William took the opportunity to engage in further conversation with Jinra during dinner. They had grown closer, and William was always eager to learn from those with more experience.
"You're doing very well," Jinra praised him, a warm smile gracing his weathered features. "But remember, this is just the beginning. The training will become progressively more challenging."
It wasn't as if William hadn't expected that. Or rather, hadn't wanted that. He was eager to push himself.
"Thank you," William replied, "and yes, I know. Well, I think I'll get some rest, Jinra. We can talk more tomorrow, right?"
"Of course," Jinra assured him.
William's time in the past was dwindling. He returned to the barn where he was sleeping and lay down, feigning sleep. He wasn't particularly tired yet, but he wanted to be ready to return to the present when the time came.
And then, just like that, he found himself back on the hill where he had opened the portal. The time was exactly the same as when he had used the skill – early morning.
'It seems time freezes in the past while I'm gone, too' William mused. 'I suppose that's how my skill works at least...'
It seemed to make the most sense, but he couldn't be sure. One thing was certain: time in the present didn't progress while he was in the past.
After spending a couple of hours enjoying the view, William decided to return to Gorn's cabin. He pretended to have been out training, as returning immediately after leaving would seem strange.
Gorn was waiting for him. "How was the training?" he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
William was tempted to reveal that he had already learned Swiftfoot. If it were anyone else, he might have hesitated. But Gorn was someone he trusted.
"If I tell you," William began, leaning in conspiratorially, "do you promise to keep it a secret? Especially from those adventurers I don't trust."
Gorn frowned, a bit confused. "Of course, but what do you mean? I don't understand."
With a grin, William declared, thumping his chest, "I can already use Swiftfoot! Just don't tell anyone that I learned it so quickly. That's what I want to keep secret."
"What?!" Gorn exclaimed, his voice booming through the cabin.
"Stop joking around," Gorn scoffed, though a hint of wonder flickered in his eyes. "I know you're talented, but that's just impossible."
William wasn't offended. In fact, exceeding Gorn's expectations by such a wide margin felt exhilarating.
Without a word, he channeled his mana, constructing the runes for Swiftfoot. Then, he seamlessly imbued them into his body, activating the spell's effects.
Gorn watched intently, his jaw slack with disbelief. He was speechless, utterly stunned by the display.
After a long moment, he finally managed to stammer, "Th-that's... incredible. Truly incredible. It seems like a waste for you to stay here in this village. Have you ever considered formally studying magic at a school?"
Just as Jinra had encouraged William to pursue formal magical education, Gorn seemed to share the sentiment.
"I've never really considered it," William admitted, pondering the idea. "Is it truly worth it?"
"Of course!" Gorn exclaimed, his enthusiasm bubbling over. "Not only will you learn a great deal, but upon graduating, you'll have numerous paths to choose from. You could become a researcher, a professor at a magic school, or even join the army at a much higher rank. People with average talent do very well in life with formal training, so imagine what you could achieve!"
Jinra hadn't emphasized these benefits, which was understandable. Times were different then. There were fewer cities, fewer schools, and everything was far more primitive. But in present-day Aethel, things were different.
"Now that you mention it," William said, his interest piqued, "studying does sound very appealing. Am I even the right age to enroll?" He wondered if there were younger students or if he would be at a disadvantage compared to those who had started earlier.
"Most students enroll earlier," Gorn explained, "but it's not uncommon to have older students. However, you would likely be placed in an advanced class, which means you'll need to study diligently. I believe recruitment begins in six months..."
Remarkably, it was the same recruitment period Jinra had mentioned. Had the recruitment window remained unchanged throughout history, or was it merely a coincidence?
Regardless, William now had a goal to strive for in the next six months, and the prospect filled him with excitement.
"And Gorn," William began, a slight hesitation in his voice, "regarding Maya..."
Gorn immediately interjected, "If you're smitten with her, I'll consent to your marriage, but only after you graduate and make something of yourself."
William blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Actually, I just wanted to talk about possibly sending her to study magic as well... She's very curious to learn."
"Oh," Gorn mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's what you meant..."
"Well, I'll talk to her, and maybe start some training as well," Gorn replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But I think she'll likely enter the school in a year's time. I want her to have a solid foundation before she goes."
"Alright, I understand," William said. "Well, I'm going to my room to read for a bit..."
"Of course, go ahead," Gorn said with a wave of his hand.
William headed to his room, intending to take a nap. He was feeling the effects of his disrupted sleep from traveling between the past and present.
Now that he had practically mastered Swiftfoot, William decided to start learning the other skill he had purchased: Kinetic Burst. This skill would grant him a short-range teleportation ability, like a dash or blink. It would undoubtedly prove useful in combat and exploration.
He still had two days until their expedition to the cave to investigate the corruption plaguing Willow Creek, and William was determined to learn this new skill before then.
With his newfound approach to mastering skills, he was confident he could do it. The only problem was that his SSS-ranked skill was still on cooldown, meaning he couldn't visit Jinra for guidance.
'When will it be off cooldown?' William wondered, frustrated. The information wasn't displayed in his System interface. He pushed the thought aside and focused on learning Kinetic Burst.
Two days passed, and things in the village took a turn for the worse...