Chapter 45

The next few days slipped by uneventfully, classes at the Academy were less than a weekend away. To be honest, I was feeling quite nervous—but it was probably just me overthinking things.

That said, my sister seemed to be getting used to work here. It was a little awkward at first, especially seeing her in a maid uniform, but she adapted faster than I expected.

Before long, she was getting along well with the other maids and staff, chatting and laughing like she’d been there for years. Nowadays, half of them only even knew who I was because I happened to be her younger brother.

And then there was Yuna. I’d catch glimpses of her every now and again, a blur of energy racing around hand in hand with Lilith. Alistyr was always trailing behind, struggling to keep up. It seemed she was adjusting well.

As for me, it was the usual—training with Auntie Shira every day, though the intensity had increased drastically. My body was getting beaten nearly every day. Out of the thirty-seven spars I’d had with her, I had won exactly zero, not once managing to land a single clean hit.

On the bright side, those beatings weren’t for nothing—my mana core had finally broken through to the second level. The mana inside me felt much denser now, but unfortunately, it didn’t change the fact that I still couldn’t use any spells.

WHOOSH

I barely tilted my head in time as Auntie Shira’s fist shot past my face, close enough that I could feel the air ripple against my skin. Recently, we’d switched to fighting without weapons, relying purely on our bodies instead. 

The results were finally starting to show. My reaction time had noticeably improved compared to before—I was actually able to dodge some of her attacks now, ones I previously couldn't.

I countered with a punch of my own, driving my fist toward her. She caught it effortlessly, but I used that moment to twist my body, swinging my leg up in a sharp kick.

She arched her back with effortless grace, slipping past the strike, and with my hand still trapped in her grip, she slammed me straight into the ground. I barely had time to suck in a breath before her fist came crashing down again.

“I give up! I give up!”

I felt her fist brush past my face as it smashed into the ground beside me, the earth cracking on impact. I could only stare in shock, silently thanking the gods that it hadn’t landed on me.

‘Just what is she made of?! Is she a damn goril—’

A sharp pain suddenly flared on my cheek as Auntie Shira pinched it. She smiled at me, but there was no warmth behind it.

“Mind sharing out loud what it was you were about to say?”

‘...’

I froze. Seriously, does she have a skill that lets her hear my thoughts, or was my face that easy to read? 

Sweat began to form on my forehead. “On second thought… I forgot what I was about to say.”

Auntie Shira rolled her eyes and let go. As I picked myself up, I rubbed the spot she’d just pinched, wincing slightly from the pain. 

“Not bad, I wasn’t expecting you to improve this quickly.” Auntie Shira praised, patting my head again.

One thing I’d started to notice was that she seemed to have a habit of ruffling my hair whenever she got the chance. I didn’t exactly dislike it, but it still felt strange—like she was treating me more like a child than anything else.

“At your current rate, I’d say you’re probably stronger than most first-years at Ascalon Academy.”

“Thanks for the confidence, Auntie Shira, but it's hard to feel it after being used like a human stress ball,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. 

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I glanced up at the sky, seeing dark clouds start to gather.

“Looks like it might rain soon,”

Auntie Shira followed my gaze, her expression thoughtful. “Hmm… shouldn’t matter much for the next part of your training, though.”

She then pointed toward the tree line in the distance, where the shadows of the dense woods stretched across the fields, and beyond them, a rugged peak rose sharply into the sky, its summit shrouded by the clouds. 

“Um… Auntie Shira, you don’t mean you want me to climb that mountain, right…?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

She tilted her head, 

“Well, you could try climbing it, I suppose,” she said slowly. “But what I actually have in mind is for you to survive in there on your own for twenty-four hours.”

“Oh… but what’s the point of that? Wouldn’t it be better if you just continued teaching me the way you have been?”

She let out a soft hum, crossing her arms, and stared at me without much expression. “Yes, you can keep learning what I teach you, but in the end, you’re still lacking experience.”

Auntie Shira flicked my forehead lightly. “Or are you telling me you’re afraid?”

Me, afraid? The last time I went into something like that, I barely escaped getting crushed by an ogre. What’s the worst that could happen this time, unless I somehow ran into something like a dragon. 

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll do it. So… Do I start now?”

“Of course,” Auntie Shira said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Why else would I even bother bringing it up? Now get going—I’ll be waiting here at the same time tomorrow.”

…

Shirayuki watched as Caelith’s figure slowly disappeared into the treeline, but she didn’t immediately turn to leave.

“How long are you going to stay there watching, Pendragon?” 

A small bird perched on a nearby branch chirped softly, tilting its head as if studying her. After a moment, it fluttered closer, and Thalor's voice projected through it.

“I wasn’t expecting you to notice so soon, but oh well, I was enjoying quite a good show there.”

Shirayuki narrowed her eyes, then reached for her bottle, unscrewing the cap and taking a long sip.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have more important things to attend to, considering classes are about to start?”

The bird landed on Shirayuki’s shoulder, much to her annoyance, but she didn’t flick it off.

“Considering you just suddenly disappeared from the Academy without a word, don’t you think I should at least check up on you?”

Shirayuki didn’t bother answering. She took another long sip from her bottle, letting the warmth of the alcohol settle in her chest, and kept her gaze fixed on the treeline.

“I’m quite surprised to see you’ve already met Caelith,” Thalor said. “I was expecting you to find him at the Academy, and from the look of it, you seem to be quite fond of him already.”

Though she wouldn’t admit it in front of Thalor, she knew he was right. During the past few days she had spent with Caelith, she had already begun to treat him as if he were her own family, whether she knew it or not.

“Looks like I hit the mark,” the bird on her shoulder teased, ruffling its feathers.

“Mind your own damn business.”

Thalor simply laughed it off.

“What are your thoughts about him? Now that you’ve seen him in person?”

Shirayuki took a moment to gather her thoughts, recalling all the spars they had shared. While his speed and precision were impressive for his age, the main thing that stood out was his eyes. During their fights, she could feel them locked onto her every move, as if he were constantly analyzing and adapting in real time.

Of course, in the end, it didn’t matter much, given the disparity in their strength. 

“Hah. Calling that boy a genius would be an understatement.”

“You think that highly of him? Are you sure, you’re not just biased?,” Thalor said, watching her carefully for a reaction.

Shirayuki clicked her tongue softly. “If he were facing someone closer to his own level—or even slightly stronger—he’d win easily.”

“In that case,” Thalor asked, “how would you judge him when placed beside Zephyr Ashford?”

“You mean that old fox’s grandson?” Shirayuki scoffed, a trace of disdain slipping into her voice. 

“How would I know? The last time I dealt with that old cougar was years ago—and I haven’t kept track of his grandson, either.”

“Forget I asked. I should’ve known, given your history with the Sword Saint.”

The bird on her shoulder then fluttered off, its body beginning to glow.

“All right, I have to go now. Just remember to return to the Academy when the time comes.” Thalor paused for a moment. “Don't forget our promise about the council.”

“You don't have to tell me twice.” 

And with that, the bird suddenly burst into a shower of sparkling lights, scattering in all directions before vanishing completely, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air. Shirayuki cast one last glance at the treeline before turning and heading back.

…

I’m getting a huge sense of déjà vu, staring at all the trees surrounding me. Behind me lay the corpses of goblins, dire wolves, and a few massive spiders—each one torn apart, their limbs scattered across the forest floor.

For a mountain near Kaelon’s estate, there were a lot more Wraiths than I expected. I gathered their mana crystals, crushing them in my hand and absorbing their mana into my own body. Making my way deeper into the wilderness, the shadows between the trees thickened. 

More Wraiths emerged along my path, but I easily cut through all of them.

‘This honestly doesn’t seem too bad…’

A faint tremor ran through the ground, growing stronger with each passing second. In the distance, I could hear the growl of an old friend. One of the trees toppled over with a deafening crash, and I caught sight of the ogre locking eyes with me.

Unlike last time, I didn’t run. I simply stood my ground, staring at the ogre. It seemed to take my defiance as a challenge, bellowing as it charged toward me.

I watched as it raised its massive fist, preparing to bring it crashing down.

White Wind

In an instant, I sliced its hand into multiple pieces. In a blur, I moved atop its massive body and, in one clean strike, severed its head. The ogre’s decapitated body collapsed onto the ground as I landed, holding its severed head in my hand.

Almost immediately, both the body and the head disintegrated into dust, leaving behind nothing but a faintly glowing blue crystal.

“?”

I snapped my head around, looking behind me. For a while now, I’d had the unsettling feeling that someone was watching me. I scanned my surroundings, but there was no one but dense woods stretching in every direction.

Rumble…

I didn’t have time to dwell on it. More ogres began pouring out from the shadows, their massive frames shaking the ground with every step. Goblins rode atop dire wolves, screeching and snarling as they charged through the underbrush.

They began to encircle me, closing in from all sides. I flicked my wrist, sending the blood sliding cleanly off Balmung. 

“I’m getting hungry,” I said flatly. “So, let’s end this.”

One of the goblins kicked its heels into the dire wolf, charging straight at me. I stepped aside, cutting its throat open before it could scream. With my free hand, I smashed both the goblin and its mount into the ground.

I didn’t slow down. I went straight into my next target, weaving through incoming arrows as I sprinted forward. I struck a tree with my foot and vaulted into the air.

Moonlit Bloom

My sword sliced through the oncoming Wraiths like a scythe through fields of wheat. I tore through the ogres first, severing their heads with ruthless precision, before turning my attention to the smaller, scrambling goblins and wolves.

By the time the shrieks and cries faded into silence, I stood alone in the clearing, wiping the blood from my face with the back of my hand. I took one last proud look at the aftermath before starting to walk away.

Suddenly, a panicked female voice rang out from behind me.

“Watch out!”

I barely had time to process it before a figure crashed into me, sending us both tumbling to the ground. My face pressed against something soft as we hit the ground. 

One of the dire wolves—apparently having survived my earlier onslaught— had lunged at me, but before it could reach, the owner of the voice had tackled me to the ground. 

We rolled several meters as the wolf gave chase before it suddenly burst into black flames.

The person on top of me shifted slightly, giving me just enough space to breathe. As I finally had a moment to see who it was, my mind went blank.

Her long, ink-black hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing a mature, graceful face. She looked down at me, amber eyes locking onto mine with a warmth and focus that made my chest tighten.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like something out of a fairytale—a knightly hero saving a princess from certain death.

‘Aren’t the roles normally reversed?’

She shifted slightly more, her presence pressing closer, and her voice cut through my thoughts.

“Are you alright?”

Now that I realized it… wasn’t she way too close?