### Chapter 4 — It's Time
Time flew by like a leaf falling to the ground—slow enough to be savored, yet fast enough to reach its end before you noticed. Months passed as if they were nothing. The Magic Academy entrance exam was only a month away now.
Rayleigh told me that reaching the academy was no joke. From here on, the forest would grow denser, the monsters fewer but far stronger and more fearsome.
"If you ever encounter something bigger," he had said, "you run. The route isn't a straight road—it's filled with the most dangerous lands. Forests where even a single leaf can kill you, mountains cold enough to freeze your blood before you can feel it, and lakes full of river beasts that can fly. Every step is a deathtrap."
I was training with my sword in the front yard that afternoon. The blue sky shimmered overhead, the sunlight warm but gentle. Rayleigh sat lazily in a chair, basking in the sun.
"Why don't you come with me to the academy?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I can't leave this place. You have to go alone. If you avoid every possible thing that can kill you and move fast, you'll reach the city in about twenty days."
"Twenty days? And how long would it take *you* to reach the city?"
"Five days," he said with a smirk.
"So you think I can't do that?"
Rayleigh laughed like it was some kind of joke. "Tell you what—let's have a friendly duel. If you lose, you leave *now*, so you'll have five extra days to spare. But if you win, you can leave whenever you want."
"That doesn't sound too bad," I said, taking my stance.
We stepped onto the field. I held a wooden practice sword—it was good enough for training, but meaningless against his strength. Rayleigh stood carelessly, hands relaxed. He looked so carefree it annoyed me. Was he really taking me that lightly?
I bolted forward, moving as fast as I could. My sword aimed straight for his chest—but with a single, effortless motion of his hand, he shattered my blade and sent me flying. It happened so fast I didn't even see it. My back slammed into a tree, and I dropped to the ground, gasping.
"Stand up," Rayleigh said calmly. "Use your strongest attack—if you don't want to die."
He was different now. His relaxed demeanor was gone, replaced by something cold and sharp. His eyes were fierce, his stance flawless. The pressure coming off him made it feel like death itself stood before me.
He raised a barrier—thin as paper.
He thinks that's enough to stop me?
I gathered every bit of wind around what remained of my broken sword. The air spun with such force that it burst into flames. I shaped it into a spear-like form, channeling every ounce of energy into the point. This attack would pierce anything—at least, that's what I believed.
I dashed toward him, faster and faster. Rayleigh didn't move. He stood like a tree rooted in calm defiance. The moment my blade struck the barrier, time froze. My sword stopped cold.
Then, a heartbeat later, it pushed through—a hole tore open, unleashing a violent blast of wind. The force threw Rayleigh backward, crashing him through the wall of the house.
A voice cried out from the woods—a girl's voice. She ran into the clearing, her silver hair glinting in the light, her beauty like the reflection of the moon on still water. She knelt beside Rayleigh, worried eyes fixed on him.
"Father! Are you okay?" she shouted, then turned toward me, anger blazing. "Why did you attack my father?!"
*Wait… father?*
Rayleigh had a daughter? I'd thought he was an old hermit living alone. No way—this beauty couldn't share *his* genes. She must have taken after her mother.
Her angry glare was almost adorable, though. I just stood there, dumbfounded, as she continued to scold me.
Rayleigh raised a hand, still laughing weakly. "It's fine, Iris. This was just a friendly duel."
"Friendly?!" Iris snapped. "There was nothing friendly about that! You could've dodged it easily!"
"I was… distracted," Rayleigh said with a grin. "There was a bee trying to sting me."
"...You're calling *me* a bee?" I muttered.
Iris crossed her arms. "I hate him. Why did you even train someone like him, Father?"
Rayleigh chuckled. "He's a good lad. Grumpy and lazy at times, can't read a situation worth a damn—but he's got heart."
Iris sighed. "I don't know about that…"
Rayleigh turned back to me. "So, Lucky, what will you do now—after you beat me?"
I looked toward the forest. "I'll leave for the Magic Academy and the great city of Indeshwer."
"You don't have to rush out now," he said.
"I can't come between you and your daughter," I replied with a faint smile.
Without another word, I stepped into the shadows of the forest and disappeared.
Iris watched the trees where I vanished. "He's really going to take the Magic Academy exam, isn't he?"
Rayleigh nodded. "Yes."
"You gave him the *map* through the forest route? Are you crazy?! He'll die for sure!"
Rayleigh just laughed—deep, carefree, and proud.
"Ha ha ha ha ha "