No sane person would do this without a clear objective.

Power? Chaos? Revenge?

None of them quite fit.

I frowned, tapping my finger lightly against the armrest as the pieces refused to come together.

If Bane was willing to move the entire Academy like pieces on a board, then the riot itself wasn't the goal.

It was just the opening move.

If things went wrong, he could even be arrested for treason.

"I'm not entirely sure," Anna said after a brief pause. "We still don't know his exact motive. But if I had to guess… creating large-scale social chaos would be the most likely objective."

Three years in hiding.

That thought lingered in my mind.

What exactly had he been doing during that time? Preparing? Building connections? Gathering resources? You don't just disappear for three years and suddenly reemerge with something capable of shaking the entire Empire.

"He's not working alone, is he?" I asked quietly.

Anna shook her head without hesitation. "Highly unlikely. Just the fact that the incident was broadcast live across the Empire tells us that much. That alone would require an enormous amount of capital."

I'd heard the same rumors.

Even ten minutes of live broadcasting supposedly cost as much as a large merchant company's monthly revenue. And that broadcast had lasted far longer than that.

The sheer scale of it made my head hurt.

The cost of orchestrating this entire incident must have been astronomical. There was no way a single individual—no matter how clever—could have managed it alone.

"Exactly," Anna continued. "Logistics, funding, personnel… it all points to an organization, or at the very least, a small group with shared interests."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "Also, multiple witnesses testified that Bane was accompanied by a tall woman."

I frowned. "A woman?"

"Yes. Appeared beside him several times during the incident. Always close, always moving with him. That suggests more than a simple bodyguard."

So Bane wasn't acting alone.

That much was clear now. He had associates—people who shared his goals and were willing to risk everything alongside him.

And among them, that woman stood out.

Her identity hadn't been revealed yet, but the fact that she'd been consistently seen with him made her a key figure in the case. Possibly even more dangerous than Bane himself.

I tapped my fingers lightly against the armrest, thinking.

If this really was an organized effort, then the riot wasn't the end goal—it was just the opening move. A way to test the Empire's response. To gauge public reaction. To fan the flames.

"So… how long do I have to stay here?"

The words slipped out before I could stop myself.

They've only just identified the suspect, and judging by how chaotic things still are outside, this situation isn't going to resolve itself anytime soon. Under these circumstances, I honestly have no idea how long I'm expected to remain cooped up in the student council room.

The thought alone was starting to get to me.

It felt suffocating.

Objectively speaking, there was nothing lacking here. The room was spacious, well-furnished, stocked with food, documents, even a private resting area. It had everything one could need.

And yet…

An inexplicable sense of confinement weighed on my chest.

I hadn't trained properly since coming here. No sword practice. No magic drills. I hadn't even felt a proper breeze against my skin. Just still air and closed windows.

Too quiet. Too controlled.

"Why?" Anna asked, glancing up from the documents she'd been reviewing. "Do you need something?"

"No… not really," I replied after a moment. "I just feel a bit confined."

"Confined…?"

She tilted her head slightly, her expression filled with genuine confusion.

For someone like Anna—someone who spent most of her time buried in paperwork, meetings, and enclosed spaces—my discomfort probably sounded strange. To her, this room was familiar. Comfortable, even.

She'd grown used to walls and ceilings, to responsibility pressing down from all sides.

But for me, it was different.

"I guess it's hard to explain," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm used to moving around. Training. At least seeing the sky once in a while."

Anna studied me quietly for a moment, as if trying to process that. Then she let out a soft hum.

"Isn't this place spacious enough?"

At Anna's words, I glanced around the student council room.

She wasn't wrong. The room was enormous—lavish, even. Just counting the connected rooms, there had to be more than a dozen. A reception area, meeting rooms, private offices, storage spaces… it was closer to a small mansion than a simple student facility.

But that wasn't what I meant.

"That's not it," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "I mean it feels stifling. Being cooped up indoors for days like this."

Since the incident, I hadn't stepped outside even once.

Not into the courtyard. Not onto the academy grounds. Not even a short walk down the hall without an escort.

My body felt heavy, stiff—like it was slowly rusting. Even my shoulders ached from the constant tension.

It was confinement in every sense of the word.

"So you don't like places like this?" Anna asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I wouldn't say that," I said after a moment. "I just prefer open spaces. Somewhere I can breathe."

As befitted a place where an imperial princess resided, the facilities were flawless.

The sofas were enchanted for comfort. The tables adjusted height on command. Even the lighting subtly responded to the time of day. There probably wasn't a single object in the room that wasn't some kind of artifact.

Luxury, refinement, authority—everything the Empire wanted to display was neatly packed into this space.

And yet…

None of it impressed me.

If anything, it made the room feel even more artificial.

"I think I'd rather have a small rooftop room with a clear view of the sky," I muttered. "Somewhere with wind, sunlight… space."

Anna watched me quietly for a moment, her expression unreadable.

"…You really are strange," she said at last, a faint smile touching her lips.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," she replied lightly. "Most people would be grateful to stay in a place like this."

"Gratitude and comfort aren't the same thing," I said.

For a brief moment, silence settled between us.

If I'd actually been given a choice, I probably would have chosen this place anyway.

That was the ironic part.

What bothered me wasn't where I was—it was the fact that I didn't want to be here right now.

"The way you're acting… you're more active than I expected," Anna said, watching me pace slightly.

"Am I?" I replied honestly. "I've never really thought of myself that way."

If someone asked whether I was an extrovert, I'd probably hesitate. I wasn't especially energetic, nor did I enjoy crowds.

Maybe I just hated being stuck in one place.

Or maybe I simply couldn't tolerate boredom.

"Hm… that's strange," Anna murmured.

"What is?"

"I thought you'd enjoy this kind of environment."

I followed her gaze.

The room was lavish beyond reason—walls adorned with ornate magical artifacts, each radiating faint mana. Decorative relics rested in glass cases, their value likely surpassing the lifetime earnings of entire noble households.

As expected of the imperial family.

These weren't just decorations—they were treasures.

…Seeing it like this, I could understand why resentment brewed among the people.

This was merely the imperial princess's office.

If this alone looked like this, then how vast must the gap be between the imperial family's centuries-old fortune and the lives of ordinary citizens?

The difference was so great it was almost abstract—too large to fully grasp.

"I do like it," I said after a moment. "But liking something doesn't mean I enjoy being confined by it."

Because that was the truth.

I was here against my will.

I understood the reasoning—my safety, public outrage, potential threats—but that didn't make the situation any less uncomfortable.

Anna studied me quietly for a second, then spoke under her breath.

"…You're very free-spirited."

"Pardon?"

Her voice was too soft. I turned slightly toward her, about to ask what she meant—

Bang.

"Your Highness!"

The door burst open without so much as a knock. A knight rushed in, armor clanking, breath unsteady.

The sudden intrusion snapped the atmosphere taut.

In a sharp, urgent voice, he delivered his report.

"We've just confirmed movement from the man known as Bane."

The room went silent.

Anna's expression hardened instantly, the casual tone from earlier vanishing without a trace.

"…Details," she said.

"Yes, Your Highness. He was spotted near the outer districts an hour ago. He appears to be moving deliberately—likely aware that he's being tracked."

So he finally made a move.

I slowly straightened, the discomfort I'd been feeling moments ago evaporating.

Bane.

The prime suspect behind the incident. The man everyone was desperately searching for.

"So he's stopped hiding," I muttered.

Or rather—he'd decided to show himself now.

That alone told me this wasn't a desperate mistake.

It was intentional.

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