The camp was already lively when Ryan stepped outside.
Several large carriages had been arranged around the campsite, with noble youths gathered in small groups, talking and laughing while servants prepared food.
The moment Ryan appeared, several people noticed him.
"Ryan!"
A young nobleman immediately raised his hand.
"Come over here!"
Another youth laughed.
"Don't bother. He's probably going to eat with the Valmonts."
A few young women looked over as well, with one whispering something to her companion before the other covered her mouth and giggled.
Ryan smiled and waved toward them. He was accustomed to this.
Being the son of a Duke naturally gave him considerable status, but that was not the only reason he was popular. Ryan treated people well and didn't look down on lower-ranking nobles or use his family's authority to bully others. Whether they were the children of Counts, Viscounts, Barons, or ordinary nobles, he generally treated them with the same easygoing attitude.
Because of that, many noble youths genuinely enjoyed being around him.
Of course, some were merely trying to curry favor with a future Duke, and Ryan knew this perfectly well. Still, he didn't mind. Friendship and political relationships had always been somewhat difficult to separate among nobles.
He walked toward a group of young men.
"Ryan!"
"Come sit with us."
"Did you hear? We've already crossed the border into the next kingdom."
Ryan casually joined them.
As they talked, he quietly ordered the AI Chip to continue scanning.
[Beep! Beginning environmental scan.]
Figures appeared within his mind as the AI Chip rapidly recorded their physical characteristics.
[Name: Unknown.]
[Gender: Male.]
[Strength: 1.4.]
[Agility: 1.3.]
[Vitality: 1.5.]
Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The average adult was approximately 1 in these measurements, while the young nobles around him were generally stronger than ordinary people. However, none of them approached his own physical ability.
The AI Chip continued scanning.
[Beep! Scan complete.]
Ryan silently reviewed the information. His body was indeed outstanding. He was already a Knight, and his physical attributes were considerably higher than those of ordinary people thanks to years of training.
This was a far better starting point than he could have imagined.
Then Ryan remembered something.
"AI Chip."
[Beep!]
"Search my memories and organize everything concerning Magi."
The AI Chip immediately began processing.
Ryan's expression gradually became serious.
Magic, spells, Magus academies, meditation, spiritual force—all of these things existed in this world.
His previous memories had treated Magi as distant and mysterious figures, but now he possessed the AI Chip, a tool capable of recording information, analyzing data, and performing deductions.
Ryan's eyes gradually brightened.
This world had something Earth never possessed: supernatural power.
And he had been given an opportunity to study it from the very beginning.
"Interesting…"
A servant soon began distributing food, and the noble youths lined up.
Ryan casually took his portion and thanked the servant, who nodded respectfully. Several youths nearby glanced at Ryan.
"See? That's why I like him."
"He's completely different from some of those arrogant nobles."
Ryan laughed when he heard this, then took his food and returned to the group.
The white bread was considerably rougher than the food he remembered from Earth, but it was still a luxury compared to what ordinary peasants could afford.
Ryan ate slowly while organizing his thoughts.
His father had already provided him with enough gold for the journey and academy enrollment. He had a strong body, a noble background, a good reputation, and now—the AI Chip.
His starting point was almost absurdly good.
But Ryan knew better than to become complacent. The memories from Earth had taught him one thing above all else: information was power.
Before making any major decisions, he needed to understand this world.
His gaze shifted toward the distant group of black-robed figures. Those were the Magus apprentices accompanying the caravan.
Ryan had already known that they were powerful, but now that his Earth memories had returned, his curiosity was considerably greater.
"AI Chip."
[Beep!]
"Scan them."
The AI Chip immediately began collecting data.
For several seconds, nothing unusual happened.
Then—
[Beep!]
[Warning.]
[Unknown energy detected.]
[Scanning interference detected.]
Ryan's expression changed.
The AI Chip's holographic information became blurred, leaving it unable to completely analyze the black-robed figures.
Ryan's smile disappeared.
"So that's a Magus…"
For the first time since awakening his memories, he felt a genuine sense of danger.
He wasn't invincible, not even close. Being a Knight might make him exceptional among ordinary people, but in front of true supernatural beings, it meant very little.
Ryan leaned back slightly, his eyes becoming calm.
That was fine.
He had never expected to reach the peak immediately. There was still time, along with resources to support his growth, and most importantly, he had the AI Chip.
Ryan looked toward the road leading into the distance.
The Magus academy awaited him.
He smiled faintly.
"Then let's see what this world is really hiding."