Casually, Ruvian made his way back to his dormitory, the usual sounds of scholars chatting and walking slowly fading as the academy settled into the late hours of the night.
This evening had turned out far differently than he had expected.
He had spent some time with Calyra, answering some of her questions, giving her enough to understand while keeping the rest to himself.
And to add up to that, he had managed to borrow several books from the upper section with Calyra’s help.
Of course, the librarian had agreed, and had them delivered to his room by the next morning, which spared him the trouble of carrying them himself and allowed him to leave without drawing attention.
But what lingered in his mind the most was what happened just before they parted ways.
Calyra had offered to teach him a few spells, and even decided to sponsor him to the upper section whenever he came to the library.
It was a very magnanimous offer that left him completely stunned, like a stroke of fortune far beyond anything he could have hoped for.
Because... it was not something he had planned for, nor something he had ever even considered as a possible outcome.
’...I wonder what made her decide to do that?’
When he first came to the library, Ruvian had only wanted to find something useful to read from the lower section.
That was all.
Yet somehow, things had turned out better than he imagined, as if everything had quietly begun to move in his favor without him forcing it.
He was not someone who believed much in luck, but even then, he could not ignore how well things had gone.
Because of that, he could admit it to himself.
That today, for him, was nothing less than a windfall.
When Ruvian reached his private quarters, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting out a small breath as the familiar space came into view.
Everything looked the same as before...
His books were neatly arranged on the shelves, the desk by the window still held a few papers, and the room carried that calm, lived-in feeling that made it easy to relax.
It was quiet, comfortable, and completely his.
Then he noticed it.
On the inner wall, built into a wooden panel, was his personal receiving slot.
A faint light was glowing from inside it.
Ruvian paused for a moment, his attention settling on it as he closed the door behind him.
’Hmm, did the academy send me something?’
The academy usually used this method to send notices or materials, but sometimes, though not often, it could be something from someone else.
And because of that... the thought led to another realization.
He had not written a single letter home.
And three weeks had already passed!
"Shit. I always forgot about it."
He rubbed the back of his head, a little annoyed at himself.
He had planned to write every night after returning to his room, but somehow, he always ended up doing something else and forgot about it completely.
’Damn it. Avina would probably kill me for this.’
His gaze shifted back to the soft light.
Whatever this was, he still needed to check what was in there.
Walking across the room toward the wooden panel, Ruvian sighed, his steps calm but with a bit of curiosity.
He raised his hand and placed it against the surface.
The light brightened slightly, and with a quiet click, the compartment unlocked.
Ruvian did not hesitate as he opened it.
Inside the compartment there was a single envelope, resting neatly against the inner panel as if it had been placed there with care.
Ruvian reached in and took it, feeling the slight weight of it between his fingers before turning it over.
As he flipped it to the back, his eyes settled on the seal pressed into the wax.
The crest of D’Elvoire House.
A faint smile formed on his lips, as a familiar sense of warmth rose within him.
There was no doubt now.
’So it was from her. I’m glad she managed it.’
He moved toward his desk at a steady pace, the envelope held carefully in his hand, and pulled out the chair before taking his seat.
He set the envelope down.
Then, with a soft exhale, he broke it open.
The paper inside slid out smoothly, revealing a compact arrangement of items.
A storage ring rested within, its metallic surface catching the soft light of the room, while a neatly folded letter lay beside it.
Ruvian’s attention went to the letter first.
He picked it up, and carefully unfolded it.
Then, he read it:
==========
Dear Future-Seer Who Knows Everything But Explains Nothing,
Firstly, good news for you, your request has been approved.
The submission for leaving the academy this weekend went through without any issues. The higher-ups signed off on it faster... obviously, because of my authority and D’Elvoire House’s name.
So congratulations. Whatever reckless idea you’ve dragged me into is now officially allowed.
Now, let me be very clear.
I hope you’ve prepared yourself to explain what exactly we are going to do next. Because you cannot seriously tell me that your entire plan was:
"We are going to launch the first strike against the demon."
...and somehow include me in it without telling me anything else. Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds from my side?
So when we meet, you are going to explain everything.
I want to know where we are going, what we are facing, what you already know, and more importantly, what you are not telling me.
And do not try to avoid the question. If I am part of this, then I will not walk in blind just because you think you can handle it alone.
You owe me that much.
==========
Ruvian let out a small laugh and smiled.
’Haha. She really poured her entire soul into writing this. I can practically picture the angry look on her face as she did.’
He had, in all honesty, anticipated that she would be, at the very least, somewhat displeased with him.
Because truly, who in their right mind would not be?
The way she had vented her frustration was entirely justified.
And yet, the truth of the matter was that Ruvian had already intended to disclose everything to her regarding his next course of action.
It was simply that, in his judgment at the time, the situation had still been premature, and not sufficiently pressing to warrant such explanations yet.
Nevertheless, he would, without a doubt, explain it all to her soon enough.
Perhaps at their next meeting.
’Hmm... but when exactly should I meet her again?’
Then, quite suddenly, the answer surfaced within his thoughts.
There was a Mathematics elective scheduled for tomorrow.
And since Silvena was also enrolled in that very same class, it presented the perfect opportunity for him to explain everything to her then.
’Yeah, I will tell everything to her tomorrow.’
Ruvian continued to read the next line below:
=========
Secondly, regarding your request for money, there should be approximately 100 gold coins stored within the ring.
I suggest that you make proper use of it.
Buy meals that are both nourishing and of reasonable quality. And do not trouble yourself over the cost, as I have no intention of recording this to your tabs.
That amount should be more than enough for you to live comfortably for the next four to six months in the academy.
And finally, you will also find within the storage ring a total of one hundred mana training enhancement potions, along with another hundred recovery potions.
Make full use of them as you see fit, and do not hesitate to expend them freely where they are needed.
—Your exceedingly patient partner in crime,
Silvena
==========
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[Chapter 126: Partner in Crime (1)]