At last, as I turned toward the door to leave my room, a strange mix of excitement and tension lay coiled inside me. The feeling reminded me of the day I first left home to go to school as a child.
But I needed to stay calm. There were things I had to do.
I opened the door and, for the first time since reincarnating into this body, stepped outside my room. A long but narrow corridor stretched out before me. One side was lined with tall windows, while the side I stood on was filled with paintings, doors, and evenly spaced lights.
The rooms along the corridor must have belonged to the other youths sponsored by Baroness Catherinne. According to the novel, the room right next to mine belonged to Lucienne. After closing my door behind me, I started down the hallway at a brisk pace.
Now I had reached my first problem. Where exactly was the training ground?
The novel never described how Aurelius made his way to the training area. If only I had access to Aurelius's memories, like in other reincarnation stories, things would have been much simpler.
When I spotted a woman in maid attire some distance away, I found myself instinctively moving toward her. Moments later, I stood before a young maid who was looking at me with a gentle smile. She was very young, perhaps too young. Calling her a child would not have been inaccurate.
Strangely enough, she looked to be around ten or twelve years old. Then again, it was not so strange. This world was not a modern one with concepts like children's rights, and she was proof of that.
Either way, the fact that she was a child worked in my favor. I leaned down slightly and looked at her overly cheerful, sweet face.
"Do you need something, Mr Aurelius?"
"Yes," I replied, deliberately softening my voice. "I need to go to the training grounds. Could you show me the way?"
Her eyes widened for a brief moment. Then, as if she had been entrusted with an important mission, she puffed out her chest just a little.
"Of course I can!" she said quickly. "But mr Aurelius… isn't it a bit late? You're usually already there at this hour. Are you still sick?"
A bitter smile passed through my mind. While reading the novel, there had not been a single scene that portrayed Aurelius as particularly disciplined. So that was the expectation. If I had not forgotten about the gifts the system had given me, I would not have made this mistake.
"A little," I said after a short pause. "But not enough to stay in bed."
That answer was enough to convince her. The worry on her face melted into relief. Good. That meant I would not have to come up with any further explanations.
"Then come on," she said, turning around without hesitation and starting to walk. "Even if you're late, it won't be a problem. The instructors won't scold you."
When we reached the end of the corridor, we went down the stairs. The lower floor looked colder and more austere. Decorative elements were fewer here, replaced by functional stone architecture. This part of the manor was not meant for living. It was meant for preparation.
"The training grounds are outside," the girl said as she pushed open a heavy door. "But we have to cross the courtyard first."
As the door opened, cool open air brushed against my face. A wide inner courtyard stretched before me. Stone paving, rows of columns along the edges, and a large open space left empty at the center. In a far corner, several youths were practicing with wooden swords. Their movements were clumsy, but determined.
Watching them, a thought surfaced unbidden.
How many of them would survive?
The novel was ruthless. It did not spare side characters and did not hesitate to discard even those with potential. And I… I was no longer outside that novel. I was inside it.
"There," the girl said, pointing toward the back of the courtyard. "They're all there!"
A wide area of packed earth lay before me. Weapon racks, training dummies, and a few real metal weapons set aside at the edge. It was empty for now. Most likely, everyone had already finished their morning drills. That was a good thing.
When I turned back to the young maid, I saw her looking up at me with eyes full of expectation, like a small puppy. Understanding what she wanted, I patted her head.
"Thank you," I said.
"It's nothing, mr Aurelius," she replied with a smile. "If you want, I can bring you some water later."
"There's no need," I said gently. "But maybe later."
At that, her face brightened even more, and she hurried off.
I was left alone in the middle of the training grounds.
I took a deep breath. The smell of earth, metal lingering in the air, traces of sweat. This was a place where power was forged. A location that was ordinary for the novel's protagonist was a turning point for me.
"All right," I murmured.
I walked toward the weapon racks. Wooden swords, poorly balanced spears, and a few metal weapons set apart from the rest. The moment my fingers brushed against the hilt of a sword, my body flinched slightly. A sensation that was unfamiliar, yet not entirely foreign. My muscles reacted before my mind did.
So Aurelius's body was not a blank canvas after all.
I picked up the sword. It was heavier than I had expected, but not uncomfortable. My shoulders tensed, my posture straightened on its own. I had not made a conscious movement, yet my feet settled naturally into position.
"Was this… muscle memory?"
At that moment, several figures appeared in the distance. All of them were young, with three adults walking behind them. I tried to distinguish their faces based on descriptions I remembered from the novel, but I failed with all of them except one.
The smiling girl walking toward me.
I recognized her immediately. Her curly red hair, her large green irises, her well-defined figure, exactly as I had imagined. A beautiful woman.
Lucienne Werdant.
The woman the original Aurelius had never stopped pursuing, his first love. But I could not fall in love with her if I wanted to complete the system's initial task.
My heart sped up involuntarily.
No.
That reaction was not mine.
It was the body's instinct. A remnant of Aurelius. A foolish, romantic reflex of love at first sight. I clenched my teeth and steadied my breathing. If I lost control at the first moment, it could have caused me to fail this task.
As Lucienne approached, several of the youths around her had already noticed her presence. Her stride was relaxed and confident. The girls beside her followed half a step behind, while the boys unconsciously straightened their posture.
The novel had not exaggerated. In this world, some people drew attention simply by existing.
When Lucienne's gaze found me, a small but sincere smile formed on her face. She quickened her steps. I don't know if it's a general situation among women in this world, but after Boreness Catherinne, Lucienne also had a very beautiful face.
"Aurelius?" she said. Her voice was clearer than I had expected. "I did not think I would see you today. I was told you were sick."
I locked eyes with her. Green irises, lively and curious. Under normal circumstances, the original Aurelius would have softened here, blurted out something foolish, and then spent the rest of the day regretting it.
But these were not normal circumstances.
I deliberately kept my expression neutral. Neither cold nor warm. As blank as stone.
"It was nothing serious," I said in a flat tone. "I was just a bit late today."
For a fraction of a second, Lucienne's smile froze. So brief that no one else would have noticed. But I did.
"I see," she said immediately after. The warmth in her voice remained, but something was missing. "We hadn't seen you around for a while. I was worried."
"There's nothing to worry about."
This time, the silence lingered a little longer.
One of the girls beside her shot me an odd look. One of the boys frowned. Aurelius Emberforge speaking this briefly, this distantly, was not normal.
Lucienne tilted her head slightly, a gesture she usually used to draw the other person into conversation.
"Are you starting your training?" she asked. "If you'd like, we can train together. It's a light schedule today."
An offer.
The first attempt at closeness.
The system's objective echoed clearly in my mind. Remain indifferent. Do not form emotional bonds. Be cold enough to prevent her from taking interest in you.
I tightened my grip on the sword, but did not look at her. I spoke without turning my gaze away from the weapon racks.
"No."
A single word.
Then I added, "I'll train alone."
Lucienne's eyes widened openly this time. Her smile did not vanish completely, but it was no longer natural. It was an act. A social reflex.
"I see," she said. "Then… good luck."
"Ok, thanks."
I did not even nod.
At that point, the conversation needed to end. And it did. I turned my back on her and slowly walked away without looking at her again.
Lucienne remained where she was for a few seconds, as if searching for something else to say. She was clearly shocked, unable to find the right words. That meant I had succeeded. If I kept this up, I would probably complete my first task far sooner than I had expected.
As I idly wondered what I should buy from the shop with my first reward, I glanced back out of the corner of my eye. In Lucienne's gaze, I noticed something I absolutely did not want to see...
Curiosity.