Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 65: Irregularity Defined

Chapter 65: Irregularity Defined

The academy was nothing if not relentless.

Even though the first years had just finished their practical evaluation exam—an ordeal that had pushed many to their limits—their schedules resumed as if nothing had happened. No breaks, no reprieve. The strict curriculum marched on, demanding the same level of discipline as always.

For those who still bore injuries from the exam, there was some leniency, but only to an extent. They were excused from direct combat and magic training, but everything else? They were expected to attend, regardless of their condition. The academy did not cater to weakness.

Morning classes had just ended, and the usual rush of students poured into the cafeteria for lunch. However, Velren had a different destination in mind.

Instead of following the crowd, he made his way toward the administrative hall—a towering structure that housed the faculty offices and served as the governing center of the institution. It was a place most students rarely had reason to visit unless called upon.

But Velren had a reason.

As promised, Professor Vekar was going to tell him what he wanted to know about the exam’s mysterious intruder. Even with the warning the professor had given him yesterday, Velren had no hesitation about showing up.

’How could I not..?’

The appearance of Cloaky wasn’t just some anomaly of the exam. It had called him irregularity. And then, just hours later, a new title appeared in his Codex: Harbinger of the Unwritten.

There had to be a connection.

But before he could start asking around for directions to the Professor’s office, something caught his eye. A massive bulletin board stood near the hallway intersection, drawing the attention of several passing students.

Curious, Velren approached—and immediately understood why.

Pinned to the board was a newly posted list.

[TOP FIRST-YEAR PERFORMERS - PRACTICAL EXAMINATION]

The top five were already announced yesterday, but now the full rankings were displayed for all to see.

His gaze trailed downward.

9th Place - Velren

He blinked in surprised.

’That’s... not bad...’

He had expected to be somewhere in the middle at best. After all, while he had lasted until the end, he hadn’t been as flashy as some of the top contenders. But ninth place?

Top five was out of reach, but he’d gladly take ninth.

After taking a moment to process his placement on the list, Velren exhaled, pushing the thought aside for now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

***

It took a few inquiries and some navigating through the administrative hall’s labyrinthine corridors, but eventually, he found himself standing before a door marked with the professor’s name.

Velren knocked, and a brief silence followed before a voice from inside responded.

"Enter."

He pushed the door open gently and stepped in.

The office was... surprisingly understated. For someone with Vekar’s reputation, Velren had expected something grander—perhaps a space filled with arcane artifacts or an overwhelming presence of books stacked to the ceiling. Instead, the room was neat, almost minimalist. Dark wooden shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged tomes and files, while a large, heavy desk sat at the far end. A wide window behind it allowed natural light to spill into the space, casting long shadows across the floor.

But what drew Velren’s attention was the seating area in the center of the room. A modest sofa set occupied the space, and on one of the seats, sitting across from Vekar, was someone familiar.

Mikhail von Edevane.

The moment Velren stepped inside, Mikhail’s sharp golden eyes flicked toward him, narrowing in suspicion. Then, without hesitation, he stood up, twisting his expression into a scowl.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Velren raised a brow.

’I’d like to ask you the same thing...’

Before Mikhail could retort, it was the Professor who spoke.

"He’s here for the same reason you are." the professor stated, never leaving his gaze on the two.

Velren cast another glance at Mikhail, who clicked his tongue before reluctantly settling back down onto the sofa.

Vekar gestured to the empty space beside him.

"Sit."

Velren moved forward, lowering himself onto the spot next to Mikhail, who still looked displeased by his presence.

A brief silence lingered before Velren finally spoke.

"Uh... what about the other two?"

If both he and Mikhail were here, then what of the others who had also there on the scene?

Vekar leaned back slightly, arms crossed.

"Eterna Lys stated that, for now, she has no interest in concerning herself with this matter."

Velren exhaled through his nose.

’Yeah... that sounds like something she’d say.’

"As for the princess..."

Vekar exhaled, steadying his gaze as he finally spoke:

"From what we have managed to gather, that thing you encountered is called a Kaovus."

"A what?" Mikhail frowned, clearly just as unfamiliar with the term as the boy next to him was.

Vekar seemed unsurprised by their reactions. He then shifted slightly.

"I expected as much. A Kaovus is an ancient vessel—one that can move and act by connecting itself to a person’s Ka. Some records describe it as a weapon, others as an extension of one’s will. Either way, it’s not something you’ll find in modern combat studies."

A vessel that could connect to a person’s Ka? That sounded... significant.

Velren dropped his gaze slightly. He had studied under gramps for years, even learning things that most of these city people would never know about, yet even he had never come across the term ’Kaovus’ before.

Vekar leaned forward slightly, flicking his sharp gaze between the two students.

"Now, let me ask you both—when that thing arrived, what was the first thing it did?"

Velren, recalling the scene vividly, was the one to answer the professor’s question:

"It... immediately targeted Solenne."

Unseen by him, Mikhail’s brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at Velren with a confused expression.

Vekar merely exhaled through his nose.

"I figured as much..."

"Does that... mean something?"

Mikhail sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"It’s obvious, isn’t it? That was an assassination attempt."