Revvyn stood in the center of his small room. The morning air was sharp and cool. He didn't have a travel pack on his bed. He held a rolled-up spare tunic, a filled waterskin, and a small pouch of dried meat.
With a mental command, the blue grid of his Inventory appeared. He slid the items into the empty squares. They vanished from his hands without a sound.
His mother stood in the doorway, drying her hands on an apron. Her brow was furrowed as she looked around the empty room. "Where is your bag? You can't walk to the capital with nothing but the clothes on your back."
"I travel light," Revvyn said. He didn't explain. He knelt beside his bed, wedged his fingers under the loose floorboard, and counted out fifty gold pieces.
He dropped them into the dark space below, the coins clinking with a heavy, solid sound. He pushed the board back down and stood up.
He walked out to the kitchen. His father was sitting by the stove, looking ten years younger than he had forty-eight hours ago. He stood up and handed Revvyn a worn, cracked leather bracer.
"It was my father's," he said. "It'll keep the bowstring off your skin."
Revvyn strapped it to his forearm. The leather was stiff and smelled of old oil. He didn't say a long goodbye. He just looked his father in the eyes and nodded. His father nodded back. That was enough.
Lily was waiting by the front gate. She had her arms crossed, kicking at a loose rock. She looked up as Revvyn pushed the gate open.
"Don't get yourself killed because you think you're invincible now," Lily said, her voice trying to stay flat.
Revvyn stopped in front of her. Usually, he would have had a quick, teasing comeback ready. But looking at her now, under the morning sun, the words died in his throat.
He reached out, his hands finding her waist, and pulled her into a sudden, firm hug.
Lily stiffened for a fraction of a second before her arms wound around his neck, squeezing him back.
Revvyn closed his eyes. In the sickroom, when she had held him as he broke down, he had been a ghost of a person.
Now, he was wide awake. He felt the softness of her breast and the steady, frantic beat of her heart against his chest. He breathed in the scent of her hair—wildflowers and woodsmoke.
He felt the radiating warmth of her body pressed against his own, a heat that made the cold morning air vanish.
When I get back, he thought, the vow settling in his mind with the weight of iron. When I'm at the top... I'm going to marry her.
He pulled back, his hands lingering on her shoulders for a second too long. Lily's cheeks were a deep, dusty red, and her eyes were bright, but she didn't look away.
"Don't cry too loud while I'm gone," Revvyn said, the tease finally returning to his voice, though it was softer than usual. "The neighbors will think I broke your heart."
"Idiot," she whispered, a small, genuine smile breaking through. "Just come back."
Revvyn turned his back to the house and started walking down the dirt road. He didn't look back. He had a kingdom to conquer and a promise to keep.
The journey took three days. Revvyn bought passage on a merchant's turnip cart for a single silver coin. The ride was slow, the wooden wheels jarring over every rut in the road.
The caravan was protected by four hired guards in rust-spotted chainmail. They walked with their chests puffed out, but Revvyn just watched them from the back of the cart.
He noticed the way the lead guard's footwork was heavy and unbalanced. With his 22 Agility, Revvyn knew he could disarm the man before his sword even cleared the scabbard.
He wasn't the prey anymore. He was a D-Rank fighter hiding in plain sight.
On the afternoon of the third day, the cobblestones began. The Capital rose up against the horizon—a massive ring of eighty-foot white stone walls.
Past the walls, three massive spires floated in the air, anchored to the earth by chains the size of tree trunks. Waterfalls poured from the floating foundations, crashing into the city below.
The Royal Arcane Academy.
The noise hit him a mile out—thousands of voices and the clatter of hooves. As his cart joined the line of traffic, a black-lacquered carriage barreled past, forced the crowd into the gutters. Revvyn saw the silver crest on the door: a falcon clutching a broken sword.
Lucien's family.
Revvyn stood on the edge of the curb, watching the carriage disappear into the inner city. He didn't wipe the mud off his boots.
He navigated the streets until he reached the Academy's black iron archway. The courtyard was packed with thousands of applicants in silk coats and polished plate armor. They had retainers and expensive staffs.
Revvyn stood near the back in his simple tunic and his grandfather's bracer. His hands were empty. He took a breath and stepped over the threshold.
A golden light flared in his vision.
[NEW AREA DISCOVERED: The Royal Arcane Academy]
[QUEST START: The Entrance Trials]
[OBJECTIVE: Secure a Top Ten Rank]
[REWARD: Hidden]
Revvyn swiped the screen away. He looked out over the sea of silver armor and noble crests. He didn't just want to pass. He was going to take the top.