Ivan didn't pay much attention to stealth. He knew that this attitude actually brought better results.
A university is fundamentally an open space. No one stops anyone from coming or going, as long as they don't enter the classrooms.
Moreover, students are indifferent to others. Like most people, no student cares about the comings and goings of "staff."
To students, faculty and staff are merely beings that disappear from the periphery of their vision.
Therefore, Ivan had already figured out that rather than forcibly attempting to hide, walking around in ordinary clothes in an ordinary manner actually helped maintain security better.
But there was a problem. If "someone" started paying attention to him, the security strategy he had built up would completely collapse.
And at this moment, there was one student who was focusing all her attention on Ivan's every move...
'What is he doing?'
Ivan frowned at this ticklish gaze that kept following him.
Why on earth is she doing this?
He pretended to tie his shoelace, bending down to naturally glance behind him.
Asidis was glaring at him with fiery eyes.
'Is that... a disguise?'
She was creeping through the bushes, holding a branch with plenty of leaves still attached to cover her face.
People from Droan are large. The men are burly, and the women are massive in a somewhat different sense.
Asidis, who inherited the finest bloodline of Droan, possessed destructive physical attributes despite her small animal-like appearance.
Therefore, such a branch was useless for hiding her towering height and something even larger.
Ivan looked at her with contempt for a moment, then took out his notepad.
-Asidis. Suspicious of academic fraud. Significantly lacking in cognitive abilities.
Being an honest person, Ivan didn't hesitate to write down the facts. He closed his notepad and continued walking.
He walked toward the Knight Department's main building. A familiar spell was stimulating his senses.
The Counterintelligence Command was calling him.
Asidis was moving stealthily, her lips dry with tension.
Her concealment was perfect. None of her uncles had ever noticed when she snuck around. (Huskarls tend to be lenient with their niece's pranks.)
Therefore, she was confidently spying on Ivan.
He was a strange man.
Sometimes he would suddenly disappear from sight, and when she'd look around in surprise, she'd find him up in a tree, surveying the surroundings.
The Magic Department, the Knight Department, and surprisingly even the Philosophy Department. Ivan was constantly moving around, staring at someone.
Then he would suddenly frown, dash like a ghost into bushes where cigarette smoke was rising.
He would stride purposefully into a department building, then vanish like a ghost!
-Gardener?
-Never seen him tending to gardens.
-Is there even anything that could be called a garden on campus?
-Don't know... What does he do? Constantly monitoring someone.
-Never rests. Why? Is he acting on someone's orders? Or is it a hobby?
She was confused as she wrote notes in her notebook.
That diligent stalker was constantly roaming the campus without resting or eating...!
What on earth made that man like that?
By this point, curiosity preceded fear. Asidis was munching on a sandwich while looking for Ivan.
He disappeared from sight again. He seemed to be walking toward the Knight Department building, but when he turned the corner, he vanished like smoke.
"Hmm, where did he go?"
She wiped the mustard sauce from the corner of her mouth and plodded along.
'I don't know why, but Asidis is attempting to monitor me.'
But that's not going to happen. Though somewhat annoying, he hadn't grown dull enough to let an amateur like her catch his trail.
Ivan thought as he walked down a corridor with a "perception inhibition" spell.
"Dmitri."
"Have you been well, senior?"
Not a single student was walking in the department corridor. This was due to the Counterintelligence Command's "perception inhibition" spell.
In the middle of the corridor stood Dmitri, holding a yellow envelope and looking out the window.
"You appear as soon as the spell is cast, senior. I always think you're truly amazing."
"What brings you to the university, Dmitri?"
"Well, um. I have one thing to ask, and one thing to report. So... yes."
Dmitri took out a file and handed it over.
"We've caught the trail of the bombing at the entrance ceremony."
"Then isn't that a matter to be resolved?"
"There's a bit of a problem."
The Krasilov Counterintelligence Command is competent. In fact, it's the most competent group among all administrative departments in Krasilov.
Basically, Krasilov, no, this uncivilized pre-modern society was rampant with corruption. A public official who didn't take bribes was like a unicorn or dragon. (Meaning they do exist.)
Even so, the Counterintelligence Command was extremely clean. It couldn't be otherwise with Princess Elizabeta as its head.
Therefore, it was strange that this terrorist tracking matter had been passed up to Ivan.
Ivan frowned as he opened the envelope.
"Droan...?"
"Yes, Droan."
Droan, the country of warriors. Einar's homeland.
That country sponsored a bombing in the heart of Krasilov?
Ivan flipped through the documents, lost in thought.
"When we examined the magic bomb that was used, most of the components came from Droan."
"Droan sponsoring a magic bomb terror attack? Do you think that makes sense?"
"Of course it's impossible by common sense, right?"
"Hmm..."
The warriors of Droan are widely known as the kind who would harvest an enemy's skull with an axe rather than waste time on bomb terrorism.
Therefore, conversely, they would be the least suspected when a bomb attack occurs.
After all, the "common sense" of the Counterintelligence Command should be the opposite of civilian common sense.
If there are those whom no one suspects, they are, conversely, those who should be most suspected.
"So I dug deeper. Please read from page 11."
"...It seems Einar was sloppy with the cleanup."
"Yes. Unlike King Einar, isn't it? Showing mercy to enemies."
Until Einar returned to his homeland after the Demon King's death, Droan was not a unified country.
It was a warring states period with numerous warlords called 'Jarls' running rampant. With the threat of the Demon King gone, they were running wild like unbridled colts.
During such a time, Einar established a nation with two axes. That's why he's called the 'Great King.'
Einar brought peace to his homeland and a sense of national identity as a single ethnic group.
That's how it was known.
"So one of the five Jarls who submitted to Einar is the culprit. Has this information gone to Einar?"
"The minister is considering it now. If Einar learns of this..."
"A bloodbath will ensue."
"Yes, and with our shared border, we'll certainly be affected. And as you know... Crown Prince Alexandr's whereabouts are currently unknown. The military's movements are also suspicious."
Ivan flipped through the file to the end, then infused magic into the magic circle on the last page and dusted off his hands.
The confidential document instantly burst into flames and scattered as ashes.
"We know who sponsored the terror attack, but we just can't catch those who were preparing the attack. But their target is clearly..."
"Asidis."
"Yes, King Einar's most beloved daughter. If that child dies or gets hurt, with King Einar's temperament, war will break out immediately. The responsibility would fall on Her Highness the Princess, as the head of the Counterintelligence Command."
"Then the military would support the Crown Prince."
The military needs war to survive. Conversely, in a country without the threat of war, military reduction is inevitable.
Only four years have passed since the Demon War. The country is being rebuilt, and the palace is diverting funds meant for maintaining the army to reconstruction costs.
Therefore, if anyone desires war now, it's the military.
And the Crown Prince, who wants to bring down the Minister of the Palace, Princess Elizabeta.
"The terrorists will certainly target Asidis again, senior."
"Tell Her Highness the Princess."
Ivan glanced at the empty corridor and turned around.
"That I will do what needs to be done."
"Thank you for your dedication, 'Little' Ivan."
"It's nothing."
Ivan shook his head briefly and left. Watching his retreating figure, Dmitri dusted off his hands.
The "perception inhibition" magic circle at the end of the corridor shattered, and students began to enter the corridor again.
In the corridor where students had returned, there was no trace of Dmitri.
Being a very logical person, Ivan formulated his plan using simple reasoning.
1. Someone is targeting Asidis.
2. For some unknown reason, Asidis is attempting to monitor him.
By combining the information that the protection target was in danger and the surprising fact that the protection target was tracking him, he could derive a simple and clear solution.
QED) He should consistently expose himself within her line of sight to make it easier for Asidis to monitor him.
There was no need to hide when the surveillance and protection target was following him of her own accord in this grateful situation. Just by revealing himself, he could keep Asidis within his sight.
At the same time, by lurking around Asidis, he would certainly be able to catch the trail of the 'unknown terrorists.'
As he had reflected before, a well-trained agent never moves with just one objective at a time.
Setting up more than one aim with a single move.
That is the way of the Annihilation Squad.
'What on earth...?!'
Asidis was drinking coffee when she spilled it, staring blankly behind a roadside tree.
"Essie? What's wrong?"
"Uh, um. Uh, uhh. Um... um... Bella, is Bella nearby?"
"No? Isabelle said she's eating lunch separately today because of class... Why?"
"Then... then... me...?"
Looking at the gardener who was staring at her from behind the tree, Asidis wore an expression like she was about to cry.
"I'm the target...?"
"What? What do you mean...?"
"No, it's nothing... Yuri. I'll go ahead. Sorry."
"It's fine, I had to go for my next class anyway. See you tomorrow!"
"Yes, yes."
Asidis staggered away. Standing at the entrance of the Music Department's main building, she turned around with trembling eyes.
"...!"
Just outside the exact same distance as before.
'He' was staring at her.
Asidis suddenly felt like crying.