who had already come to her senses a little.
«Here, dear, have a drink, you’ll feel better.»
Sunny drained the glass in two large gulps, not caring how she looked in front of us. Setting it aside, she exhaled, straightened, folded her hands in her lap in her usual manner, and looked at me.
«I’m sorry, Zu! I must have scared you. Maybe I was too worried, but you know… Azuin… I can’t believe it!»
I narrowed my eyes. No, she had no doubt about what she was saying.
«Are you sure, Sunny?»
«Do you think anyone would dare to make a joke like that?!»
«No, I don’t. I have no idea. Probably not. But how do you know?»
«Roginis and Tahoni are there… I mean, in his office, at the Vice-Rector’s. Tahoni is shocked: I’ve never seen him so shocked. And John just tears his hair out and screams all over the west wing. A crowd had already gathered there. Soon the wave will come here too, it’s just that I was the first to run to you… as soon as I heard it.»
«I mean… Did someone remove the protection installed by Roginis? The Stamp of Rennes?» I shook my head in disbelief. «It’s crazy! I didn’t think it was even possible. To open it, and even to extinguish the recoil… It has to be someone very skilled.»
«Level five or even level four, not lower,» Sunny nodded in agreement.
«So, someone with that kind of power infiltrated the university and the Guards were silent? But how?»
She gave me a confused look, then averted her eyes, bit her lower lip, crumpled the fabric of her dress in her lap, as if hesitating to answer.
«Sunny? What? You know something?!»
«No! No, of cause. Just… just… What if no one infiltrated here, huh? That’s why the Guards… While I was running… anyway, that’s the thought, you know?»
I stared at her, beginning to guess what she was afraid to say.
A deep male voice interrupted our silent glances.
«If it’s not someone else, then it’s a local, from university, that’s obvious.»
As if on cue, we turned to Mavinus, who was relaxed in his chair, and he continued.
«This, by the way, is more likely: to steal, you need to know about the object of the theft, where it is, how it is protected, at least approximately. A lot of people in Azuin know this. A symbol, after all.
«But then,» I met Erchin’s gray eyes, blinked, clearing my disheveled thoughts, ran my hand through my hair, brushing back a strand of golden-brown hair that had fallen on my forehead, «then… if he’s one of our colleagues and he was able to break the stamp, then he’s definitely not a student. Really, not all teachers have a fifth level! Sunny and I got ours just recently and…»
«And I have a third, as you know,» added the professor.
«Took the time to brag,» I snorted, and strangely calmed down.
«Ours…» Sunny’s voice trembled, «I can’t believe… it would be terrible,» she threw up her hands, nearly knocking the books off a nearby open shelf. «But, Zu, we don’t care who did it, as long as Azuin is free.»
I shook my head.
«No, no, no. Hang on. It was stolen, but what makes you think they let it go?»
«But why, then…» she wondered. «It’s too much effort for a simple statuette if you don’t release it.»
«For emerald statuette,» Erchin interjected again.
He managed to pull the chair a little closer, and now our company looked almost intimate.
«Not at all,» I said, glad to see the change in his face: I liked to besiege him, even if it was in small ways. «It’s just the name, The Emerald Azuin. Well, yes, it’s green, but it’s just ceramic icing on a stone. Nothing special in terms of self-worth. And from the point of view of art, it is an ordinary craft without frills, to tell the truth.»
The professor raised an eyebrow and looked at Sunny as if he doubted my words. What a dumbass!
She nodded in acknowledgment. Well, after so many years here, it would be unforgivable not to know.
«I see,» Erchin drawled, «thank you for your explanations, dean. But this means that the figure is not going to be sold…»
«It would be better if they were going to,» I interrupted him, «it would be better if it was an order from some dim-witted collector, yes. It’s much worse if the kidnapper doesn’t want the vault, but the prisoner. The devil himself will not say what this may lead to, or what it threatens us, or all of Enthuaria.»
«So, you think all the legends about Azuin’s serpent are true?!» He leaned forward, his hand touching my shoulder.
Devil! Despite the problem that befell all of us, I could not ignore it. The skin that felt the warmth of his hand through the thin fabric of my blouse prickled, hot sparks running all over my body. I suddenly found myself staring at his lips. I wonder how they would feel. I shook his hand off my shoulder, forced a wry smile and responded, trying not to look him in the face.
«Of course. How can you think otherwise?»
«We grew up here,» Sunny said, «and we all know it’s not a legend, it’s a reality, just a very old one. You’re new here, that’s why you’re hesitating yet,» she smiled softly and gently.
Erchin smiled back at her, making me twitch in anger. Well, of course! Everyone is glad to see our blonde darling. Who wouldn’t fall in those turquoise, lagoon-like eyes?! Okay, wait. What’s that… jealousy?!
I even turned away from the couple across from me.
What nonsense! Did I just get mad at my best friend because of some male?! Ugh, idiot. Jinx, we need to listen to Adiree and go to the Dark World. Wait a minute… A Dark World?
I coughed and they both stared at me.
«What is it?» Sunny was worried about me now, and she got up and went to fetch water.
«No, don’t, sit down. Just a thought came,» I tapped my finger on my temple. «If it’s not ours, which I hope it is, it’s most obvious to look for a thief in the Dark World. I can’t imagine that anyone here would decide to contact the power of the Azuin serpent, but over there… There’s a lot of… There are a lot of powerful demons and idiots who want to climb something like that. And it’s easier for a demon to break the Stamp of Rennes: there’s less chance of getting burned. We have to check it out!»
I jumped up, about to continue my
