A week had passed since the academy term began.
A full week… without any noteworthy events.
Classes in the morning.
Combat training in the afternoon.
Individual practice in the evening.
Then back to the room before nightfall.
A fixed routine. Repetitive. Almost suffocating.
It wasn't bad—
but it wasn't enough.
I sat in my usual seat inside the classroom, listening to Carmilla's explanation while my eyes followed the board without full focus. The words were familiar, the concepts clear, yet the progress… slow.
Not because the academy was lacking.
But because I knew that staying here too long without changing my course would only cause me to fall behind.
Time does not wait.
When the lesson ended, the students left one by one, their voices blending into the corridors. I remained seated for a few extra seconds, staring at my hand.
The strength I possessed now… was decent for a first-year student.
But it would not be enough for what awaited me.
I finally stood and left the hall.
---
I walked through the long stone corridor, my steps calm, my mind far from my surroundings. The academy felt stable—organized—safe.
Too safe.
And it was there that the thought I had been postponing for days finally surfaced.
> It's time to steal one of the key items I originally gave to Leander in the novel.
This wasn't an impulsive decision.
I knew that item well.
A sword of unknown rank—unclassified, dormant at first, yet capable of growing alongside its wielder.
---
> I didn't consider this from a standpoint of "deserving it."
That kind of question changes nothing.
The sword exists.
And time keeps moving.
In my previous world, I created it for the protagonist.
But I am no longer in that world.
I am inside this cursed novel—
a place where I could die miserably if I am not strong enough.
Leander will continue to grow, whether he obtains this sword or not.
His path is wide… filled with opportunities I will never have access to.
But for me—
The margin I can move within is painfully narrow.
Letting this opportunity slip would not be noble.
It would be negligence.
I don't want it because I deserve it.
I want it because I am here now—
and because I am the only one who knows its true value before it's too late.
Sometimes, the simplest decisions…
are the ones that draw the darkest paths.
I stopped walking.
Not out of hesitation—
but to calculate the cost.
Leaving the academy meant:
• An absence that could draw attention
• Missing several lessons
• Losing some points
But staying meant something far worse.
Letting this chance pass.
I took a slow breath… and continued forward.
---
Inside the administration office, I stood before the duty officer and submitted an official request.
"Permission to leave the academy for one week."
He lifted his head from the crystal terminal and gave me a brief look.
"Reason?"
I didn't hesitate.
"Personal matters."
A short silence followed as he reviewed my data.
Name.
Rank.
Points.
It didn't take long.
"You have a clean record so far," he said, meeting my gaze again.
"But remember—any violation outside the academy will be counted against you."
I nodded.
"I understand."
Moments later, he handed me a small crystal containing the authorization.
"Permitted duration: four days. You must return before sunset on the fourth day."
"Thank you."
I left the office without delay.
---
Evening arrived quickly.
The lights of the academy dimmed gradually as students returned to their wings. Inside my room, I stood before the small bag placed on the bed.
I didn't need much:
Some money.
My sword.
A simple coat.
No heavy equipment.
No armor.
This wasn't an academy assignment.
Nor a training trip.
It was something else entirely.
I paused, looking around the room—
a place that had become familiar faster than I expected.
"I'll be back," I murmured quietly.
---
Late at night, I reached the outer gate.
The guards remained at their posts, barely paying attention after verifying my authorization. The massive iron gate opened slowly, its dull sound echoing through the darkness.
I stepped outside the academy.
For the first time since entering it…
I was beyond its boundaries.
The air felt different.
Colder.
Rougher.
I followed the stone road leading away from the towering walls until the academy was completely behind me.
I looked back one last time.
An excellent place to learn—
but not where I would stay for now.
---
After hours of walking, the outline of the capital, Mirasel, appeared on the horizon.
A massive city, its outskirts alive even at night.
But I didn't head toward the center.
My destination was a small village on the capital's edge.
A village barely marked on any map.
In the novel, it held no importance—
except for what was hidden beneath one of its old buildings.
I continued forward until the village's faint lights came into view. Tightly packed houses. Narrow roads. A heavy silence.
I stopped at its entrance.
"So… this is where it begins."
I didn't know exactly what awaited me.
Nor whether the sword was still there.
But one thing was certain.
This journey would not be short.
Nor would it be simple.
I stepped into the village,
the night swallowing my shadow behind me.
-------
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