After the events of last night, I woke up earlier than usual. Immediately, I got up from my bed and sat down at the small desk beside the window in my room. Surprisingly, I wasn't as shaken as I thought I would be, but I still felt anxious. Somehow, that woman had seen or sensed me, even though I was invisible and had made no noise. Would she recognize me if we met again?
My mind was swarmed with thoughts I had thought I'd overcome—what if they discovered I had sneaked out? What if they asked how I became invisible? But I couldn't stay idle. I had decided to learn more about this world, and hiding in my room wouldn't improve my situation. After changing out of yesterday's clothes, I left the room, determined to act.
The hallways were quiet, with maids and guards going about their duties. No one paid much attention to me as I made my way downstairs. At the bottom of the staircase, I saw Dina speaking with a man I recognized from the Hall family—one of the group that had gone with the mage for the trials. As I approached, their conversation ended, and Dina turned to me with a polite nod.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted me with her usual formality.
"Good morning," I replied. "Is there any news about the others?"
"Yes," Dina responded in the same calm tone. "Everything is going well. They have passed the trials and should be back in time for lunch with the results. If you wish, you may take a walk in the garden with an escort for some fresh air."
I liked the idea and immediately replied, "Of course."
Dina signaled to a guard who looked to be in his thirties, with a scar beneath his left eye. He nodded as Dina instructed him to accompany me and ensure I remained in the permitted areas. With that, she led us to the doors where two guards were stationed, the same ones I had seen the night before. After a brief exchange, the doors opened, and I stepped outside.
It was my first time seeing the garden in daylight. While it still had the otherworldly, fantastical appearance, it looked different compared to how it had glowed at night. My first goal was clear: I needed to revisit the place where I had been attacked to gather more information.
Following the path I had taken the night before, I kept an eye out for any signs of those mysterious people. The walk seemed longer in daylight, but eventually, I reached the spot. It was now surrounded by guards, and several people were working on repairing the area. Some were dressed similarly to the mage, while others looked like gardeners.
Feigning ignorance, I turned to the guard who was escorting me and asked, "What happened here?"
He hesitated for a moment before answering. "There was an incident last night. A guest accidentally caused some damage."
I gasped, pretending to be shocked. "Was it one of the other families that were summoned?"
The guard shook his head. "No, the guests were from another kingdom. I'm afraid I can't say more about the incident."
I considered pressing further but decided against it, not wanting to raise suspicion. "I understand," I replied and continued my walk through the seemingly endless garden.
After a while, we came upon a small building. Curious, I asked the guard what it was.
"That's a library," he answered.
Excitement surged through me. "Can I go inside?" I asked.
The guard paused, thinking for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you may."
My heart leaped with joy. Without wasting another second, I made my way to the entrance, eager to explore. The guards at the door bowed as I entered, but I was too focused to pay them any mind. Inside, the library was vast, shelves upon shelves of books stretching across the room. It felt as if the entire world's knowledge was contained within these walls.
I wandered around, searching for anything related to the Empire or Emperor Aerithan. I needed to understand my connection to him and the abilities I seemed to have. After what felt like hours of searching without success, I noticed someone else in the library—Baroness Claudia, the woman who had given us a brief lesson the day before. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't hear me approach.
I tapped her gently on the shoulder to get her attention. Startled, she jumped in surprise but quickly regained her composure. Turning to me, she spoke in a disapproving tone.
"Young man, how dare you sneak up on me like that? You could have given me a heart attack!"
It took a few moments for her to calm down. When she did, she finally asked, "What do you want?"
"I'm sorry for startling you," I apologized. "I just wanted to ask if there were any books about the Empire in this library."
She gave me a scrutinizing look, then asked, "Why are you so interested in the Empire? You even interrupted my lesson yesterday to ask about Emperor Aerithan."
I quickly thought of a reasonable explanation. "I'm just curious about the history of this world. From what I learned from your lesson, the Empire played a major role in shaping it, and I want to know more."
Her expression softened, and her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Ah, I see! You're quite the scholar, aren't you? There are indeed many books on the Empire here. Let me help you find them."
Despite her stern demeanor, Claudia's passion for history shone through as we spent what felt like hours gathering books. Her stiff attitude melted away, and she talked about history with the excitement of a child discussing their favorite games. Once we had gathered all the relevant books, she informed me that I could take them back to the palace to read.
I thanked her for her help and left the library, only to find that my guard had disappeared. When I asked the guards at the door, they told me he had been called away for another duty and hadn't returned. I looked at the sky, estimating that it was around lunchtime—about the time Dina said the others would be back.
I informed the guards that I would return to the palace on my own. After exchanging glances, they reluctantly nodded, allowing me to go. As I retraced my steps through the garden, I noticed that the area where I had been attacked was now fully repaired, with no one around. I took a quick glance before continuing on my way.
When I arrived back at the palace, Dina was waiting at the entrance, looking unusually anxious. As soon as she saw me, she hurried over.
"Where is your guard? Are you alright?" she asked, her tone filled with concern.
I explained what had happened at the library and where the guard had gone. She sighed with relief and then escorted me inside, mentioning that the others had returned. "They have some news, but I think it would be best if they told you themselves."
I wasn't sure whether to feel nervous or excited as she led me into the hall where my family sat eating lunch. On the opposite side, the Hall family was doing the same. As soon as my mother saw me, she rushed over.
"Raphael! Where were you?" she asked, worried.
I explained everything that had happened while I took my seat. Once I finished, the rest of my family began telling me about the trials. Apparently, we had passed, but just barely. Our family had been granted the lowest-ranking title of nobility—Barons. My oldest cousin had been given the title, and now we were technically nobles.
It seemed strange to me, but I had forgotten how medieval societies worked, with their rigid class divisions. My family also explained how the trials had tested their abilities, each member being taught how to use them and ranked by mages according to their strength. The Hall family, they said, had been given the title of Earls, which ranked higher than ours.
I wasn't too concerned about the rankings, but I asked, "So, what happens now?"
"We're to be given land to govern," my mother replied. "We just need to wait for more details about when we'll move there."
As I listened, a mix of curiosity and uncertainty settled over me. We were just ordinary people in our world, and now everything felt so unfamiliar. I could see the same uncertainty mirrored on the faces of those around me. Despite the confusion, I had more questions than ever—about this world, my family's future, and most importantly, the mysterious connection I had to Emperor Aerithan.
After finishing lunch, I stood up, leaving my family behind as they continued discussing the situation among themselves. I picked up the books I had borrowed from the library and began the walk back to my room. I was confident that, by this afternoon, at least some of my questions would finally be answered.