Maybe she’s really worth marrying?
– Simply because you are the only ones we trust. The matter is too serious to let anyone else know, – Kazimir unexpectedly intervened. – And you are the strongest students of the first year! I say this to you as the director of the academy.
Well done! He emphasized the importance of the moment, flattered them, played his position, and didn’t reveal any useful information! A professional! Too bad he’s only good at smooth talking. And he looks authoritative – a gray beard down to his belly, baldness, deep wrinkles all over his face… You wouldn’t guess the man’s barely in his thirties.
– Now we need to find someone who is behaving strangely. Skipping classes, not showing up in the dining hall, wandering at night, constantly writing or calculating something, – the spellcaster took over. – In short, we need a list of all suspicious persons. I will watch the fourth year, the director will oversee the teachers and fifth-year students, and you, my friends, will have to monitor the rest.
I would also use my magical vision to check everyone for illusion spells. However, Altair and I decided not to inform the director, Asya, and Zheka about all the details of the operation. At least, we chose not to talk about the nature of the impending ritual and the fact that I’m a Guardian and he’s a giant intelligent lizard. In short, we omitted the trivial details. Surprisingly, Kazimir didn’t know that his old friend was a dragon. But then, why be surprised if even I was fooled by the spellcaster’s disguise.
Chapter 3: Beyond Oneself
At dinner, the headmaster announced a glitch in the academy’s protective spells had us trapped inside. He vowed to fix it soon. And everyone believed him. I tell you, he’s a smooth talker!
During the weekend, our world-saving team collected intel on all castle dwellers. Students mingled, played cards, drank, partied, and drank some more. No one was hunkered down with books or calculations. Teachers too were quite normal, taking care of their affairs and resting after a workweek.
It seemed our plan had hit a snag, but then fortune stepped in. On Sunday night, Kazimir went to the kitchen for a drink and spotted a dark figure leaving the library. But in the dark, he couldn’t make out this mysterious book lover, and naturally, Kazimir failed to cast the night vision spell. Well, what to expect…
And we would have been clueless again, were it not for one small detail – all the library walls were adorned with mirrors. Few modern mages could explain their presence, but past wizards would have known instantly, even laughing at the ignorance.
Centuries ago, all books, especially magical ones, were extremely valuable. Naturally, they were guarded meticulously. But how to guard an entire library around the clock without extra expenses? Simply by hanging magical mirrors on the walls and integrating them into the castle’s defense system.
Soon, barrier charms, magical marks, and various copying spells emerged, making the mirror system obsolete, turning into an unusual decorative element. Everyone forgot about it, except the Guardians.
I wandered slowly through the reading hall, inspecting the ancient mirrors in their hefty gilded frames. I needed to find a special one – the control panel for the system.
Ancient mages were insightful, knowing knowledge could fade over time, so they always left hints. But what kind? Among so many identical mirrors, how to find the right one? What should make it stand out?
– Stop! I stopped at a dusty mirror. It looked no different from the others, but… something about it caught my attention. What exactly? It seemed ordinary, only the gold plating was better preserved. I cautiously scratched the frame and momentarily froze in surprise. This wasn’t gold plating! It was pure gold! Ah, those ancient, cunning mages!
But how to activate it? For access, a password, a code phrase was needed. How could mages pass it down through generations? How was it preserved in the annals of history? And then… I smiled at my own guess and stepped back to see my reflection better.
– Mirror, my light, speak and reveal all truth!
A fine ripple spread across the mirror’s surface, and soon, a pretty girl in a kokoshnik appeared in the reflection.
– Greetings from the voice assistant of the mirror defense system – Marfusha. How may I assist you? she said sweetly.
– I need to see who visited the library last night, I said, anticipating the capture of our elusive mage.
– That’s all you want to see? Marfusha snapped back unexpectedly. No hello, please, or a compliment! So demanding! She crossed her arms and turned away.
Yes, modern AIs had a long way to go compared to the creations of ancient mages. Who knew she would be so intelligent?
– Please forgive me, I said guiltily. I didn’t mean to offend you. You are very beautiful. And the kokoshnik suits you incredibly well. Could you show me last night’s visitor? Please!
– So, you think flattery will get you everywhere! Marfusha snorted angrily in the reflection. You think I’ll just forget how you offended me? I’ll help you, but what’s in it for me?
Great, she was bargaining too!
– If you show me, I’ll hang you in my house and compliment you every morning, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Marfusha pondered. For a long time. I even began to suspect she had frozen, but no.
– Alright, she agreed. But don’t you dare deceive me.
Deceiving her was the last thing on my mind. I’d always dreamed of a magical mirror. I had the perfect spot in my hallway, with a stunning view of the wardrobe. The mirror’s surface rippled again, images flickered, and after a while, an image of a person appeared.
Finally, the situation was becoming clear. Observing the students and teachers, we had completely overlooked the service staff and the janitor. None of them had great power, but as they say, still waters run deep…
So, our powerful mage-janitor had exposed himself. What remained was to set a trap, capture, and eliminate him. Or maybe just reprimand him with a note in his file, something like, “Attempted to perform a deadly ritual capable of killing many people while on duty.” We’ll decide on the spot.
At the operational staff meeting, silence reigned. We sat in the enchanter’s office, exchanging silent glances, waiting for at least one viable idea. Little hope rested on Kazimir and my friends, but from the dragon, I expected some valuable insight. After all, an ancient, wise, powerful creature! But he just tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the tabletop, glancing sideways at me. The question that concerned us all was – how to catch such a powerful mage?…
***
The castle was enveloped in nocturnal silence. Even the sounds of the storm raging outside couldn’t penetrate the veil of despair that securely hid us from the outside world. The plan to capture the destructor-janitor was exceedingly simple, yet effective. Our united team of world savers stood frozen opposite the janitor’s bedroom.
The enchanter stepped forward, I stayed a step behind, Asya stood to my right, and Zheka to my left. The dragon was to attack the janitor with his favorite upper astral spells, I was to cover us all with a shadow dome, and the siblings, acting as walking batteries, were to power Altair and me. That was the entire plan. Oh, and Kazimir! The director was entrusted with the most challenging mission – to stand guard.
Everyone took their positions and readied themselves. I created a shadow dome and gave an encouraging nod to the dragon. The enchanter cautiously approached the door, knocked quickly, and dashed back, hoping to make it under the dome in time. And he did. We all froze in anticipation.
The janitor’s bedroom door creaked open, and the mage stumbled heavily into the corridor. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated our adversary’s