John was silent for a moment.
If it had been any other reason, he might have found an excuse, but this reason left him with no room to refuse.
"This time, the Military Department has delegated this task to you to see what you are truly capable of, and also to determine if you are worth their investment," Principal Sophia said, her tone calm yet carrying an undertone of emotion not evident to others.
"Do you think Star Cluster Academy hasn't offended anyone this time? Do you think those nobles who lost their children will just let this go lightly?"
"For many years, Star Cluster Academy has been at the top of the alliance's rankings, not just because of our true strength, but also because of our dealings and relationships."
"Principal Federick founded Star Cluster Academy on his own strength. What do you think that was based on?"
John was silent; he didn't really care about these matters, nor did he take them to heart.
"These things are all..."
John was about to say that these things had nothing to do with him, but Principal Sophia cut him off abruptly.
"If you really think these matters don't concern you, then why did you save those people in the first place?"
There was no discernible emotion in Principal Sophia's eyes, yet they seemed like searchlights, as if they could see right through what John was truly thinking at that moment.
"Even if you speak coldly, you're not that kind of person, so you don't need to make such empty statements to me."
"You can leave now, of course; no one can stop you. But ask yourself, do you really want to give up on this mission?"
Principal Sophia's tone was calm, as if she hadn't said anything weighty, but her words fell like a hammer on John's heart.
Hadn't he taken on this mission to clear up exactly what was happening? Was he really about to give up now?
But Victor was still waiting for him...
"John..."
Benedict suddenly called out to him.
John instinctively looked towards Benedict, Victor's best friend...
"Victor and I have been friends for over a decade. He thinks very highly of you; otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically asked me to look out for you."
"We both know what he's capable of. Even in dangerous situations, he can hold on for a while. As long as you resolve this mission quickly, he can wait for your rescue that much sooner."
John's gaze sharpened as he looked at Benedict, "I thought, as his good friend, you'd rather I went to save him!"
Benedict smiled gently, "Because I am his good friend, I know better what he would think.
Even if he were here now, he would definitely want you to complete this mission."
"Knowing how upright he is, what choice do you think he would make? I don't believe you don't know."
"What a coincidence, you're here too?"
After joining Hidden Stars, the first mission Amelia saw was related to the attack on Star Cluster Academy by the Dusk Sect.
She had also taken on this mission and had immediately thought to come and check on the interpersonal relationships of those two teachers.
But she hadn't expected to find John already in the reading room upon her arrival.
John wasn't too surprised to see Amelia; he just nodded slightly and then continued to examine the documents in front of him.
Principal Sophia had already mentioned that this mission was issued to their top 20 students.
As one of the top 20, Amelia naturally had access to this mission.
Suddenly, John realized why Amelia had come to Hidden Stars and why Hidden Stars had sent her an invitation—it was all because of the Military Department!
After all, without being a member of Hidden Stars, one couldn't take on the missions.
Then...
John's index finger and thumb gently rubbed together, pondering the relationship between Hidden Stars and the Military Department.
Why was the Military Department taking this incident so seriously?
Was it really just because of their outstanding performance, or was it because of some unknown factors?
"I was also looking for this document; I didn't expect to find you with it."
Amelia confidently sat down next to John, and began to scrutinize the life records of the two teachers.
Now that both individuals had died, some details couldn't be thoroughly questioned, so they had to rely on these existing records.
"I just went through it, and their relationship at school wasn't good—just typical colleagues. Apart from team-building activities and teaching, they had no common public connections, and even less so privately."
"It's incredibly puzzling, really. They were both fervent followers of the Dusk Sect, how could they possibly have no points of intersection? So, what did they use for communication normally?"
John sharply pointed this out, and Amelia also frowned slightly, clearly noticing this unusual detail as well.
Indeed, if these two had absolutely no connections, then how did they coordinate during the attack?
How did they manage to evade everyone's notice and successfully create the sacrificial formation?
John began to examine the related documents more closely, feeling that he was missing something crucial.
And these details were key!
His eyes suddenly lit up at one section.
This was it!