As I finished descending the stairs, I found the rest of my family seated in the hall where we had gathered earlier that morning. The room was eerily quiet, with only a few maids standing nearby. The atmosphere felt tense—everyone was on edge. We knew so little about what was happening, and being separated from the others only made it worse.
Unable to contain her anxiety, my aunt approached one of the maids. "Excuse me, do you know when the others will return?"
The maid looked uncertain, fidgeting with her apron as if unsure how to respond. Before she could stammer out an answer, Dina appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. With a calm, measured tone, she excused the maid and addressed us directly. "It may take until tomorrow. I suggest you all relax, have something to eat, and rest. Nothing bad will happen to them."
Her words were reassuring, and the room grew quieter. Though the tension lingered, there was a calmness that replaced the earlier anxiety. I took this moment to reflect on everything I'd learned so far.
First, I had access to some sort of information screen—a feature I hadn't seen anyone else use or mention. On that screen, my name appeared as Aerithan, the same name as the tyrannical emperor of this world, a figure who had once ruled with immense power before being betrayed and overthrown. The similarity couldn't be a coincidence. Was I somehow connected to him? Or worse, was I him?
Initially, I had wondered if this might be a world from a game I played, but nothing about it matched anything I knew. I hadn't remembered anything remotely similar to this place. My next step, I decided, was to find more information. A library, perhaps, or some records that could tell me more about Aerithan and this world's history.
After a few minutes of thinking, I stood up and made my way to Dina, who was speaking with some other maids. When she noticed me, she immediately turned and smiled politely.
"Hello, sir. What can I do for you?"
"Is there a library or somewhere I could learn more about this world?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual.
My father and middle cousin, who had been quietly observing me, perked up at my question. Their faces reflected their shared curiosity, as though I had asked the exact question they were dying to know.
Dina tilted her head slightly before answering. "Yes, there is a library. However, it will not be accessible until the trials are completed. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me—I will do my best to answer them."
I nodded, slightly disappointed but not entirely surprised. I didn't want to push her for more information right now, just in case it raised suspicion. I returned to my seat by the window, trying to process my next move.
That's when my father and cousin stood up and rushed toward Dina, peppering her with questions about the world, particularly about the other races that lived here. I hadn't thought much about it before, but their curiosity made sense—after all, we'd been told earlier that there were other races, but I had been too lost in my thoughts to pay attention during Claudia's lesson.
Despite the mounting questions, I found myself strangely uninterested in the new information. The curiosity I once had about this world seemed to be overshadowed by a deeper, more personal mystery—my connection to Aerithan.
After some time, dinner was served, though no one had yet returned from the trials. I could see the Great Hall from my window and had been staring at it all afternoon, waiting for a sign of their return. Despite the meal, an uneasy silence hung over the room. After dinner, the maids advised us to rest, escorting each of us to our rooms.
Once inside my room, I found myself too restless to sleep. I opened the screen once more, scrolling through the vast list of skills I had at my disposal. Two caught my eye: Invisibility and Appraisal. Appraisal was the same ability the mage had used earlier. I decided to test it on myself.
When I activated it, a new screen popped up, but instead of the overwhelming power I had seen earlier, this screen displayed what I realized was false information—likely the same false data the mage had seen. It listed my name as Raphael, showed no extraordinary abilities, and the stats were shockingly average, almost mundane.
Next, I tried Invisibility. I stood in front of a mirror and took a moment to look at my reflection—white hair, green eyes, and a familiar face. Despite everything, I was still myself. I activated the spell, and in an instant, my reflection disappeared from the mirror. The realization that I was truly invisible was thrilling until I glanced down and noticed my feet had also vanished. The shock of it made me lose balance, and I fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Immediately, there was a knock at the door. My heart raced.
"Is everything alright in there?" a voice called from the other side.
Panicking, I quickly deactivated Invisibility and hurried to the door. "Yes! Sorry, I just… fell off the bed. Nothing to worry about."
The maid on the other side seemed satisfied. "Very well. If you need anything, just call."
Before she could leave, I opened the door slightly and thanked her for her concern, trying not to look as flustered as I felt. She gave me an odd look, probably because of my nervous expression, but simply nodded and walked away.
As she left, I decided to test Appraisal on her. A screen popped up, detailing her information, but most importantly, she didn't seem to notice a thing. That was a relief—I could gather information discreetly.
After closing the door, I began hatching a plan. If they wouldn't allow me to access the library, maybe I could sneak out and gather information myself. Invisibility made it seem possible, even easy. But then I realized the problem—if someone checked my room and I wasn't there, they'd start asking questions. I needed to make sure no one suspected I was gone.
I quickly searched the room for a solution. In the closet, I found several extra sheets and pillows. The thought struck me—just like in movies, I could arrange the pillows under the blankets to make it look like I was asleep. After some careful work, I had created a passable decoy. It wasn't perfect, but in the dim lighting, it might just fool someone at a glance.
Now that everything was in place, I took a deep breath and approached the door. Pressing my ear against it, I waited for silence. After a few moments of stillness, I slowly opened the door, peeking out to ensure no one was nearby. Seeing the coast was clear, I stepped out, now completely invisible, and started making my way toward the exit.
The halls were dimly lit, with only a few guards patrolling and some maids cleaning quietly. It was late—likely past midnight. I carefully made my way down the stairs, avoiding any detection.
Reaching the main entrance, I spotted two guards stationed at the door. They were the last obstacle between me and the outside world. Luck was on my side, though—just as I was considering how to get past them, Dina appeared, walking toward the door. The guards immediately opened the doors for her, and I seized the opportunity, slipping through behind her unnoticed.
Once outside, I breathed a sigh of relief. The cool night air filled my lungs as I looked around the garden. It was just as enchanting as it had been the night before, with glowing flowers and soft lights floating through the air. I began walking aimlessly, trying to remember the path back to the palace.
After a while, I stumbled upon a massive gate at the edge of the complex. A line of guards stood on either side of the gate, as if they were waiting for something. I was about to sneak past them when I heard the creaking of wheels. A carriage appeared, and the gates swung open. I stepped back, watching from the shadows.
The carriage stopped in front of the guards, and from it stepped a towering man, comically muscular, with black horns protruding from his head. He stood silently by the carriage, as if waiting. Then, another figure emerged—a young man with fiery red hair and matching red horns. He was soon followed by a woman, roughly the same age, with the same red hair and horns.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I felt truly mesmerized. The woman was stunning, her beauty almost otherworldly. But that moment of awe was short-lived. As soon as she stepped from the carriage, her eyes locked onto my position—where no one should have been able to see me.
Panic surged through me. Before I could react, a ball of fire hurtled toward me from her direction. I barely managed to dodge it, leaving me gasping for breath and in a panic. After a few seconds, I regained my senses and saw a young man with red hair rush to the woman's side, seemingly questioning her actions, though I couldn't hear their conversation.
I didn't need to. It was clear she had sensed me, even while I was invisible.
Realizing how close I had come to being discovered—or worse, killed—I decided it was too dangerous to continue. I needed to get back to the palace. I began walking as fast as I could while still being cautious of gaining more unwanted attention.
Luck was still on my side as I spotted Dina returning from wherever she had gone. I followed her back inside, slipping through the doors just as I had before. Once back in my room, I let out a shaky breath, collapsing onto the bed. Whatever had just happened, that woman would undoubtedly be trouble.
For now, though, I had survived. I was too exhausted to dwell on the what-ifs, and sleep soon overtook me. Tomorrow, I'd have to figure out my next move—and learn more about this world, one way or another.