The final three days passed in a blur of preparation and quiet adjustment.
I spent most of the time alone in my room or in secluded corners of the estate grounds, experimenting with the ice element that had awakened after feeding the Razorback's core to the saber. The ability felt strange, foreign, like discovering I had an extra limb that I'd never learned to use properly.
On the first day, I managed to freeze small amounts of water consistently. I held my hand over a basin and watched ice crystals spread across the surface in patterns that looked almost beautiful. The mana cost was minimal, maybe one or two points per attempt, making it easy to practice repeatedly.
By the second day, I could create crude ice constructs. Nothing complex or refined, just rough spheres or jagged shards that lasted maybe ten seconds before losing cohesion and shattering. But it was progress. Each attempt taught me something about controlling the element, about shaping the cold into forms that could potentially be useful.
The third day brought better control. I managed to coat the Einsworth Family Saber's blade in a thin layer of ice that held for nearly a minute before melting. Experimented with lowering the temperature around my body, creating a zone of cold air that extended perhaps three feet in every direction. Nothing combat-ready yet, but foundations I could build on given time.
The training was interrupted only by servants bringing meals I barely tasted and by the occasional appearance of Jack, who watched my ice manipulation experiments with his usual unreadable expression but offered no comment. Whatever he thought about me developing elemental abilities, he kept to himself.
On the evening of the third day, a group of maids arrived at my room carrying formal clothing I'd never seen before. The garments were clearly expensive, cut from dark blue fabric that seemed to shift between shades depending on how light hit it. Silver thread formed subtle patterns along the sleeves and collar, the Einsworth family crest worked into the design with such skill that it appeared almost part of the fabric itself rather than embroidered onto it.
"Young Expert," the head maid said, setting the clothing carefully on my bed. "These are for your journey tomorrow. The Duke ordered them prepared specifically for your departure to the Continental Academy."
She gestured to additional items being arranged by the other maids. Multiple sets of training clothes, formal wear for academy functions, traveling attire designed for comfort during long journeys. Everything I might need, prepared without me having to request anything.
"Thank you," I said, the words feeling inadequate for the care that had gone into the preparations.
The maids bowed and left without further conversation, closing the door softly behind them.
I looked at the formal clothing laid out on my bed, running my fingers over fabric that felt impossibly smooth. This was real. In less than twelve hours, I'd be leaving the estate for the Continental Academy, entering a world where nobles from all five kingdoms gathered to compete and prove themselves.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. Heavy, authoritative, but somehow different from Jack's characteristic thunder.
"Enter," I called.
The door opened to reveal a servant I recognized as one of Duke Eamon's personal attendants.
"Young Expert Kaine," he said with a formal bow. "The Duke requests your presence in his private study immediately."
My stomach tightened. Duke Eamon's private study, not his public office. A personal summons on the eve of my departure.
"I'll come now," I replied, standing and following the servant through the manor's corridors.
The walk felt longer than it should have, each step carrying me toward a conversation whose purpose I couldn't predict. We climbed to the third floor, moved down the east wing's quiet hallway, and stopped before the reinforced doors I'd stood before a month ago when reporting Abel's disappearance.
The servant knocked once, then opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
Duke Eamon's private study looked exactly as it had during my last visit. Sparse decoration, weapons from past campaigns mounted on walls, a single large desk made of dark wood. The Duke himself stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind him, staring out the window at the training grounds below where I'd spent weeks being broken down and rebuilt.
"You may leave us," Duke Eamon said to the servant without turning.
The door closed with a soft click, and we were alone.
"Sit," the Duke commanded, still not turning from the window.
I took the chair positioned before his desk, settling into it while keeping my posture straight and attentive.
Duke Eamon remained at the window for another long moment before finally turning to face me. His golden eyes studied me with that same penetrating intensity, seeing everything, revealing nothing.
"Tomorrow you depart for the Continental Academy," he said, walking to his desk and opening a drawer. "There are things you need before you go."
He pulled out a sealed envelope made of heavy parchment, the Einsworth family crest pressed into dark blue wax. Held it for a moment as though weighing something, then set it on the desk between us.
"This is a formal letter of recommendation bearing my personal seal. It confirms your identity as my son and heir, validates your right to attend the academy, and certifies that you've completed the basic training requirements expected of Einsworth warriors. More importantly, it makes you eligible to take the entrance examination."
I looked at the sealed envelope, not quite reaching for it yet.
"The Continental Academy admits students through two paths," Duke Eamon continued. "The first is automatic admission for recognized hero candidates and children of royal blood. The second is through competitive examination for everyone else, including noble heirs like yourself. The examination tests combat capability, tactical thinking, and basic competency in various disciplines."
He pushed the envelope toward me.
"Your brother would have entered through the first path as a hero candidate. You will enter through the second. This recommendation letter allows you to register for the examination. What happens after that depends entirely on your performance."
I took the envelope and tucked it carefully into my coat's inner pocket, feeling the weight of what it represented.
Duke Eamon reached into the drawer again and pulled out a small box made of dark wood. Opened it to reveal a ring sitting on black velvet. The band was silver, simple and unadorned except for a small blue gem set into its surface that seemed to glow with inner light.
"This is a spatial storage ring," he said, removing it from the box. "A very rare and expensive item. Most spatial storage devices are bags or pouches with limited capacity. This ring has space equivalent to a small room, approximately ten feet by ten feet by ten feet. More than sufficient for everything you might need to carry."
He held the ring out to me.
"Channel a small amount of mana into the gem. This will bind it to you permanently. Once bound, only you can access its contents. Even if someone cuts the ring from your finger, they won't be able to open it without knowing how to break the binding, which requires specialized knowledge and significant power."
I took the ring and slipped it onto my right index finger. The fit was perfect, as though it had been sized specifically for me. Gathered a small thread of mana and pushed it into the blue gem.
The gem flared with light for a brief moment, then settled into a steady soft glow that only I seemed to be able to see. Through the connection, I could sense the space inside the ring, empty and waiting to be filled.
"The ring is now bound to you and you alone," Duke Eamon confirmed. "To store items, touch them while focusing on the ring and willing them inside. To retrieve items, simply focus on what you want and will it back out. The process becomes instinctive with practice."
He returned to the drawer one final time and pulled out a leather pouch that clinked with the unmistakable sound of coins. Set it on the desk with enough weight that I knew it contained significant funds.
"Two hundred gold coins," he said flatly. "Enough for your upkeep, equipment purchases, and incidental expenses for the entire three-year academy program if managed responsibly. You can store the pouch in your ring for safekeeping."
I stared at the pouch, then at the ring, then back at Duke Eamon. Two hundred gold was a fortune. More money than most people saw in their entire lives. Enough to buy houses, quality weapons, years of comfortable living.
"I don't know what to say," I managed, the words feeling completely inadequate.
"Say nothing," Duke Eamon replied, but his tone had shifted. The usual hard edge had softened fractionally, becoming something almost approaching warmth. "You're my son. You're going to represent our family at the most important institution in the five kingdoms. These things are necessary and appropriate."
He walked around the desk and stood directly in front of me, close enough that I had to look up to meet his eyes.
"I expect you to make this family proud, Kaine. Not because you're obligated to, but because you've demonstrated that you're capable of it. You've transformed yourself from a disappointment into a warrior in one month. You've earned the right to carry our name. Now prove that you can carry it with honor in a place where every other student will be trying to do the same."
His hand came up and rested on my shoulder. The gesture was brief, lasting only a moment before he withdrew, but it was the first time in my memory that Duke Eamon had initiated any kind of physical contact.
"The Griffin-drawn carriage will arrive shortly after dawn tomorrow," he said, stepping back and returning to his usual composed distance. "Be ready to depart immediately. The journey to the academy takes approximately six hours by Griffin flight. You'll arrive in time for the entrance examination registration, which closes at sunset."
He moved back to the window, hands clasping behind his back once more, signaling that the conversation was ending.
"Thank you, Father," I said, standing and preparing to leave. "For everything."
"Don't thank me," Duke Eamon replied without turning. "Thank yourself for seizing the opportunity when it was presented. Now go. Rest well tonight. Tomorrow begins your real test."
I bowed even though he wasn't looking, then left the study with the sealed letter, the bound ring, and the pouch of gold coins that clinked softly with each step.
The walk back to my room felt different than the walk there had. Lighter somehow, despite carrying more than I'd arrived with. Duke Eamon's words echoed in my mind, particularly the shift in his tone during that final exchange.
Make the family proud.
Not a command delivered with his usual authoritarian flatness. Something closer to a request, or even hope.
I was halfway to my room when I encountered Jack in one of the manor's corridors. He was clearly waiting for me, leaning against the wall with arms crossed and an expression that mixed satisfaction with something more serious.
"Young Expert," he said, pushing off the wall and falling into step beside me. "I heard the Duke summoned you. I assume the conversation went well?"
"He gave me everything I need for the academy," I replied, touching the inner pocket where the recommendation letter rested. "And more than I expected."
"Good. He should. You've earned it." Jack's expression became more intense. "But I wanted to speak with you privately before you depart tomorrow. Some final words that need saying."
We reached my room and I gestured for him to enter. He did, closing the door behind us and turning to face me with an expression I'd rarely seen from him. Pride mixed with concern, satisfaction tempered by worry.
"The Continental Academy isn't like training here," Jack began without preamble. "Here, you had controlled conditions, measured progression, an instructor who wanted you to succeed. There, you'll be surrounded by competitors who want you to fail. Students from every major noble family, each one trying to prove they're superior to everyone else. Political alliances, family grudges, kingdom rivalries. All of it concentrated into one institution."
He paced to my window and looked out at the darkening estate grounds.
"You'll face students who've been training since childhood with the best instructors their families could afford. Some will have rare talents or blessed bloodlines. Others will have equipment and resources that make what you carry look common. And many of them will know about your reputation. The disappointing Einsworth heir who spent years in self-destruction before suddenly showing promise."
Jack turned back to face me directly.
"They're going to test you. Challenge you. Try to put you in your place based on their assumptions about who you are. Some will do it openly through sanctioned duels or training exercises. Others will be more subtle, using politics or social pressure. Either way, they'll come."
His expression shifted into something that was almost a smile, carrying edge and anticipation.
"When they do, I want you to remember something. You're not the same as them. They were given their power through birth, through talent, through blessings they didn't earn. You built yours through blood and pain and endless repetition. That makes you fundamentally different. Fundamentally dangerous."
He moved closer, voice dropping but intensity increasing.
"So when they challenge you, when they assume you're weak because of your rank or your past, I want you to show them exactly what that month of training produced. Show them what someone who's earned every scrap of power through effort can do. Kick their asses, Young Expert. All of them. Even the senior students who think their extra years of experience make them untouchable."
Jack's smile widened into something almost predatory.
"Make them remember the name Einsworth. Not because of your father's reputation or your family's history, but because you personally made it impossible for them to forget. Understood?"
"Understood," I replied, feeling something fierce wake up in my chest at his words.
"Good." Jack extended his hand, offering it in the warrior's clasp that I'd seen between equals but never participated in. "You've been an exceptional student, Young Expert Kaine. Better than I dared hope when we began. I'm proud of what you've become, and I'm excited to hear stories about what you'll accomplish at the academy."
I gripped his forearm in the proper manner, feeling the strength in his grasp and the weight of respect behind the gesture.
"Thank you, Jack. For everything you've taught me. I won't waste it."
"I know you won't," he replied, then released my arm and moved toward the door. Paused with his hand on the handle and looked back one final time. "One more thing. Trust your instincts. They've kept you alive through situations that should have killed you. If something feels wrong at the academy, it probably is. Stay alert, stay adaptable, and never forget that survival is more important than pride."
Then he was gone, closing the door softly behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and preparations for tomorrow.
I spent the next hour storing items in my new spatial ring, getting used to the sensation of willing things in and out of the dimensional space. The pouch of gold coins. Extra clothing. Training equipment. The process became more intuitive with each attempt, exactly as Duke Eamon had promised.
As evening deepened toward night, I realized I should check my current status. See exactly what I was bringing to the Continental Academy after a month of transformation.
I pulled up the translucent blue screen with a thought, mentally commanding it to show my complete information.
[Status]
[Name: Kaine Einsworth]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Titles: Cursed and Unfortunate | Blade Born | Saber Garden's Chosen | Rank Breaker]
[Rank: Novice (Low-tier)]
[Attributes:]
[Strength: 31]
[Agility: 35]
[Endurance: 24]
[Intelligence: 22]
[Wisdom: 19]
[Mana: 65/65]
[Mana Regeneration: 2.5 points per hour]
[Luck: -5]
[Talent: Chaos Element (Mythical) - 1/9 Basic Elements Awakened (Ice)]
[Physique: Primordial Chaos Physique (Mythical)]
[Skills:]
[Combat Skills:]
[- Saber Arts (Basic) - Level 2: Fundamental saber techniques and forms]
[- First Light (Basic) - 19%: Flash God Technique First Art - Quick-draw attack, 15% reduced cost]
[- Phantom Step (Basic) - 11%: Flash God Technique Second Art - Rapid repositioning, 15% reduced cost]
[- Heaven Splitter (Basic) - 14%: Flash God Technique Third Art - Devastating thrust, 15% reduced cost]
[- Iron Body Method (Basic) - 1%: Einsworth unarmed combat style]
[- Savage Slash (Basic): Mana-enhanced cutting attack, 5 mana cost]
[- Devastating Charge (Active): Charging attack with knockback, 12 mana, 3-minute cooldown]
[Elemental Skills:]
[- Ice Manipulation (Basic) - 3%: Create and control ice constructs, variable cost]
[Passive Skills:]
[- Mana Circulation (Intermediate) - Level 1: Enhanced mana flow and efficiency]
[- Blade Sense (Basic) - 12%: Detect and assess bladed weapons within range]
[- Poison Resistance (Basic): 15% reduction in poison damage and duration]
[- Alpha's Dominance (Passive): Increased intimidation against beast-type enemies]
[- Ironhide Defense (Passive): 15% physical damage reduction, 10% piercing/cutting resistance]
[Active Skills:]
[- Crimson Fury (Active): 30% damage boost for 30 seconds, 10 mana, 5-minute cooldown]
[Equipment:]
[- Einsworth Family Saber (Legendary, Soul-Bound): Awakening Progress 0.81%]
[Special Effects: Flash God Technique costs reduced by 15%, Soul-Weapon Resonance with Chaos Physique]
[- Spatial Storage Ring (Rare): Bound to Kaine Einsworth]
I read through the entire status slowly, analyzing what a month had produced. My attributes had nearly tripled across the board from where I'd started. My skill list had grown from essentially nothing to a collection of combat techniques and abilities that would surprise anyone who judged me based purely on rank.
The Chaos Element talent showed progress, one ninth awakened, with ice as my first element. The Primordial Chaos Physique remained mysterious but had clearly contributed to my rapid recovery and adaptation during training.
My titles were a mixed collection. Cursed and Unfortunate remained as a permanent reminder of Abel's murder and the taboo I'd committed. But Blade Born, Saber Garden's Chosen, and Rank Breaker spoke to achievements earned through survival and combat.
This was what I was bringing to the Continental Academy. A Novice rank warrior with capabilities that extended well beyond what that rank suggested. Someone who could execute Expert-level techniques at basic proficiency. Someone who'd killed beasts of higher rank through tactical adaptation.
Someone the other students would completely underestimate based on reputation and apparent rank.
I dismissed the status screen and looked around my room one final time. Everything was packed. Everything was ready. All that remained was to sleep and wake for departure.
I lay down on my bed fully clothed, too restless to properly undress. Stared at the ceiling while my mind raced through scenarios and possibilities. What would the entrance examination entail? Who would I meet? What challenges awaited?
Eventually, exhaustion claimed me despite the anxiety, and I slipped into sleep filled with dreams of griffin flight and distant academies.
‐‐‐
I woke to pale pre-dawn light filtering through my window and the distant sound of something large landing in the courtyard below.
The Griffin had arrived.
I was up immediately, splashing water on my face and running fingers through my hair to make it presentable. Pulled on the formal traveling clothes the maids had prepared, the dark blue fabric settling comfortably across my shoulders. Strapped the Einsworth Family Saber to my hip where it belonged.
Checked the spatial ring one final time, confirming everything was stored properly. The recommendation letter in my inner pocket. Two hundred gold coins secured in the ring's dimensional space along with all my other supplies.
Ready.
I left my room and made my way through the manor's corridors for the last time in what would be three years. Down the grand staircase, through the main hall, out the entrance doors into the courtyard where dawn was just beginning to paint the sky.
The Griffin was magnificent.
The creature stood perhaps twelve feet tall at the shoulder, with the body of a massive lion covered in golden fur that seemed to glow in the early light. But where a lion's head should have been sat the head and front legs of an enormous eagle, complete with a wickedly curved beak and talons that looked capable of tearing through steel. Wings that must have spanned fifty feet when fully extended were currently folded against its body, the feathers bronze and gold and white in complex patterns.
The Griffin's eyes, sharp and intelligent, tracked me as I approached. A low sound came from its throat, somewhere between a lion's rumble and an eagle's cry, carrying acknowledgment rather than threat.
Attached to the Griffin's back was a carriage that seemed impossibly light and elegant for something designed to be carried through the sky. Dark wood reinforced with metal, windows made of crystal-clear glass, cushioned seats visible inside. The entire construction was held by a harness system that distributed weight across the Griffin's powerful body without restricting movement.
Standing beside the creature was its handler, a weathered man in practical traveling clothes who nodded respectfully when I appeared.
"Young Expert Kaine," he said. "I'm ready to depart when you are. The flight to the Continental Academy takes approximately six hours at cruising speed. We should arrive well before the entrance examination registration closes."
I looked around the courtyard and saw others had gathered to see me off.
Jack stood near the manor entrance, arms crossed, expression carrying satisfaction and pride. Several senior knights were present, standing at attention despite the early hour. Maids clustered near the servants' entrance, some of them dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs.
Notably absent was Duke Eamon himself. But that was expected. The Duke didn't do public farewells or emotional displays. His presence in his study last night had said everything that needed saying.
"I'm ready," I replied to the handler, moving toward the carriage.
Jack stepped forward before I could enter, extending his hand one final time in the warrior's clasp.
"Make them remember, Young Expert," he said quietly, voice carrying only to me. "Show them what we produce here."
"I will," I promised, gripping his forearm firmly.
Then I climbed into the carriage, settling onto the cushioned seat and securing myself with the harness system the handler showed me. The door closed with a solid click, and through the crystal windows I watched the handler move to the Griffin's head, speaking quietly to the creature in words I couldn't hear.
The Griffin responded with another of those hybrid calls, then crouched slightly as its wings began to unfold. The span was even more impressive than I'd imagined, the morning light making the bronze and gold feathers seem to burn with inner fire.
Then, with a powerful thrust of its hind legs and a downward sweep of those massive wings, the Griffin launched itself skyward.
The acceleration pressed me back into my seat with force that made breathing difficult. The courtyard fell away below us with startling speed, the manor shrinking from massive structure to toy-sized model in seconds. The estate grounds became visible in their entirety, then they too began to shrink as we climbed higher.
The Griffin's wings beat steadily, each stroke carrying us higher and faster. The wind roared past the carriage's windows, and I felt the slight sway that came from being suspended beneath a flying creature.
Below, the Einsworth estate became just one structure among many as the surrounding landscape revealed itself. I could see the Saber Garden stretching to the east, a vast forest that had nearly killed me twice but had also forged me into what I was now. Could see villages and farmland spreading in all directions, connected by roads that looked like threads from this height.
The Griffin climbed higher still, and the air grew thinner and colder. But the carriage's enchantments kept the interior comfortable, maintaining temperature and pressure despite the altitude.
We leveled off at what must have been several thousand feet, and the Griffin's flight transitioned from climbing to cruising. The wing beats became more regular, powerful strokes that ate distance with remarkable speed.
I looked back one final time at the estate that was now barely visible on the horizon. The place where I'd woken in this world exactly one month ago. The place where I'd trained until I thought my body would break. The place where I'd earned the right to leave.
Then I turned forward, looking toward the distant horizon where the Continental Academy waited. Where hundreds of noble heirs from all five kingdoms gathered to compete and prove themselves. Where my real test would begin.
One month of brutal preparation. Three years of challenges ahead. And a reputation as a disappointment that would follow me until I proved otherwise.
Let them think what they wanted. Let them judge based on assumptions and past behavior. Let them underestimate the Einsworth Monster.
I'd show them what someone who'd earned every scrap of power through blood and pain could accomplish.
The Griffin's wings beat steadily, carrying me toward my future, and through the carriage windows I watched the world pass beneath us at speeds that would have seemed impossible without experiencing them.