"Meria?"
It was clearly something even the Night Watchers kept secret. Cas seemed quite unfamiliar with the name.
"An ancient Higher Being, possibly. They left behind many traces and even objects. They seem to be connected to the authority over life, but they're so mysterious that people have even wondered whether they ever existed."
The conversation only grew more explosive. Without batting an eye, Fu Qian shared the Night Watchers' taboo secrets.
He even shared what they had discovered during their recent explorations, revealing only enough to indicate that he himself was connected to Meria.
"So you suspect they had a close connection to the Academy, and that they imbued this place with some kind of property. Then my actions happened to trigger it?"
Cas was quick to follow Fu Qian's reasoning, though his brow furrowed slightly.
"But what you're describing sounds a little contradictory... I wouldn't be surprised if a Higher Being could give a place properties related to themselves. But if they were so secretive, why do something that would theoretically make them easy to expose?"
Indeed.
As expected of someone who'd spent years out in Jianghu. Cas's instincts about certain things were simply far beyond those of the Academy's sheltered children.
"I'm curious about that too. But it seems like a contradiction, and both things keep being confirmed."
Fu Qian nodded, accepting the dean's wisdom.
Objects were one thing. Everyone knew that having your hideout pinpointed was a major taboo.
Giving an area properties related to oneself seemed at odds with keeping one's whereabouts secret.
Even if the theory was right, and the secrecy wasn't deliberate but the result of being harmed by some villain, surely the culprit wouldn't want them to be rescued after going to such lengths?
Wouldn't they deal with such an obvious clue?