Two Months Later...

Cynthia knocked on the door rapidly, calling out, “Master Lucian, please wake up!”

Lucian opened his eyes slightly and muttered tiredly, “Ahh, five more minutes...”

Cynthia, impatiently, continued, “Everyone is already ready and waiting for you! The academy exams are in three days, so if you don’t leave now, you won’t make it to the exams!”

Lucian rubbed his eyes, yawned, and lazily replied, “Just out of curiosity, if I don’t make it to the exams, I can sleep for another year—I mean, study for another year, right?”

Cynthia, with a slightly angry but worried tone, warned, “Master Lucian!”

Lucian sighed, “Alright, alright…” He slowly got out of bed and, with Cynthia’s help, dressed. After finishing his preparations, he descended the stairs toward the mansion’s door. Outside, he found Arslan waiting, and Serenna was there as well to accompany them on the journey.

Arslan ran over to Lucian impatiently, “Do you have any idea how long we’ve been waiting for you? If we delay any longer, we’ll be late! Maybe we’re already late!” he said, his voice filled with concern.

Lucian laughed, looking at his friend. “Calm down, buddy. It’s really surprising to see you so excited about this, considering your usual demeanor,” he teased.

Serenna, with a gentle smile, interjected, “Good morning, Lucian. Did you sleep well?”

Lucian turned to Serenna with a grin. “Good morning, sister. Considering I’ve been listening to this guy snore every day for the past two months, I’d say I slept pretty well.”

Arslan, embarrassed, protested, “I-I don’t snore!”

Lucian chuckled softly, “But I still don’t understand why his room is next to mine. Now that I think about it, on the first day, his room… Wait a minute, it was next to yours!” he said, looking at Serenna.

Serenna burst into laughter. “Hahaha, you’re lucky you only realized it on the last day. Do you know how hard it was for me to sleep that night? First thing in the morning, I asked the servants to move Arslan’s room. Since father ordered us to keep an eye on him, the only place I could put him was next to your room. Sorry, brother,” she said, with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Arslan grumbled, “You guys do realize I’m still here, right!?”

Lucian shrugged, “Anyway, that torment is finally over...” Then he thought to himself,

“Yes, that torment is over, and a new one begins. So, school, huh? Having lived with Coach and boxed my whole life, I don’t remember much about school. I once tried studying because Coach wanted me to, and I nearly died of boredom. Thankfully, that’s when I discovered books, and reading became my hobby. Thanks to that, I’ve learned a lot about the world.”

The coachman, growing impatient, interrupted, “Sir, if we don’t leave now, it will be quite difficult to make it to the exams.”

Serenna nodded seriously, “Alright, we should get going now.”

Arslan and Serenna got into the carriage one after the other. Just as Lucian was about to climb in, a voice called out from behind.

Cynthia, panting, shouted, “W-Wait for meeeee!” She was running toward them, holding something in her hands, but in her hurry, she tripped over the stairs and started to fall. Seeing this, Lucian reflexively transferred a slight aura to his legs and dashed toward Cynthia.

As Cynthia was about to hit the ground, she screamed, “Aaahh!”

Just before she crashed, Lucian caught her. “Are you alright? You can take care of a guy like me, but you can’t walk on flat ground, can you?” he joked, smiling at Cynthia.

Cynthia, her face red with embarrassment and excitement from the fall, breathlessly replied, “Y-You’re not a child! I-I made this meal for your journey. I also packed some of your favorite cookies,” she said.

Lucian’s mood brightened immediately, “Cookies!? Thank you, Cynthia!” he said and hugged her.

Cynthia, surprised, mumbled as she hugged Lucian back, “Y-You’re welcome, sir.” After letting go, she added, “Please be careful,” looking at Lucian with worried eyes.

Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly and said confidently, “I will.”

At that moment, Arslan stuck his head out of the carriage window and shouted impatiently, “Quit flirting and get in already, you damn brat!”

Lucian picked up a small stone from the ground, transferred a little aura to his thumb, and launched it at Arslan’s head with perfect speed. The stone hit Arslan square on the head, causing him to fall back in pain.

Cynthia, shocked, cried out, “S-Sir!”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Lucian, laughing, said, “It’s fine. This guy swore an oath of loyalty to me, so I can do whatever I want with him,” grinning devilishly.

Cynthia, worried, thought, “I’m not sure that’s how it works...”

Lucian laughed again, “Anyway, I should get going. Take care, Cynthia. Rest assured, I’ll eat all the cookies!” he said, getting into the carriage. The carriage started moving a few seconds later.

Cynthia called out after them, “Take care, sir!” as she watched the carriage depart with her eyes.

A few hours into the journey...

Lucian looked at the sleeping Arslan and grinned mockingly, “Who would’ve thought this big guy was actually a sleepyhead?” He couldn’t help but laugh at the funny sight of Arslan in a deep slumber.

Serenna smiled softly and nodded. “Yes, luckily, he doesn’t snore while sitting,” she added.

Lucian shook his head slightly with irony, “Actually, he does snore, but I cast a fourth-circle silence spell on his mouth to muffle the sound,” he said, as if he had accomplished something serious.

Serenna laughed in surprise, "A level 4 spell to stop snoring... That must be the strongest snore I’ve ever heard," she said.

Lucian, with a faint expression of trauma on his face, continued: "That was the strongest spell I could manage, but sometimes I still feel like I can hear the snoring..." His face suggested that he hadn’t mentally recovered from the ordeal.

Serenna couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at Lucian’s state.

Lucian, becoming a bit more serious, said, "I’m sorry you had to come with us; traveling all the way there and then back will be quite tiring. Still, I’m happy you’re here with us. Thank you," he said, casting a grateful look at Serenna.

Serenna smiled kindly. "Was I supposed to leave my little brother alone in his final days before entering the academy? Besides, Rutherford Academy is practically at the heart of the Igrapth Kingdom, so I’m thinking of touring around a bit after I drop you off," she said.

Lucian seemed to like this idea. "Yes, that sounds like a good plan," he agreed.

Serenna asked curiously, "Are you excited about the exam?"

Lucian sighed slightly, "I’m a little nervous. There are two parts to the exam, a written and a physical one, right?" he asked.

Serenna, with a confident expression, said, "Yes, but there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure you’re stronger than most of the people there."

Lucian, looking surprised, said, "Hm? That’s not what I’m worried about. I was thinking about what kind of questions will be on the written exam," he explained.

Serenna smiled and shook her head in amusement at his answer. "So you’re not worried about the physical exam but the written one? I can’t decide whether I should be worried or relieved..." she said, with a slight grin.

Time passed slowly, and it was now midnight. Lucian had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion.

The coachman turned to Serenna and said, "There’s a clearing a bit further ahead; it would be good to camp here for the night."

Serenna nodded in agreement. "Alright."

After moving a bit further, the coach slowed down and stopped at a suitable clearing. As the horses came to a halt, Lucian groggily opened his eyes.

Yawning, Lucian asked, "Are we there yet?.." He seemed barely awake.

Serenna looked at him and chuckled with a smile.

Lucian, looking at her through sleepy eyes, asked, "Hm? Why are you laughing? And why is it so warm here?" By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. Lucian and Arslan had fallen asleep and ended up cuddling together.

Lucian quickly pulled away from Arslan and, placing his hands on his knees, dramatically bowed his head. In a tragic tone, he said, "No woman will ever marry me now. Please, sister, kill me with your sword. I can’t go on living with these images in my head!"

Serenna laughed heartily. "Hahaha, sorry, but you’ll have to live with those images. Besides, since you’ve had your rest, you can help with the preparations. We’re camping here tonight," she said, amused by Lucian’s dramatic reaction.

Lucian, scratching his head in confusion, asked, "Camping? I thought we were running late."

Serenna smiled and said, "The horses need rest, and it would be good for the coachman to sleep as well. We’ll get some rest too."

Still in disbelief, Lucian looked at Arslan and asked, "But how is this guy still asleep despite all this noise?"

Serenna winked at him, "Never mind him; help us set up the tents," she said.

Determined, Lucian replied, "I’ll make sure to set up my tent far away from this guy." The serious look on his face showed that he truly intended to do so.

As Lucian continued securing the tent pole, he spoke without looking at Serenna. The night was quiet, with only the soft rustling of leaves as the wind passed through the trees. The dark forest surrounded the campsite, and the moonlight shone faintly, illuminating patches here and there. However, this peace stirred a sense of unease in Lucian.

"Did you notice it too?" he asked in a low voice, still staring at the ground.

Serenna, carefully surveying her surroundings, replied, "Yes, they’ve been following us for a few hours now." Her voice was calm but cautious, never losing her focus on their surroundings.

Lucian knew there was a threat hidden among the shadows. "What should we do? If we attack directly, we could end up at a disadvantage," he said, burdened by the need to form a plan.

At that moment, Arslan, yawning, got off the coach. Half-asleep, he walked toward Lucian. Even in the cold night air, he appeared relaxed, though there was a sense that he was aware of the danger.

As Arslan approached Lucian, he said just one word: "Lucian."

Without turning to face him, Lucian, as if understanding exactly what Arslan meant, replied calmly, "Yes, we’re aware." There was a gleam in his eyes, ready to act at any moment.

After scanning the area once more, Serenna suggested, "For now, let’s continue setting up the tents. We don’t know their intentions yet." Her voice was careful but controlled, deciding to observe before escalating to conflict.

Lucian and Arslan nodded in agreement with her plan. Silently and with discipline, they continued setting up the tents. The campsite was hidden deep within the forest, concealed beneath the shadows of tall trees. Moonlight filtered through the thin branches, faintly touching the ground. The rustling of leaves in the gentle wind only heightened the sense of an unseen threat lurking in the night.

Once all the tents were set up, everyone quietly retreated to their tents. But this night, none of them would truly sleep comfortably. Lucian remained on edge, struggling to sleep, knowing someone was watching them from outside. Hours passed, and the night was filled with the sounds of birds and small creatures. The moon hung high, a bright silver disk illuminating the sky.

...

Not far away, figures moved silently in the darkness. A group of men circled the camp with careful steps. Hidden within the shadows, they watched every detail of the campsite. One of them held his breath and turned to his leader.

"Sir, I sense no movement. They must all be asleep," he said in a low voice, confident in the camp’s stillness. "Now is the perfect time to strike."

The leader, his face cold under the moonlight, nodded his head and gave the command: "Alright, let’s cleanse this heretic."

His words echoed like a ripple through the quiet forest. Under the moon’s light, the shadows prepared to make their move once again. As the night deepened, the campsite was about to turn into a stage full of threats.