Chapter 31: The Next Move

The dorm room was silent.

A single ray of morning sunlight filtered in through the curtain, casting a golden line across the wooden floor. Noah sat on the edge of his bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, crimson eyes focused as he ran a black cloth along the edge of Kagetsume. The katana, resting across his lap, gleamed with a faint, dangerous luster.

Each stroke of the cloth was slow. Precise. As if the act of polishing the blade helped clear his thoughts.

'The first scenario is done... and this time, it ended perfectly.'

He paused, examining the reflection on the steel.

'Lys made the contracts. All three spirits. Aqua, Gaia, and Fire. That alone should've been impossible... 0.5% chance, and that's if you even knew what to do. Most players didn't. But I did. Hehehe... we hardcore players always kept the real methods to ourselves.'

The cloth slid again.

He looked toward the window, where faint clouds crawled across the morning sky.

'Only downside is… she won't leave me alone.'

He sighed, though it wasn't exactly a complaint.

'Every time I turn around, she's there. I get it. I helped her. Saved her life. Carried her through a forest while being chased by three legendary beasts. Anyone would get a little… attached.'

He blinked, looking back at the blade in his lap.

'But still. It's a bit much.'

There was a pause. Then he laughed to himself under his breath.

'Well. I'll figure it out. Later. For now… I've got the best possible outcome locked in. That alone is worth a few awkward silences.'

'Now comes the second one... The rebirth of her master. The goth girl. Last time, Cael ignored me. Thought the auction wasn't important enough. He was wrong.'

Noah exhaled through his nose.

'So many died. Because that thing woke up... broken. A monster in mind and soul.'

He folded the cloth carefully and laid Kagetsume on the table beside him.

'I won't make the same mistake. This time, I'll go. With Cordelia.'

Then a pause—he stood and stretched, his joints popping slightly.

'Now that I think about it... I'll need something decent to wear. A proper suit. Cordelia said she'd handle the money, right? Still, I should find a tailor soon.'

He looked at himself in the mirror.

Disheveled hair. Tired eyes.

'I don't look like a noble, but... I'll make it work.'

He grabbed his coat from the hook by the door and threw it over his shoulder.

'Let's fix the future. One thread at a time.'

Noah leaned back against the wall, arms crossed as his eyes drifted toward the ceiling.

The room still smelled faintly of steel oil and parchment. But his thoughts had moved far from the blade. They were elsewhere—on a girl with white hair and eyes like the deep sea.

'Now Cordelia Ross…'

He closed his eyes, sorting through the fragments of what he remembered—and what he had observed.

'She wasn't in the game. Not even mentioned. And I played every route. Every ending. Every miserable, failure-ridden Act. I would've remembered her.'

His eyes opened slowly.

'So why is she here?'

He began pacing. The wood creaked softly beneath his boots.

'And this time… Cordelia was added in. A variable. A butterfly. Something small that might change everything. She says she's read the story for five years. She read the entire story. Our story. Mine and Cael's, well Caels mostly. It was a damn novel for people from another world, and somehow she got dragged into it.'

He exhaled sharply, as if saying it aloud helped him believe it.

'Well… I guess this time around, I won't be alone either. Just hope she doesn't betray me like that other bastard did. Because now… I won't hesitate. I'll kill anyone who crosses me—so long as they're not innocent.'

His jaw tightened for a moment, but the thought passed.

'Still… it's clear things are going to shift because of her. The Imperial Princess already hates her. Her family's supposed to be influential, according to what she said.'

He tapped a finger against the steel of his blade.

'I'll need to meet them. See what kind of people they are, and if they are really important, still new content to the game made this exciting.'

–

Noah stepped into the hallway, now dressed in his academy uniform: black and gray, with deep crimson trim matching the color of his eyes. Kagetsume hung across his back in its sheath, secured tightly but always within reach.

The corridor buzzed faintly with life—students moving between rooms, talking in hushed tones about the recent chaos. The events of the previous day had shaken everyone, even if no one wanted to admit it.

'So they're still talking about it. Figures. Not every day the training grounds turn into a spirit battlefield.'

He descended the stairs toward the classroom wing. His destination today: the third-floor lecture room. Professor Trinity's class.

When he stepped inside, the air felt… tired.

Trinity stood at the front, arms crossed, her usually pristine silver hair looking slightly more disheveled than usual. She wore a dark cloak today, not her usual navy robes, and she was sipping a small cup of herbal tea. Her eyes were sharper than usual—but ringed with fatigue.

Noah nodded internally.

'Still standing, huh?'

The students slowly filled the seats, some giving her worried glances. She raised a hand.

"No need for long lectures today," she said with a strained smile. "I'm assigning reading and ending early. I'm tired. You're tired. Let's not push our luck."

That was met with murmurs of gratitude and a few relieved chuckles. Noah said nothing—just gathered his things, slung his satchel over one shoulder, and stepped out of the classroom as quietly as he had entered.

But instead of returning to his room, he turned toward the main stairwell.

He had a plan.

'The suit,' he thought. 'Since Cordelia is covering the auction I can spend my money in the suit.'

He paused at the fountain near the courtyard, scanning the area until his eyes landed on a familiar head of green hair streaked with yellow.

Amelie Valenhart.

She stood under a large tree, arms folded, staring off into the sky like she was lost in thought. She wore her usual black and gold uniform, cape draped over her shoulder, wand strapped to her thigh.

"Oi," Noah called casually as he approached.

Amelie blinked and turned. "Oh. It's you."

Noah smirked. "Got a minute?"

She tilted her head. "Why?"

"I need to go into the city," he said. "Need to buy a suit. Something classy. And I'd rather not go alone."

Amelie raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come shopping with you?"

"You're a noble, right? You'll know how to pick something good."

She let out a soft laugh, covering her mouth. "I'll admit, you could use help."

"So…?"

"Alright, I will go, just give me ten minutes."

"Okay, I wait here."