Ronan studied her, weighing the demand in his head.

She wasn’t wrong.

He had been using her more than cooperating with her.

The mana contract prevented direct harm, but it didn’t require him to treat her fairly.

Still, if she was pushing back now, that meant something had shifted.

Maybe the eventual demonification. Maybe the war. Maybe she was just tired of being used.

But he had an idea it was something else.

I don’t mind this. There’s a chance she’s saying this because her affection and trust is going up, so she feels comfortable enough to confront me about it now. If I go along, I could get her trust and loyalty a few points higher.

Having Aura as a loyal ally would be very useful. Especially since he knew exactly how loyal she could get.

Ronan leaned forward slightly. "What do you want? I’m on a timer right now, as you know, so I can’t waste too much time."

"Of course I know you’re on a timer," Aura said, crossing her arms. "I’m not dumb."

Ronan waited.

She didn’t continue right away, instead glancing toward the window as if checking whether anyone else might be listening.

When she turned back, her expression had shifted – far more focused than before.

"I have a feeling, however, that you may be interested in this as well."

Ronan raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to elaborate?"

"Your tone is so annoying," she muttered under her breath, barely audible.

He didn’t react, waiting for her to continue.

She sighed, then continued. "I haven’t been idle during my time here. I’ve been researching a way to get back to the Northern Continent."

Ronan nodded. He already knew she wanted to go back. Her family was destroyed by elves, her mother sacrificed herself to teleport Aura into human territory, and revenge had been her primary motivation since the beginning.

Or at least that’s what he assumed.

In the novel when Aura was saved by Luca, she wasn’t really similar to how she was now.

She was still the same for the most part, but she was a lot less snarky, a little more timid – which was a little hard to think about now – and she was a lot less arrogant than she was now.

Being enslaved for dozens of months would do that to a person, he supposed.

"Go on," he said.

"I’ve heard rumors in the neighboring kingdom of demonic rituals being conducted."

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

Demonic rituals.

That was... something.

They weren’t rituals made to demons specifically, but most people didn’t know that. Some humans in the central continent worshipped demons – out of fear, ambition, or desperation – —and they tried to contact them through rituals. But those rituals never did anything. They were almost always superstition over substance, performative gestures that accomplished nothing because demons didn’t respond to human prayers the way gods might.

Aura of all people should know that.

She was a high ranking demon. If humans wanted to communicate with demons, she would be the primary target.

Yet she looked deathly serious.

Ronan studied her face, searching for any sign of mockery or exaggeration, but found none.

Her amethyst eyes were sharp, focused. Tense, even.

"You’re serious...?"

"I am."

Ronan leaned back against the desk, considering the implications of what she was claiming.

If Aura thought the rumors were worth investigating, then something about them was different from the usual nonsense. She wouldn’t waste her time – or his – on human superstition unless she believed there was a real connection to the demon continent.

Which meant either someone in the neighboring kingdom had actually succeeded in contacting demons, or someone powerful enough to pretend was operating there.

Both possibilities were dangerous.

"Where did you hear these rumors?" Ronan asked.

Aura hesitated, then answered. "From a transfer student. Third-year. She mentioned it casually during a conversation about forbidden magic, but when I pressed her, she shut down and refused to say more."

Noticing his confusion she continued. "I don’t think the student actually knew anything about it. Likely she just heard a rumor, but she didn’t actually know anything. Regardless, I did some digging, and I found some shady groups of people talking about the same things."

Oh? Looks like Aura had been more busy than he thought, definitely more busy than himself. Most of what he did was research on the place the inter-class war would be held.

"And you think this is connected to getting back north?"

"I do," Aura said firmly. "If someone is conducting real demonic rituals – ones that actually work – then they may have a way to communicate with the Northern Continent. Or worse – perhaps better – they may have already made contact."

Ronan’s mind moved quickly.

If that were true, it changed things.

The demon continent was isolated from the human continent by geography, politics, and a peace treaty, unofficial as it was.

But if someone in the neighboring kingdom had found a way to breach that isolation....?

He thought of certain plot points that would happen later on, when the demons would attack the Academy.

Would this be the reason? It didn’t seem likely since it was in a whole other kingdom...

Either way, it was worth investigating.

Ronan glanced at Aura again. "You want me to help you look into this."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Aura’s expression darkened slightly.

"Because you’re the only person I know who might actually understand what we’re dealing with. And because if this ritual is real, it could be connected to whatever gave you that parasite."

Ronan nodded, agreeing.

He would have declined if it were anything else, putting up the argument that he didn’t have time to help her with something lengthy.

After all, he was on a timer. He had to train.

No, ’train’ wasn’t the right word. He simply had to get stronger.

Helping Aura with something that wasted his time would directly impact him negatively.

But he was actually quite interested in this.

"Fine, I agree to help you out. We are off from classes in two days, so we can go then."

"We can go now."

"If we skip classes at the same time, it will look suspicious."

Aura frowned.

"Two days..." she huffed.

"Also, I am quite busy tomorrow. Family stuff, I’m sure you understand."

"Is this regarding your engagement to the Lockhart girl?"

"Yes. My Father wants to talk to me about the engagement with Iris, and he is likely going to ask me to reconsider. I’m sure you understand I cannot skip this."

Aura pouted again.

"Fine. Two days. Then we go."