In the vast library of the King’s Campus, Dorothy sat by the window, bathed in bright sunlight, as she continued poring over materials. From the information she had gathered, she had deduced that there was likely a secret society hidden among the faculty and students of this university. She had even successfully confirmed this through divination.
“The Royal Crown University gathers the young elite of Pritt. Each one of them is arrogant, talented, and comes from a wealthy background. With so many of these people congregating in one place, it would be abnormal if they weren’t dabbling in some kind of mystical studies. After all, this school has long been a hub for secret societies.”
“Now, what I need to do is figure out a way to uncover this society. Since I can’t find the ruins directly, I’ll start by finding the people. Those guys have been passing down their traditions in this school for quite some time—they should have some knowledge about the ruins.”
Staring at the pile of books before her, Dorothy pondered. When it came to detecting spirituality, she actually had a Lantern sigil she had obtained from Sodod. After spending 20 pounds to have Beverly appraise it, she discovered that it was an "Area Clairvoyance Sigil"—capable of detecting all Beyonders, objects, and spiritual traces within a 50-meter radius.
It was a highly useful sigil, but unfortunately, she only had one. Using it to locate hidden Beyonders on campus had a very low probability of success. After all, if she used it and found nothing within the 50-meter range, it would be a complete waste.
“So… is there a better way to find Beyonders and those connected to them?”
Dorothy thought for a moment. Since she couldn’t come up with a better method right away, she decided to continue reading in search of inspiration. This time, she picked up the university’s newspaper.
The Royal Crown University had its own newspaper, which was quite well-run and widely circulated among students. It covered both campus news and major societal events. The edition in Dorothy’s hands was the most recent issue, which featured a large report on a train murder case that had just occurred.
"Murder on the Tivian Long-Distance Train! The Mysterious Detective Solves the Case, the Culprit Brought to Justice! Train Conductor Recalls the Case Solving Details…"
“Damn, this made the papers? Those train staff sure have a strong sense of justice—they actually reported the entire ‘truth’ without stealing any credit…” Dorothy’s lips twitched as she read the article. This wasn’t what she had expected at all. She had assumed the train crew would take the credit for themselves, erasing any mention of Detective Ed. But to her surprise, not only did they acknowledge the detective’s role, but they also showered him with praise.
"…As I mentioned before, Mr. Ed is the most refined and admirable man I have ever met. He is not only keenly observant and exceptionally intelligent, making him an outstanding detective, but he also upholds justice without seeking fame. He is a true gentleman. He has now arrived in Tivian, a city riddled with hidden crimes. I believe it won’t be long before people hear his name again…"
Reading the interview with the train conductor, Dorothy felt a slight tinge of embarrassment and quickly turned the page to another section.
"Tensions in the New Continent Escalate Once Again! Conflicts with the Farano Colonies Continue to Intensify! The Primitive and Barbaric Natives Have Formed Special Squads to Hunt Civilized People, Resulting in Multiple Casualties. Governor Mitchell Declares Stronger Measures Will Be Taken…"
“The colonial disputes in the New Continent? This issue isn’t over yet? And it’s only getting worse… Is this going to lead to war?”
Dorothy thought to herself. A few months ago, when she was in Igwynt, she had already seen reports about colonial conflicts. Now, it seemed the situation had deteriorated even further.
But what happened in that distant foreign land had nothing to do with Dorothy. She skimmed over the report and turned another page to the next article.
"Count Mac was Found Dead in His Home! Police Confirm Homicide! This Marks the Third Murder in the Platinum District Since May—Possible Connections Still Unclear…"
“Platinum District murders? And this is the third one? Is someone specifically targeting nobles and capitalists? Seems like nowhere is truly peaceful…”
Dorothy made a brief mental note but didn’t dwell on it, flipping through to the next section.
"A Report on the Severe Pollution of the Moonflow River and Tivian’s Air Quality Has Been Submitted to the Royal Council. Disagreements Over Solutions Lead to Heated Debates…"
This was more of a political news piece, with little of interest in the article itself. However, the newspaper had dedicated an entire section to student-submitted debates on the issue, which seemed quite popular. Different student factions had been writing articles in response to each other, using the newspaper as a public forum for intense debates. The arguments, spanning several issues, were well-crafted and sophisticated.
“…Heh… This level of debate is far superior to the childish flame wars and passive-aggressive sniping I used to see online. Some of these students are definitely going to become politicians—they’re already honing their rhetorical skills.”
As she continued reading, Dorothy absentmindedly commented in her mind. After the political and societal news, the following section contained minor campus affairs, which she barely glanced at before flipping past. Eventually, she had nearly finished the newspaper, but she still hadn’t found any clues about the secret society.
Just as she was about to set the paper down, something caught her attention.
It was a small section tucked into the bottom corner of the last page—the lost-and-found column. Here, students who had found valuable items would post announcements, while those who had lost something would place advertisements seeking their belongings.
As she stared at the lost-and-found section, an idea suddenly formed in Dorothy’s mind.
"Maybe… I can make them come to me."
Murmuring to herself, Dorothy gathered her books and newspaper. She needed to find Beverly and the student newspaper office.
…
Two days later, in the Royal Campus Library, Dorothy sat in her usual spot, flipping through the latest issue of the school newspaper.
She skipped over the various news reports at the front and went straight to the lost-and-found section. Before long, she found exactly what she was looking for.
"Lost Item Found: On the afternoon of September 10th, I picked up an artifact on the first floor of the Clock Tower. The artifact is a black-gray stone triangular object, seemingly a fragment of a stele. One side is inscribed with non-Pritt script, while the other side bears a symbol of an open eye. This item is currently being kept at Green Shade Town, No. 23, outside the East Gate of the school. If you have lost this item, please come to claim it before school ends."
Reading the entry, Dorothy nodded in satisfaction. Then, she reached into her purse and pulled out a small item—an identical black-gray stone triangular fragment, marked with the same eye symbol and mysterious inscriptions.
Yes, she had placed this lost-and-found notice herself. The item was not something she had found, but rather a handcrafted artifact she had paid Beverly 20 pounds to make in five minutes. Its design? A perfect imitation of a Revelation spiritual storage!
The university had once been a stronghold of the Celestial Bibliotheca and had housed many Revelation items over the centuries. Though various societies had taken turns ransacking the place, who was to say that a few remnants hadn’t been overlooked?
If, by chance, an ordinary person unknowingly picked up such a relic and, in their innocence, posted a lost-and-found notice in the school paper, what would happen?
Any secret society members hidden within the school, upon seeing such an announcement, wouldn’t be able to ignore it. At the very least, they would have to come and check it out. If it turned out to be real, it would be a huge find.
And so, all Dorothy had to do now… was to wait.