Tivian North Suburbs, King’s Campus, Royal Crown University.
In the morning, inside a tall administrative building on King’s Campus, two middle-aged men in suits and bowler hats, carrying briefcases, are walking briskly down a long corridor. The teachers passing by can’t help but glance at them with curiosity—it’s clear they are not part of the school staff.
The two men quickly reach the end of the corridor, where they stop at a door with a large flowerpot beside it. One of them politely knocks on the door, and a slightly aged voice responds from inside.
"Come in."
Hearing this, the two men open the door and enter the room. What greets them is a spacious office, and behind the desk sits a man in his forties or fifties.
"Good morning, Director Andrew," one of the two men says to the man behind the desk, who responds with a smile.
"Ah, it’s good to see you again, Mr. Bouz, Mr. Martin. Please, have a seat."
Following Andrew’s words, Bouz and Martin close the door and walk over to sit in front of Andrew’s desk. Andrew pours two cups of black tea and hands them to Bouz and Martin.
"Thank you."
Bouz and Martin express their gratitude. As the two men sip their tea, Andrew continues."To be honest, I’ve been quite idle lately. I’ve been looking forward to having someone from the bureau come by for a chat. So, gentlemen, what brings you here today?"
Hearing Andrew’s words, Bouz and Martin set down their teacups. They look at Andrew, and Martin speaks in a serious tone.
"Director Andrew, we’re here to confirm some things with you, as the observer of King’s Campus."
"Confirm some things? Has something happened recently?" Andrew frowns as he listens to Martin, and Bouz responds.
"Yes, last night, something did happen in this area. Let me give you a brief summary. Yesterday afternoon, someone sent a letter to the bureau through the White Craftsmen’s Guild’s messaging service..."
Bouz and Martin proceed to explain to Andrew the events of the previous night, when the Serenity Bureau’s Hunter Squad encountered a cult group near King’s Campus, at North Pine Forest. They describe how the Hunter Squad successfully ambushed the cult group at the predetermined location, only to be thwarted by a White-rank Beyonder when the cult was nearly wiped out. Andrew listens silently.
Martin, Bouz, and Andrew are all members of the Serenity Bureau Tivian Headquarters, though their positions differ. Martin and Bouz are staff members from the headquarters, while Andrew is the dispatched observer stationed at King’s Campus.
Historically, due to tradition, students at King’s Campus have frequently dabbled in the mysticism, often causing incidents of varying scales. In the end, it’s usually the Serenity Bureau that steps in to clean up the mess.
After dealing with such incidents repeatedly, the Serenity Bureau decided to set up an office directly at King’s Campus, dispatching an observer to constantly monitor the students’ studies of occult knowledge.
Typically, these observers serve as advisors to the students’ secret societies, guiding the young lords and ladies to ensure their studies of mysticism remain within safe boundaries. Currently, the Serenity Bureau’s dispatched observer at the school is Andrew.
In the office, Andrew frowns as he listens to Bouz and Martin. After taking a sip of tea, he slowly responds.
"So, you’re saying... there might be a cult-like secret society active near King’s Campus? And they can even deploy a White-rank Beyonder?"
"Yes. And this morning, there were reports from the police that some battered vagrants were seen fleeing south in the northern suburbs. The police caught a few of them for questioning, but many seemed mentally unstable due to shock. Those who could speak said they seemed to have escaped from the school."
Bouz adds, while Martin speaks up seriously, asking Andrew.
"Therefore, the bureau now suspects that something might be happening at King’s Campus. That’s why they sent us to consult with you, Director Andrew. Have you noticed any unusual activities at King’s Campus? Especially regarding the student societies?"
"No, I haven’t seen anything unusual here. Aside from a shooting incident in a neighboring town a few days ago, there’s been nothing out of the ordinary."
Andrew states plainly, his words clearly surprising Bouz and Martin. They exchange a glance before turning back to Andrew.
"Are you sure there’s really nothing, Director Andrew?"
"Of course. I’ve been with the bureau for over twenty years. Surely you don’t doubt my credibility? I can assure you there’s nothing unusual happening at the school. There might be some societies active nearby, but I can guarantee they’re not within the school. As for those battered vagrants you mentioned, many of them were mentally unstable, right? It’s possible their judgment was impaired, and they might have mistaken the location. Perhaps they were referring to somewhere near the school."
Andrew speaks with certainty, his eyes faintly glowing as he does so. Bouz and Martin furrow their brows as they listen, and Martin adds.
"Director Andrew, you’re a senior member of the bureau, and we naturally trust your experience and loyalty... But could you take us to see the student societies at the school now?"
"Of course, no problem. There should be people there now. Let’s go take a look."
With that, Andrew stands up, walks out from behind his desk, and opens the office door, leading the way. Bouz and Martin follow closely behind.
Following Andrew, Bouz and Martin make their way through the school. After walking for a while, they arrive at the gathering point of the Scholarly Society of Mystical Knowledge. There, they see a group of students quietly reading books, as if it were a small library.
"Good morning, Mr. Andrew."
"Ah, good morning."
Some students greet Andrew, who nods in response. He then turns to Bouz and Martin behind him.
"Feel free to look around."
Bouz and Martin begin to inspect the gathering point, occasionally asking the students questions or glancing at the books they’re reading. They find nothing out of the ordinary.
"Director Andrew, we heard there’s an empty ruin beneath the school. Could we take a look there?"
"The ruin? That might not be so easy to see."
As Andrew speaks, he leads them deeper into the gathering point. Bouz and Martin follow closely. After passing through a long, clean corridor, they reach the end, where a statue stands before them.
"The entrance to the ruin has long been sealed. It would take some effort to get in, but it’s just an empty ruin with nothing of value. Many people at the bureau should know this already."
Andrew says, his eyes faintly glowing as he speaks to the two men. They look at the statue blocking the entrance and nod, agreeing with Andrew’s words and not pressing to have it opened.
Afterward, Andrew returns to the office in the administrative building. Sitting behind his desk, he speaks plainly to the two men, his eyes still faintly glowing.
"Alright, gentlemen, you’ve seen everything there is to see. As you can tell, there’s nothing unusual on campus. Could you report this back to the bureau?"
"Yes, it’s as you said, Director Andrew. There’s nothing wrong here. We’ll report back to the bureau right away. Thank you for your time."
Martin replies, his and Bouz’s eyes seeming slightly dazed as they look at Andrew.
"Ah, it’s no trouble. It’s my duty."
Afterward, Bouz and Martin leave the office. Once they close the door and walk away, Andrew, sitting behind his desk, takes a deep breath.
Then, Andrew’s body begins to change. His frame shrinks slightly, and his face twists and reshapes like clay. His skin pales, and his hair recedes into his scalp.
In a short while, the figure sitting behind the desk no longer resembles Andrew in any way. Whether in facial features, build, or skin tone, it is clearly a different person.
Bald, with pointed ears, pale skin, dark circles under his eyes, and prominent cheekbones... This is Claudius, the Vampire from the Eight-Spired Nest.
Claudius sits in the office chair, staring at the photo of Andrew on the desk, and can’t help but let out a light scoff.
"Hmph... Andrew Wynn. A dead man’s identity is quite useful."