It was the 20th day of the month. I sat in the Student Council meeting room, surrounded by the scent of aged parchment and polished wood, discussing the preparations for the survival exam scheduled for early next month.
"There will be four instructors and five Magic Masters leading the exam," the President explained, her voice commanding the room's attention. "Our duty as the Student Council is to ensure every logistical detail is handled for a seamless operation."
The exam was set to take place across three distinct locales: a deserted island, a harsh desert in the Empire's western reaches, and finally, the infamous Monster Forest of the North.
The entire ordeal would span nearly a month.
"Senior Ian," President Elena said, turning toward a third-year student. "What is the status of the student transportation to the designated sites?"
"I've already coordinated with the carriage guilds, President," Ian replied, glancing at a sheet of parchment. "They will transport the students to the City of Murcia. From there, they will board Caravel ships at the docks to sail for Mykonos Island."
Elena nodded, satisfied. Her gaze then shifted to me.
"Raul, what about the security detail? I heard several of your members resigned recently."
"I've already recruited replacements," I answered with a confident shrug. "Security won't be an issue."
"I find that hard to believe, President," Ian interjected, his eyes narrowing into a sharp glare. "The 'replacements' you've gathered are mostly troublemakers—students on the verge of being expelled."
Elena looked back at me, her silent gaze asking: How do you intend to justify this?
"It won't be a problem," I said, meeting Ian's stare head-on. "A pack of sheep led by a lion is far more dangerous than a pride of lions led by a sheep."
Ian's brow furrowed, his face flushing with offense. My metaphor was a thinly veiled jab at the previous leadership of the disciplinary committee.
"Very well. I'll leave the matter in your hands, Raul," Elena said, cutting the tension and ending the discussion.
Once the meeting concluded, I hurried toward the academy's mail distribution center.
A reply from my father, Duke Alvaro, was supposed to arrive today. I needed to meet him to discuss securing his support for President Elena's faction. Upon arriving, I approached the clerk at the reception desk.
"Is there a delivery for Raul de Garcia?" I asked, sliding my student ID across the counter.
"Let me check. Wait here."
The ID card glowed faintly with a unique Rune, a magical signature that made forgery impossible. Runes were the alphabet of magical characters used to weave formulas into physical objects. An object imbued with such a formula was known as an Artifact. The more complex the formula, the rarer the grade.
The Masquerade Mask I had used to save Ariel was an S-Class Artifact.
The clerk returned with a sealed envelope. "This arrived yesterday evening," he said, handing me the letter and my ID.
The wax seal depicted a serpent coiled around a sword—the Garcia family crest. It was a direct message from my father. I broke the seal and read:
'I will be in the Capital tomorrow. Come to the family manor on the western side of the city.'
He's already here? I didn't waste a second. I left the academy grounds and hailed a carriage waiting by the main gate.
"Where to, sir?" the driver asked as he held the door.
"The Duke Alvaro Mansion, in the Noble District."
With a crack of the whip, the carriage lurched forward. Most high-ranking nobles, like a Duke, maintained private residences in the capital. It wasn't that the Emperor didn't provide quarters at the palace; they simply preferred their own domains unless summoned directly.
After a twenty-minute ride, we reached the towering gates of the Garcia Manor. I stepped out, handed the driver a gold coin, and told him to keep the change.
"Young Master? This is an unexpected visit," the gatekeeper remarked, bowing as he recognized me.
"Is my father inside?"
"Yes, Young Master. Duke Alvaro arrived last night," the guard replied. "However, he will be departing for the Imperial Palace shortly."
I gestured for them to open the gates and strode into the estate. I was met by an elderly man in a pristine butler's uniform.
Alfred, if I recall correctly. He was the Duke's most trusted confidant.
"Young Master, have you come to see Your Father?" Alfred asked, bowing low.
"I have. Where is he?"
"Please follow me."
I followed Alfred up a grand, sweeping staircase. This manor was a gift from Emperor Philip to Duke Alvaro to commemorate his marriage to my mother, Milenia von Wihelbach—a princess of the Weimar Kingdom. Their union was the cornerstone of the peace treaty that ended the war between our nations twenty years ago.
We stopped before a pair of heavy doors. Alfred knocked twice.
"My Lord, the Young Master wishes to see you."
"Enter," a calm, resonant voice replied from within.
Alfred opened the door and ushered me in. A middle-aged man sat behind a desk. He had hair as dark as the abyss and sharp, black eyes that resembled a predator waiting to strike. He radiated an aura of terrifying elegance.
This was Duke Alvaro de Garcia—Raul's father. To the world, he was known as The Abyss Serpent.
In the original game, he was the primary antagonist of Chapter 5, the man who conspired with the Demon Race to tear open a Great Portal between worlds.
"Raul," the Duke said, his voice level. "What is it you wish to discuss?"
"The Imperial succession, Father."
The Duke's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He glanced at Alfred, signaling him to leave. The butler bowed and silently closed the doors behind him.
"I read your letter," Alvaro said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Why do you wish to support Princess Elena? She is the weakest among other candidate."
He was testing me. Of course, I couldn't exactly tell him that I had read the "script" of the future.
Currently, the Garcia family planned to back Prince Felix, the strongest contender. However, in Chapter 4, Felix is destined to be assassinated by a character named Judas. His death will cause his faction to crumble, and Prince Ramon will use that chaos to purge any nobles who refuse to switch sides.
"I believe in her," I said simply.
The Duke's expression shifted. He looked at me as if I were a complete idiot.
"That's it? Simple faith?" Alvaro rose from his seat, his presence filling the room. "You realize that the moment we declare for a candidate, every other faction will move to isolate us. They will sever our trade routes and block every attempt we make to expand our influence in the Empire."
He walked toward me until he was standing directly in my personal space. A thick, suffocating aura of black mana began to bleed from his body, making it hard to breathe. Fear instinctively clawed at my chest.
"And yet, knowing the risks, you offer me nothing but a foolish sentiment," he hissed, his voice turning cold.
"The things you worry about... they are irrelevant, Father." I struggled to speak through the crushing pressure.
"I will destroy anyone who stands in my way."
I stared back into his predatory eyes as I said it.
It was the truth. I was the God who created this world. Life here should move according to my will. If anyone tried to defy me, I would crush them.
Even you, Duke Alvaro.
The Duke's expression froze. Then, a slow, chilling smile spread across his face. He took one more step forward.
"Who are you, intruder?" he whispered. "You are not Raul, the son born to my late wife, Milenia."
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
Could it be? Does he already know who I am?