After speaking his final sentence, the tower leader still stood in silence.
His gaze passed over Daniel and settled again on Serys. A heavy silence filled the room; a silence that even the wind outside the window dared not break.
Serys still couldn’t believe what she had heard was true.
"...Are you sure?" Her lips trembled slightly, and she said quietly, her voice laced with doubt.
This was beyond anything she had expected. She hadn’t thought that even in the worst circumstances, this case would be given to her.
But why? Why had the tower leader suddenly decided to trust her?
Her gaze fell on Daniel. Was this also part of this man’s plans? Or was it a complete coincidence? But she doubted anything related to this man could be a coincidence.
The tower leader said nothing.
"You really want to entrust this case to me? This is the case of your daughter’s murder. The case of a girl who was like a sister to me... Wouldn’t it be better for you to handle it yourself?" Serys stepped forward.
A few moments passed. The tower leader took a quiet, deep breath; a breath that seemed to carry years of weight with it.
"When everyone..." His voice was low, but every word carried a specific weight.
"even I myself... believed they were suicides..." His eyes grew distant for a moment. The image of his daughter, Aurelia, came alive again before his mind.
"Only you kept objecting. Every time, you said these deaths weren’t natural. Every time, you said someone was behind all of them." He lowered his gaze.
For a man who had led the world’s greatest magic tower for decades, admitting a mistake wasn’t easy. But this time, his pride no longer mattered.
"I was wrong. I should have trusted you back then... my student. And this time..." The tower leader raised his head again.
"I don’t want to repeat the same mistake."
Serys felt her heart stop for a moment. All those years... all the mockery... all the looks that called her crazy...
In the end, the tower leader himself had admitted that she had been right.
In her heart, she felt an indescribable gratitude toward Daniel. Until now, she had only been happy that Lioran would finally get what he deserved.
But now... seeing the tower leader, her master, apologizing to her, made her understand just how dangerous Daniel was.
Only two days had passed since he arrived here, and in that time, he had changed everything. He had turned the entire tower’s course 180 degrees. It was maddening.
And she understood how unfortunate Lioran was.
The tower leader stepped a few steps closer to her, his gaze deeper than ever.
"You have a guess about who the killer is... don’t you?"
Serys unconsciously turned her gaze toward Daniel.
Daniel, without any change in expression, calmly continued drinking his tea; as if this question had nothing to do with him.
Serys looked back at the tower leader.
"...Even if I have a guess, without evidence it’s worthless." She wasn’t foolish enough to say her guess was Lioran.
At the moment, there was practically no evidence to convict Lioran, and he was still the most popular and famous figure in the entire tower.
For the first time, the tower leader smiled very faintly. So faint that if someone looked a moment later, they might not even notice it.
"Exactly. A guess is enough to start, but the end of this case... can only come with evidence." He took his final step and stood almost face to face with Serys.
"Find the real killer. Bring me the evidence. And leave the rest... to me."
Serys was silent for a few seconds.
"No matter who it is?" She then asked quietly.
"Even if it’s one of the grand professors? Or one of the Supreme Council members?"
The tower leader didn’t even think for a moment.
"It doesn’t matter." His voice was no longer calm. It was decisive, firm, the voice of a man who had lost everything.
"Whoever it is... I will punish them with my own hands." No hesitation could be seen in his eyes.
No fear, no consideration, no mercy. He was no longer just the tower leader. He was a father who had just learned his daughter had been murdered.
And to avenge his daughter, he was willing to do anything.
The tower leader raised his hand. A silver ring with golden runes appeared from the surrounding space.
The runes spun around it like small stars. He held the ring out to Serys.
Serys took the ring hesitantly. The moment her hand touched it, the runes glowed for a moment and then quieted down.
The tower leader continued:
"From this moment, my authority accompanies you. All professors, all guards, all departments of the tower are obligated to cooperate with you without question."
"Do whatever is necessary. Just... find the killer."
Serys was still staring at the ring in her hand. This insignia was only given to special agents of the tower leader. Throughout the tower’s history, very few had been allowed to touch such a thing.
She still couldn’t believe it.
At that moment, Daniel’s quiet voice broke the silence.
"Excuse me..."
All eyes turned to him. He unhurriedly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then with his usual calmness said:
"Can I ask a question too?"
The tower leader fixed his gaze on him, as if waiting for him to continue.
Daniel smiled faintly.
"What about me? After all... the Trial of a Thousand Spells was practically destroyed after my entry. Aren’t you going to make a decision about that?"
The tower leader just looked at him for a few seconds. His eyes were trying to understand this young man. A young man who had simultaneously destroyed the tower’s greatest legacy... and perhaps also revealed its greatest secret.
Finally, he said quietly:
"Not for now. When things calm down... I’ll make a decision about you too." He paused briefly and then added:
"But..."
"If you also help in finding the killer, I’ll have more reason to lighten your punishment."
"Fair enough." Daniel only smiled slightly.
The tower leader said nothing more. A few moments later, the door opened, and he left the room without guards, without companions, without even turning back once.
As the door closed, silence once again fell over the room.
Serys still held the ring in her hand. She looked at it several times, then slowly sat on the nearest chair.
"...What should I do now?"
This time, her voice was different from a few minutes ago. She felt the weight of the responsibility that had fallen on her shoulders.
Daniel laughed. A short, quiet laugh.
"Don’t worry." He rose from beside the table and walked to the window.
"Now... we have more freedom than ever. The tower leader’s authority means almost no door is closed to us."
He looked at the view outside for a few moments, then without turning back, said:
"The best way to find evidence is to search the killer’s home."
"Wait... you want to search Lioran’s quarters?!" Serys almost jumped.
Daniel finally turned around. A calm smile was etched on his lips.
"Yes. But not from the start. First the professors, then the researchers, then the students, and finally... Lioran."
"But if he really is the killer... when he sees us searching everywhere, he’ll destroy all his evidence by then." Serys frowned.
Daniel laughed with more confidence this time.
"I know. That’s exactly my goal."
"What?" Serys was completely confused.
Daniel stood before her.
"If he does nothing... it means he’s already cleaned everything up. Then he has nothing to lose."
Then he raised his finger.
"But... if he moves just one letter... meets one person... transfers one piece of evidence... or even just gets nervous... that same movement... becomes our first real evidence." He planned to place his Fallen for surveillance and monitoring.
That’s why he was sure nothing would go wrong and he would have everything under watch.
Serys gradually understood his meaning. Her eyes widened slightly.
Daniel smiled.
"Criminals usually get caught because of what they do after the crime."
He opened the door. A cool breeze entered from the hallway, and without the slightest hesitation, he stepped out.
Then he glanced back at Serys.
"Come on. It’s time to start the hunt."
Serys clenched the tower leader’s ring tightly in her fist.
Her gaze was no longer full of doubt.
She slowly rose from her seat and followed Daniel out of the room.
Without knowing that this hunt was about to uncover the greatest conspiracy in the history of the magic tower.