CHAPTER 2084: CHAPTER 305: PROFESSOR’S LABORATORY

"Very good."

The professor’s sharp gaze swept over the mask of Crow No.3, his tone somewhat stiff in commendation: "If everyone else had your sense of responsibility, we wouldn’t have lost an entire laboratory last time."

The entire hall seemed to shiver.

Crow No.3 didn’t speak, just slightly bowed his head, taking the materials from the professor’s arms and following closely behind, while the other Ravens at the experiment table all fell silent, focusing on their respective tasks. For a moment, the hall was filled only with the faint clinking of metal, and nothing else.

"It’s a bit late today." The professor, walking ahead, casually remarked.

He didn’t go directly to the experiment table but led Crow No.3 towards the side of the hall. As their figures approached, one by one, the magic lamps lit up, illuminating the rows of devices resembling nutrient tanks neatly placed against the wall.

"Tonight there is a Seven Sins assessment task."

Crow No.3 replied quickly, in a near-whisper: "This is the fifth time, two more and it’ll be completely finished..."

"Child’s play."

The professor shook his head, not commenting further, but the corner of his eye caught Crow No.3’s hesitance, feeling a twinge of curiosity: "Is there something else? You’re not usually so hesitant... last time the lab was breached, you ordered a retreat instantly... where is that decisiveness now?"

Crow No.3 bitterly smiled behind the mask.

This matter had been mentioned by the professor many times. Although the professor praised him openly in front of the other Ravens for his correct and decisive handling at the time, he also privately expressed his regret over the abandoned lab more than once.

He sighed lightly, his gaze firming again, continuing in a low, rapid voice: "Tonight, the Black Cat sold a piece of information to Seven Sins, and at the same time offered a commission..."

The Raven tried to describe tonight’s experience in concise and emotionless terms—this was challenging, especially since that Black Cat had nearly killed him earlier with a strange energy ball.

The professor listened intently to Crow No.3’s report.

"So," at last, the professor stopped in his tracks, looking at his student with interest: "That Black Cat knows there’s an organization with people wearing Raven masks, and wants to inquire about the Ravens?"

"Yes." Crow No.3 nodded cautiously.

"You think it might know more about the Ravens, so you plan to capture and interrogate it next time you meet?"

"It may not need interrogation. But we must confirm. Because of the unique rules within Seven Sins, everyone tries their best to hide their true identities, which inevitably leads to the erasure of any identity-related details when providing information..."

"Who do you think it might be?" The professor interrupted Crow No.3’s analysis, questioning back.

Crow No.3 hesitated: "There are many possibilities, because a talking Black Cat is rare, so after our first meeting I investigated and found out that there is indeed a particularly special Black Cat at the school..."

"Are you talking about that Black Cat from the ’relevant department’?" The professor raised his eyebrows.

The Raven silently nodded.

"If it’s that one, don’t bother."

The professor shook his head: "We’ve collected a heap of materials in recent months, and our experimental tasks are very tight right now. I don’t want to stir up the ’relevant department’ at this critical moment... At worst, just change your masks... How about a Cat Mask?"

Crow No.3 instinctively touched the long bird beak of his mask, imagining it turning into a flat cat mouth, perhaps even with a few whiskers, and shook his head repeatedly.

"No, it’s most likely not that cat."

He immediately added his speculation: "I’ve met this Black Cat more than once, it’s not exactly quiet. If it had known about the Ravens earlier, it wouldn’t have waited until now to inquire... so I guess it must have learned of our existence quite recently."

"Recently?"

The professor’s brows furrowed slightly, flipping through his schedule: "You haven’t had many outings recently... The biggest commotion was the Ogre Camp cleanup some time ago, and then yesterday’s task at the School Hunting Competition."

"Although the Ogre Camp cleanup caused enough of a stir, it was so brief that there were no eyewitnesses. Neither the Beta Town Management Committee, the Trident Sword, nor the school gave it more than ordinary attention." Crow No.3 spoke quickly, as though he had prepared this: "On the contrary, yesterday’s School Hunting Competition, due to a small accident, alerted the Fringe Hunting Team and the mission target to our existence... Yesterday we only had brief contact with those two hunting teams."

"I’ve heard that because of you, those kids lost their shot at the final rounds." The professor couldn’t help but chuckle: "Looking at it this way, they have plenty of reason and motive to cause you trouble."

Crow No.3 silently chuckled.

The unexpected loss of the final round qualification for the Absolution Hunting Team had become known in a few very small circles—even ranking third and fourth hunting teams begrudged Alpha for taking second place, spreading this news to imply Alpha’s second-place ’unjust.’ "

Of course, for stability and the bigger picture, the message was immediately suppressed by the school as soon as it started to spread. But those who should know, like the Absolution Hunting Team, were already aware of it.

So, even in his view, those second-year juniors had reason to resent these inexplicable Ravens.

"Such adorable little ones."

The professor bowed his head, reorganizing the materials at hand: "It’s such a wonderful thing for them to cause a bit of a ruckus at such a playful age... What we’re doing here is to give more young people the opportunity to make a fuss... As for the rest, just pay a little attention, as long as they don’t cross the line, don’t bother with them for now."

"For now?" Crow No.3 was somewhat sensitive to the professor’s choice of words.

With the materials in hand, the professor began inspecting the experimental subjects in the tanks, explaining simply: "The Northern District Wizard behind the Fringe Hunting Team is our natural ally. The Great Wizard Colmar should be interested in our experiments, it’s just not the time to contact them yet. As for the Absolution Hunting Team..."

He shook his head, sighing: "That group is full of Trouble Sprites. If you capture them for questioning today, tomorrow all our labs will be overturned by a bunch of rampaging old men."