L.E. Miranda
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SSR - Book 3 Chapter 1: Birthday
🕑 Added 2025-08-16 20:51:42 +0000 UTCFfs I forgot to post the chapter yesterday. My bad, fams. Here it is. Next chapter on Monday, as usual.
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Rylan looked at himself in the mirror as he fixed his black tie. A tall, black-haired, blue-eyed young man wearing a black-and-gold robe that covered formal clothing. The reflection’s piercing gaze stared back at him.
…It’s still a bit weird to look at myself in the mirror.
His past life aside, he’d spent too many years reveling in his addiction. Before, his appearance had been a ruined, disheveled mess, his body sickly thin. Still, he was proud of how much he’d changed. Now, he looked a bit more pleasing. The room all around him was simple but tidy. The tall, wooden wardrobe complemented the bed well, and the windows let the sunlight light up the bedroom. It was ordinary, but he didn’t mind it.
Rylan moved his gaze to the two people standing behind him, who were also looking at the mirror. Sarah was smiling sincerely, her green eyes curved into crescent moons. Her shoulder-length blonde hair complemented her white attire. Next to her, Aelfric was also smiling at him, nodding to himself. Rylan couldn’t help but smile back at them.
“You look good,” Aelfric said with a final satisfied nod. “As you should. Are you ready to go? Everyone’s waiting.”
Sarah’s smile widened a bit.
“You do look great, young master. It’s only been a year, but you’ve changed so much,” she said.
Rylan kept his smile and turned around to face the two people who had been closest to him for so long.
“Thank you,” he replied. “Let’s go.”
He walked between them and arrived before the door, then opened it. Aelfric and Sarah followed him closely from behind.
“How did you spend your birthdays in your past life?” Aelfric suddenly asked as they walked through the hallway.
Rylan shook his head with a small sigh.
“I didn’t. I was the only one who remembered them, anyway. Maybe Theodore also did, but we know how that ended,” he replied, sounding a bit grim. “I just talked to and drank with Yue.”
The trio went silent for a few seconds.
“Don’t worry, Rylan. You have us now,” Aelfric said after a while, his voice upbeat. “We will never let you spend another birthday alone again.”
Rylan couldn’t help but smile and glance over his shoulder at his younger brother. Aelfric was smiling warmly at him.
“I know. You guys are my greatest treasure. I would fight against the entire world for you,” he looked at Sarah, who was also looking at him with tenderness. “That includes you, too, Sarah.”
She smiled.
“I’m glad, young master,” she replied. “But don’t fall in love with me just yet. I’ve only spent time with the true you for a year.”
Rylan chuckled.
“I think you’d fall in love with me before that.”
She scoffed.
“Yeah, right. It’s a competition from now on, then. And I won’t lose.”
Aelfric laughed loudly, as did Rylan. He slowed down his pace to stand between Aelfric and Sarah, then wrapped his arms around their shoulders.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” he said sincerely, the sadness from remembering his past life disappearing.
Both of them smiled.
Together, the trio made their way up the stairways of Damian’s Mage Tower, stopping to talk about the floating books and the shifting staircases. The walls moved to create doors, then covered them up once more after they walked through them. As usual, the Mage Tower was an impressive work of magical architecture and engineering.
Finally, after walking for a while, they reached the top floor, standing before large double stone doors. Without hesitation, Rylan pushed them open to reveal the wide room on the other side. The first people he saw were Gerard and Elizabeth as conversation died down. His mother was wearing a beautiful, intricate blue dress, her chestnut hair and hazel eyes complementing her appearance wonderfully. She smiled at him and started walking toward him. Next to her, Gerard wore black clothing and robe, just like Rylan. He also smiled.
Rylan ran his eyes through the room as he waited for Elizabeth to get closer. Regis and Lillia stood a bit behind and to the side of Gerard. Regis looked a bit uncomfortable as he fiddled with his white robe’s collar, while Lillia appeared completely composed, wearing a blue dress, different in tone from Elizabeth’s.
Close to them, Hayden and Jasmine stood side by side. Hayden smiled at Rylan and threw him a thumbs-up, nodding. Jasmine was staring at Rylan up and down with a dreamy expression before she abruptly shook her head, as if catching herself. She then smiled shyly at him.
On the room’s other side, Henry and Damian stood next to each other, talking in hushed tones. Once they looked at Rylan, however, their discussion stopped, and they straightened themselves.
Finally, in the middle of the room was a stone table, covered with different types of food. At its center, there was a shining sphere of white mana, floating in the air and rotating slowly, rippling.
With a grin, Rylan walked closer to Elizabeth, followed by Aelfric and Sarah. When she was close enough, Elizabeth cupped his face between her hands with a warm smile.
“Happy birthday, son,” she said tenderly, her voice filled with infinite love. “I’ll always be here.”
Rylan’s heart shook. No matter how many times he heard her speak like this, he would never take such love for granted. He’d spent almost a century with nothing like it in his past life, after all. He smiled back at her and gently touched her hands.
“Thank you, Mom,” he replied.
She nodded at him before looking at Sarah, keeping her smile, and walking toward Aelfric, then hugging him. Rylan nodded at the sight, still smiling. Once she was done, the four of them walked closer to the middle of the room, where the stone table was. Everyone else also followed suit. Once they were close enough, Gerard and his siblings stepped closer to him and Elizabeth. Gerard put one hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder and the other on Rylan’s, grinning.
“Happy birthday, Rylan,” he said in a low tone. “I’ll support you, always. I’m proud of the person you’ve become, after everything.”
Rylan smiled at him and put his hand over his father’s.
“Thank you, Father. I’ll protect this family until my dying breath.”
It had been his oath from the moment he remembered his past life as Roland. He wouldn’t let the past repeat itself, no matter what.
Even if it meant fighting the Gaidar Empire head-on.
Once this thought struck him, Rylan’s eyes gained a cold, sharp edge, but it soon disappeared, replaced by the warmth this moment was due. He looked at Regis and Lillia, smiling at them, then moved on to the other guests. Henry was staring at him with a complicated expression, looking slightly out of place, but Damian was grinning. Rylan looked at the man’s left arm.
I’m glad we found a good healer.
He grinned back at his master, then nodded at Hayden and Jasmine. With firm steps, he walked closer to the table. The others watched him silently. Slowly, he lifted his right hand and touched the white, floating sphere, infusing it with his mana. It turned blue and started shining brightly, drawing a burst of cheers from everyone. With smiles on their faces, they all wished him a happy birthday. Rylan smiled back at each of them.
Nineteen years old, huh?
He looked at Gerard and Elizabeth, who nodded at him, then at his siblings. He couldn’t believe so much had happened within only a single year, but he was glad he had managed to protect everyone he cared about. He wasn’t invincible or the strongest like Roland, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to give it his all to shield everyone. Letting out a breath, Rylan approached Hayden and Jasmine. Behind him, he could hear his parents start talking to Damian and Henry.
Once he was close enough, Hayden extended his hand for a handshake. Rylan gladly took it.
“Happy birthday, old man,” Hayden said with a smile. Rylan scoffed.
“H-Happy birthday! You’re not old,” Jasmine belatedly stuttered out, avoiding Rylan’s eyes.
Rylan smiled at both of them and threw his arms around them, one around each neck, making Jasmine flinch.
“Thanks, guys. I’m glad you’re both here,” he said.
Once he took a step back, Jasmine looked at him.
“Couldn’t you have invited the others? I’m sure Maria and Isa would have loved to come. The student council members, too,” she asked.
Rylan shook his head.
“I wanted this to be a smaller celebration. Just the people I actually got to know. And Henry.”
Hayden furrowed his brow and looked behind Rylan at Ceotha’s ruler.
“Is he here to pressure you?” Hayden asked slowly.
Rylan grinned at him.
“Only one way to find out. I’ll just go do that now. I’ll be back in just a bit.”
Hayden and Jasmine nodded at the same time. Looking like she’d just made a big decision, Jasmine tentatively reached out and touched Rylan’s shoulder.
“Think about what’s best for you,” she said, almost stuttering again. “We’ll support you either way. It’s your choice.”
Rylan smiled at her.
She’s gotten a bit more nervous around me after the battle against the Empire’s Mages, but I guess everything is alright.
Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if she had been acting differently because she had been scared of him. She’d never seen him truly fight to the death, and she’d even struggled to defeat and kill ordinary monsters. It was possible that the scene of so many people being injured or outright killed by him had been shocking. Nevertheless, it seemed like his worries had been for naught. Whatever it was, she wasn’t afraid of him. His smile was sincere.
Rylan turned around and started walking over to where Damian and Henry were, alongside his parents. By the time he’d taken his third step, the conversation had already died down, and the four of them were looking at him. Rylan approached them confidently and grinned at Henry.
“Good evening, Your Majesty,” he said.
Henry belatedly nodded.
“Hello. Happy birthday, Rylan,” the man replied. After two seconds, he continued, bowing his head slightly. “After talking to Damian, I realized my previous offer was short-sighted. For that, I apologize. I take it back. There’s no need for you to teach anything to the army for now.”
Rylan raised an eyebrow, then looked at Damian, who threw him a knowing smile.
That’s surprising.
Shortly after the end of the battle against the imperial Mages, Henry had made him a simple offer, based on what he’d said – to teach Mana Cultivation to Ceotha’s army and Mages. While it was in line with what Rylan had declared at the end of the battle – that he would teach it to as many people as possible – Rylan had still hesitated to take it, choosing to think about it more deeply.
I didn’t think Damian would back me up.
He narrowed his eyes at his master. What was this old man scheming? Damian’s close ties to Henry and Ceotha’s royal family were well-known. It stood to reason that he would support Henry’s offer.
“I’m glad you realized it, Your Majesty,” Elizabeth interjected firmly. “My son is not a tool of war.”
Gerard nodded almost immediately with a serious expression. Rylan threw them a helpless smile. Was it their desire to shield one of their children? Even though they knew Rylan was now Ceotha’s strongest fighter and a key piece in the struggle against the Empire, they still hadn’t wished for him to truly take part in the war effort. He sighed within his heart. Unfortunately, there was no running from it. From now on, his participation would be essential.
Henry slightly bowed at both of them.
“I know,” he said. “And I’m sorry for it, but I’m sure you understand how important Rylan is right now.”
Damian nodded, then looked at Rylan after throwing an understanding look at his parents.
“But,” Damian suddenly said, looking as serious as Gerard. Rylan could see some pain in his eyes. “I’ve come up with another offer.”
Rylan raised an eyebrow. Both Gerard and Elizabeth threw piercing stares at Damian, but he didn’t even flinch.
“How would you feel about teaching at the Academy? Both Mana Cultivation and something like Advanced Battle Techniques?” the man continued. “We could start by having you teach Mana Cultivation to Hayden, Jasmine, and the student council, as well as the professors. Of course, you’d be a professor yourself.”
Rylan blinked.
Oh?
It was an interesting proposition. Especially because he could tell Damian hadn’t wished to say it at all.
Comments
JW Saxby
Hmmmmm, okay alright, I like, I like 🤔👍🏼👍🏼 keen to see how things continue to progress forward from here. I’m on board, locked in and keen haha 😄 Tyftc! 🍻
BH
Ooo I very much like this idea. If the potential negotiations with the empire based on their assessment of Rylan’s potential stave off the conflict and allow for time to play out with Rylan as an instructor bringing people up to speed with his training it would make their resistance against the empire more believable. Him trying to train people to participate in an immediate direct conflict with them would feel rushed and unrealistic. Additionally him at his current level single-handedly holding off the empire would also be unreasonable. This feels like the right way to threat the needle of buying time and allowing for a good training strategy to play out. Plus some good chapters with him as a professor would be enjoyable to read.
