Chapter 79: The Little Sprouts Sanctuary
The next day’s classes passed in a haze of feigned attentiveness. I sat through lectures on runic theory and magical history, my mind a thousand miles away. The duel with Noora had secured my rank for another week, but it had also solidified my status as the Academy’s primary target. The peace was temporary, a fragile bubble I knew would soon burst.
Professor Davos’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. "And one final announcement before we conclude for the day," he said, a rare smile touching his lips. "Following the physical examinations next week, the Academy will observe a one-month holiday."
A wave of joyous murmurs swept through the classroom. Students immediately began whispering to each other, their faces alight with plans for travel, family visits, and a much-needed break from the pressures of the Academy. They were planning trips to coastal villas, mountain retreats, and grand family estates.
But for me, the announcement brought only a sense of dread.
A one-month holiday. Where was I supposed to go? The thought of returning to the Crimson estate sent a chill down my spine. I was no longer the weak, forgotten son. I was Rank 1. I was powerful. To my father, that meant I was finally a useful tool. He would undoubtedly try to pull me back into his web of political schemes and power plays, to wield me as a weapon for the family’s glory.
And Selene... and Lucielle. They would be there, their love and concern a gilded cage I wasn’t sure I could escape. They would press, they would plead, they would try to mend the broken fragments of a family I had already left behind.
I let out a quiet sigh. What a mess.
I pulled up my watch, dismissing the swirling anxieties to focus on the immediate future. The details for our physical examination quest had been updated.
[Quest: The Harvest Moon Festival of Eldoria]
[Objective: Protect the village of Eldoria from nightly invasions of High Goblins. The goblins have been reported to be intelligent, using coordinated tactics to steal supplies and take villagers for food and to host their offspring.]