After giving Vanessa some time to herself, Ruvian eventually left the training hall and returned a short while later with a flask of water in hand.

The moment he stepped through the entrance, his gaze quickly found her.

Vanessa had apparently moved from where he had left her earlier and taken a seat on one of the empty wooden benches positioned against the wall. The academy cloak still rested over her head, concealing much of her face beneath its dark folds.

At the very least, she seemed to have calmed down.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Vanessa instinctively looked up.

The moment her eyes met his, however, she immediately lowered her gaze again, clearly remembering everything that had happened earlier.

Ruvian pretended not to notice.

Walking over casually, he sat down beside her before extending a small flask toward her.

"Here."

Vanessa blinked in surprise before accepting it.

Only after she had taken the flask did Ruvian lean back slightly against the bench.

"Have you calmed down now?"

Vanessa nodded slowly, a distant expression lingering on her face as she stared down at the flask resting between her hands.

"Yeah... I have."

A brief silence followed.

Then her fingers tightened slightly around the flask.

"I’m sorry for showing you this side of me."

Ruvian remained silent for a few moments.

His gaze stayed fixed on the training hall ahead while he waited to see if there was anything else she wished to say. Yet after several seconds passed and no further words followed, he finally spoke.

"It’s fine."

Ruvian inhaled deeply.

"Honestly, you don’t have to apologize for that." (+100PP)

Vanessa quietly nodded.

Ruvian studied her a bit.

"Then shall we return to the matter we were discussing earlier?"

Vanessa took a moment to steady herself before replying.

"Yes."

The weakness in her voice had mostly faded, replaced by the calm composure she was more accustomed to wearing.

Ruvian slightly smiled.

He remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts before finally speaking.

"Good. Then let’s return to your question from yesterday."

His gaze shifted toward her.

"You wanted to know what that scent was, correct? The one that felt familiar because it carried the same scent as the people who came to execute your family?"

Vanessa quietly nodded before turning toward him.

"Yes. Please, tell me."

Under the shadow of the cloak, the skin beneath her amethyst eyes was still slightly red from tears, and traces of exhaustion remained upon her face.

Though, the look in her eyes had changed.

It was now burned with something stronger.

A fiercer determination than before.

Ruvian nodded slightly.

With a wave of his hand, a pair of dark crimson horns suddenly appeared from his dimensional space before landing softly upon the wooden bench between them.

Vanessa’s eyes immediately narrowed.

Then he began explaining everything from the beginning, starting with the fact that demons still walked this world and that the scent she had recognized belonged to Demons and Dark Mana.

He also explained why that scent had lingered on him in the first place.

Vanessa listened to the entire explanation in silence. Aside from a few subtle changes in her expression, she revealed very little, making it impossible for Ruvian to determine whether she believed him or not. (+700PP)

Fortunately, a quick look through the [Bookmarks] confirmed that Vanessa wasn’t doubting his words. The problem was not disbelief. She was simply struggling to come to terms with the fact that demons still existed.

After all, demons were supposed to be creatures that had vanished from the world long ago.

Honestly, this was the reaction Ruvian had expected when he told Calyra the truth the other day. Yet she had accepted it far more calmly than he anticipated.

Compared to Vanessa, Calyra’s response had been almost unnaturally composed.

’I guess Calyra was a different case.’

Then, after spending several moments silently processing everything she had just heard, Vanessa finally spoke.

"Wait... then if Julian carries that scent on him as well, does that mean that...?"

Her voice gradually trailed off as a dreadful possibility began forming within her mind.

However, before she could finish putting that thought into words, Ruvian answered first.

"No."

His response came without the slightest hesitation.

"Julian is not a demon."

For a short moment, Vanessa felt relieved.

Then Ruvian spoke again.

"At least, not yet." (+200PP)

Vanessa immediately froze.

’Huh? Not yet?’

The two simple words caused her heart to skip a beat.

Before she even realized it herself, she had unconsciously shifted closer toward him. The academy cloak slipped slightly as she wrapped it closer around her head, revealing eyes that had suddenly become far more alert than before.

"Hold on, what exactly does that mean?"

Her gaze locked onto him.

"Explain."

Ruvian instinctively leaned back a little.

Not because he was intimidated, but because Vanessa had suddenly moved much closer than she had been a moment ago.

"Julian is still Julian."

He spoke calmly, allowing those words to settle before continuing.

"His body, his mind, his identity — as far as I can tell, all of those things still belong to him."

Vanessa listened intently.

"However, it appears that a demon has chosen him as a vessel and is currently attempting to take over his body." (+100PP)

The atmosphere around the bench immediately became heavier. Ruvian continued before Vanessa could interrupt.

"More importantly, that demon isn’t acting alone."

His gaze shifted toward the demon horn resting in his hand.

"Someone within this academy is actively helping it achieve that goal. And the scent you detected on Julian is most likely a result of that process." (+200PP)

Vanessa’s expression visibly hardened.

Everything was beginning to make sense.

Beside her, Ruvian quietly stored the demon horns back into his dimensional storage.

Then he turned toward her.

"So, I need your help with something, Vanessa."

Vanessa blinked.

"Me?"

A hint of surprise appeared on her face.

"W-what do you want me to do?"

Ruvian folded his arms loosely.

"I believe your sense of smell is far more special than you realize."

His gaze remained fixed on her.

"Most people can sense Dark Mana to some extent if they are sensitive enough. However, what you’re detecting isn’t merely Dark Mana."

He paused briefly.

"You can distinguish the scent itself."

Vanessa lowered her eyes slightly.

"I-I see..."

Then she looked back at him.

"But what exactly do you want me to help you with?"

A faint smile appeared on Ruvian’s face.

"I already have a suspect in mind. So all I need is for someone to confirm whether my suspicions are correct."

He pointed toward her.

"And right now, you’re the only person I can think of who can do that." (+300PP)

Vanessa hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Alright..."

She swallowed nervously.

"Who is it?"

Without answering immediately, Ruvian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small profile card before handing it to her.

"This contains the student’s information."

Vanessa accepted it and lowered her gaze.

"I want you to investigate him discreetly and determine whether he has any connection to that scent."

Her eyes moved across the profile.

"A first-year scholar from Class A..."

Then she froze.

The name written at the top of the card caused her brows to furrow slightly. (+200PP)

Vanessa read the name quietly:

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[Chapter 207: "Loden Armand?"]

Plot Points= 38,080