Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 66: Peace, Interrupted

Chapter 66: Peace, Interrupted

An assassination attempt.

It made sense the more Velren thought about it. Solenne wasn’t just any student—she was royalty. A direct member of the imperial family, and if there was one thing history had shown, it was that those in power often attracted enemies in equal measure. The presence of the Kaovus wasn’t some random existence.

Someone had orchestrated it, ensuring that it infiltrated the exam unnoticed, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

In a way, this made it the second time Velren had saved her. He could only hope this didn’t become a habit of his—not because he didn’t want to help, but because he’d rather she not be put in danger in the first place. But that was probably wishful thinking on his part.

Which now led to another pressing question: Who had sent the Kaovus?

As if mirroring his own thoughts, it was Mikhail who spoke first, turning to the professor with a sharp edge to his voice.

"Can we trace it back to its user?"

Professor Vekar exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.

"Unfortunately, no. Due to its self-destruct protocol, it left no traceable evidence behind."

That thing had erased itself entirely, leaving them with no direct leads. Whoever was behind it had planned this out meticulously.

"Then... do we at least have any suspects?" Velren asked.

"It’s not that easy. Attempting to assassinate a member of the imperial family could stem from countless motives. It could be political—an opposing faction attempting to weaken the throne by eliminating a key figure. It could be internal, orchestrated by someone within the empire seeking to remove potential competition. Or it could be external—foreign powers testing the waters, seeing just how much they can get away with before provoking a full-scale response."

He paused, flicking his gaze between them.

"And that is only the beginning of the possibilities."

Mikhail clicked his tongue in irritation.

"So we’re back to square one."

"Not entirely," Vekar said.

"Which is why I need anything you can recall about the Kaovus during your fight. Even the smallest detail could help."

Mikhail scoffed, leaning back with his arms crossed.

"Other than the fact that it erased our magic like it was nothing? I’ve got nothing more."

Velren exhaled through his nose.

"...Same here."

That was a lie. He did have something.

Professor Vekar studied him for a long moment. His piercing gaze made Velren wonder if the man suspected he was holding something back.

Finally, the professor sighed.

"Like it or not, both of you are now tangled in this mess."

He turned to Mikhail first.

"Given your noble status, I trust you can at least grasp the political implications of an attempt like this."

Then, his gaze shifted to Velren. There was something unreadable in the way he looked at him, as if thinking about his next words carefully before speaking.

"Now, as for you..."

Vekar regarded Velren for a long moment before finally speaking.

"You... are just a commoner," he stated plainly.

"No noble ties, no political standing, and yet, you were directly involved in this kind of incident."

Velren frowned slightly.

"I just... happened to be there."

"Perhaps," Vekar conceded.

"But that doesn’t change the reality of your situation."

He leaned back, interlocking his fingers.

"You interfered with something that was likely set in motion long before you even stepped foot on that island. And whether you intended to or not, you’ve made yourself known to whoever was behind it."

His gaze darkened slightly.

"That is not something that will be easily overlooked."

Velren pressed his lips into a thin line, understanding the weight behind the professor’s words.

Vekar exhaled.

"This may soon bite back at you. Whoever orchestrated this will not be pleased that their plan failed. And the more you dig, the more likely you are to find yourself dragged into things far beyond your control."

Velren was quiet for a moment before he nodded slowly.

"I... understand."

"Do you?" Vekar asked, his sharp gaze unwavering.

"This is not just about knowing something you shouldn’t—it’s about consequences. Be certain of what you’re willing to involve yourself in before you take another step forward."

Velren glanced away, mulling over his words. He already knew his answer. But still, he appreciated the warning.

"...Yes sir."

***

Velren stepped into his dorm room, clicking the door shut behind him as he let out a slow breath. The dim light filtering through the curtains cast long shadows across the modest space—his bed, his desk, the shelf lined with books he barely touched. Everything was as it had been before the exam.

And yet, nothing felt the same.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he leaned against the door. His mind kept circling back to Vekar’s words. The professor was right. Like it or not, he had unintentionally intervened in something far beyond his world—technically, and literally.

The worst part? Cloaky—or rather, the Kaovus—definitely knew something about him. More than he himself knew. It hadn’t just been a mindless construct executing a command. No, its words had been deliberate, almost as if it recognized him.

He had considered telling the professor. But he couldn’t take that risk. Even if Vekar had shown him some level of trust, this was different. This wasn’t just about a rogue attack during the exam. If he let slip even the slightest hint of his status as an ’anomaly,’ it could spiral into something far worse. Something he might not be able to come back from.

Velren exhaled sharply, pushing off the door.

How ironic. He had spent so long believing that coming to the Academy would give him the normal life he had wanted. That, despite the existence of a system, of titles, of fates supposedly set in stone, he could at least pretend to be ordinary here.

That illusion had lasted all of a week.

He let out a small, dry chuckle.

"And here I thought I’d lead a nice and peaceful school life..." he muttered under his breath.

He scoffed, shaking his head.

’Guess I owe both Fenrir and Skoll an apology...’

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