Episode 8 of *Secrets of the Silent Witch* kicks off with Monica discovering a stack of unsigned letters in her room. Despite the lack of a sender's name, she instantly recognizes Lana's distinctive handwriting, and her face lights up with joy. Later, she heads out for a lunch outing with Lana, Casey, and an uninvited Claudia, who insists on tagging along, proclaiming herself Monica's savior.
Over lunch, the group delves into discussions about the upcoming school festival preparations. Casey is diligently crafting embroideries for donation, Lana is meticulously handling the costumes for the school play, and Claudia, in a display of her reclusive nature, stubbornly refuses to leave her room until the grand ball arrives. Meanwhile, Monica is engrossed in her student council duties.
But duty comes knocking before she can even catch her breath. Cyril approaches her, seeking assistance in moving some materials, a request Monica readily agrees to. However, in a slip of the tongue, she addresses him as "Lord Ashley," a moniker that Claudia, who shares the same surname, seizes upon to stir up some mischief. Claudia begins teasing the pair, highlighting their lack of familiarity compared to her own first-name basis with Cyril. Eventually, Cyril relents, allowing Monica to call him by his first name, though Claudia continues to poke fun at the entire name-related fuss.
In the meantime, Nero senses a surge of mana emanating from the vicinity where Felix is located. Curious and concerned, he sets off after Monica to unravel the mystery. Back at the scene, Monica is busy aiding Cyril and Casey. Lana was originally meant to be there assisting, but she's preoccupied (engaged in a heated debate with the historical accuracy club).
As they're shifting materials, a precarious stack of timber suddenly topples, hurtling towards Casey. Without hesitation, Monica unleashes her magic to shield Casey, though the near-miss still leaves the latter visibly shaken. Cyril, ever the protector, urges them to head to the infirmary and assures them he can manage the remaining materials on his own.
As they made their way down the bustling school corridor, Monica's sharp eyes caught sight of something ominous. She pointed out the rope binding the wooden beams together, noting the telltale cut marks. Calculating swiftly in her mind, she deduced that these marks could only have been made a mere 5 to 15 seconds before the timber came crashing down. With a mixture of hope and trepidation, she turned to Casey and asked, in a voice that trembled slightly, if she had been the one to wield the knife. To her astonishment, Casey's response was a curt affirmation.
With a steely glint in her eye, Casey pulled out the knife she had used, her voice laced with venom as she declared her hatred for Monica. She had intended for the timber to fall upon the witch, she confessed, but had made a grievous error. In a revelation that sent shockwaves through Monica, Casey also admitted to being the one who had callously discarded Monica's tea earlier. Yet, Monica wasn't entirely surprised; after all, only her friend knew which leaves belonged to her, as they bore no name.
Before Monica could press further with her questions, Nero burst onto the scene, his face etched with urgency. He spoke of a mana reaction, a harbinger of doom. Monica's mind raced as she pieced together the fragments of information, realizing with a sinking heart that things were about to take a dire turn. Casey had planted a Spiralflame, a deadly device, where Prince Felix was. When activated, it would spell his assassination, and the only way to avert this catastrophe was to obtain the deactivation code from Casey herself.
The stakes were high. If Felix ascended to the throne, Duke Clockford, his staunch supporter, would ignite a war with the Kingdom of Landor. Casey's homeland, already weakened by the ravages of dragons and lacking in both soldiers and wealth, had been secretly aided by Landor. Driven by a sense of loyalty and desperation, Casey was willing to go to any lengths to repay their kindness.
Monica knew that pleading and questioning would not suffice. As one of the sages, she recognized that it was her responsibility to find a solution. With a steely resolve, she ordered Nero to locate Louis' barrier. As he scurried off to fulfill her command, they made their way to the designated spot and apprehended Casey, who was now bound and helpless.
Monica resolved to overhaul the barrier's code and introduce a new directive concerning Spiralflames, aiming to prevent its catastrophic activation from triggering an explosion. Yet, the location was a veritable minefield of traps. To compound her woes, the architect behind these lethal devices was none other than another member of the elite Seven Sages—the Witch of Thorns. A clash of sages was imminent.
Among the arcane arts, certain spells were so potent that they demanded an incantation, such as the summoning of a spirit king. Thus, Monica embarked on a mystical chant, an act entirely unseen by onlookers, pouring nearly all her mana into the effort to open a gateway for the wind spirit king, Sheffield. With a burst of ethereal power, Sheffield emerged, annihilating the thorny trap in mere seconds before the portal sealed shut.
As the Spiralflame neared its moment of ignition, Monica sprinted, her heart pounding, and managed to inscribe her new rule just in the nick of time. But her trials were far from over. In an instant, an object resembling a meteorite more than a human plummeted to the ground beside her. Out of the smoldering debris stepped Louis and Ryn, with the sage Louis explaining that he had detected unusual activity within his barrier and had come to investigate. Now, the shadows of doom loomed even darker over Casey's fate.
