Inside the gathering point of the Scholarly Society of Mystical Knowledge at Royal Crown University, Dorothy controlled a small gecko corpse marionette, eavesdropping on the conversation about the man called Thorn Velvet. At this moment, she had already heard some critical information that couldn’t be ignored.
"Nephthys was seen when she entered No. 23? Well, yeah, she came in through the front gate. That skin, that chest, that waist—she’s too distinctive. It’s easy for people to remember her."
"What should I do? Nephthys is still inside the gathering point. If those two guys see her, it’ll be a disaster."
Sitting inside the library, Dorothy thought to herself as she listened to the distant conversation. Nephthys had striking features, and since it was already confirmed that she was a student of Royal Crown University, a covert search within the campus could indeed locate her. Moreover, she was a member of the Scholarly Society herself and was currently inside this very gathering point.
Realizing that Nephthys was in a precarious situation, Dorothy decided she should warn her later. At that moment, however, the conversation between Thorn Velvet and his external society subordinate continued.
"A female student with slightly dark skin... a great figure?" Thorn Velvet murmured, contemplating for a moment. It seemed like something came to mind, but when he tried to recall further, he found he couldn’t quite remember. There was no impression.
Though both Thorn Velvet and Nephthys were members of the Scholarly Society, ever since he had taken complete control of the organization, he had been preoccupied with other matters and rarely made an appearance. The people he saw regularly were those most deeply corrupted by the cognitive poison—the most loyal members of the society. It had been nearly four months since he had last seen Nephthys, so it was natural that his memory of her had faded.
"Hmm... This is a lead. Since she might be a student of this school, conduct a covert investigation. With such distinct features, she shouldn’t be hard to find. But leave this matter to Jed. As for you, there are still some matters regarding the underground that we need to discuss inside."
As he spoke, Thorn Velvet gestured toward the web-filled corridor beside him. The moment Dorothy heard the mention of "underground," her eyes lit up, and she maneuvered her gecko corpse marionette to follow them.
The gecko marionette soon encountered a dense layer of spider silk covering the ceiling of the corridor. The webs stretched throughout the passage, particularly on the ceiling, walls, and even the floor—a thin yet intricate layer. "Why are there suddenly so many spiderwebs here? The outside was clean, but inside this corridor, it’s completely covered?"
Seeing the web-filled passage, Dorothy felt a hint of suspicion. However, as she noticed Thorn Velvet and his subordinate walking further down the corridor, she had no time for hesitation and guided her gecko marionette to follow.
The moment the gecko touched the white threads, Thorn Velvet, who was ahead, paused briefly before continuing forward.
"Mr. Thorn Velvet, about the underground matters—what exactly do you need me to handle?"
Upon reaching the depths of the corridor, the external subordinate asked. However, Thorn Velvet interrupted him with a reply.
"Oh, I just remembered. The situation there doesn’t require our intervention for now. Instead, go help Jed find that female student."
"Ah... Understood."
Hearing Thorn Velvet’s words, the subordinate seemed somewhat surprised but, after glancing at his leader’s expression, chose not to question further.
Thorn Velvet and his subordinate continued walking in silence through the web-covered corridor. Thorn Velvet maintained a serious expression, and the subordinate, puzzled, followed quietly. Dorothy’s gecko marionette, treading carefully on the spider silk, followed behind them.
"What’s going on? Why did these two suddenly fall silent?"
As Thorn Velvet walked forward, he discreetly reached into his coat pocket, where, hidden from view, he quietly pulled out a finely crafted box. As he opened it, two small black spiders swiftly crawled out. They scurried onto Thorn Velvet’s body before descending along his legs to the ground. From there, they climbed up the walls lined with spider silk, moving along the corridor.
Due to the positioning, Dorothy’s gecko marionette failed to notice Thorn Velvet’s subtle actions.
Slowly, Thorn Velvet arrived before a stone door. He pulled the lever beside it, and as the door rumbled open, he and his subordinate quickly stepped inside. Once inside, he activated an internal mechanism, causing the stone door to slam shut with a heavy thud.
The process was swift—too quick for Dorothy’s gecko marionette to follow. She could only watch helplessly as the door closed. With no gaps or cracks in the stone door, there was no way for the marionette to slip inside.
Dorothy then directed the gecko marionette to search the surrounding area for another entrance, but she found none. She even left the marionette near the door, waiting for it to open again, yet there was no sign of movement.
She had completely lost track of Thorn Velvet.
"Looks like… I can’t continue tracking. The intel I gathered this time is really limited..."
Seeing this, Dorothy, sitting in the library, frowned slightly. The situation felt odd.
"Forget it. Since the investigation is blocked for now, I should just retrieve the marionette. Next, I’ll find Nephthys and warn her—someone might already be looking for her."
With this thought, Dorothy commanded her gecko marionette to return. It crawled across the web-filled corridor, making its way back.
However, from the shadows behind it, two small black spiders emerged, silently trailing the retreating gecko marionette.
Meanwhile, behind the now-sealed stone door, Thorn Velvet stood with his hands behind his back, his tone laced with disdain as he muttered.
"A small reconnaissance marionette, huh? Heh… just a petty trick... Now, I’ll use the same method to track you down instead."
As he spoke, the spiders he had released continued following the gecko marionette. As long as one of them could trace the marionette back to its controller, Thorn Velvet would be able to turn the tables and uncover the identity of the spy.
…
As Dorothy’s gecko marionette made its way back, she sat in the library, controlling its movements while contemplating.
"The intelligence I gathered this time was lacking… It feels less than usual… That Thorn Velvet—his actions seem strange."
A sense of unease stirred within her, stemming from various doubts.
"Why…? Thorn Velvet was clearly about to discuss ’underground’ matters with his subordinate, yet he suddenly stopped? Instead, he had him help search for someone. Even the subordinate seemed surprised by this shift."
"Why did Thorn Velvet enter the stone door so quickly, remaining silent the entire time? Why was that corridor suddenly filled with spiderwebs when the rest of the area was clean? And why discuss such matters in a dirty, cluttered place rather than somewhere more comfortable?"
As she pondered, suspicions began to form.
Though it was just a possibility, she had a way to verify it without needing direct evidence.
Reaching into her coat pocket, Dorothy pulled out a golden coin—one of the four Lantern spiritual storage she had obtained while contending with Luer. She had already used three; this was the last one.
"Has my reconnaissance been discovered?"
With that thought, she whispered a divination chant and tossed the coin into the air.