The Art of Gold Digging

Ch.26- Ready To Go.

Amy froze in the doorway, her eyes locked on the unexpected figure seated at the table.

Iris Wright—a senior student and secondary character in the manga, with striking copper skin and muscular physique—seemed equally surprised to see her there. The girl's braided hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and she wore the Academy's uniform with the sleeves rolled up, exposing forearms corded with muscle.

Crow cleared his throat, drawing Amy's attention. "Everyone's here now. We can now begin the briefing."

"Yes, finally," Ash said with a lazy smirk. He lounged in his chair, feet propped up on the table where they’d gathered. "Our little golden princess decided to grace us with her presence at last."

"I'm on time," Amy muttered, glancing at a clock on the wall that confirmed she was, in fact, exactly on time.

"Stake, right?" Iris spoke. Her blue eyes studying her form. "So you’re in this too…"

Amy nodded, uncertain how to respond.

What the hell is she doing here?

Iris wasn't supposed to be part of the plan. Her presence represented yet another deviation from the storyline she thought she knew.

[Interesting. The butterfly effect in action, perhaps?]

Fuck me… can't things just be simple?

"Iris discovered our plans yesterday," Crow explained, his tone suggesting he wasn't pleased about this development either. "She overheard Ash discussing our... new companion... in the training hall." He emphasized the word companion, a slight tilt of his head signaling toward Zayd who responded with a smile.

Ash at least had the decency to look sheepish. "It was an accident," he protested. "I didn't know she was in the equipment room."

"And rather than reporting us," Crow continued, ignoring Ash's excuse, "she insisted on joining..."

"I didn't 'insist,'" Iris corrected, crossing her arms over her chest. "I said I'd go to Vanheim unless you let me in on whatever you were planning."

"That's literally worse," Lyra pointed out from her perch on Crow's bed, voice tinged with nervous energy.

Iris shrugged, unrepentant. "I'm coming, like it or not. No way I'm missing this."

Crow looked annoyed at her response but didn't say anything. Ash, meanwhile, seemed more amused than concerned. Lyra appeared nervous, while Lain remained as expressionless as ever. Zayd, seated cross-legged in a chair in the corner of the table, simply observed with quiet interest.

"Excuse her, Amy," Crow said, his expression in a perpetual scowl. "She's just annoying like that."

"And violent too!" Ash interjected with a grin. "Broke my arm during our assessment match last semester."

"You deserved it," Iris replied without looking at him.

"I did," he agreed easily.

Crow cleared his throat again, more forcefully this time. "We're wasting time. We need to finalize our plan before curfew."

Amy nodded, taking the empty chair between Lain and Zayd.

Lain greeted her with a nod, which Amy returned.

"Miss Stake," Zayd greeted her too, with a small bow of his head. "I trust you are well?"

"Well enough," she replied, studying him carefully; she still couldn't believe he was related to the Tribe of Onyx. Contrary to Kaelen, she couldn’t find anything suspicious about this seemingly kind and good-looking noble.

"And you?"

"Managing," he said with a hint of a smile. "Thank you for relaying my message to Crow. I suspect I wouldn't have been welcomed if it weren't for you."

Amy nodded, not really knowing how she had affected Crow's decision; in the original story, Zayd was with them, so even if she wasn’t the one who gave the paper, probably nothing would have changed.

"Alright. We should begin now; let's not waste any more time." Crow said, raising his voice slightly to get everyone's attention, then turned toward the map spread across the table., "Our objective is to reach the Eastern Wing through the headmistress' office. There's a hidden passage there."

"And remind me again why we can't just use the main entrance?" Iris asked, leaning forward to examine the maps.

"Too well-guarded," Ash replied before Crow could. "After the Building B incident, security's been increased everywhere. The main entrance to the Eastern Wing is practically swarming with professors and security staff."

"Right. And the headmistress' office is a better option because…?" Iris said, looking just as confused as before.

"Because once we're in, it would be smooth sailing towards our objective," Crow responded.

"Objective, huh. What exactly are we looking for in there? You haven't told me yet." Zayd asked.

A momentary silence fell over the room as everyone looked at him.

"...A place called The Library," Crow finally answered, his voice measured. "We believe it contains information about recent events at the Academy."

"Building B," Zayd nodded, understanding. "You think there's a connection."

"Yes," Crow confirmed. "Among other things…"

"Alright then," Iris rolled her shoulders, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "So what's the plan for getting into the headmistress' office?"

Crow unrolled a detailed floor plan of the administrative building. "The headmistress' office is on the third floor, east wing. Two security staff are stationed outside at all times, rotating shifts every six hours. The door itself is warded with multiple protection spells."

"Sounds impossible," Lyra murmured.

"Not impossible," Crow corrected. "Due to my extensive knowledge of artifacts, I can probably get rid of the wards with enough time. The only problem is the guards. I thought of some countermeasures, but nothing too concrete…"

"I can handle the guards," Iris offered confidently.

"No violence," Crow said sharply. "The last thing we need is Academy security hunting us down."

"Who said anything about violence?" Iris grinned. "I was thinking more along the lines of distraction. I create a big commotion close by—say, a few rooms away. Security responds, leaving their posts temporarily unattended."

"And what type of commotion are we talking about…?" Crow asked carefully.

"Well, it needs to be big enough to make sure the guards leave their posts, even if only temporarily. So I was thinking of a big BOOM. Like a big, big explosion."

Everyone stared at the girl in silence.

Ash was the one who responded first as he burst into laughter. "Gods, that's the stupidest idea I've heard. Real subtle, Wright. Why don't we just set the whole building on fire while we're at it?" he said while continuing to chuckle.

However, he didn't laugh for long as he soon caught sight of Crow's expression. The dark-haired boy was pondering that idea deeply.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait… Crow, you're not actually considering this, are you?"

"..." Crow didn't respond, too engrossed in his thoughts.

"You can't be serious," Ash pressed, all humor vanishing from his face. "Creating an actual explosion? If we get caught, it's not just detention or extra homework. We're talking about permanent expulsion, maybe a legal trial. Permanent records. It's over for all of us."

"I know," Crow finally replied. "Actually, I was planning something similar, but this gives me a better idea."

Crow stood up abruptly and moved to his bed. Kneeling beside it, he pressed his palm against a seemingly ordinary floorboard. A soft click echoed through the room as a hidden compartment revealed itself. He reached in and carefully extracted a big ornate box, intricate symbols etched into its wooden surface.

"Was that a secret compartment?" Lyra asked, leaning forward with interest.

Crow nodded. "For protection, mostly just in case some annoying companion sneaked into my room," he said, glancing pointedly at Ash, who looked confused in response.

Crow opened the box and took what appeared to be a smooth blue stone about the size of a golf ball, before hiding the box once again.

"What's that?" Amy asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"An illusion artifact," Crow explained, once again approaching the table. "I obtained it not too long ago. It can create convincing sensory illusions—sight, sound, even smell—within a limited radius."

"So no real explosion," Lyra sighed with relief. "Just the illusion of one."

"Precisely," Crow nodded. "We can stage it as a prank. First, the sound and visual of an explosion, enough to draw the guards away. Then something obviously humorous to sell it as a student prank rather than a genuine threat."

"Like what?" Ash asked, his interest rekindled.

"Any ideas?” Crow said while looking around the room. “Something stupid enough that security won't take it seriously."

"Oh, I sure have one." Iris snorted, a mischievous gleam lighting up her blue eyes. "How about a massive dick? Like twenty feet tall, glowing and everything." She gestured broadly with her hands. "Nothing says 'stupid student prank' like a giant magical phallus."

What…?

Amy's brows furrowed, and she felt heat creeping up her neck.

Meanwhile, Ash burst into laughter, slapping his knee. "Iris, you're a goddamn genius! That's perfect!"

Lyra's eyes widened, her face flushing crimson. "We can't... that's so inappropriate! What if a professor sees it?"

"That's kind of the point," Iris replied with a shrug. "Something so ridiculous they'll immediately think 'immature students' rather than 'serious security breach.'"

Lain, as expected, showed no reaction beyond a slight raise of an eyebrow.

"Forgive my ignorance," Zayd interjected, tilting his head, a look of innocent curiosity on his face. "I fail to see how that crude anatomical illustration would serve as an effective distraction."

"Trust me," Ash said, still chuckling. "Academy security will be too busy trying to figure out which students to punish to worry about guarding anything else."

Amy turned to Crow, expecting him to shut down the suggestion immediately. To her surprise, he was nodding slowly, his expression thoughtful rather than dismissive.

"Actually," Crow said, "that could work."

Wait, what?

"Wait, what?" Iris blinked, looking confused despite being the one who proposed it.

"No one would suspect students serious enough to attempt a break-in would resort to such... base humor," Crow explained.

"Hold on," Lyra interjected, looking scandalized. "We're going with that? Really?"

"Unless you have a better suggestion?" Crow raised an eyebrow.

This can't be real…

"So it's settled then," Iris said, grinning triumphantly. "BOOM, then big dick. Classic distraction technique."

"I can't believe this is our plan," Amy couldn't help but say out loud, finding herself unable to understand the absurdity of it all.

Lyra's eyes crossed with Amy's, and a moment of silent understanding passed between them. Both girls wore identical expressions of disbelief tinged with slight embarrassment, though Lyra seemed redder than Amy felt.

"Okay, so now that we have the general idea," Crow nodded. "The only thing left to discuss is how to actually set up the distraction. We can't be seen before or after placing the artifact."

"We could go through the service passages?" Zayd suggested. Everyone turned to look at him. He took a sip of his tea before continuing. "Most of the older buildings at the Academy have narrow corridors for staff use. They're rarely monitored."

"Service passages?" Ash frowned. "How do you know about those?"

Zayd's expression remained neutral. "Family research."

Crow studied Zayd for a moment before turning back to the maps. "He's right. There's a service stairwell here," he pointed to a narrow shaft on the blueprint. "It runs from the basement to the fifth floor, with access points on each level. If we can get to it unseen, we could reach the third floor without using the main stairs."

"I'm surprised you know so much, Mr. Thorne," Zayd commented.

"I've been researching the Academy for a while due to…reasons."

"I see." Zayd nodded, deciding not to press any further.

"Either way," Crow said, changing the topic. "There are two major issues with this plan. First, this illusion artifact doesn't have a timer mechanism—it requires direct activation. Someone will need to physically place it and trigger it when the time is right."

"I'll do it," Iris volunteered immediately.

"No," Crow shook his head. "You're not familiar enough with the Academy's layout. We need someone who knows the service passages well." His eyes shifted to Zayd.

Zayd inclined his head slightly. Then, after a second, he spoke. "I can handle it."

"Alone?" Lyra asked, suspicion evident in her voice.

"Not alone," Crow decided after a moment of consideration. "Ash will go with him."

"Me?" Ash straightened in his chair, his usual lazy demeanor slipping for a moment. "Why me?"

"Your enhancement ability makes you the fastest among us. If something goes wrong, you can get both yourself and Zayd out quickly."

Ash considered this, then shrugged. "Fair enough."

"What's the second issue?" Amy asked, feeling slightly curious.

Crow's dark eyes met hers. "The wards around the headmistress' office. They're complex, with probably multiple layers of protection designed specifically to keep people out. Even with the key my father left, deactivating them will take time. Possibly more time than the distraction will buy us."

The room fell silent as everyone processed this information.

"Can we bypass them somehow?" Lyra suggested. "Or maybe find another entrance?"

"There is no other entrance," Crow replied. "And bypassing isn't an option. We either deactivate the wards or we don't get in."

Lain spoke up for the first time since the conversation began, her voice thoughtful. "...If one person alone isn't enough, then two..."

Crow's eyes widened slightly, understanding dawning on his face. He turned to Amy. "Amy, could you help me navigate the magical defenses?"

What…?

Amy hesitated, not because she thought she couldn't do it—breaking a blood ritual done by the blood emperor sounded way harder— but because she didn't want to. Just thinking of the strain of using her ability…

I'm so tired of working all the time…

After a moment of consideration, she sighed before giving a nod. "I think so."

"Good," Crow said with a nod. "Then you'll assist me with the wards while the others maintain lookout positions." He turned back to the maps, outlining each person's position and role in more detail. Lain would watch the main stairs, Lyra and Iris would monitor the corridor from a concealed position, while Crow and Amy worked on the wards.

"Once we're inside," Crow continued, "we follow the passage to the Eastern Wing. According to my…research…the Eastern Wing will lead us below the Academy, right into the Library."

"And assuming we find this Library," Iris interjected, "What then? Just grab some books and leave?"

"We look for information," Crow replied. "About the Blood Emperor rituals, about recent events at the Academy, and...other stuff… Any questions?"

Iris raised her hand high.

"We're not in class, Iris," Ash said with an eye roll. "Just speak."

She ignored him completely, keeping her hand raised until Crow acknowledged her with a nod.

"Yes?"

Iris lowered her hand and leaned forward, her golden eyes narrowing as she glanced between Zayd and Amy. "I get why Ash, Lain, and Lyra are here. But them?" She pointed first at Zayd, then at Amy. "What's their stake in this? No pun intended," she added with a quick glance at Amy. "Because I doubt that they are just tagging along for fun like I am."

The room fell silent. All eyes shifted between the two individuals in question.

Zayd was the first to respond, taking a measured sip of his tea before answering. "I already told you before, I have my reasons."

"Yeah, that's not an answer, buddy," Iris pressed.

At this, Zayd merely shrugged, obviously not willing to respond.

Iris frowned at the non-answer but turned her attention to Amy. "And you? Why risk expulsion for something like this?"

Amy opened her mouth, ready to deliver one of her practiced cryptic responses. Something mysterious and vague that would maintain her enigmatic persona while revealing nothing. The words were already forming on her tongue—

[Remember what we talked about,] Libris whispered in her mind. [The thing we talked about being a little more truthful? If you want the readers to like you, you need more than just mystery all the time.]

She hesitated, caught off guard by the book's sudden interjection. The reminder of their earlier conversation—about being more authentic, about showing glimpses of her true self—made her falter.

Everyone was watching her, waiting for her response. The pressure of their gazes made her skin prickle.

"I..." Amy began, then stopped, hesitating some more. For some reason, saying the truth felt wrong…

[C'mon, Amy. You can do it!]

Ughhh…

She took a deep breath, then finally spoke. "My objective is to save as many people as possible," she announced, her voice quieter than intended but clear enough for everyone to hear.

Iris's expression rapidly shifted from skepticism to confusion and then curiosity. Ash's eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline. Lyra and Lain exchanged a quick glance. Meanwhile, Crow's and Zayd's eyes studied her with intensity.

"Save people? From what?" Iris asked.

Amy met her gaze steadily but didn't elaborate; that was enough truthfulness for the day.

The silence stretched, getting longer with each passing moment, until Crow finally broke it. "We all have our reasons," he said, his tone making it clear the subject was closed. "What matters is that everyone understands their role tonight."

He turned back to the maps, effectively redirecting the conversation, but Amy could feel the occasional glances still coming her way—particularly from Lain, whose silver eyes gave her the sensation that she seemed to see far more than Amy was comfortable with.

The planning continued for another hour, with Crow detailing escape routes, contingency plans, and specific timing for each phase of their infiltration. As the meeting wound down, Crow assigned final preparations to each person. Then took the golden key hidden in the box from before turning to the group.

"Is everyone ready?" Crow asked, his gaze first settling on Amy.

She met his eyes, swallowing the doubt that threatened to rise in her throat. "Ready," she confirmed, surprised by the steadiness in her voice.

One by one, the others voiced their commitment.

"Born ready," Ash drawled, though the usual flippancy in his tone was tempered by something more serious.

"Ready," Lyra said softly, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

"...yes," came Lain's quiet affirmation.

"I am prepared," Zayd nodded, setting his empty teacup aside.

"Let's do this," Iris agreed with a confident grin.

Crow nodded, satisfaction evident in his posture. "Then, better not waste any more time. Let's go."