Morning in Greendale was noisy.
Carts rolled over cobblestones. Someone shouted about fresh bread. A dog barked, chickens screamed for no reason, and a bell rang somewhere near the market square.
I woke up to sunlight cutting through the crack in the shutters.
For a second, I didn't move.
A bed. A roof. No orders. No weapons hanging on the wall waiting for me. No handler outside the door.
Just a small inn room and the sound of a living town.
(…So this is what waking up without fear feels like.)
Alice: Your heartbeat is calm. You slept well.
"Yeah," I muttered. "First time in a long while."
I got dressed quickly and went downstairs. The common room was already busy. Some travelers were finishing breakfast, a few drunk idiots were snoring in the corner, and the smell of fried eggs and bread filled the air.
Garlen waved me over.
"Morning, young master Leo!" he said, putting a plate on the counter. "Lady Everleaf ordered breakfast for you as well."
"Thanks," I said.
I ate in silence, more out of habit than rudeness. People talked, laughed, argued. Nobody was yelling my name to send me on a mission. Nobody was screaming in pain.
It felt… unreal.
Halfway through my meal, the inn door opened.
Alyssia walked in, dressed in a light green tunic and dark leggings instead of her travel dress. Her hair was tied up with a simple ribbon, and she had a short wooden staff in one hand.
A real staff, not ornamental.
She spotted me and smiled.
"There you are," she said, coming closer. "I thought you might still be sleeping."
"I woke up early," I replied. "Old habit."
"Mother finished her business with Garlen and the town guard," Alyssia said. "We'll be leaving after lunch. So… do you still want to practice spells this morning?"
Alice: Opportunity for analysis confirmed.
"Yeah," I said. "Let's go."
"Captain will come with us," she added. "Just in case there are any stray monsters outside town."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Monsters that close to the walls?"
"Mostly weak ones," she said. "But still monsters."
Right. Different world.
Different rules.
We left through the main gate this time.
The guards gave Alyssia respectful nods and saluted the captain. Their eyes lingered on me again, but they didn't stop us.
Outside, the road stretched ahead, but we left it quickly, moving toward a small clearing not far from the forest where I had trained last night.
The captain walked a few steps behind us, hand resting on his sword, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"I'll keep watch," he said. "You two focus on your magic. Stay within the clearing."
"Of course, Captain," Alyssia said.
I took a look around. The clearing was wide enough for spells, with a few rocks and tree stumps to use as targets. The grass was already trampled in some spots.
"Do many people train here?" I asked.
"Sometimes adventurers or young mages," she replied. "Greendale doesn't have an official training ground, so this place becomes the unofficial one."
She walked to the center of the clearing and turned to face me, staff in hand, a bit excited.
"So," she said, "why don't we start with something simple? I'll show you my basic spells, then you can show me yours."
"Sure."
Alyssia took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they glowed faintly with green mana.
"First," she said, "a basic wind spell."
She pointed her staff at a tree stump.
"Wind Blade."
A thin crescent of compressed air shot from the tip of her staff and sliced across the stump. Bark flew. A shallow cut appeared across the wood.
Not bad.
She glanced at me, looking for my reaction.
"Clean," I said. "Good control."
Her cheeks colored slightly.
"Thank you. Now, light magic."
She raised her staff above her head.
"Light Shield."
A pale, translucent dome formed around her, shimmering like glass in the sun. After a moment, it faded.
"This one is weak for now," she said, a little embarrassed. "It can block minor spells, but not strong ones yet."
"It's still a shield," I said. "Most people don't have one at all."
She smiled a little at that.
"And finally," she said, "a very basic support spell."
She touched the tip of her staff to a small cut on her finger. A soft golden light flowed from her staff into her skin. The cut closed.
"Minor Light Heal," she explained. "It doesn't work well on serious wounds yet."
I nodded.
Wind, light shield, minor heal. A balanced set.
(My world really threw me into a good party member's path, huh.)
Alice: Her mana flow is stable and her control is above average for her age. She is likely considered a promising student candidate.
"Your turn," Alyssia said, stepping back. "What can you do?"
I thought for a second.
Blood magic was risky to show, even to her, and I didn't want the captain to get suspicious. But if I used it in a controlled way…
"Let's start with something simple," I said.
I stretched out my hand toward a nearby rock. Mana flowed into my palm, dense and responsive.
"Mana Bolt."
A small sphere of condensed mana formed above my hand and shot forward, hitting the rock with a dull thud. A shallow crater appeared on the surface.
Alyssia's eyes widened.
"That's not simple," she said. "Your mana compression is… That's more like mid-level apprentice magic."
I shrugged.
"I practiced a lot recently."
Alice: You limited output to around 12% of your current safe capacity, Leo. Good control.
"Do you have any special affinity?" Alyssia asked. "Your mana feels… heavier than normal."
"Heavier?"
She nodded slowly.
"It's like… thicker. More dense. I felt it when you saved us on the road too."
(So she is sensitive. Great.)
"I might have some kind of… unusual affinity," I said slowly. "I'm still figuring it out."
Not a lie, exactly.
I hesitated, then decided to risk a little more.
"I also have a… special technique," I said. "Please don't freak out."
Alyssia blinked.
"Okay…?"
I lifted my finger.
A tiny droplet of blood rose from the skin, swirling in the air. I pushed mana into it, shaping it into a miniature arrow – no bigger than a fingernail.
"Blood Arrow," I said quietly.
The arrow shot forward and hit a different rock with a sharp ping. It barely scratched the surface – on purpose.
Alyssia watched, not with horror, but with intense curiosity.
"That… looked controlled," she said. "Almost… gentle."
"I'm trying not to blow things up," I said.
Her lips twitched.
"You did blow something up, didn't you?"
"Last night," I admitted. "That's why you heard the tree fall."
She shook her head, half exasperated, half impressed.
"I told you I wouldn't tell anyone," she said. "I meant it. But you really need to be careful at the Academy. Blood magic is…" She searched for the right word. "Complicated."
"I know," I said. "That's why I'm training control."
We spent the next hour doing exactly that.
I limited my mana output, using weaker Mana Bolts and small Blood Arrows to hit targets without destroying them. Alyssia used Wind Blade to slice leaves and branches, practicing precision, not power.
Sometimes, our spells crossed.
She fired a Wind Blade at a thrown stone; I shot a tiny Blood Arrow at the same stone from another angle. The forces collided, knocking the rock off course. We tried again and again, adjusting timing.
It was almost… fun.
The captain watched from the side, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. I could tell he was trying to measure us without making it obvious.
Alice: His evaluation: "dangerous but disciplined" for you, "promising but gentle" for Alyssia.
(Not a bad combination.)
After a while, Alyssia lowered her staff, breathing a little harder.
"That should be enough for now," she said. "If we overdo it, Mother will scold us."
"Because of mana exhaustion?" I asked.
"Because she doesn't want us arriving at the Academy already tired," Alyssia corrected. "She's very serious about first impressions."
We walked back toward the town gate together. The captain followed at a short distance.
"So," I said, "tell me more about this exam. You said they test mana capacity, control, theory and combat."
She nodded quickly, happy to explain.
"In the first part," she said, "all candidates place their hands on a mana crystal. It measures core level and purity. That's where they see if you're at least a Basic Wizard Apprentice and not just pretending."
(If they see my core as "pure" or too strong, that might attract attention.)
Alice: I can help you regulate the flow when you touch the crystal, Leo. We will present a clean but not extraordinary reading.
"In the second part," Alyssia continued, "they test control by having you light a series of candles with a tiny spark of mana, or draw a simple rune in the air with mana threads. If you're too rough, you fail."
"I'll be fine on that," I said. "I've always had good fine control."
That was one of the reasons I had survived as a weapon.
"In the third part," she went on, "you answer basic theory questions. Mana properties, elemental cycles, magic safety, that kind of thing."
I frowned.
"I don't know anything about this world's mana theory yet."
She smiled.
"I'll lend you some books when we reach Lethrion," she said. "You have two weeks. With your talent, it will be enough."
She said it like it was obvious.
That same strange feeling moved in my chest again.
"And the combat part?" I asked.
Alyssia made a face.
"They put you in pairs in a small arena," she said. "You can use basic spells and training weapons. The goal is not to injure the opponent, just to show you know how to defend yourself and attack with control."
"So I should avoid making my opponent explode," I said dryly.
She snorted.
"Please do."
We reached the gate as she laughed softly.
The guards opened it without question this time.
By the time we got back to the inn, Lady Elenora had finished her business. The carriage was almost ready to depart.
"Perfect timing," she said when she saw us. "I trust your practice was productive?"
"Yes, Mother," Alyssia replied. "Leo has very good control."
"I noticed," Elenora said, her eyes flicking to me briefly. "We will discuss it later."
I wasn't sure if that was a promise or a threat.
Garlen came out to see us off.
"Safe travels, Lady Everleaf!" he said. "Come back anytime! And you too, young master Leo. I hope the Academy treats you well."
"Thanks," I said.
We climbed into the carriage again. This time, Elenora gestured for me to sit inside with them instead of next to the driver.
The captain rode on horseback alongside the carriage, keeping pace.
As Greendale's walls faded behind us, the road opened up, leading toward hills in the distance.
Alice: Distance to Lethrion: approximately three days by carriage at normal speed.
(Three days until the city. Two weeks until the exam. A whole new life in between.)
Inside the carriage, Alyssia took out a small book from her bag and handed it to me.
"This is a beginner's guide to mana theory," she said. "It explains the basics of cores, ranks, and affinities."
I took it.
On the cover, in neat letters, it said:
Introduction to Magic Theory – Volume I
"I borrowed it from my tutor," she said. "You can keep it until the exams are over."
"Thanks," I said.
As the carriage rocked gently and the wheels rolled over the dirt, I opened the book and began to read.
Terms like "mana density", "core stages", "elemental balance" and "magic circuits" appeared. Some concepts were familiar, others completely new.
Alice: I can help you organize this knowledge, Leo. We can integrate it with your existing instincts and skills.
(Good. If I'm going to live here, I need to speak this world's language. Not just words. Power language too.)
Elenora watched us for a moment, then closed her eyes and rested her head back, trusting the road and the captain.
Alyssia hummed softly, looking out the window at the passing trees.
For the first time in a long time, I found myself in a small space with other people, no weapons pointed at us, no orders, no chains.
Just a noblewoman, her daughter, and a former killer pretending to be a future student.
(…Maybe this really can be a normal life.)
Alice: With your current power and circumstances, Leo, "normal" will be a challenge.
(Yeah,) I thought, lips twitching. (But at least it'll be my challenge this time.)
The carriage rolled on toward Lethrion.
Toward the Academy.
Toward the start of a life I had never been allowed to dream about.