“When do we leave?” Luca asked without further questions. He had planned on heading to Dawn City soon anyway, so he’d learn more in time.
“Tonight,” Sophia replied.
Luca looked surprised. “That soon?”
He’d expected to have a couple more days at least.
Lucia shrugged helplessly. “His Majesty is already preparing the investiture ceremony for you—it wouldn’t do to keep him waiting.”
“I understand. I’ll go get my things ready,” Luca nodded, knowing he couldn’t go against a royal order.
There wasn’t much to pack, really—mostly, he just wanted to say goodbye to Orf and the others.
When they heard that Luca was leaving for Dawn City that very day, everyone was equally surprised and unprepared.
In the plaza of Red Maple Academy…
Orf, Medel, Fred, and a crowd of students gathered to see him off.
“Can’t you stay just a few more days, Professor?” Kassna asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.
She hadn’t even had time to get to know her professor better, and now he was leaving…
Luca shrugged. “This is the King’s order. Not much I can do about it.”
Orf sighed. “I always knew this day would come, just didn’t expect it to be so soon.”
Lucia, too, looked resigned. “That’s exactly how I felt back in Riverfall City.”
The speed of Luca’s growth was just too remarkable. What would take others years, even decades, to achieve, he had reached in mere months.
Melissa stepped forward, handing him a carefully wrapped parcel. She looked up at him, her eyes hopeful, and asked, “Will you come back?”
Luca paused briefly, then smiled. “Of course I will. I’m only going to Dawn City for a bit; it’s not as if I’ll be living there. No need to act like this is some tearful farewell.”
But they all knew that once he left, who could say when he would return?
It might be a year, or it could be ten.
Melissa managed a small smile and said, “I’ll be waiting.”
Kassna suddenly felt an unexpected wave of sadness rise within her, and before she knew it, tears streamed down her face freely. In no time, she was sobbing openly.
Between her sniffles, she choked out, “My first love… it ended before it even began…”
As she spoke, her crying grew even more sorrowful.
Hearing Kassna’s tearful confession, both Lucia and Sophia turned to look at Luca with expressions that seemed to say they were looking at a heartless beast.
Really? You’d go after such a young girl?
“I…,” Luca began awkwardly, feeling the weight of their gazes.
The problem was, he hadn’t done anything!
Wasn’t Kassna the one making things difficult here?
“Oh, right,” Orf said suddenly, as if he had just remembered something.
He ran his hand over his Storage Ring, and with a flash of light, a translucent, crystal-like magic spear appeared in his hand.
“This magic spear isn’t particularly powerful, but it was a gift from my own mentor, and I’ve kept it ever since. Now, I’m giving it to you,” he said, handing the crystal spear to Luca, a nostalgic look in his eyes, as though he were seeing the cycle of time come full circle.
“Thank you, Professor,” Luca said, accepting the spear gratefully.
When he checked its stats, his eyes lit up immediately.
[Magic Crystal Spear: Platinum Grade equipment, usable by Demonic Rune Mages. Grants +1220 magic attack power, +480 spirit, -20% cooldown on magic runes, +20% rune amplification, +20% rune power…]
[Skill “Magic Crystal Recall”: Upon activation, instantly resets the cooldown of up to three high-level or lower magic runes. Cooldown: 3 hours.]
“What a fantastic weapon!” Luca was delighted. Both the attributes and the skill made the Magic Crystal Spear a top-tier Platinum weapon.
The skill, “Magic Crystal Recall,” was especially valuable, resetting the cooldown for up to three high-level runes.
It is a divine skill for a Demonic Rune Mage, a class that relied so heavily on skill power.
Equipping the Magic Crystal Spear, Luca gave it a test swing and found it a perfect fit. It looked like his old Wind and Thunder Spell Spear could finally retire.
He glanced at his stats and noticed his spirit attribute had surpassed 5500, while his base attack had broken past 30,000!
This level of damage was far beyond that of a typical advanced player!
“I’m glad you like it,” Orf said with a pleased smile. “And another thing—in the ring Medel and I gave you earlier, you’ll find notes recording our years of experience with magic runes.”
“With your talent, I doubt you’ll hit any serious bottlenecks before reaching Superclass, even without guidance.”
“And if you run into any real problems or difficult situations, write to me. We’ll find a way to help you.”
Medel’s hollow eyes shifted slightly as he added, “You’re not exactly the most well-behaved type, kid. Who knows how much trouble you’ll stir up in the future.”
“If you ever come across something that’s truly too much to handle, remember to reach out to us.”
“Us old-timers may not have been active for years, but we can still help put a scare into any pests that come your way.”
“Thank you, both of you!” Luca was deeply moved by their words and thanked them sincerely once more.
Lucia felt a bit amused, thinking about how this kid had picked up two new teachers in Southwind City.
“If he heads to Dawn City and finds a few more mentors, he might have enough teachers to start a poker club…” she thought wryly.
After bidding farewell to Orf and the others, Luca went to the Lord’s Manor to visit Marquis Bronte.
There, he learned that Bronte would also be heading to Southwind City eventually, but only after resolving matters in Southwind City. In the meantime, Bronte planned to send his sister, Luna, to travel with them.
“For the next few days, I’m entrusting my sister’s care to you,” Bronte said earnestly, patting Luca’s shoulder.
Then, leaning in, he added quietly, “And don’t you dare let her down, or you’ll answer to me!”
Luna overheard everything and immediately flushed red, glaring at Bronte. “Bronte, what nonsense are you spouting? Who needs his protection, anyway? He’s just a mid-level professional!”
Bronte merely chuckled, leaving the comment at that.
Luca couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head.
These two siblings certainly had an unusual dynamic.
As they left the Lord’s Manor, Sophia frowned and said, “Where did you pick up this habit of flirting everywhere you go?”
Luca sighed, exasperated. “Trust me, it’s not intentional…”
But what could he do? It seemed like fate had handed him this knack.
Afterward, Luca found Fratis. He didn’t have any special feelings for the sixth princess; to him, she was simply a friend.
But it was clear Fratis felt differently. Thankfully, Luca wasn’t one to overthink or avoid emotions—he’d let things unfold naturally.
Surprisingly, Fratis already seemed to know about his departure.
When he arrived, she was busy packing. Her carriage was loaded with supplies, with her butler and guards busily loading more.
As Luca approached, Fratis wasn’t surprised to see him and said, “Now that things in Southwind City have stabilized, I’ll be returning with you.”
Her expression was relaxed and cheerful. Luca didn’t know her full reasons but respected her decision.
Just as they were preparing to leave, Luca felt a chilling gaze fixed on him, brimming with intense hostility.
He instinctively looked over and saw an ornate carriage parked along the roadside.
The window was down, revealing the sharp, cold face of Finn, who glared at Luca with undisguised malice.
“When we reach Dawn City, I’ll be very interested to see if you manage to walk away alive,” Finn sneered before letting the carriage curtain fall.
Watching the luxurious carriage recede into the distance.
Sophia frowned and reminded Luca, “I warned you before—don’t get involved with the sixth princess. Clearly, you didn’t listen.”
Lucia added gravely, “The Phillips family, to which Finn belongs, is leagues above most noble families. Offending him will bring nothing but trouble.”
Luca shook his head. “It wasn’t me who sought trouble with him—he simply has it coming.”
Lucia rubbed her temples in exasperation. “The Phillips family isn’t as simple as you think… but fine. When the time comes, I’ll have my father talk with Duke Lyon.”
Luca shook his head again. His conflict with Finn couldn’t be resolved through diplomacy. Even if Lucia’s father intervened, it would likely be in vain.
Eventually, he and Finn would have to settle things… once and for all.
The sun dipped low in the sky.
Evening came quickly.
Luca had originally planned to leave quietly, but somehow, word got out about his journey to Dawn City.
Soon, the entire city knew he was departing for his investiture.
By nightfall, when Luca and his group arrived at the docks, they were met with a breathtaking sight.
In the dark, countless residents of Southwind City stood with torches held high, filling the plaza before the docks. The glow of the flames illuminated faces young and old alike, all united by expressions of gratitude.
The multitude of torches formed a sea of light, transforming the entire dock into a bright, starlit landscape.
As Luca appeared, the crowd grew silent, slowly parting to open a path straight to the airship.
The torchlight cast a warm golden glow over the path, making it look like a luxurious golden carpet.
Even Lucia and Sophia were moved by the scene. They had known that Luca had saved Southwind City through some special means, but they hadn’t realized the depth of the people’s gratitude toward him.
Luca himself hadn’t expected to receive such a send-off. Gazing at the faces around him, he stood in silence for a long moment before finally speaking. “If I have the chance, I’ll come back. And when I do, I hope to see a reborn Southwind City.”
With that, he stepped onto the golden path and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, boarded the Cloudwing Airship, beginning his journey to Dawn City.