Lucas checked the time on the little clock next to his bed. It was almost dinner time, which was perfect for sneaking out without anyone noticing.
The academy's security was pretty relaxed during dinner when most kids were in the cafeteria.
He dug through his closet and finally found a dark cloak that had belonged to his predecessor. It was just plain black wool with a big hood. It was perfect for hiding his face during his shopping trip.
Lucas waited until he heard the dinner bell ring across the academy, then he snuck out of his room.
The hallways were mostly empty since students were heading to eat. He made his way to a side door he'd spotted during his earlier wandering around the grounds.
The academy gates had guards, but Lucas knew from the game that there were several spots where the stone wall had gaps or low parts that let determined students sneak out for unauthorized trips to town.
He found one behind the greenhouse. It was a section where the wall had partially fallen down and been quickly patched up with loose stones.
In the game, the protagonist would eventually find out this happened because Ms. Oscol was trying to genetically modify a plant and instead created some mutant that went crazy for a bit before she took it down.
Lucas hopped on the wall and started climbing. Getting over the wall was easier than he thought, though his crappy physical stats made him breathe hard from barely doing anything.
Once over, he pulled up his hood and headed toward the lights of the nearby city.
The city of Lerastad was huge beyond the academy grounds, a busy trade center with cobblestone streets lined with shops, bars, and merchant stalls. Even in the evening, the main roads were still crowded with people moving around.
Lucas tried to stick to the shadows and avoided the brighter areas where someone might recognize him. Right now, he needed to find the right kind of places.
Places that wouldn't ask questions and would sell him practical and cheap stuff instead of fancy items since he needed them to last.
His first stop was a weapons shop tucked away on one of the smaller side streets. The sign above the door read "Wilhelm's Steel" in faded paint. Through the dirty windows, he could see racks of swords, daggers, and other fighting gear.
The owner was a gruff bald guy with scarred hands who barely looked up when Lucas walked in.
"Looking for anything specific?" the man asked in a rough voice.
"Something practical. Not too expensive," Lucas replied.
The shopkeeper pointed toward a section of cheaper weapons. "I've got some decent steel there. It isn't anything fancy, but it'll stay sharp."
Lucas picked out a simple curved dagger with a black leather-wrapped handle and a matching sheath. It was light and easy to hide.
He also grabbed a set of throwing knives, knowing they'd be useful for both attack and distraction.
"Thirty silver for the whole thing," the shopkeeper said.
Lucas cried internally. That was almost half of his predecessor's saved allowance money, but he needed proper gear if he wanted to survive the Legion so he paid without arguing.
His next stop was a general store that specialized in travel supplies.
Here he found a leather vest that could work as light armor under clothes, a pair of sturdy black gloves, and a face mask made for cold weather that would hide his features really well.
The armor wasn't much, but it was better than nothing and wouldn't be too bulky under his regular clothes. The mask was pretty smart since it covered everything from the nose down while looking like a normal cold-weather thing.
As he was leaving, he noticed something else that made him smile so he picked it up.
"You like romance books?" The store owner asked.
"No, it's for a friend." Lucas said.
"Must be a good friend if you're going out of your way to buy that for them."
Lucas didn't say anything and just smiled bought the book and left the store.
----
The hardest part of his shopping trip was actually finding the fruits he needed for the Dragon Core.
Rainberries were pretty common, sold in most herb shops for their supposed healing properties. He found a good supply at an apothecary's shop, buying enough for several weeks.
Leklass fruit, however, was way rarer. These small, hard fruits only grew on trees that soaked up tons of ambient mana, making them valuable alchemy ingredients.
Lucas had to visit three different shops before finding someone who even knew what he was talking about.
"Leklass fruit? That's specialty stuff, kid," the old merchant said, eyeing Lucas suspiciously. "What's a young guy like you need with such expensive ingredients?"
"My master needs them for an alchemy project," Lucas lied. "He's really picky about quality."
The merchant shrugged and pulled out a small cloth bag with maybe a dozen of the dark, rock-hard fruits. "Fifty silver pieces. Take it or leave it."
Lucas was shocked. Fifty silver pieces was almost as much money as his predecessor had ever had at once. Even his dad, who was a noble, didn't carry around that much cash casually.
But unfortunately for Lucas, without the fruits, the Dragon Core would be impossible, and without the boosted power it would give him, he'd never survive the coming war.
"I... I don't have that much on me tonight," Lucas said. "Could you hold them for a few days? I can get the money."
"I ain't running a charity here, kid. But..." The merchant stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Tell you what. I've got a large load of shipments coming in this week and I as an old man can't be expected to lift all those boxes by myself. So if you agree to bring me twenty silver and help me with some heavy lifting around the shop for a week, they're yours."
It wasn't great, but it was better than nothing. "Deal," Lucas said. "I'll be back tomorrow night."
With his immediate shopping mostly done, Lucas made his way back toward the academy.
The return trip was nerve-wracking because his cloak pockets bulged with his stuff, and he had to be super careful not to let any weapons clank together.
Eventually, he reached the academy wall without much trouble.
Climbing the wall back into the academy was even harder than leaving had been.
His arms shook with exhaustion by the time he reached the top, and he almost dropped his bag of Rainberries on the way down.
Back in his room, Lucas carefully set up his new gear. The dagger went under his mattress, easy to reach but hidden from anyone just looking around.
The throwing knives fit perfectly in a modified pocket he cut into the lining of his cloak. The leather vest and mask went into the back of his closet, behind his regular clothes.
The Rainberries needed more careful handling. According to his game knowledge, they had to be prepared fresh each morning and eaten on an empty stomach for best results.
He set aside enough for the next day and stored the rest in his desk drawer.
Without the Leklass fruit, he couldn't start the full thing, but the Rainberries alone would give him some strengthening benefits.
Every little bit would help him survive the coming war.