Although most mages neglected physical exercise due to the convenience of mana, Catherine had built a habit of taking early morning runs to maintain the necessary energy and posture after long hours of handling business paperwork.
At this moment, as the first light of dawn broke, she wore a form-fitting black athletic outfit and jogged at a steady pace along a secluded tree-lined path within the academy.
Wrapped in tight sports pants, her long, straight legs showed off beautiful lines. Her bust rose and fell rhythmically with her strides, and her long golden hair was tied behind her head in a neat ponytail.
Fine beads of sweat trickled down her smooth forehead and neck, dampening a few strands of hair at her temples. Yet her azure eyes remained clear, her mind operating efficiently within the rhythm of her steady breathing as she organized the new information obtained yesterday.
"The one Greg Sass requested I assist when necessary, that first-year commoner girl named Victoria Cecil... She seems to have some kind of... unusual connection with the Holy Church of Light?"
Catherine calmly analyzed the situation as she adjusted her breathing.
Based on her understanding of the continent's various factions, the Holy Church of Light, which stood at the apex of faith and power in the human world, would never extend its reach to favor a backgroundless commoner girl without good reason.
Unless there was some value in this girl that was not widely known—value sufficient to catch the attention of the Church's high-ranking officials.
But what was this "value" specifically?
Lacking intelligence, it was hard to say.
But this clue alone was enough for Catherine to re-evaluate Victoria's potential value and risks.
Individuals deeply involved with the Holy Church of Light often represented immense opportunities, accompanied by an equal measure of vortexes and trouble.
"And then there's her inseparable companion, Silvia Lorraine."
Catherine's thoughts shifted to the other person.
Ever since the freshman Placement Exam ended, she had learned from rumors circulating within the academy that there was a girl among this year's freshmen who could use light-attribute magic with extreme proficiency.
At the time, Catherine hadn't paid much attention to it.
She knew that anyone capable of skillfully utilizing light-attribute magic definitely held an extraordinary status within the Holy Church of Light.
And Catherine had clear phased goals for her commercial blueprint and family development plans.
At this stage, establishing unnecessary, deep interactions with a behemoth like the Holy Church of Light—which possessed immense size, intricate internal relations, and a natural tendency to scrutinize and potentially interfere with secular commercial activities—was not a wise move.
Therefore, she had chosen to wait and see back then, avoiding active contact.
Yet now... because of that contract signed with Greg, she seemed forced to make contact with these two girls of unusual standing.
This slightly disrupted Catherine's original rhythm.
But with the contract established, it had to be fulfilled.
She began thinking of how to turn this obligatory contact into a situation more advantageous to herself, or at least avert potential risks.
Furthermore, she couldn't help but ponder once more why Greg had specifically asked her to provide assistance to Victoria.
This was the central question that puzzled Catherine the most.
She tried analyzing it from Greg's perspective.
The first possibility: Apologizing and currying favor.
Did he learn of Victoria's potential connection to the Holy Church of Light, realize her extraordinary background, and wish to take the opportunity to make amends for the conflict during the entrance exam, mend their relationship, or even curry favor?
But the moment this thought arose, Catherine quickly dismissed it.
No, it didn't seem like it.
If Greg were that kind of person, his attitude during yesterday's negotiation with her would never have been so casual or even slightly impatient.
Although compared to a behemoth like the Holy Church of Light, she was merely the daughter of the King of Treasures and the young lady of the Roman Merchant Group...
Still, until the next helm of the merchant group was established, her status carried considerable weight.
Moreover, if he truly wanted to curry favor with or compensate Victoria, wouldn't the most direct and effective way be taking those easily obtainable 1,000 gold coins and personally delivering them to her?
Given Victoria's financial situation displayed previously, this huge sum would be enough to resolve most old grudges and even build a significant amount of goodwill.
Wouldn't that be far more worthwhile than going out of his way to offer potential minor assistance in the future through me?
It completely defied the logic of a profit-driven individual.
The more Catherine pondered, the more she felt a sense of bewilderment from something slipping out of her control.
Greg Sass's pattern of behavior diverged severely from her cognitive model of human nature.
He gave up massive, easily achievable profits in exchange for a promise of future, uncertain financial aid for someone else... while seemingly gaining no tangible benefit himself.
This was simply... incomprehensible!
Just as Catherine's mind churned with thoughts, her morning run route drew close to its end.
Ahead was the Academy Central Square near the dungeon entrance, where an ancient megalithic statue stood—her daily turning point and brief resting spot for her morning runs.
She slowed her pace, finally stopping beside the statue's base.
She took a sip of water from the portable water pouch at her waist, then wiped the sweat from her temples and the side of her neck with the soft towel slung over her neck, settling her slightly rapid breathing and heartbeat.
However, the moment she raised her head—
Two familiar figures happened to step out from the shadows at the dungeon entrance.
Coincidentally, they were the very two main subjects she had been repeatedly analyzing in her mind and preparing to contact in the future—Victoria Cecil and Silvia Lorraine.
Except their current condition looked quite battered.
A few strands of Victoria's long gray hair stuck out untidily, visible scratches and smudges marking her cheeks and arms. Her expensive academy uniform jacket had several tears and was covered in dust.
Silvia was in slightly better shape, though her long pink hair was also somewhat disheveled. Her face was pale, a tear showed in the hem of her dress, and her steps were somewhat unsteady as she walked.
Both of them carried obvious exhaustion.
"Did they... just come out of the dungeon? And it clearly looks like they went through a rather difficult battle."
A trace of genuine surprise flashed through Catherine's azure eyes.
She knew full well the dangers of the dungeon through family intelligence and academy records.
Given their backgrounds, logically speaking, they should have tried their utmost to avoid stepping into such high-mortality, high-risk areas.
Yet judging by the fact that they had just walked out now, they very likely spent the entire night inside the dungeon.
This discovery left Catherine slightly astonished.
At the same time, she subconsciously considered whether she should take this opportunity to step forward, greet them, and initiate preliminary contact.
After all, a chance encounter always seemed more natural than a deliberate setup. This might be a rare opportunity.
Rate on N.U.
