"The guards will be here in a few minutes. Wait for them, and keep an eye on these guys. They might be tied up, but they're still dangerous."
My voice, altered by the mask into something deeper and slightly distorted—echoed through the clearing as I gave instructions to the shaken coachman and the passengers.
The fight had ended in two minutes flat.
Just as expected.
Honestly, it felt… too easy. So easy I was almost shocked.
[
Well, maybe.
"Hey, thanks for the help!"
I turned around. Jayden was walking toward me, wiping a smudge of dirt from his cheek, grinning like we hadn't just been in a life-or-death brawl. Behind him, Milleia was kneeling beside the injured passengers, using her modest healing to close up cuts and soothe burns.
I looked at Jayden.
And then I let my voice drop to freezing.
"You are too soft."
"Hm?" Jayden blinked, his grin faltering.
"If you continue to act like a naïve brat," I said, stepping closer until I was looming over him, "you will lose more than just your life. Nothing will remain. Not even their corpses to bury."
"...!"
His eyes widened. The color drained from his face as my words hit exactly where I intended. I peered straight into his blue eyes, making sure the message sank deep.
I knew his past. I knew the tragedy that haunted him. And I knew exactly which buttons to push to wake him up.
"The same goes for you."
I shifted my gaze to Milleia.
She looked up, startled, hands still glowing faintly with healing mana, blood and dirt smeared on her uniform.
"If I hadn't been here," I said, "they would have all died. Including the children."
"...!"
She flinched in horror.
"Keep staying like that, both of you," I said, "and you will suffer hell in the future."
The First Game will be already hell, and I didn't even want to imagine the Third one.
I didn't wait for a response.
I snapped my fingers, and a mirror materialized beside me, rippling like a vertical pool of water. I stepped through it without looking back.
I hope that was enough.
…
…
"Cough!"
I stumbled out of the mirror exit deep in the forest and immediately collapsed against a tree, chest heaving.
I hacked into my hand, warm liquid spattering my palm.
Blood.
I wiped my mouth, spitting until the metallic taste faded to a dull throb. My entire body felt heavy.
Overusing Mary's power ability took a toll.
A soft touch suddenly brushed my back.
I smiled painfully.
I recognized that touch immediately. There was no way I couldn't recognize my first partner.
[Am I a hallucination?]
[
My face twisted in annoyance at the voices in my head.
"I was speaking of a partner I can actually see and touch," I muttered. "You two don't count."
I shook my head to clear the dizziness and turned around.
Mary stood there, looking at me with those same void-like dark eyes.
"Mary, I told you to rest."
I could feel it through the contract, the exhaustion radiating from her. Since she wasn't fully restored yet, I was sharing my mana and life force to sustain her. And she had pushed herself way past her limits just for my sake.
"..."
She didn't answer. She just shook her head slightly, stubborn as ever.
With her left hand, she held out my blazer.
"Thanks."
I took it with my left hand, and with my right, I pulled her into a hug.
Her body was cold.
She shivered at first, stiff against me, but then she relaxed, leaning into the warmth.
I patted her dark hair gently.
"It's okay, Mary," I whispered. "You're not alone and neither will I leave you alone."
We stayed like that for a minute. Then, reluctantly, I forced the transfer.
"Go back. Rest."
She faded away, returning to her dimension. If I didn't send her back, she would've forced herself to stay as my guard until she collapsed.
I didn't like seeing her so sad. The memory of her smiling happily back in Sekrin was still fresh in my mind, and I wanted that version of her back.
[
"I'm a genius," I said with a smirk, though my face felt pale and clammy. "Is that so hard to understand?"
I needed to hurry.
I dusted off my clothes, straightened my shirt as best as I could, and pulled on the blazer.
Mask off. Hat off.
I ran a hand through my short grey hair.
Gone was the mysterious, terrifying, and cringey Masked Prince. Back was Edward Falkrona, late student and delinquent noble.
"Damn tie…"
I looped the red fabric around my neck again, leaving it loose and messy like a drunken salaryman.
Then I walked out of the forest.
…
…
I power-walked toward the massive iron gates of the academy, trying to look like I belonged there and wasn't about to pass out.
The guards spotted me instantly. Panic flashed across their faces. They scanned my mana signature, confirmed my identity, and nearly threw the gates open before I even reached them.
There was no way they wouldn't recognize me.
"Young Lord."
One of them bowed hastily.
I ignored him and stepped inside.
The path ahead was empty. Not a single student in sight.
I was the only one lat—
"Hey! Wait for us!"
"Don't close the gate!"
I clenched my fists.
Of course.
I slowed down, assuming they were ahead of me, but no they were coming from behind.
Jayden and Milleia jogged up, out of breath, chests heaving as they stopped next to me, hands on their knees.
The guards moved to intercept them, demanding their Academy IDs.
"ID cards, please."
I kept walking.
They didn't dare ask me for mine.
Not because I was a duke's son.
But because I was Edward Falkrona.
My reputation as the most unpredictable, violent bastard in the nobility had apparently done its job. Fear was a hell of a VIP pass.
"Hey, you're late too?"
"..."
I ignored Jayden and kept my eyes forward.
"Come on, man."
I sensed his arm reaching out to clap my shoulder—a friendly, protagonist gesture.
I sidestepped smoothly.
"Don't touch me," I snapped. "I'm a noble."
Jayden blinked, hand hovering in the air.
"Then why are you late?" Milleia asked, panting slightly.
There was no malice in her voice. Just genuine curiosity. Nobles were supposed to be punctual, perfect, and definitely not sprinting through gates thirty minutes after the bell.
"It doesn't concern either of you," I said coldly.
I picked up the pace.
They followed, obviously, since we were all heading to the same place.
I glanced at the clock tower.
10:30 AM.
Thirty minutes late.
Damn.
Before recovering my memories, I would've been stressing out. Sweating bullets. But now a weird calm settled over me. My awareness of my status, of who I was, acted like a shield. Nothing bad was going to happen to me. I was Thomen Falkrona's son. The academy wouldn't touch me.
You could call it arrogance.
I called it a safety net.
We walked deeper into the campus.
The Royal Eden Academy wasn't just a school. It was a palace.
Four massive rectangular buildings connected by walkways, surrounding an immense central courtyard where students could rest. The architecture was stunning, white marble infused with mana-conductive ore that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
The first-year building was to the west. Second years to the east. Third years to the south.
And to the north, the main building. The administrative heart, where the staff, teachers, and headmaster resided. Beyond that lay the stadiums and training grounds, massive structures that looked like they belonged in a professional sports complex.
It had to be big.
First years alone numbered around 280 students. The whole academy housed about 900.
The cream of the crop. The future of the Celesta Kingdom.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"..."
"How do you know where to go? Is this your first time? But you have a red tie, so you must be a first year like us, right?"
Jayden fired questions like a Gatling gun. I ignored every single one.
Milleia, meanwhile, was gawking at the buildings like a country bumpkin seeing a cathedral for the first time.
"U-Um," she said hesitantly, jogging to keep up. "Don't you think you should fix your clothes? I heard the teachers here are really strict about etiquette…"
I looked down at myself.
Tie loose. Shirt untucked. Blazer unbuttoned.
I looked like a mess.
But I hated stiff clothes. Strangling myself with a tie or tucking my shirt in until I couldn't breathe? Pass.
I shrugged.
"Don't care."
We entered the fourth building. The automatic mana-doors slid open with a hiss.
Cool air hit us. We navigated through hallways lined with expensive paintings and polished floors, taking turn after turn.
Fortunately, I remembered the way to the main auditorium from playing the game.
Finally, we reached the great hall.
At the far end stood several sets of double doors guarded by knights. Most were standard entrances for students, leading to the back rows.
But in the center was the main door. The biggest one. The one usually reserved for VIPs and staff.
Without hesitating, I walked straight toward it.
Jayden and Milleia exchanged a look, then scrambled to follow me.