Chapter 26 - 25: Before the Departure
The quiet days leading up to Sunday passed in a blur of meticulous preparation. While the rest of the Imperial Royal Academy buzzed with mundane lectures and useless chatter, Victor moved in the shadows, quietly securing everything required for the journey ahead.
In a private, soundproofed residence within the upper-tier noble lounge, Victor sat in a high-backed velvet chair. Sitting across from him, resting her chin on her hand with a subtle, alluring smile, was Lyra von Frostguard.
The ambient light filtered softly through the drapes, casting a quiet intimacy over the room. Victor reached out, his gloved fingers lightly tracing the curve of Lyra’s jaw before lifting her chin slightly. Lyra didn’t pull away; instead, her eyes softened, a faint flush dusting her cheeks as she leaned into his touch, sharing a quiet, private moment amidst the chaos of their daily lives.
"You’ve been busy, Victor," Lyra murmured softly, her icy blue eyes locking onto his. "Word travels fast in the high district. I hear you’ve been seen wandering the outer wards."
"Preparation, nothing more," Victor replied smoothly, his thumb brushing over her lower lip before retracting his hand. "Which brings me to why you are here. You’re coming with me this Sunday."
Lyra’s eyes brightened slightly with genuine satisfaction. "A journey outside the capital? Just the two of us?"
"Not quite," Victor said, his voice remaining level and businesslike. "The Vesper siblings Elena and her brother, Kael will be joining us."
Lyra’s smile faltered slightly, her brows furrowing in subtle confusion. "The Vesper girl? Why are you dragging commoners along?"
"Elena is a pawn I require for my long-term arrangements," Victor explained coldly, leaving no room for debate. "Because of that, I have a strict order for you, Lyra: you are to keep our relationship completely hidden from Elena while we are on this trip."
A flicker of hurt and sharp jealousy flashed deep within Lyra’s eyes. After everything they had shared after the absolute submission and dangerous trust forged between them he was asking her to act like a stranger?
"Hide it?" Lyra echoed, her voice dropping into a tense, guarded whisper. "Why? If she’s just a pawn, why does it matter what she sees or knows?"
"Revealing our dynamic to her right now is unnecessary and would only create troublesome complications," Victor stated plainly, remaining characteristically vague about the finer details of his grand design. He leaned forward, looking directly into her eyes. "Don’t overthink it, Lyra. I specifically need your strength for what lies ahead. You are the only one capable of anchoring the perimeter when things get messy."
Hearing him acknowledge her strength and necessity smoothed over the sharp edges of her wounded pride. She was pleased that Victor specifically sought her power, yet a quiet, conflicting coil of jealousy remained buried in her heart. Why did a simple pawn warrant such delicate handling?
"Fine," Lyra conceded softly, bowing her head in lingering acquiescence. "If that is what you command, I will play the stranger."
Meanwhile, across the main campus, the Vesper siblings spent their mandatory leave preparing for the unknown departure.
Elena walked through the courtyard, her arms clutching her leather notebook. Her heart still hammered whenever she caught a glimpse of Victor’s tall, dark figure in the distance. The terror hadn’t completely vanished, but over the last forty-eight hours, a strange, confusing realization had begun to settle in her mind.
Victor had every opportunity to ruin her family. He held the receipt, he held power, and he held absolute leverage. Yet, he hadn’t forced himself on her, nor had he acted like the bloodthirsty, barbaric monster described in the capital rumors. He was cold, imperious, and terrifyingly efficient but he was not a mindless beast.
Beside her, Kael walked with his arms crossed tightly against his chest, his jaw set in a rigid line. Unlike Elena, Kael remained utterly consumed by suspicion. He couldn’t ignore the sheer difference in power between himself and Victor, nor could he forget the humiliating ease with which Victor had neutralized his Berserk rage on the rooftop.
I can’t do anything to stop him right now, Kael thought, his fists clenching until his knuckles turned white. All I can do is keep my eyes open. The second he steps out of line, I don’t care how strong he is I’ll tear him apart.
While his companions wrestled with their internal conflicts, Victor spent the remainder of Friday and Saturday liquidating assets and acquiring specialized supplies.
He visited the grand black-market bazaars of the lower district, purchasing high-grade mana containment seals, elite hunting rations, insulated spatial cloaks, and rare alchemical suppressants equipment far beyond what a standard Academy excursion required.
As he finalized the transaction with a shadowed merchant, Victor’s thoughts turned to Kael.
The Berserk trait... Victor reflected, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the crimson, molten mana that had erupted from the boy on the rooftop.
In its unrefined state, Kael’s bloodline was a
hazard that would eventually destroy his own mana core. But if Victor could force Kael through the proper refinement process using the hidden catalyst outside the capital, that wild, destructive fire would be tamed.
He won’t just be a useless commoner anymore, Victor calculated, a cold, dark smirk touching his lips. He will become a blade a sword I can wield directly against the Church and the Crown.
Stepping out into the cool Saturday night air, Victor pulled his high-collared coat tight against the evening chill, looking up at the moonlit spires of the Imperial City.
Tomorrow morning, at dawn, they would pass through the eastern gate.
This trip was the ultimate litmus test. Victor possessed complete knowledge of the novel’s original plot, world mechanics, and hidden catalysts. But reading about a world and manipulating it in real-time were two entirely different matters.
Tomorrow will determine whether I can truly exploit the fate of this world to my absolute advantage, Victor thought quietly, his pitch-black eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. And if my assumptions fail... I will simply tear the board apart and rewrite the rules myself.