Inside of the grant academy public library, Thomas and Aimee were checking up on two giant catalogs and taking notes while they read.

 

These two catalogues were the schedules for school staffers, including those of school custodians and professors and researchers with public schedules, and some of the school facilities. It was already the age of information technology and cloud collaborative tools, yet the Grant Academy still used these magical catalogs to keep track of this kind of information. And because of this, Aimee and Thomas had to resort to the old style of cross checking information and intelligence.

 

“Here.” Thomas pointed at a name on his catalog: “Assistant Professor Brian Young, hospitalized ten days ago. And looks like according to his public schedule, he was in the labs most of the time last week and wasn’t available for any appointments, and then he was available for appointments starting only five days before he was hospitalized.”

 

“I don’t remember that name, he was released pretty soon right?” Aimee frowned: “Otherwise his name would be on the list of prolonged and intense care watch.”

 

“Yes, he was only displaying minor symptoms.” Thomas nodded at Aimee: “I remembered him because I attend a class taught by him - the Progression and Adaptation of Enchanted Civilian Tools and Weapons.”

 

“So, minor exposure, the dormant period would be much longer, I would assume?” Aimee moved over to the side of Thomas to look at his notes: “But that would mean that he was exposed to it while he was still doing lab research.”

 

“Which is not too very likely. Because the only things that are contaminated are the firework materials right?” Thomas scoffed: “Which, for the record, I am having a harder and harder time believing.”

 

“I think the main issue we’re having is that if the narrative is true, then only ones affected by the materials should be students. But we have staffers who have almost nothing to do with the firework festival competition showing symptoms of exposure, and what’s more, they have the majority of the most severe cases.” Aimee said: “So, if I am not mistaken, either the contamination is much more widespread, or the contamination story is just a cover-up.”

 

“I wonder why nobody questioned the narrative then?” Thomas let out a wry chuckle and shook his head, then he tapped his fingers on the catalog: “Umm, sis, do you think that hearing would be just another cover up?”

 

“I am thinking about that possibility now.” Aimee scratched the back of her head and said: “Remember - Caroline did say that the one that attacked her asked her something about some sort of codex, right?”

 

“No, she said that when she fought back, she got a piece of memory about someone asking someone else to bring back a codex.” Thomas rubbed his eyes and said: “And the guy that stalked Jason asked him about a key, so - ”

 

“So you’re saying the hearing could be a setup.” Aimee nodded and said: “That’s quite a dangerous move to make - they’re basically getting the academy involved.”

 

“Or - could it be the case they wanted the academy to get involved?” Thomas pretended to put on an invisible tinfoil hat.

 

“Hmm, let me check the academy bylaws.” Aimee immediately stood up.

 

“What are you looking for?”

 

“Access to personal effects. I was thinking - if the hearing goes wrong for Jason and Caroline, would the academy have authority to demand a forfeiture - ”

 

“But what could they possibly want - ” Thomas frowned and the whole picture dawned on him: “Holy shit, the silver box no one knows what it is for, I gotta call them now.”

 

“I will check on academy faculties with similar schedules, once I am done checking the by laws.” Aimee said: “Go ahead and tell them to find any help, ask for counsel if possible - I’m no defense lawyer, but if someone from the academy is trying to set them up, they would need additional preparation for everything the hearing committee could throw at them.”

 

“On it.” Thomas dialed up the number of Caroline.

 

----------------------------

 

“Hello Caroline, I’m sorry but I don’t think Jianmen could answer your call right now.” after dialing Jianmen’s number three times, Caroline was finally able to get a connected call, but it was not Jianmen who answered the phone, instead, it was Josephine Wong.

 

“Ms. Wong? Hello, what happened? Why can’t we talk to Boss?” Caroline had her phone on loudspeaker, and both she and Jason were confused.

 

“He’s injured. Pretty bad this time as well.” Josephine Wong’s voice sounded weak and a little ill: “So I would be taking over some of his normal duties for him, and Rash would be looking after the inn while your boss is recovering. So what do you need?”

 

“Hold on, hold on, what happened? Is Boss okay?” Jason asked: “Should we come back?”

 

“Nonono, you will come back once you’re done with the audit program.” Josephine Wong said: “Even if you come back now, you won’t be able to help at all - according to his notes, you’ve just started learning about healing spells right? So just be calm, be patient, your Boss is in a stable state, and we have people watching over him and helping him heal. So no need to worry. Just tell me, what do you need?”

 

“Oh - okay, please pass on our regards and let him know he’s in our thoughts.” Caroline sighed: “Thank you Ms. Wong. I really appreciate you helping Boss out and taking our call.”

 

“Of course. Of course. What’s up with you?”

 

“So, Ms. Wong, I’m sorry to bother you. But we’re in trouble.” Jason said.

 

“Trouble? What’d you do?”

 

Then Caroline and Jason proceeded to tell Josephine Wong everything - from the man who stalked Jason and the strange illusion and psychic attack from someone in the hunting ground forest, to the out of nowhere call for a hearing scheduled next week.

 

“Okay, and no one approached you and asked you for any information before this call?” Josephine Wong sounded agitated: “This is really far from the standard procedure and protocol. I will contact the academy and express my concerns and see if I can pull some strings to assist you.. But before that, be sure to be fully prepared - do you have any idea or even suspicion of what they might have?”

 

“The only thing we could think of would be the medicines Boss gave us a while back.” Jason looked at Caroline and answered: “The other things we bought were either from the Christmas Fair or given to us by you or Boss. There’s no way they are contaminated right?”

 

“Seeing as Jianmen took you shopping, I don’t think that’s ever possible.” Josephine Wong thought for a while: “The medicine Jianmen gave you, it’s slightly poisonous right?”

 

“Yes, but Boss told us they are more tailored for us, and we wouldn’t be so stupid to spread it out - we used them already, with nothing left!” Jason said.

 

“Well, not entirely - we still have the healing medicine left.” Caroline said.

 

“Okay. Do you still have the containers?”

 

“Yes.” Jason and Caroline answered at the same time.

 

“I will send a message to Professor Priya Kapur, K-A-P-U-R. Go find her, she’s a professor of the academy, one of those that don’t work exclusively with any one house.” Josephine Wong said: “I’ll ask her to perform a toxicology analysis on the containers, they would serve as evidence in your favor. And try to find out who accused you, I will call you back when I’ve learned more. And starting from now, anyone from the academy ever comes and asks you anything, don’t say anything. Anything at all.”

 

“Understood.”