episode_0017

“I will enroll in the Academy.”

His voice still sounded cold and indifferent.

But internally, it was filled with conflict and regret.

He had no plans for what to learn or what to achieve at the Academy. He simply had to survive within the framework of the Empire.

His father smiled.

The smile seemed to stem from the satisfaction that Leo had finally decided to follow his will.

“Well done, Leo. Now your future will be with the Empire. The time has come for you to properly demonstrate your abilities in the Empire.”

After saying that, he handed Leo a bundle of documents. “Submit these documents to the Academy and proceed with the admission process. Everything will go smoothly.”

Leo accepted the documents and fell silent once again. The fear of what it would mean for him to enroll in the Academy weighed heavily on his mind.

But there was nothing he could do to choose now.

Whether it was a life as a member of the Empire or continuing anti-Empire activities, he had now accepted the reality that he could no longer freely choose his own path.

“Understood.” Leo finished speaking slowly, held the documents, and bowed his head to his father. A clear resolve had formed in his heart. As long as he walked this path, he would no longer be able to maintain his past self.

His father nodded with satisfaction and said, “Then, prepare well. The world of the Academy is by no means easy, so prepare thoroughly.”

Leo sighed deeply once again and left the room. Accepting the reality that he would enroll in the Academy was by no means easy. Nevertheless, he had to follow that path.

His father then took a carriage and left the mansion.

Leo remained alone in his room, opened the window, and took a deep breath while looking out at the wind-swept view outside.

After the conversation with his father ended, he had to accept the reality that he had to go to the Academy.

But there was still one unresolved worry in his mind.

Sierra.

Her eyes came to mind.

That day, the anxious expression on her face when he left, and the sound of her footsteps following behind him still echoed in his head.

He had tried to avoid Sierra, but the more he did, the more she tried to get closer to him. The moments he had unconsciously pushed her away now filled him with guilt.

Sierra had no idea that he was enrolling in the Empire’s Academy.

How would she react if she found out?

Even if he just told her he was going to the Academy, he couldn’t easily predict what that would mean to her. She wanted to be by his side. She always tried to get closer to him, and sometimes she was anxious, doubting his choices. But despite all that, Sierra was sincere towards him.

“I don’t want to hurt her anymore,” Leo muttered to himself. A strong conflict arose in his heart as he thought of her.

Sierra didn’t know what she wanted and just tried to follow him. The more he became entangled in the Empire’s plans, the more anxiety seized him, fearing that the distance between him and Sierra would grow.

The fact that he had to leave her created a great wave in his heart.

Whether it was right to let her go, or to protect her for the time he had left, that choice was too great a burden for him.

Sierra tried to follow him with a pure heart, and he distanced himself more and more to get away from her, but the more he did, the deeper her presence was etched into his heart.

“But I can’t be with her,” Leo whispered to himself again. “While I’m on this path, I shouldn’t drag her into it. If I am to escape the Empire’s shadow, I must also sever ties with her.”

He stared out the window, lost in deep thought. Sierra had given him so much, and all of it felt like a huge burden to him.

The deeper their relationship became, the more afraid he felt. He knew that caught up in the Empire’s plans, it was impossible for him to protect her.

Nevertheless, a sense of apology and responsibility for her still lingered in his heart.

Sierra tried to protect everything he wanted, and she approached him to give him all of that. But if he were to leave for the Academy, what would happen to her? If she were to fall into danger while trying to protect him, how could he bear that?

“I don’t know what to do about her…” Leo shook his head and closed the window once again.

“But I have no choice but to go to the Academy. If I can no longer keep her close, there’s no way for me to protect her either.”

He sat down on the bed with a deep sigh. His father’s decision and the Empire’s pressure, all of it had led him to the Academy, and Sierra was caught in the middle of it.

Now he had to somehow let her go. Otherwise, the anxiety that she would be in danger kept tormenting him.

“Still…” Leo paused for a moment. “If she follows me, I might not be able to avoid her anymore.”

He stood up again. Before preparing for tomorrow, he thought he might have to have one last conversation with Sierra today. Before he left, he felt the need to express his apology to her. But he didn’t know what effect that would have on her.

His heart was confused, and he grew increasingly exhausted in the deep conflict. The Empire’s pressure, the Academy’s admission, and Sierra. All of it intertwined in his head, and he couldn’t find an answer to the questions that constantly arose.

The Academy was the only educational institution that dealt with both magic and power simultaneously, where talented individuals gathered from across the Empire. It was vast, more like a small city than a simple school, and its tall spires, walls carved with ancient runes, and magic crystal spheres floating in the sky bore witness to its magnificent magical civilization.

Boasting hundreds of years of history, it was deeply connected to the imperial family, and after graduation, most were assigned as magical knights of the nobility, special agents of the imperial army, or high-ranking administrators. Perhaps because of this, most students were of noble birth or backed by powerful families.

The educational methods were rigorous. The daily schedule was packed with dense classes covering everything from basic theory to practical magic application, and even tactics and political science. Outbreaks of uncontrolled magic occurred dozens of times a day in the magic control rooms, and the competition among cadets was fierce enough to draw blood.

Only the strong survived here. No, it was a place where only the strong could ‘maintain their existence’ until the end.

Yes, his worry about the Academy came first.

Although Sierra hadn’t arrived at the mansion yet, he thought she might have just gone out for a late-night stroll, and that she was probably processing her anger about having lost him.

With the thought that worry for Sierra came after that, Leo tried to sleep, but

Even after a few days passed,

Sierra did not return to the mansion.

The sky was gray. A morning in the mansion untouched by wind, light, or even warmth.

Leo set down the teacup he held. The cold tea had been replaced several times, and dried tea stains were stuck on the table. The clock had passed the fourth day, and Sierra had still not returned.

‘Did something happen… or is she intentionally not returning?’

He asked himself several times. At first, he was angry, then hurt, and now worry began to slowly tighten his chest.

If it were Sierra, she would have returned in any extreme situation. Despite her self-willed personality, the child always returned to Leo. Regardless of whether it was twisted affection or loyalty bordering on madness.

But this time was different.

Suddenly, the last words Sierra had left behind came to mind. Beneath the rough, almost joking lines, it felt like some real emotion was hidden. She had been hurt by Leo’s words that day and left, but she was clearly shaken.

“…Could something really have happened?”

Leo abruptly stood up from his seat. He went into the study, spread out a map, and traced back the routes Sierra had recently taken in his mind. All communication was cut off, and there were no traces of her among the people around them.

It wasn’t like her. He didn’t even feel like she was watching him from somewhere, as she usually would.

“Damn it…”

He ran his hand roughly through his hair and muttered.

“Where are you, Sierra.”

His voice carried deep fatigue, anxiety, and suppressed guilt. Like someone who had lost someone. No, like someone for whom it was already too late.

That day, Leo did not make tea again. Until the door opened, he just breathed anxiously in the silence.

“Please come back”

“I… want to see you”