The Hidden Heir [Completed]

Chapter 8: Consequences of Rivalry

When the time came, the three friends met up at their rendezvous point. Magnus immediately asked about their progress.

"Your grace, we learned the following about Marcus," Darius began flipping through his notes, reading everything he had written on his paper, "Apparently, he's friends with Lawrence from the Blackthorne clan, a fellow son of a Marquess. They seemed to spar every day after all the classes ended, along with that huge guy called Grae. Marcus is not a picky eater and eats whatever is served in the cafeteria. His grades are perfect, and he's in good physical shape, excelling in all subjects and sports. His favorite—"

"Enough!" Magnus cut him off, raising his palm in frustration, "I told you to list down his weaknesses, not this useless information. Why are you telling me these trivial matters? What good are his grades or eating habits to me?"

"But you said I must include his strengths too..." Darius mumbled, earning a glare from Magnus. It was clear how his irritation was rooted in his insecurity and sense of inferiority towards Marcus. He needed to know that there was at least one field where he could beat him, to prove his superiority.

"Forget it," Magnus snapped, his patience wearing thin, "Skip that part and just tell me about his weaknesses instead."

Darius briefly paused, hesitating to answer, "There's—none."

Magnus' anger flared, "No weaknesses? Are you for real?"

His eyes burned with fury while glaring at Darius, grabbing him by the collar, "You're telling me this perfect little fool has no vulnerability? Are you an idiot?!"

Both Darius and Chancey were alarmed by the sudden shift in his mood. Magnus' anger was more intense this time, "Your grace, he's telling the truth. I was also there, and that's all we heard. We wanted to follow him further, but the fair maiden he's always with seemed to be skeptical and grew suspicious of our presence, so we maintained our distance."

Chancey tried to defend his friend, but Magnus cut him off, also screaming in his face. The mention of the 'fair maiden' made him conclude that it was Sharon, which aggravated him even more, "Enough! I gave you a simple task, yet the two of you couldn't even do that right! Your stupidity irks me, and you don't deserve to bow before me!"

Magnus released his grip on Darius' collar before rubbing his face in irritation. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but the sight of two failures made him lose his patience, "Get out of my sight before I kill you," he said in a cold voice, "I'll go to Maestro's office on my own. The two of you better stay out of my way if you won't be useful."

That night, Magnus quietly slipped out of the dormitory and made his way to the main hall where Maestro's office was. He carefully scanned the area, making sure no guards were on patrol. His gaze shifted to his wristwatch, noting that the next round of patrols was still half an hour away. Realizing he had a limited time to act, he moved quickly, careful not to let anyone spot him. With the failure of his friends still fresh in his mind, Magnus knew he couldn't rely on anyone else—this task was his alone to complete.

Magnus had stolen a spare key from one of the guards, which made his entry into the main hall effortless. With his lockpicking skills, he was able to unlock the door to Maestro's office in no time. However, he knew how meticulous the headmaster was—that even the slightest disturbance in the arrangement of the room could reveal an intruder. So, despite the urgency, Magnus moved with care, doing his best to avoid leaving any trace.

He concentrated, recalling his first visit to the office when he had been admitted. If his memory served him correctly, the shelf behind Maestro's desk was where the headmaster kept the important documents of the enrolled students. That was the place he needed to search. With determination, Magnus set to work.