let me tell Sauvel—no matter what Raffilia says, turn her down. And the royal family too."

"Understood."

I watched Kai nod at his father’s words, and then my father turned his gaze toward me.

He called out while I was playfully wrestling with Van, brushing his fur.

"Hey, Elen, you noticed something, didn’t you? Why don’t you tell Papa?"

I kept brushing, didn’t stop, and told him what I’d figured out.

"First, there are strange spaces in a few places in the academy. They seem to follow a pattern. I sense a great spirit… like it’s deep underground…"

"A great spirit? You’re saying there’s a great spirit beneath the academy?"

"Yes. But it’s… odd."

"...Odd how?"

It should’ve been detectable, normally… but the power is so small… no, not small—more like scattered…

"Scatter?"

I can’t say for sure yet. But there’s something weirdly powerful about that spot—like it’s not random. Maybe there’s something there after all.

"So that means I gotta go take a look around there...?"

I suppose the only way is to scout when we get the chance...

"Anyway, Elen, you’ve got the place figured out already, right?"

For now, I only feel power in four spots. The rest just seem like regular waiting rooms.

I paused brushing my hair and pulled out the floor plan of the academy I’d been given by the headmaster.

Two spots caught my eye along the way to the Principal's Office.

What I found on the way to the Knight's Tower were two.

Pointing to the place we’d found, I went utterly silent, as if something had just clicked in my head.

「…………」

"...Elen?"

My father tilts his head, but I don’t notice—my own head’s been spinning all along.

Still silent, I trace that spot again with my finger.

Each faculty had its own building, each with a different tower.

Probably, the buildings around the central castle were added bit by bit, forced by necessity—each one different in style from the main structure, like a patchwork quilt stitched together under duress.

The place where faculty members of each department gather resembles a section of the central Hohenzollern Castle.

The first floor had been opened up as a shared space for all departments.

The dining hall, the multipurpose plaza, even the church—all centered right here.

The building tucked away to the left of the main gate is known as the Knight's Tower—the place where knight aspirants gather.

The tower further back to the right of the main gate is the Lady's Tower. As for these two towers, since they're strictly off-limits to the opposite sex, they're isolated—there’s a fence surrounding each one.

From left to right, the order is the Knight's Tower, then the Healing Tower, the Noble Tower, and finally the Lady's Tower.

(From the angle of the central castle, there are six spots—two at each tower, like that…)

As we zero in on possible locations—places that might be hidden elsewhere—the men just quietly watched us work.

“Feels kind of like a magic circle…”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Just a guess, okay? But I’ve made a hypothesis. If we start circling around that spot, we might get results faster.”

“…You already figured that out?”

Kai stood there, stunned, muttering his thoughts, but I reminded him firmly: “It’s just a guess.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“We’re touring the Headmasters’ Tower and the Healing Tower. Honestly, I’m already dreading it.”

I chuckled at my father’s words, mirroring his sigh.

He slumped back into the sofa, utterly drained.

Given how popular he is, the Healing Tower tomorrow is gonna be a mess.

"...Elen, you might be misunderstanding something..."

"What?"

"I'm not the one famous for healing, you are. I hear your work at the estate clinic's been making waves..."

"Eh?"

I blink, genuinely surprised.

"The headmaster was practically dying to know more about it..."

A dark smile tugs at Father’s lips—probably recalling the moment we found the hidden room.

"Still, it’s a perfect chance to get some answers, don’t you think?"

"You’re ruthless, Elen."

"Not nearly as much as you, Papa."

He grins. I grin back.

But then, for some reason, Kai and Van both turn pale when they see us.

＊＊＊

When the headmaster learned the heroes would be touring the Healing Tower tomorrow, he volunteered to be the guide himself.

The Knight’s Tower had always belonged to Lovell, and Kai was there too—so when he offered to guide, he was politely turned down.

I have to find out the recipe for that medicine—no matter what!!!

The Headmaster recalls the rumors from Vanclift’s territory.

It was said that the noblewoman from the domain brought medicine with her.

Then, the hero and his daughter seemed to go on regular trips to gather ingredients.

There were even rumors that the girl asked a spirit to make the medicine for her.

Maybe if you prepare the ingredients and ask a spirit, it’ll turn into medicine.

He couldn’t figure out which spirit the girl had made a pact with, but the hero had made a pact with a Great Spirit.

The Headmaster had been frowning and muttering nonstop, trying to think of how to convince both father and daughter.

He paced back and forth in the room, unable to settle.

That’s it… I remember—he was in the field of healing arts, right?

The Headmaster lets out a grin.

Without a second thought, he heads straight for the Healing Tower.