From the place where he stood, near the edge of the crowd yet still within earshot of everything unfolding, Professor Hein quietly observed the spectacle before him.
His hands were behind his back, his spine straight, expression composed—but his mind was whirling like a brewing storm.
He hadn't come here to be part of this.
He had come on assignment.
"I need someone low-key. Someone respected, but not too involved with the public. Someone who can sniff out a rat without the rat knowing it's being watched."
That's what Principal Duldor had told him.
At first, Hein had declined. Naturally. He was a recluse by nature, a man of quiet chambers, dusty tomes, and magical theory.
His comfort zone was the peaceful confines of his study, not the chaotic theatrics of Silver Blade City's bustling streets.
Most of the city hardly remembered his face. Despite his prestigious title, Hein had always lived like a hidden pillar of the Academy—known, but rarely seen.
