They reached a stone bench, and Donald sat, motioning for Arthur to join him.
"Speaking of which," Donald continued, "how's your plan coming along? For the village chief situation?"
"It'll take a few more days," Arthur replied smoothly. "I'm still working on it."
Donald nodded in approval, patting Arthur's shoulder. The casual touch made Arthur's skin crawl.
"Good. Very good. Take your ti—do it right." Donald's smile broadened.
"Thank you," Arthur forced himself to say. "I should get so rest. It's been a long day."
"Of course, of course." Donald stood, straightening his jacket. "Oh, and Arthur? I think we can arrange another visit to Charlotte next month. Would you like that?"
Next month. When Charlotte might already be gone.
"I would. Thank you."
Donald squeezed his shoulder one last ti. "Get so sleep."
As Donald walked away, Arthur remained on the bench for a mont, staring up at the crescent moon. Its sharp edge reminded him of a blade.
'Enjoy your power while it lasts,' he thought, eyes fixed on Donald's retreating back. 'The ga changes soon.'
Twenty minutes later, Arthur was in his room.
And sowhere in that world, the key to saving Charlotte.
The system initialised, reality faded, and Arthur stepped once more into his other life.
Arthur materialised in the village forest with a subtle shimr of blue light. Dawn was breaking, golden rays filtering through the canopy.
No ti to waste. The Academy awaited.
With a thought, he activated his Space talent. The forest blurred and vanished, replaced instantly by his private floor in the guild headquarters.
Arthur quickly changed into his uniform, pulling the Academy's distinctive blue jacket from his infinite storage. The building was quiet, no sign of Gates or the new recruits.
He made one quick check of his ssages before heading out.
The Academy lood ahead, its spires reaching toward the clouds. As a building, it was impressive. As a symbol of power and knowledge in this realm, it was unmatched.
Arthur strode through the main gates. His first lesson was History of the Kingdom with Professor Aldergate.
The classroom was half-full when he arrived. At the front row, Elara spotted him and waved enthusiastically. Beside her, Sarah offered a more reserved nod.
They'd saved him the middle seat.
"Morning," he said, sliding into place between them.
"Morning," They both responded.
Soon enough, the professor strode in, and the conversations instantly died.
"Open your texts to page ninety-four," she said, after getting the students. "Today, we discuss the Demon Incursion and its impact on modern border policy."
Arthur flipped to the relevant page, mind already working on multiple tracks. The lecture contained useful information—the kingdom's historical vulnerabilities, defence strategies, and more.
But his thoughts kept drifting to Regulus and the hidden realm. The visions he'd witnessed raised countless questions. Who were the golden-haired woman and dark-eyed man? What was Regulus's connection to the current king?
'I could ask Aldergate,' Arthur considered, watching the professor gesture emphatically. 'But her information would be the official version. And, I would have to explain where I got the information from.'
No, if he wanted the truth about Regulus, he needed soone closer to the source.
The king himself. He had seen him in the visions, and he appeared sowhat close to Regulus.
The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Arthur blinked, realising he'd missed the last few minutes of the lecture.
"Azarel?"
"Y-Yh?" He snapped back to reality as Sarah spoke to him.
"Did you not hear what I said?" Her green eyes narrowed slightly.
"Huh? No, sorry. Could you repeat it?" He managed to look appropriately apologetic.
"I said today we have our elite combat class. Only those part of the elite group will be entering." Her excitent was clear. "Are you excited?"
"It's alright," Arthur replied with casualness. "I don't know what to expect."
Elite combat class. Another opportunity to gauge the Academy's best students, potential allies or opponents.
Elara smiled at his response.
Sarah nodded, accepting his answer at face value. "Well, I'm thrilled! I'm finally going to start participating in combat classes."
...
The day flew by in a blur of classes. Finally, the mont arrived. Combat class. Only twelve students would participate—seven from the original S-Class and five hand-picked from A-Class.
Those students were Sarah Draketower, Viktor Thornwyck, Liora Gilderhaven, Henry Stones and Teryn Blackwood.
The trio arrived early, entering the massive arena with its reinforced walls and specialized warding systems. The space could withstand explosive magic, making it perfect for unrestricted combat training.
Arthur imdiately spotted Ash Ashencroft standing near the center, arms crossed, emanating that typical Ashencroft arrogance. The son of one of the Four Families looked bored, as if being there was beneath his notice.
More students filed in, nervousness and excitent visible in their postures. So stretched, others checked their equipnt. A few—mostly those from prominent families—stood aloof, projecting confidence.
Elara said nothing, but her eyes scanned the arena.
Magistra Vallen strode in, her crimson hair catching the light. Unlike the other instructors with their formal robes, she wore practical combat leathers, her curved blade hanging at her hip. Scars marked her exposed forearms.
"Form up!" she barked.
The students got into position, arranging themselves in a semicircle before her.
"Welco to Elite Combat," Vallen said, her voice carrying effortlessly. "This isn't your regular training class. You're here because you've shown potential."
She paced before them, eyes sharp as she assessed each student.
"So of you are here because of raw talent." Her gaze lingered briefly on Sarah. "Others because of family connections." This ti she looked directly at Ash, who didn't flinch. "I don't care which. From this mont, you're all equal. Equal in death. You will all die, and I'm here to teach you one thing. Survival."
A murmur ran through the group. Equal? In a society defined by hierarchy?
"The purpose of this class is simple. You will fight. You will lose. You will learn." Vallen stopped pacing. "Then you will fight better."
She drew her blade in one fluid motion, the steel catching the light. "Combat isn't theoretical. It's practical. You learn by doing, by feeling, by bleeding."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
"Today, we assess your current abilities through sparring. I'll assign pairs based on complentary skills." She sheathed her blade. "The arena is warded for your safety, but injuries will happen. Consider it motivation to improve your defence."
Arthur watched her carefully. Vallen wasn't just talking, it was as if she was living it.
"First pair," Vallen announced, her voice cutting through the anticipatory silence. "Ashencroft and Draketower."
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