The Velnore estate's library was no stranger to me.

Ever since I regained my memories, I had gone there repeatedly.

First, to confirm and expand upon what the game had told me.

Many details were conveniently omitted.

And second, because self-study had proven essential.

Learning this world's history had become a far greater priority than I had anticipated.

Mathematics? That, I could set aside for now.

It was the same as in my old world.

But, honestly, it was also a great excuse to avoid calculations.

I despised calculations with every fiber of my being.

[One day remaining until your departure.]

An unnecessary reminder.

The journey to the Monster Forest would take two full days by carriage.

Forty-eight hours of pure inertia.

If I wanted to improve, this was my last productive day before the mission.

That was why I was here, searching for something on theoretical combat.

More specifically: footwork techniques.

Unfortunately, they weren't as well-documented as swordsmanship techniques.

Perhaps a house specializing in infiltration would have…

I scanned the bookshelves until I found something promising.

"Fundamentals of the Martial Step: Balance, Movement, and Control."

A title straight out of a wuxia novel.

Perfect for an idiot like me.

I sat at one of the tables, opened the book, and flipped through the first few pages.

Discouragement.

How long would it take to understand this well enough for Bolster Up to emulate it in a hologram?

How many books would I need to read to reach that level?

[Manual reading detected.]

The system's cold voice interrupted my thoughts.

[Despite current limitations, I can still execute several useful functions. One of them is rapid absorption of written information.]

I frowned.

— What?

[With a single glance at a page, I can fully register it for later analysis.]

I blinked.

— And you're only telling me this now?!

[I did not wish to interrupt the user.]

I snapped the book shut.

Stood up, my eyes scanning the bookshelf again.

— Whatever. This is great. Let's test it properly.

I grabbed one, two—five books on footwork.

Didn't bother reading them the traditional way.

Just flipped through the pages nonstop, letting Bolster Up absorb everything.

From a distance, the librarian watched me with a puzzled look.

— Reilan's training must be driving the young master insane…

Once the scanning was complete, Bolster Up issued a warning:

[Excessive scanning may cause mental fatigue.]

I ignored it.

Because an idea had just formed in my mind.

Two, actually.

My eyes drifted to my hand.

Specifically, to my ring finger.

The ring was there.

Promise.

That was what Bolster Up had called it, right?

Among its functions, only one was currently unlocked.

Enhancing my connection to mana and other energies.

I closed my fingers around the ring.

If I wanted to improve, training my body wouldn't be enough.

I stood up and headed straight to the magic section.

Time to search for cultivation techniques.

I moved along the shelves, scanning book titles at a rapid pace.

[Mental fatigue detected. Immediate rest is recommended.]

— Shut up.

My stomach churned, and the library seemed to spin around me.

My head throbbed, a crushing weight pressing against my forehead.

I had definitely overdone it with the scanning.

— Is it possible to mix different techniques?

[Define "mix."]

— Combining the principles of the techniques we've absorbed and creating something functional for me.

A brief silence.

Then, a translucent screen appeared before my eyes.

A massive list of the books we had scanned.

[Section: Footwork Techniques

— Fundamentals of the Martial Step: Balance, Movement, and Control
— Invisible Paths: Advanced Fluid Step Techniques
— The Art of the Silent Foot
— The Spiral Path...]

-

[Section: Cultivation and Energy...

The Breath of the Sword: Connecting with Mana Through the Blade

Internal Flow: Fundamental Methods of Channeling
The Body as a Vessel: Energy Refinement
Rhythm of Blood and Mana...]

The screen stretched infinitely.

And the nausea only got worse.

[nformation processing has begun.]

The list started reorganizing before my eyes.

The books most compatible with me and my style were prioritized.

The less relevant ones were reduced to basic principles or discarded entirely.

Bolster Up then explained:

[I can implant the knowledge of these techniques directly into your brain.]

I froze for a moment.

— What? 

[This does not mean you will be able to use them instantly.]

[But it can drastically speed up your learning.]

The idea seemed absurd, but it made sense.

If it was possible, then...

— Do it.

[Confirmed.]

[I will also take your battles against the holograms into account to correct your flaws.]

— Great. Then start already.

[The process will begin immediately.]

[I recommend that the user get some rest.]

My head throbbed.

No matter how much I pushed myself now—

If I didn't rest, I wouldn't last much longer.

So, for the first time in a while…

I went to my room before doing anything else.

Closed my eyes.

And collapsed.

_________

The next morning, inside the carriage.

Even though it was powered by magic and floated above the ground, there was still a slight sway, caused by the terrain's unevenness.

The interior of the carriage was modest.

Dark wood, simple padding, nothing luxurious.

Unlike what one would expect from a Velnore.

The intention was clear—not to attract attention.

Not that any bandit would dare try anything.

None of them would survive against Reilan.

Maybe I wouldn't survive two days there either.

For a different reason, though.

A hostile atmosphere. Two people terrible at socializing facing each other. The outcome was obvious.

Silence ruled between us until Reilan spoke:

— Hmm... Young master, if I may ask, how did you obtain the Blood Blessing?

I turned my gaze from the window to him.

— You heard about that?

— I was outside. Of course, I would hear it.

I thought.

— I assume you've heard the rumors too.

I said. 

Reilan nodded.

— I have. But I don't usually listen to rumors, young master.

— Oh, so you have selective hearing. Impressive. — I teased. — What else do you ignore? Gossip about bastard princes? Legends about buried treasure? Maybe the rumor about the mansion's cook who always gives bigger portions to the workers she likes?

He gave me a look as if debating whether answering this nonsense was worth it.

— I'm being serious.

— So am I.

Reilan scoffed, shaking his head.

— Regarding your question. The Grand Regent asked for discretion for a while, but it's already spreading.

— So... is there any truth to those rumors?

— If the truth you want to hear is "yes, I cheated," then I'll have to disappoint you.

He said nothing, just waited.

I stared at him. Evaluated.

I didn't need to tell everything.

I didn't need to mention the spirit.

— Not giving in to fear.

Reilan raised an eyebrow.

— What?

— It was simple. I challenged my fear, my mind wandered... and the blessing came.

It wasn't entirely a lie.

— You're saying all it took was courage?

It definitely wasn't just that.

— Exactly. You should've tried. Who knows, maybe you'd have walked out of there glowing too.

— I highly doubt it was that easy.

— Easy? — I laughed, but there was no real humor in my voice. — It's called a trial for a reason. The secret was... at the bottom of the river.

Reilan frowned.

— The bottom of the river?

— The deepest part of it.

A pause.

— And what was down there?

I smirked.

— Oh, you know... rocks, darkness, hungry creatures... and teeth. Lots of teeth.

Reilan kept his gaze locked on me.

— That part about you being eaten... was it true?

I clicked my tongue.

— Technically, yes. But look at me—I'm here, whole, and without any bite marks to show.

His eyes narrowed slightly, clearly trying to piece the puzzle together.

— You jumped in there willingly?

— And what was the alternative? Slipping?

— Young master.

I let out a dramatic sigh.

— Yes, I jumped. Yes, I knew the danger. Yes, maybe I was a little impulsive.

I put my index finger up. 

Then, I looked at him directly. 

— But look on the bright side, Reilan—now I have the river's gift and a great story to tell.

He took a few seconds before responding.

— I'll recommend that the Duchess evaluate your mental state. You might be going insane.

I grinned.

— That part's no secret.

Reilan studied me for a moment, then turned to the window.

He looked... impressed.

Not that he'd say it out loud now.

But I noticed.

And, satisfied, I leaned back in my seat.

— Now it's my turn to ask a question.

Reilan allowed it.

— Go ahead.

I straightened up and didn't turn my gaze from him.

— The Velnore Basic Technique.

— What about it?

— You train every day, right? You've mastered all nine movements flawlessly. But what I want to know is... how do you execute them?

Reilan frowned.

— What do you mean?

I started talking.

About posture, about angles, about weight distribution.

Each of the nine movements described with surgical precision, as if I had spent years analyzing them in a laboratory.

We could leave out the help of Bolster Up here.

Reilan went silent.

I wasn't exactly bad at the technique, but—

His face scanned me, the unspoken question clear—since when did I know this much?

Since when had I been studying this?

— Well? — I pressed. — How do you make the movements easier to execute?

And just like that, we talked.

For hours.

Reilan explained his methods.

I analyzed them.

We debated. Refined ideas.

Time slipped away without us noticing.

Until suddenly—

BANG!

The carriage came to an abrupt stop.

Even though it was floating above the ground, the force of the halt was brutal.

I was thrown forward.

— Tch!

At the last second, Reilan grabbed my arm.

But it wasn't enough.

My face slammed into the cushioned seat, my forehead throbbing instantly.

— What the hell was that?!

Reilan stayed calm.

I didn't.

A curse slipped out before I could even think.

I turned toward the front of the carriage and shouted:

— Hey, coachman! What the hell happened?!

Silence.

No response.

Reilan moved toward the door.

Through the gaps in the wood, warm hues flickered outside.

And the heat…

Was unbearable.

We exchanged glances before opening the door.

The smell was the first thing to hit us.

Burnt flesh.

Melted iron.

Charred wood.

I blinked, disoriented.

Then I saw it.

Jordanis was… collapsing.

The sky was a blanket of flames and black smoke.

Bodies lay scattered in the distance, burned beyond recognition.

Homes were reduced to skeletal remains of ash.

And in the middle of it all—

The coachman.

He was there. Standing. Silent.

His eyes were empty.

His mouth slightly open.

Terror frozen on his face, as if death itself had touched him.

I stopped.

My body locked in place at the sight.

I didn't know what to do.

But Reilan did.

Before I could react, he had already leapt from the carriage.

His feet hit the scorched ground, and then—

He ran.

No hesitation.

No looking back.

— Fuck! — I cursed.

And followed him.