Chapter 226: The Unfallen Scholar

Professor Antoine Chastellain had always considered himself a rational man.

During his years as a researcher, he had encountered enough unusual magical phenomena to know that the world contained mysteries no scholar could fully explain.

However, whenever something unexpected happened, his first instinct was to investigate it rather than surrender to speculation.

That habit had served him well throughout his career.

Unfortunately, the events of the previous night had presented him with a problem he was reluctant to investigate.

Lucile’s communication device had activated without a power source. Several drawings had floated above his desk, and the surrounding mana had responded to his emotions despite his attempts to control it.

The symptoms resembled those described in historical accounts of Distortion.

Antoine understood the implications.

Distortion was a recognized magical phenomenon associated with profound psychological turmoil. Its manifestations varied greatly between individuals, and researchers still disagreed about the circumstances that triggered it.

The consequences, however, could be catastrophic.

There were documented cases of wizards losing control of their abilities, harming those around them, or undergoing changes from which they never recovered.

Antoine had studied such incidents before.

He simply hadn’t expected to recognize the warning signs in himself.

The following morning, he arrived at SkyRune at his usual hour.

Ilya was already there, organizing materials for the workshop’s new research initiative. Several senior students were preparing equipment for an afternoon demonstration, while the remaining researchers continued their ordinary assignments.

The professor greeted everyone and began reviewing their progress.

Nothing about his behavior initially attracted attention.

However, Ilya noticed that Antoine had brought Lucile’s communication device with him again.

The little invention rested beside his documents, its wooden casing polished and its crystal carefully secured.

“Good morning, Professor. Did you manage to rest?”

“Enough to remain functional.”

“That’s a rather low standard.”

“One I’ve successfully maintained for years, Belozersky.”

Ilya accepted the answer, although the professor looked considerably more tired than usual.

After discussing the day’s assignments, Antoine asked him to remain behind.

“I’d like your opinion on something.”

“Of course.”

The professor explained that he had experienced an unusual magical disturbance while working alone the previous evening. He described the floating documents, the spontaneous activation of a nearby device, and his difficulty suppressing the phenomenon.

Ilya listened carefully.

“Did anything get damaged?”

“No. I managed to stop it before the disturbance spread.”

“Has it happened again?”

“Not since.”

Ilya considered the information.

Magical accidents weren’t unheard of in research workshops, particularly when scholars were experimenting with unfamiliar equipment. However, Antoine had been working alone with an inactive device, and the disturbance apparently originated from his own mana.

That made the situation more concerning.

“Have you considered consulting a physician?”

“I have.”

“Then I assume you’ve already arranged an appointment.”

Antoine gave a faint smile.

“You’re becoming rather difficult to deceive.”

“I learned from an excellent professor.”

The older man accepted the criticism.

He explained that he intended to consult a specialist familiar with unusual magical conditions, although he hadn’t yet decided whom to approach.

Ilya understood his reluctance.

The professor had recently lost his daughter, and publicly admitting that his magic had begun behaving unpredictably might invite unwanted attention.

Nevertheless, the risks were too serious to ignore.

“If you’re concerned about confidentiality, we can arrange a private consultation through the academy,” Ilya suggested. “You don’t need to announce it to the entire workshop.”

Antoine considered the proposal before agreeing.

He asked Ilya to contact a physician recommended by SkyRune’s senior administrator and request an appointment for the following afternoon.

Ilya accepted.

However, the professor had another request.

He wanted the incident kept confidential until the specialist completed an assessment.

That was reasonable.

There was no benefit in alarming the workshop over a single unexplained event, particularly when Antoine had already agreed to seek professional advice.

Ilya promised to respect his privacy.

The conversation ended, and they returned to their ordinary responsibilities.

For several hours, the workshop operated without incident.

Antoine supervised the researchers, reviewed their assignments, and offered suggestions concerning the new initiative. He also approved several requests for additional materials, ensuring that the group’s work remained focused on identifying dangerous modifications to legitimate magical equipment.

Ilya found the professor’s conduct reassuring.

Whatever had happened the previous night, Antoine remained capable of exercising sound judgment.

Unfortunately, the situation changed during the afternoon demonstration.

One of the senior students had prepared a small communication device intended for use in remote research facilities. Its design was simple, although several modifications made it more reliable than the equipment ordinarily available to students.

The researcher began demonstrating its functions while Antoine and the others observed.

Everything proceeded normally until the student activated its audio feature.

A cheerful melody sounded through the workshop.

Antoine recognized it.

The tune was different from Lucile’s chosen melody, but the similarity was enough to remind him of their unfinished project.

Without warning, several instruments on the nearby tables began vibrating.

The student stopped the demonstration.

“Professor?”

Antoine immediately suppressed his mana.

The disturbance ended.

For a moment, nobody understood what had happened.

Then one of the senior researchers suggested that the demonstration equipment might have interfered with the workshop’s instruments.

Antoine agreed that the possibility deserved examination and instructed the student to disconnect the device.

However, Ilya had already noticed something unusual.

The disturbance had begun near Antoine rather than the demonstration table.

More importantly, it stopped the instant the professor concentrated on suppressing his magic.

The explanation involving equipment interference was convenient, but Ilya doubted it was correct.

After the demonstration concluded, he approached Antoine privately.

“Professor, that happened again, didn’t it?”

Antoine didn’t deny it.

“Yes.”

“Then I think we should move the appointment forward.”

The professor considered the suggestion.

Unfortunately, the specialist wasn’t available until the following afternoon, and there was little reason to believe that visiting an ordinary physician would provide a meaningful assessment of such an unusual condition.

Ilya therefore proposed a temporary precaution.

Antoine could suspend his participation in demonstrations and allow the senior researchers to handle practical work until the consultation.

The professor agreed.

He also instructed Ilya to inform the workshop that he would be concentrating on administrative duties for the remainder of the day.

There was no need to explain more.

However, the incident had clearly unsettled him.

Later that afternoon, Ilya found Antoine examining the historical accounts he had been reading the previous evening.

The professor had marked several passages concerning the early manifestations of Distortion.

Ilya recognized the title of one volume.

“Professor, are you worried that this is related?”

Antoine answered honestly.

“I would be foolish not to consider it.”

“Then we should treat it seriously.”

“I intend to.”

The professor explained that the phenomenon remained poorly understood. Some individuals experienced temporary magical disturbances without progressing toward Distortion, while others deteriorated rapidly after an initial manifestation.

There was no reliable method of predicting every case.

Nevertheless, the documented warning signs were sufficient to justify precautions.

Ilya appreciated the professor’s willingness to acknowledge the danger.

At least he wasn’t attempting to conceal the situation simply because the subject was uncomfortable.

However, Antoine appeared troubled by another question.

“If this continues, Belozersky, I may need to stop working here temporarily.”

“Then you stop working here temporarily.”

The professor gave a tired laugh.

“You make it sound remarkably simple.”

“Because that part is simple. The research will survive without you for a few days. We’ve already demonstrated that the workshop can function with its professor absent, although the paperwork tends to become rather frightening.”

Antoine smiled.

Nevertheless, his concern remained.

He had spent years building SkyRune’s research programs, and withdrawing from his work so soon after Lucile’s death felt almost like abandoning the only meaningful responsibility he had left.

Ilya understood the feeling.

However, allowing his condition to worsen would place both Antoine and his colleagues at risk.

The professor eventually agreed to consider a temporary leave if the specialist recommended it.

By evening, most researchers had departed.

Ilya remained behind to finish several assignments, while Antoine continued reviewing administrative documents in his office.

Their work proceeded quietly until another Imperial communication arrived.

Inspector Laurent had obtained additional information concerning Matthias Reinhold.

The missing scholar had apparently maintained contact with several researchers interested in Distortion and other unusual magical phenomena. Some of the correspondence described attempts to investigate whether profound emotional experiences could influence a wizard’s magical abilities.

Antoine requested the relevant documents.

Laurent explained that the Bureau would forward them after completing its review, although several remained classified.

The professor thanked him.

Ilya found the timing unfortunate.

Antoine was already concerned about his own magical condition, and another collection of documents concerning extreme psychological experiences was unlikely to improve his state of mind.

Nevertheless, the information was relevant to the investigation.

The cult’s surviving network remained active, and Reinhold might possess knowledge concerning its broader activities.

After the communication ended, Antoine returned to his desk.

For several minutes, he examined Lucile’s communication device.

The little crystal remained dark.

Then he spoke.

“Belozersky, I think I’ll go home early today.”

Ilya immediately agreed.

The professor gathered his belongings and instructed the remaining staff to contact him only for urgent matters.

He also confirmed that he would attend the medical consultation the following afternoon.

Ilya accompanied him to the entrance.

Before departing, Antoine thanked him for his assistance.

“You’ve been doing more than I should reasonably expect from a student.”

“Then I’ll consider it additional academic experience, Professor.”

“An unusual subject to specialize in.”

“I’ve had worse electives.”

Antoine laughed.

For a moment, he sounded like his old self.

However, as the professor departed, Ilya noticed something that made him reconsider his earlier optimism.

The small communication device inside Antoine’s coat had begun glowing faintly.

The professor apparently hadn’t noticed.

Ilya considered calling out to him, but the glow disappeared almost immediately.

He decided to mention it during their next conversation rather than alarm the professor in front of the remaining staff.

Unfortunately, the incident confirmed that Antoine’s condition was continuing to develop.

Later that evening, the professor returned to his residence and placed Lucile’s communication device on the sitting room table.

He had already arranged to consult a specialist, and he intended to follow the precautions they discussed.

However, the house remained painfully quiet.

Lucile’s books were still arranged beside her drawings, and the little wooden invention rested where she would once have examined it with delight.

Antoine sat down and attempted to read.

He managed several pages before the familiar melody sounded.

The device activated without anyone touching it.

This time, he didn’t attempt to suppress the phenomenon immediately.

Instead, he listened.

For several seconds, the music continued while a faint magical presence spread through the room.

Then the melody changed.

It began playing a tune Antoine recognized from Lucile’s childhood, one he had never programmed into the device.

The professor understood that his magic was responding to his memories.

Nevertheless, hearing the familiar melody made it difficult to silence.

Only when the surrounding furniture began trembling did he finally suppress the disturbance.

The music stopped.

Antoine remained seated for a long time afterward.

He had promised himself that he would approach the condition rationally.

However, the next time the melody sounded, he wasn’t certain he would want it to end.