As soon as I returned to my mansion, I saw Sandra kneeling outside my balcony. She must've been waiting for me to report what she found out from the mission I assigned her yesterday.
"Sandra. Report it." I commanded her as I sat on the chair I had yet to put back in my inventory, looking down at the kneeling Dark Elf wearing assassin garb.
Sandra raised her head and looked at me with her red eyes. They were darker than Lucy's.
"Yes, Master. Following your instruction, I infiltrated the Patientia Academy this morning when everyone watched the magic division tournament. There were only a few students who weren't interested in the tournament who stayed behind, so I could steal some clothes from the dressing room and mix with the students."
I nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"It was easier than I thought. I just needed to change my skin color and wear the uniform; no one questioned me. So I could freely walk into the academy as the teachers were also watching the tournament. It took me a few minutes to check every room in the main building.
"I found nothing suspicious in there, so I went to the smaller building on the side. My goal unexpectedly lay in that building that looked like a warehouse. There is someone who can create magic items inside."
"Oh?"
That was fast. I thought with the tournament still ongoing; the investigation would take at least 7 days or so before it finished. But to think that Sandra had already found the maker of those magic items.
Now, if I knew who it was and could prove that a teacher helped Patientia Academy's students by giving them magic items that the teacher created, I could eliminate some people in the close-range and long-range divisions, thus freeing some spots for the students from our academy.
'Sandra is truly talented to be an information gatherer.'
"Did you confirm that the one who made magic items for the Patientia Academy's students is that person?"
"Yes," Sandra confirmed with a nod. "I've seen some magic items used in the magic division tournament by the students from Patientia Academy before I went to the academy itself. And that person indeed created similar items but with higher effect, according to the murmur I heard from his complaint."
'Complaint?'
So the magic item makers didn't really like creating those items for Patientia Academy? No, that could also be a complaint because he wasn't paid enough or was not given any time to rest or watch the magic division tournament yesterday.
Either way, I could inform Alesia about this and make it easier for her to poach that maker.
"Describe that person's appearance," I said.
"That person has unkempt black hair and black eyebags. His face has a dull feature. He appeared to be timid but disciplined as his white and black uniform–"
"Wait, uniform?"
I interrupted Sandra because that word caught my attention.
'Uniform?'
"The magic item maker is just a student?"
"Yes," Sandra replied with a nod. "He's a student, probably a second Year from his ragged appearance and the number 2 pin in his collar."
I fell into deep thought as I held my chin and rested my back against the chair's backrest.
'If what Sandra said was true, then that student is probably the most talented one I have ever seen. Making those magic items is hard; it requires specialized talent to control one's MP or Mana. Only the item and weapon idiots in my former guild managed to push that talent to the max, and that took them five years.'
Not only that, one's aesthetic senses were also important in creating magic items, so they looked great. The concentration to craft and enchant such an item with a certain effect was amazing itself. Added to the enhancement that had less than 50 percent success rate, the process was lengthy and hard.
'Such a person would have high patience. If he even made a complaint because of his situation, it surely has gone bad for him. Sandra also mentioned eyebags…'
I looked at the Dark Elf, who was waiting for my instruction, and waved my hand.
"Continue."
"In front of that boy stood a pile of magic items, and on the side stood materials. He was wearing glasses with black rims, and the glass was cracked slightly. For a student in the Patientia Academy, which is supposed to be an academy for Nobles, he looked more like a commoner."
"Did you find out his name?" I asked.
If Sandra already knew his face, then it was easy to find his name from the other students. She did mention that she disguised herself as a student, so she could ask casually without being suspicious.
"… I didn't. I will find out tomorrow," Sandra replied with a low voice.
"How?"
Looking at the situation, that shouldn't be possible. It should be easy to find that student's name.
The Dark Elf assassin averted her gaze. I narrowed my eyes and observed her. Since earlier, when she appeared before me, her right hand was hidden behind her back, and when I looked at her mask, I noticed some bread crumbs around it.
"Were you bribed?" My voice turned cold as I looked at her.
"T-The bread they had was soft and smelt delicious." She answered with a timid tone, like a child who tried to hide her wrongdoings.
"I asked a group of girls about that student, but then I smelt the bread in their hands. Noticing my gaze, they somehow shared their lunch with me and told me that they would tell me tomorrow. I did my job seriously, Master!" She appealed.
Then she looked at me, "You said I could take my time too! This is just the first night, Master! Please give me a chance tomorrow!"
"Haa…" I heaved a long sigh as I held my head.
What should I do with this glutton? While I said that, it would be better if she could give me the information immediately.
'I need to tell her that in the future. It's part of my fault saying she could take her time until the end of the tournament, so I can't blame her too.'
"Alright, find out tomorrow. But don't get tempted by bread again, or I won't give you sandwiches. Which one will you choose? Bread or sandwiches?"
"Sandwiches!" Sandra replied immediately with sparkling eyes. "Thank you, Master! I won't disappoint you again! Sandra can hold herself back for the sake of Sandwiches!"
"Good." I nodded. "Rest well. I will be waiting in the Royal Academy at lunch. Find me in the garden."
"Yes!"
Sandra disappeared from the spot as she said that. I could see her jump to the roof at a fast speed, leaving only a shadow.
After she was gone, I stood up and stretched. Somehow I felt a bit excited for tomorrow's tournament.
While I couldn't 'blackmail' Earl Lawrence because the one who made the magic items for Patientia Academy's students was also a student himself, I could still bash them to the point I was satisfied.
'The sword used in the tournament tomorrow is the training sword that's been dulled. However, it is still painful if used correctly and kills a student if used skillfully.'
Thinking so, I jumped down the balcony and took out a wooden sword from my inventory.
I needed a bit of training for tomorrow's tournament.
Yes, training to hold back and not kill people from Temperantia Academy if I met them. As for the Patientia Academy… Well, they should be fine. If they died, I would blame their magic item for not doing their job to protect the wearer.
