I changed my objective from immediately going to this academy to something more useful, I returned to my house to wait for the night to come. Once the darkness enveloped the village, I crept out of my home, crouching low to avoid making any noise.
I carefully scanned the village, my vision hindered by the lack of light from the moon. I spotted a horse in a small nearby house and approached it quietly, petting its mane before mounting it and galloping away before anyone could notice.
With his new means of transportation, Sei set off towards the academy, the sound of the horse's hooves causing the villagers to stir. But by the time they had emerged from their homes, Sei was already long gone, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
As Sei made his way through the forest, the sound of the horse's hooves pounding against the dirt path was the only thing that could be heard. The trees towered above, casting deep shadows as the moonlight filtered through the leaves. The only sound that could be heard was the horse's breathing and the occasional snap of a twig beneath its feet.
Sei rode on, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of danger. He could hear the distant hooting of an owl and the rustle of leaves in the wind, but other than that, the forest was eerily silent. The horse's breath came out in visible puffs, its breath steaming in the cold night air.
As they rode on, Sei couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he imagined unseen eyes following his every move. The horse's ears twitched as if it could sense something too, but Sei urged it on, like he didn't care.
The darkness seemed to close in around them, the trees growing thicker and more twisted. The path grew narrower and more treacherous, but Sei pressed on, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. He could feel the tension in the horse's muscles as it picked its way through the underbrush, its hooves sinking into the soft earth.
Finally, after what felt like hours, he broke through the trees and into a small clearing. He came upon the small clearing where he was met by the sight of two rugged-looking men. Their faces were etched with the harshness of their lives on the run, their clothing torn and dirty. They brandished their weapons, the firelight of their campfire glinting off the sharp edges.
He saw two men, lifting their weapons up. Their faces were obscured by the flickering light of the campfire, but Sei could make out their rough, unkempt appearance. They were clearly deserters, and from the looks of their gear, they had been out here for some time.
"Don't you dare move!" one of them shouted, brandishing his sword.
"Give us that horse!" the other added, gripping a crude spear tightly.
Sei calculated his next move quickly. He jumped off the horse and quickly tied its reins to a nearby low branch.
"Well, well. Stay calm, I'm going to give you this horse." Sei said, his voice even and measured.
"Heh! That's a good choice, it seems that you value your life." one of the deserters sneered.
"Move away from that horse, drop your weapon." the other commanded, his voice filled with a sense of authority.
Sei moved away from the horse, slowly backing into the dense underbrush. The deserters watched him warily, unsure if he was truly leaving or planning something. Sei's mind raced, as he weighed his options.
The deserters heard the sound of rustling bushes growing increasingly distant before finally fading away. Believing the threat to be gone, they slowly walked towards the horse.
"Hah, that was pretty easy, huh? Can't believe we managed to get a horse." one of the deserters said, closing his eyes and grinning with satisfaction. "Hm? Did you get deaf?" he continued, opening his eyes when he received no response from his companion.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized with a start that his friend was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in as he frantically searched the clearing, his eyes widening in terror as he spotted his friend's corpse a few feet away. The man's throat had been sliced wide open, the wound so deep that it was almost as if his head had been dismembered from his body. The corpse still stood upright, planted firmly on the ground.
"W-What!?" the man screamed, before letting out another, louder, scream as he realized that he was not alone in the clearing.
"If you let your guard down, you're dead meat." a cold and menacing voice echoed from behind the man.
He whirled around, his heart pounding in his chest as he desperately clutched his sword.
"A-Aaah?!?" he screamed, his eyes wide with fear. "Y-You, little bastard!!"
With a wild and desperate swing, the deserter launched a frenzied attack at Sei, his blade slicing through the air with deadly intent. But Sei was unperturbed, his movements fluid and precise as he expertly parried the blow, effortlessly guiding the sword to the side. The deserter was no match for Sei's superior strength and skill, and he found himself powerless against the malevolent figure before him.
"Hmm? What do you think of that quote?" Sei sneered, leaning in close to the deserter's face, his eyes alight with a cold and merciless fire.
"N-N-N.." The man couldn't even form a coherent response, his mind consumed by terror and disbelief.
With a quick and brutal punch, Sei rendered the deserter unconscious, leaving him lying motionless on the ground. Sei stood tall, his lips curled into a twisted smirk, as he surveyed the carnage he had wrought. The smell of blood and fear hung thick in the air, a fitting accompaniment to his twisted sense of satisfaction. Sei merely stood there, his expression unchanging as he looked upon the fallen deserters. He had accomplished the task at hand, and now it was time to move on to the next objective.
With a cold and calculated precision, Sei approached the fallen deserter. He surveyed the man's unconscious form, taking note of his shallow breathing and weak pulse. Without hesitation, Sei reached for the man's throat, his fingers closing around it tightly. He began to squeeze, applying steady and measured pressure until he felt the man's pulse stutter and fade beneath his grip. The deserter's body went limp, his final breath escaping in a ragged gasp. Sei released his grip and stood.
He turned his attention to the small tent that stood nearby. It was a simple, unassuming structure, but it would provide the respite he so desperately needed. He approached the entrance and stepped inside, letting the flap fall closed behind him.
As he settled into the makeshift bed, his mind raced with the events of the night. Though the kill had been easy, it was not without purpose. He had eliminated a threat, and in doing so, had secured a safe place to rest for the night.
With that thought, he allowed himself to drift off into a deep and restful sleep, the sound of the deserters' final screams still ringing in his ears.