I yawned.
Not sleeping for four days straight was a bit overkill.
But as I stared at my home in front of me, I couldn't help but relax.
More importantly...
"So this is where you live, huh? It's even bigger than my former palace," Clementine said.
She agreed to live with me.
"It belonged to my parents. Now that I think about it... I feel like I want to move out."
That thought lingered in my mind from the moment I first stepped foot into this place.
Sure, it looked nice and all, but it wasn't really mine.
And I had enough money to buy my own mansion anywhere I wanted.
"Well... If you move out, you should probably get something smaller. I don't see such a big house being practical for only one person."
True.
I winked at her. "Two now."
She let out a chuckle, and finally, we went inside.
There were plenty of rooms to choose from, and after I showed Clementine where I slept, she chose the room closest to me.
It was even closer than the room Evelyn's shadow had chosen.
Though, as I glanced at the unfinished plate of food in the kitchen, I knew that shadow had most likely moved out already.
Even so, I helped Clementine adjust her room however she wanted, and after spending nearly a few hours doing so, she hopped right into bed and fell asleep.
My gaze lingered on her for a few moments, until finally, I went to my own room, turned on the music, and slumped into my bed.
I would go back to the academy tomorrow.
And the last two weeks were exhausting.
Not only getting power ups, but also exploring, eating food at restaurants with Clementine, and even watching some theater.
But even while I had my fun, I still achieved my goals.
In fact, I went slightly beyond them.
•—Amon Everness—•
Level 70 → 123 → [Low-Grade 7 → Low-Grade 12]
▷Stats
[Strength 50 → 112]
[Stamina 61 → 130]
[Speed 49 → 110]
[Perception 82 → 122]
[Vitality 110 → 140]
▷Inherent Gift
★Telekinesis [Advanced] (Lv.2 → Lv.18)
↳Lightning Affinity [Beginner → Intermediate] (Lv.1)
▷Special Abilities
★Blood-Sight (Lv.12 → Lv.23)
★Demonic Energy Resistance (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
▷General Abilities
☆Sprint (Lv.23 → Lv.32)
☆Pain Tolerance (Lv.52 → Lv.55)
☆First Aid (Lv.12)
☆Mental Resistance (Lv. MAX)
▷Core Traits
◆Dragon Heart [Beginner] (Lv.11 → Lv.25)
•——•
My stats nearly doubled, and I felt much stronger and faster.
I could even use my Gift for a lot longer.
Honestly... I didn't even know what my limit was at this point.
I still remember those days when I would struggle to even twist the leaves of a bush.
Now, I could lift boulders that weighed tens of tons.
Just what really was my limit?
Shaking my head, I glanced at the Lightning Affinity.
Ever since it reached Intermediate rank, it stopped leveling up.
There was probably something I'm missing.
Maybe the way I control it?
Or maybe there was some kind of limit placed on it...?
Limit...
What if I tried to separate the Lightning Affinity from my Telekinesis?
At that point, I would have two Gifts that I could use freely, or combine them however I wanted.
But I had no clue how to do that.
Thankfully, I had someone with two Gifts beside my room.
I'll ask Clementine when I get back from the academy tomorrow.
Speaking of her though... I'm sure the headmaster already knew I brought her into the city.
Her identity wasn't that big of an issue by itself, but the headmaster was someone who would see her as a useful pawn.
So, as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, I mentally prepared myself for the conversation I'll have with the headmaster tomorrow.
***
It was now the following day.
I woke up pretty early, and Clementine seemed to be a pretty sound sleeper, so I didn't wake her up and just left.
Instead of flying, I took my time to walk through the city of Aldraazan.
It was still as lively as I remember.
The snow was slowly receding though.
There were just a bunch of puddles everywhere instead.
I wore a hood this time, so no one recognized me.
It was a peaceful walk, and soon enough, I arrived in front of the academy.
Noticing that there was a giant line by the gate, I decided to go with the simpler approach.
I hopped the fence and entered the academy through the back entrance.
Making my way through the corridor, I eventually arrived in front of a particular classroom.
Class 1-S.
The elite of the elite.
I stared at the door for a few moments.
I heard a few cadets inside.
Obviously, they were the special class students.
Odds are, most of them think I'm dead.
Chuckling to myself, I eventually mustered up the courage to open the door.
And as I swung it open, I caught sight of the classroom.
It was small and cozy, with 20 individual seats in the back, and the main podium with the blackboard in the front.
Our instructor wasn't here, but I could still see four cadets.
It was a little early.
No wonder no one was here.
But even so, the four cadets all turned toward me.
At first, they didn't believe what they saw.
Then, their expressions twisted as though they had seen a ghost.
Out of the four cadets... one of them was Isabelle.
She abruptly stood up, and with wide eyes, paced over to me, then grabbed my collar.
Although she tried to lift me up, I was a little too strong now, so she couldn't even make me budge.
Embarrassed, she took a few steps back and composed herself.
"S-So you're alive. I thought the Siren Queen would've taken you away and killed you."
"On the contrary, she saved me because my fellow cadets looked at me as though they wanted to kill me."
She flinched.
"I—"
"I don't care," I cut her off.
"We got the job done regardless of how it happened, so don't go around worrying about it."
Seeing her conflicted expression, I couldn't help but sigh.
"Also, thank you, Isabelle. You saved my life back there."
For a moment, her eyes lit up.
Then, she nodded.
"It's only natural I'd help a fellow cadet."
Haha.
She's still the same.
At least some things never change.
Giving her a faint smile, the two of us talked a little while about what happened back then, and when we were done, I went up to the seats.
Most of the seats already had names written down on them.
But the one in the very back by the window had Reinhardt's name.
Since this seat was perfect for lazing around and sleeping, I simply sat down and with perfect posture waited for the instructor to arrive.
The cadets came into the classroom one after another.
However, the moment Kevin arrived, I froze, staring at his face.
Just what...?