Getting Anya Eight Stars? This Really Made Him Uneasy...

"Lie low for a while. Don't let him find you." The Head of Education lowered his voice, casting a wary glance around the empty hall.

When the throwing knives had come flying over earlier, he had nearly ducked under the table.

It had scared him half to death. The man actually carried that many dangerous weapons around with him. It really was best not to provoke him.

The hall was silent beneath its stark white lights. Only the two of them remained; the other teachers had long since left.

Murdoch trembled slightly, his face as pale as paper. At those words, disbelief spread across his face. His eyes widened as he said in terror, "N-no, I can't! I still have classes to teach! School starts soon, and I'm the homeroom teacher for Class 2!"

"Not anymore." The Head of Education folded his arms and gave him a cold look, his voice filled with exasperation and displeasure. "The headmaster said so himself. This incident of yours has caused a major uproar. You're no longer fit to teach at Eden Academy."

Murdoch's lips quivered uncontrollably. When he heard that the order had come from the headmaster, his face twisted viciously, veins bulging on his forehead. "How dare he! My father did so much for this school! He can't treat me like this!!"

Unable to contain his irritation any longer, the Head of Education slammed both hands onto a nearby table with a loud bang. "Shut up! Do you still not understand the situation you're in?!"

His voice echoed through the empty hall. "This isn't just about whether you can keep teaching anymore. It's about whether you'll stay alive!!"

"That man is the world's second-best assassin! Even the headmaster has to choose his words carefully around him for fear of getting on his bad side, and you actually dared to say you'd hire someone to kill him right to his face!"

The Head of Education stepped closer, his finger nearly jabbing Murdoch in the face. "I've never met anyone with that much nerve!!"

The anger that had been building inside him since the meeting began poured out like floodwater bursting through a dam. He truly could not understand how anyone this stupid could exist.

At the sight of the Head of Education's fury, Murdoch involuntarily took a step back. His bravado immediately crumbled, and his voice took on a tearful edge. "I-I understand. I won't provoke him, but I can't lose my job."

"Heh. You're worried you won't have enough spending money, aren't you?" The Head of Education scoffed, seeing straight through him. "You'll still receive your salary every month. You don't need to worry about that."

He paused, his gaze turning stern. "But you'd better stay put in your dormitory. Don't go fooling around outside."

"Wh... why?" Murdoch's voice grew quieter, his body drawing in on itself. He no longer dared to speak loudly.

The Head of Education rubbed his aching brow, then turned and walked to the window, looking out at the gloomy sky. His tone was weary. He no longer wanted to deal with this idiot. Was the man's head full of paste?

He had threatened an assassin, yet still wanted to wander around outside. Was he that eager to get himself killed?

But then he thought of the idiot's father, his late teacher, whose kindness he could never fully repay. He decided to lend him a hand after all.

"You're probably already on his list. If you want to get yourself killed, I won't stop you."

He waved a hand. "That's all I have to say. I'm tired."

The Head of Education dismissed him. Though Murdoch seethed with anger, he could only swallow it.

But he clenched his fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms, and silently swore that he would never let Karen Nocturne off the hook. That man had reduced him to this state. He would have his revenge.

Meanwhile, Karen was hardly sitting idle either. Henry had grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off to do manual labor, helping move the textbooks they would need when school started the day after tomorrow.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow across the campus path.

"Yaaawn... Why does a PE teacher have to carry books?" Karen grumbled, carrying three large boxes in each hand.

Henry walked steadily ahead. Hearing his complaint, he replied without turning around, "Because being helpful is an elegant virtue, Mr. Karen. An elegant man such as yourself must surely enjoy helping others."

"Heh heh, you've got a good eye for people." Karen rubbed his nose and chuckled.

Still, it was almost noon now, and his stomach had been growling with hunger since he woke up that morning. School had yet to start, so no lunch was being served. He would have to buy something outside.

Why not cook for himself? How should he put it? His cooking skills were... well, a meal he had once made had left him vomiting and suffering from diarrhea for an entire day. It had not been a pleasant experience.

Wait, he could go near the Forgers' home. It was almost noon. If he happened to run into them, wouldn't that save him the cost of a meal?

At that thought, Karen's eyes lit up, as though he could already smell the delicious food. "All right, it's settled! That's what I'll do!"

Hearing him, Henry stopped and looked at him in confusion. "What have you decided to do now, Mr. Karen?"

"Heh heh. I've decided where to eat." Karen raised his eyebrows, looking pleased with himself.

"True, it's almost noon. It is indeed time for an elegant lunch. However, please refrain from shouting on school grounds, Mr. Karen," Henry reminded him before setting off again.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

At the Forger household, Anya's successful admission to Eden Academy meant that the first phase of Operation Strix had been completed. Twilight had to attend an operational meeting to discuss their next move.

The first thing he received upon arrival was a scolding. He had been so delighted by Anya's admission that he had rented a castle to play a spy game. As for the rental fee... naturally, the Westalis Intelligence Agency had footed the bill: 35,000 dalk in total.

Smoke swirled through the dim meeting room as the handler went over the second phase of the plan with him. They needed to turn Anya into an "Imperial Scholar," one of the elite among the elite. Only then would she qualify to attend the Desmond Family's social gathering.

To obtain that status, a student needed eight "stars," which were awarded only for exceptional academic results-placing first or second in the entire grade on a subject exam-or major contributions to society.

Twilight's next task, therefore, was to turn Anya into an outstanding student capable of earning eight stars.

Twilight leaned back in his chair. An image of Anya surfaced in his mind, and he sighed softly, shaking his head.

Turning that child into an honors student... I felt nothing but unease...

Did that child really have what it took?

Twilight had serious doubts. Judging by her performance so far, Anya earning stars through exams would be no easier than plucking an actual star from the sky.