L.E. Miranda
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SSR - Book 2 Chapter 5: Preparations for Return
🕑 Added 2025-03-04 01:22:14 +0000 UTCSorry for the late chapter, boys. I'm traveling right now, so expect release times to be a bit random. It's 1:30am here lol
***
On his way back down the tower, Rylan felt more at ease to take in the interesting environment. He let out a breath as he looked at one of the moving stairways. Like before, the walls and doors moved and opened on their own, granting him safe passage through a winding maze with different levels.
Bookshelves parted, leaving behind floating tomes, only to return to their previous position as he walked through the opening. The stairways vibrated under his feet, quaking as they moved. With every step, they slightly shifted, escaping their previous shape. The stairs that led from one floor to the next were larger but rippled all the same. Rylan honed his senses.
The mana levels are high.
It was the conclusion he reached after a few minutes of careful observation. The fact that it had taken him this long to notice, even though he had trained his perception – the sixth sense – was incredible on its own. The amount of mana inside the tower was massive, but the energy was also frighteningly quiet. It didn’t flow or roar with power. Like a sleeping giant beast, its mere existence was enough to cause pressure. Rylan narrowed his eyes. In a way, this mana’s nature was similar to Damian’s.
I couldn’t sense anything.
During the whole conversation with Damian, he had tried to push his senses to their limits to glimpse what Circle the white-haired Mage had reached. His efforts had been fruitless. Unlike the first time they’d seen each other, the mana around Damian didn’t resonate with the world around them. It was as if Rylan had been looking at an ordinary person. Damian’s words flashed through his mind.
Don’t allow my mana to reveal anything about myself, huh?
He smiled. It was a lesson that swordsmen learned early on, at least when it came to Aura. Since it was a type of energy that reacted to one’s emotions, keeping it steady and calm was among the early teachings of all of those who had dreamed of becoming true Swordmasters. Because of the differences between Aura and mana, Rylan hadn’t been able to apply his knowledge perfectly, but it had been close enough. The fact that Damian had noticed the change in the atmospheric mana was a sign of his competence, not of Rylan’s lack of ability or skill.
Rylan shook his head as he descended the last steps, arriving in the same large room as before. The woman behind the wooden counter bowed at him. Nodding back, he left the tower with large steps after glancing at the large bookshelves and bright magical lights.
Once outside, he started making his way back to the hotel, a bit lost in his thoughts. It would take some time for Damian to select the professors who would go to Cantavega, but that didn’t mean he would just sit around and wait. As they had discussed, his timer started from the moment he stepped out of Damian’s room – there was no time to waste.
Let’s go back today.
Having made up his mind, Rylan walked until he was outside of Academy grounds, nodding at the white-robed guards as he moved past them. As usual, the sounds and smells of Caer Rhelon hit him in full. With a deep breath, he took in the scent of well-cooked meat. Raucous laughter reached his ears, making him grin a bit. Wading through the streets of the capital city was always a pleasing experience. He quite enjoyed the atmosphere of big cities like this. At the same time, the idea of returning to Cantavega for a bit was comforting.
Rylan made his way back to the hotel and walked up the stairs until he was standing in front of Aelfric’s door. After knocking twice, he opened the door and entered the room. Barely three steps in, he stopped in place and looked at Aelfric and Sarah. Both of them were sitting by the table, frozen in the middle of eating as they stared at him.
“Hey, I’m back,” Rylan said with a smile.
Aelfric jumped to his feet almost immediately, somehow managing not to spill whatever was in the cup in his hand.
“So?” he asked with an anxious expression.
Rylan shook his head.
“I have less than three weeks. Damian will first send four professors to Cantavega to help Father deal with anything that might happen. If I don’t manage to clear the Dungeon with Father during that time, they’ll intervene.”
Sarah frowned, standing up.
“…I understand his plan,” she said in a low tone. “But given our situation…”
Aelfric nodded with a furrowed brow.
“Well, it’s not terrible or anything,” Rylan said, shrugging. “Sure, I won’t be able to use any sword styles if the professors join us, but the real objective is to clear the Dungeon, anyway. If Father and the professors can do it even without my swordsmanship, we’re good. There will be other opportunities to Level up and gain experience."
Of course, he would still make the most of the time he had to improve as fast as possible.
Sarah nodded slowly. After a second, Aelfric also nodded.
“Long story short, I’ll try and leave today. Since there's no way to know if the professors will catch up to us or go through another route entirely,” Rylan looked at Sarah. “Please set up that ten-day trip, Sarah."
She bowed.
“Of course, my lord. I’ll make sure we’re ready to go by tomorrow at the latest, preferably today. You can trust me.”
Rylan smiled.
“I know.”
She grinned back at him.
“Then, I’ll leave to get everything ready as soon as possible. Please excuse me, young masters.”
With one last bow, Sarah decisively strode out of the room. Rylan stretched his body and flopped onto the bed, next to Aelfric, who lay down as well. They stared at the ceiling in silence.
“…Do you think you can do it?” Aelfric asked after a few seconds, his voice uneasy.
“Maybe. I still don’t know how dangerous this particular Open Dungeon is. All I’ve got are the memories from my past life, but the circumstances back then were entirely different. We’ll see. I have three weeks.”
Aelfric frowned.
“How strong are you right now? You beat Hayden without using sword styles or Sword Arts.”
Rylan narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.
“Sure, but Hayden is still an inexperienced Third Circle Mage. In practice, Evenon was more dangerous.”
“And you killed him while you were still at the First Circle.”
Rylan shrugged.
“I had Father’s help. I don’t know enough about Fourth Circle or Fifth Circle Mages to properly compare myself to them. Evenon was out of practice. His fangs were dulled.”
Of course, he understood exactly what he was capable of. Knowing himself was the bare minimum required to reach Roland’s level of power. However, he still didn’t know much about Fifth Circle spells to tell if he’d be able to win against a Fifth Circle Mage in a real fight. Damian’s figure flashed through his mind. He still wasn’t sure what Circle the old man had reached.
Sixth Circle would be my guess.
Since the gap between each Circle became larger the higher one went, Rylan reasoned that it was far-fetched to expect the strongest Mage of an ordinary kingdom to have reached the Seventh Circle.
What even is the highest possible Circle?
Rylan had tried to gather as much knowledge as he could after remembering his past life as Roland, but caught in the middle of his several different objectives, he’d only managed to learn about the continent’s geopolitical situation and its history, alongside a few key pieces of information. Among them was the fact that the greatest Mages – which naturally belonged to the Empire – were at the Ninth Circle. However, that did not mean the highest ‘possible’ Circle was the Ninth.
Roland surpassed what was considered possible many times.
For all intents and purposes, Roland had been a walking apocalyptic event. There had been nothing Moonlight couldn’t cut. Together, they ruled the heavens and earth. Mountains were climbed in a single step, and oceans were easily crossed. They had explored the whole world. That was why Rylan was hesitant to consider the Empire as the highest standard of power. The possibility of a higher heaven always existed.
Well, no point in worrying about that now.
Rylan sat up and pulled himself out of bed. He walked to the window and gazed at what he could see of Caer Rhelon. The way the sun rays shone upon the tiled roofs of houses of varying sizes was strangely mesmerizing.
“…Rylan,” Aelfric’s voice suddenly resounded from behind him. “Promise me you’ll retreat if it gets too dangerous.”
Rylan smiled bitterly.
“Facing danger head-on is the best way to awaken Aura.”
Aelfric scoffed.
“I don’t give a damn. Being alive with no Aura is better than dying right after getting it, if it even happens at all. You’re my brother, not Roland. I don’t want you to die just because you didn’t want to ask for help. I’m sure Father feels the same way.”
Warmth filled Rylan’s chest. Even though it had been several months since his change, the feeling of someone worrying about him always felt as impactful as the first time. Roland hadn’t experienced it for many decades, after all.
Rylan turned around and smiled at Aelfric.
“We’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll be as careful as I can.”
With a complicated expression, Aelfric slowly nodded.
“Alright, then. I believe you.”
“Now, since we’re just waiting for Sarah, let’s do some exercise. You still need to improve your body. If she takes too long, we can also train our magic.”
Aelfric sighed, making Rylan laugh. He tried to help his younger brother improve to the best of his abilities, making time pass by surprisingly quickly. As the sun slowly rose to its peak, the door opened, making Rylan immediately focus his senses on it. As expected, the person coming in was Sarah. She bowed at him with pristine form.
“It’s done, my lord. We can leave right now, if you wish. I’ve also taken care of our provisions for the journey.”
He smiled at her.
“Thanks, Sarah. Let’s go, then. The earlier we get there, the better.”
She raised her body and nodded at him. She led the way outside, where a carriage awaited them. The beasts pulling it weren’t horses. Rylan raised an eyebrow.
The six-legged, scaly animals looked like a mix between a warhorse and a lizard. The green scales gleamed under the sun, as did their large, sharp fangs. Their slit pupils darted around in the center of orange eyes. The creatures’ tails were short and rather thin, a stark contrast to the muscular limbs and tight body. Rylan’s sharp eyes analyzed the length of their limbs and fingers, as well as their body mass distribution.
They’re fast.
It was a conclusion reached from what he could see alone. He glanced at the carriage. It was considerably larger than the one they’d used to get from Cantavega to the capital, comparable to Luna’s. However, it was made of a material he didn’t recognize, just like the wheels. He nodded to himself. It was possible that this carriage was either sturdier or lighter than the ones he’d seen so far.
Finally, Rylan looked at the coachman, who was a chubby bearded man with a cheerful smile.
“Good afternoon, young masters, young lady! As I discussed with the young lady, I’ll be the one to take you guys to your destination! It’ll be a longer journey than what I’m used to, but don’t worry! I’ll do my best!” he exclaimed in an equally uplifting voice.
Rylan smiled at him.
“Then, we’ll be in your care.”
He entered the carriage, followed by Sarah and Aelfric. A few moments after they sat down, it started moving.
It was the beginning of Rylan’s journey to Cantavega to deal with an unknown danger.
***
Gael Astassier looked through the glass window, as if looking for something.
“Back to Cantavega, huh? I suppose Gerard asked for his help, after all,” he said in a serious tone, turning around and looking at the bowing Nathan.
“Yes, father. But that only means that we can now act.”
Gael rubbed his chin.
“Damian wouldn’t let his new best disciple just waltz out of the city and get killed in a Dungeon. They must have reached an agreement, and any agreement is an opportunity. Find out what it was and tell me. I’ll find a way to use it in our favor.”
Nathan bowed even lower.
“Yes, father. I’ll do it right now.”
Gael waved his hand as Nathan raised his hand. The man left the room. Gael turned back to the window.
‘…An opportunity.”
It was all he needed. Under the right circumstances, he was completely confident that a boy as young as Rylan, who had lived the life he had, would be completely unable to resist the temptation offered by a family as powerful as the Astassier house. No matter what, he needed to obtain Rylan’s talent.
Even if it meant using his only daughter.
Comments
TwistedToaster
Gael is a sociopath. Thanks for the chapter!
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Gopard
He may well fail in the endurance part though its a 2 several days/weeks journey after all depending on what transportation and magic you use...
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Stephen Pearson
Thanks for the chapter! :-)
Joanie
At first I thought that maybe Rylan could run all the way there faster than any horse.. but with thise lizard monster I am not as sure. Thanks for the chapter!
Raymond Mouton
Thanks for the chapter. Damn Gael feels scummy.
