The day after the attack ends without any major incidents. Of course, the students who have stayed at the academy are busy exchanging stories and the rumor mill is churning - but in general the school day has been quiet.

Now it's evening and Semis wanders up and down the meeting room - always passing the long table where the peacemakers will soon take their seats and exchange information.

Where are they?

Semis is a little worried. The meeting should be taking place right now, but so far he's the only one in the room. Hopefully there hasn't been a fight among the peacemakers, otherwise there won't even be a meeting. Although, to be honest, Semis wouldn't have a problem if the meeting was canceled...

Yesterday was just as bad for him as it was for any other student. His friend Declan almost died and all he could do was watch. As a member of the student council, he didn't cut a good figure. No, even worse, he was absolutely useless. He wouldn't be surprised if the president, Arthur, removed him from his position as peacemaker.

The whole situation just sucks! I could lose my position as peacemaker now and I almost lost Declan too...

Luckily, Declan is fine. In fact, it wasn't the fire or the smoke that had gotten to him so much as the overuse of his Lacrima. He must have used it to save himself and other students from the flames, but in the end he reached his limit.

Instead, SHE had to help them...

The Warlord of Rivers, Zenith. The mere thought of this witch overwhelms him with mixed feelings:

On the one hand, he's grateful to her for all the lives saved, but on the other hand, she's the enemy of the student council.

The same applies to this masked man. It is reasonable to assume that he killed Professor Wagner. At least that's what the stab wounds and cuts suggest.

Bloody penumbra!

“Good evening.”

Someone has entered the meeting room. It's a woman with red hair and a serious expression. She salutes Semis and introduces herself:

“Maike Buteheim, Peacemaker of Glaciers hereby announces-”

She stops and scans the room, which is empty except for Semis.

“Where is everyone?”

“Good evening, Maike...”

“Ah, hello Semis!”

"I don't know where the others are myself. The meeting should have started a long time ago..."

“Ah, um...”

Maike seems to have just realized that she's late and pulls at the collar of her blue jacket, embarrassed.

“Anyway-”

“The rest aren't coming.”

A third voice speaks up. The voice is deep and calm, but at the same time it vibrates with the sound of wisdom and authority: Arthur Vangarda, President of the Student Council and the Peacemaker of Forests, has just entered the meeting room. As always, his gaze is serious and focused, and the other two peacemakers feel a shiver run down their spines.

Maike salutes again - this time to the prince.

"Y-your Majesty! W-we-"

Arthur raises his hand and orders Maike to remain silent; she complies immediately.

“The other four peacemakers are currently supporting the rector and are therefore unable to appear here.”

If the rector needs the support of four peacemakers, the situation must be really serious. After all, the rector, also known as the chancellor, now has a lot of reports to write and meetings to hold regarding the attack. As the highest authority of the Student Council and Sirenford itself, the peacemakers are suitable deputies of the academy.

Arthur strides past the two and takes a seat in the chair at the head of the long table. He crosses his arms and closes his eyes thoughtfully.

“It's enough if just the three of us attend this meeting.”

Semis and Maike nod and take their designated seats.

“Maike,” Arthur opens his eyes and looks at the Peacemaker of Glaciers, “please tell us what happened and what the current situation is.”

"Yes, Your Majesty! Yesterday morning there was an arson attack. The exact time is not known, but it must have happened before the first lecture. As a result, around 40 students were injured. 15 of them suffered smoke poisoning. Professor Will Wagner was also killed."

"Professor Wagner suffered a fatal stab wound. Probably from a sword with a thin blade, such as an epee or rapier."

“Epee or rapier... So like the cut on Dennis Evert.” Semis clenches his fists, "The masked man murdered him! No doubt about it!"

“Not quite,” Arthur contradicts him, “We've compared the injury with Evert's and they seem to be from different blades.”

“Then the masked man must be carrying two swords!”

“According to the eyewitnesses, he only ever wields one sword.”

“Then he just switched swords!”

“Semis.” Arthur interrupts Semis with a harsh tone and gives him a terrifying look, “We can't base our actions on speculation.”

You were the one speculating the night before last!

Of course, Semis doesn't dare to put this thought into real words. He just nods and remains silent.

Then just look for your ‘facts’. But by then Penumbra will have slaughtered every student at Sirenford!

Arthur touches his chin thoughtfully:

“In that case, this Zenith would be our murderer by process of elimination, but that would also just be speculation.”

Semis takes the word again:

“Whether Zenith or the masked man; Penumbra is behind the murder and attack in any case!”

“Huh?”

Arthur's face shows serious astonishment - an unusual sight for a prince.

"No, Semis. Professor Wagner was behind the actual attack."

“Huh? W-what?!”

Semis can't believe what the president has just said. Is this a joke?

"W-what does that mean, Arthur? The professor is behind this? That doesn't make any sense! How do you know that?"

“I knew it all along.”

“-!”

"Will Wagner is researching the creation of artificial Lacrimas for the Vangarda government. The Chancellor had given him permission to continue his research on Sirenford. The attack was part of his larger project. He had already informed the academy management about it beforehand."

“AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THIS CRAP?”

Semis bangs the table in rage. Maike lowers her head in silence.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not. The fact is that he wanted to create a Lacrima through the panic that arose. It would have been a product of those emotions. I don't know the details."

“A-and you're telling me that you already knew about the attack and just let it happen?”

"Yes, I did. Because this experiment would have produced valuable results."

“Y-you can't be serious...” Semis is stunned. The student council is supposed to protect their fellow students, not put them in danger, “You were willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent students?”

"It was for the good of our school and nations. With Wagner's research, Vangarda could have become even more powerful."

Semis slumps in his chair. He doesn't know whether to scream or cry. Arthur, the chancellor, the entire academy management. They allowed all this to happen. At their hands, numerous students almost died. Declan almost died.

He fixes the prince with an angry glare.

“So...were you willing to become a mass murderer, Prince Arthur?”

"S-Semis! Don't talk to him like that-"

Another wave of Arthur's hand silences the furious Maike.

“If you have a problem with our methods, you can leave at any time and give up the title of peacemaker again.”

It doesn't take long for Semis to make his decision. He had always known that the student council liked to resort to harsh measures, but that Arthur would act so nefariously... That he would be so selfish and power-hungry... Semis can't believe it... His entire image of the prince seems to shatter like a mirror. Semis gets up and leaves the room in silence.

Silence reigns for a few seconds. Then Arthur turns to Maike:

“Do you have any objections?”

Maike shakes her head in silence. The usually so stoic student now has a depressed expression on her face.

“Well, then I'll get to the main point of our meeting.”

He leans forward. His gaze is sombre and his face expressionless.

“We, the student council, have found a powerful new weapon as a result of the fire...”