With the bandits dealt with and the track hastily repaired, the train lurched back into motion, now flanked by a squadron of imperial knights on powerful warhorses. The mood inside the carriage was a mixture of relief and shell-shocked silence.
Ivan sat wincing as a bandage was tightened around his ribs by a nervous passenger who claimed to have some field-medic knowledge. Alicia sat stiffly beside him, her gaze fixed out the window, refusing to acknowledge the concerned looks from the other passengers.
Kaelen and Eli approached, their clothes stained with soot and blood. Kaelen clapped a hand on Ivan's good shoulder, a grim respect in his eyes.
"That was a stupid thing you did, kid. Jumping in front of a Silver-rank like that."
Ivan managed a weak smile. "It was the only thing I could think of."
"Stupid," Kaelen repeated, but a corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"But brave. Reminds me that running isn't the only option."
He looked at Eli, a new resolve hardening his features. However, the unspoken truth hung between them: their path was still one of shadows, while Ivan's was heading into the light.
***
After a few hours, the landscape began to change. Isolated farms gave way to sprawling suburbs, and then the immense, alabaster walls of the capital, Alethea, rose in the distance, their peaks seeming to scratch the sky. The train steamed into a station that was a marvel of engineering and magic, with arches of gleaming stone and crystal lights that glowed without flame.
Stepping onto the platform was like stepping into another world. The air hummed with energy, thick with the smells of exotic foods, smithing fires, and ozone from magical artifacts. Ivan stood frozen, his head on a swivel. A dwarf with a braided beard louder than his voice hawked
"Genuine Black Mountain blades! Can split a demon's hide!"
An elegant elf in silks sold vials of glowing potions from a cart, while a cat-like beastman effortlessly carried crates that would take three men to lift.
"By the Four…" Ivan whispered, his joy and satisfaction so immense he felt he could burst.
Alicia stepped down after him, her two bodyguards—now also bandaged—falling in behind her. She smoothed her dress, the picture of restored nobility. She glanced at Ivan, who was still gawking like a country mouse.
"What's the matter? Is no one here to pick you up?"
she asked, a hint of her old smugness returning.
Ivan turned to her, completely unabashed. "Nope! I don't know a single person in the whole capital!"
he said with a bright, naive laugh.
Alicia facepalmed so hard it echoed.
"The audacity! This is Alethea, you dolt! The heart of the empire! If you wander around with that attitude, you'll be swindled, robbed, and sold to a slave auction by sundown!"
She let out a long-suffering sigh, as if burdened by the sheer weight of his foolishness. "Fine. Until the academy's entrance ceremonies begin, you can stay at my family's city mansion. It's only for a week. I'll speak to Father."
Her bodyguards stiffened visibly.
"My lady, the Marquess… a common guest…" one of them whispered urgently.
"I said I'll handle it," Alicia cut him off, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Just then, Ivan spotted Kaelen and Eli melting into the crowd, heading for the city's less reputable districts. He rushed over.
"Wait! Are you leaving?"
Kaelen turned, offering a rare, genuine smile.
"Our path lies elsewhere, kid. But I've got a feeling we'll cross paths again. Take care of yourself. And keep that stubbornness."
With a final nod, the two men disappeared into the river of people.
As Ivan watched them go, Commander Celina approached, her armor spotless despite the recent fight. She addressed Alicia with a formal incline of her head. "Lady Alicia. The Luthor name is respected. I trust you will uphold its honor at the academy."
Alicia dipped into a perfect, practiced curtsy.
"Commander Celina. I am indebted to your swift action. Please extend my gratitude to Duke Edgar for his protection."
But Ivan, upon hearing the name, couldn't contain himself. He spun around, his injuries forgotten.
"What?! You're Duke Edgar's knight? The *same* Duke Edgar from the Legends of the Four Adventurers?!"
he beamed, his voice full of unrestrained awe.
Alicia hissed, mortified, and swatted his arm.
"You absolute fool! Show some respect! Watch your mouth in front of the Commander!"
Celina, however, didn't seem offended. She raised an eyebrow, her stoic expression with faint amusement. Her eyes studied Ivan—his simple clothes, the way he nervously gripped his worn satchel, but most of all, the bright, unjaded curiosity in his eyes and the faint, residual flicker of untamed mana around him.
"Curiosity is not a crime," she said
her voice quieter now, meant for him alone. "But in this city, potential without control is a danger. To yourself and others. Remember the feeling of your barrier shattering. Remember the gap. That memory will either fuel your training or break your spirit. The choice will be yours."
With that final, weighty advice, she turned and mounted her horse, leading her knights away towards the ducal estate.
Ivan smile keeping Celina words in mind hoping one day he'll have a chance to meet Duke edger.
**Arrival at the Luthor Mansion**
The Luthor "city mansion" was less a house and more a fortress of polished white marble and gold leaf. It occupied an entire city block, its gates manned by guards in armor bearing the hawk crest. As they entered the grounds, Ivan's jaw dropped. He was walking into a legend.
"I… I think I stepped into another world," he whispered, staring at a fountain where a marble dragon spewed crystal-clear water.
Alicia smirked, flipping her hair.
"Try not to embarrass yourself, commoner. And try not to touch anything."
Inside, the opulence was overwhelming. A line of servants in immaculate uniforms bowed in perfect unison as Alicia passed. Their eyes, however, immediately snapped to Ivan. Their expressions shifted from deference to poorly concealed shock and disdain.
The head maid, a severe woman with a spine as straight as a ruler, whispered to the butler,
"…Who let this… villager in? Did he sneak past the guards?"
The butler grimaced.
"The Marquess will have words if he sees this…"
Alicia heard them and snapped, her voice cutting through the hall.
"Enough! This is Ivan. He is my guest until the academy opens. You will treat him with the same respect you afford me. Is that understood?"
The servants stiffened and bowed again, this time with reluctant murmurs of "Yes, my lady."
Ivan, trying to be friendly, gave an awkward wave.
"H-Hi there! Thanks for having me!"
The head maid's face remained a mask of polite horror. As she led Ivan to a guest room larger than his entire home back in the village, she thought,
*'This boy… heavens have mercy on us all.'*
The door closed behind him, and Ivan was alone. The room was silent, save for the faint sound of a fountain in the courtyard below. He walked to the bed, its mattress softer than any cloud he could imagine. He pressed his hands into the silken covers, and the events of the day—the fear, the pain, the awe—finally overwhelmed him.
Tears welled in his eyes, not of sadness, but of sheer, unbelievable joy.
"Mother…" he whispered to the empty, gilded room. "You won't believe this. I'm sleeping on clouds tonight."
*********