* * *
After finishing his meal, Anakin retreated to the library and didn’t emerge for a long time.
From basic magical theory and linguistics to combat magic—the quality and quantity of information here were worlds apart from the books he had seen at the mansion.
As he delved into these more diverse and specialized studies, his understanding of magic skyrocketed.
Anakin began to understand why the Five Great Schools were so formidable.
With the best teachers, an environment optimized for mana, and access to such professional research, it was only natural for one to become powerful.
Unless one was a once-in-a-millennium genius, awakening magic on one’s own was nearly impossible—well, perhaps unless you were Harca, the strongest character in the original work.
Anakin rubbed his eyes, which had grown dry from hours of reading.
‘Speaking of which, what is Harca doing right now?’
He was likely growing rapidly, just like in the original story.
The person who had extracted Harca from the Imperial Palace was likely from Pasadian.
And probably someone high-ranking with a significant stake in the school.
‘Could it be one of the Elders?’
It was a plausible scenario: an Elder helping Harca plot a rebellion.
Why else would they go to the trouble of assisting him?
In the original work, it was said that officials who turned their backs on Kamil’s tyranny helped Harca revolt.
But if the backing of a Pasadian Elder was involved from the start, that changed things.
What would the world look like after the original story ended?
Pasadian and Harca…
While Anakin was lost in thought, a large shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Looking up at the sculptural face staring down with indifferent black eyes, Anakin held his breath.
“……Harca?”
At this point, he wondered if he was under a spell that summoned people whenever he thought of them. First Hilde, now this.
Those black eyes, framed by reddish-gold hair, looked down at him.
Anakin glanced around at the other students before whispering to Harca.
“What is it? What happened?”
“……I waited, but you never came.”
Harca leaned against a bookshelf with his arms crossed, blinking slowly. Anakin gave a small smile, finding the gesture oddly cute.
It had only been a day since they last met. Though surprised, Anakin spoke calmly.
“Let’s go outside and talk.”
Anakin led Harca out of the library.
Harca wasn’t wearing a Pasadian robe, and his aristocratic aura and Imperial features were already drawing the attention of every disciple nearby.
Even if Harca’s presence was officially recognized within Pasadian, it was never good to stand out too much.
“Harca, aren’t you busy?”
They sat on a bench in a quiet corridor to talk.
If a high-ranking official of Pasadian had brought him here, Harca should have been busy.
He had years of etiquette and martial arts training to catch up on that he had missed in the Imperial Palace.
“……”
At Anakin’s question, Harca lowered his lashes.
“Not really.”
“……”
Unable to guess what he was thinking, Anakin pressed further.
“Does the person who brought you here not give you separate training?”
“They do.”
…The intention to groom Harca was clear.
‘This is how he was able to take down the Crown Prince.’
When Anakin remained silent, Harca added:
“Naturally, they had a goal in mind when they pulled me out of the palace. But I won’t be easily used.”
In the original work, Harca had appeared to be a ruthless, cruel villain, but in reality, he was a discarded pawn being manipulated by others.
The motive of whoever brought him here—to raise him solely to strengthen their own political position—was malicious.
‘Who exactly is that person?’
On the surface, it looked like they were giving Harca a chance for revenge against those who had abused and neglected him, but ultimately, they were moving for their own gain.
…It didn’t feel right.
“Then, Harca. What do you want to do? If you were truly free.”
At that, Harca looked up at the sky, pondering for a moment before answering.
“I……”
‘Please don’t say you want to kill everyone,’ Anakin thought as he quietly watched him.
Harca’s profile was as beautiful as a statue, yet it still held a refreshing, youthful charm.
“I don’t know. There isn’t anything I want to do.”
“……”
How did this boy, who looked so clear and innocent now, turn into a tyrant who killed people without mercy?
Anakin suspected he might be undergoing some form of brainwashing while confined here.
“……Then let’s think about it slowly.”
Anakin took Harca’s hand and smiled, his eyes crinkling.
Bathed in the sunlight, Anakin’s radiant smile was more dazzling than the sun itself.
“There’s no need to rush. You’re still so young.”
Harca stared at him as if dazed, then nodded slowly.
“Have you explored the outside much?”
“……There were so many people.”
The only world Harca had known was the thin ice of the Imperial Palace, a place where one mistake meant being torn apart.
“How is it? It’s not so bad, right?”
“It is certainly different from the world I knew. I think I understand now why you did what you did back then.”
Anakin had wanted to show Harca the world.
He had seen through the “original” Anakin how miserable a human becomes when they lose their freedom.
“I didn’t know much outside my mansion either, but coming to Pasadian made me realize how vast the world is.”
At one time, Anakin thought the choices of nobles determined the future of the Empire.
But after coming to Pasadian and meeting people with such wondrous power, he realized the people who truly moved the world were different.
Even the most dignified nobles looked like mere primitives when standing before them.
“Harca. How strong have you become?”
As expected, Anakin was curious about his power.
Since Harca was the officially strongest character in the setting, he had a pure curiosity about his childhood abilities.
“I wonder……”
Harca’s expression wasn’t one of someone who didn’t know his own strength.
Anakin was struck by the look in his eyes.
It was a look of pure boredom.
People practicing martial arts never make that face.
Strength is endless; knights and mages train and research ceaselessly to tap into their talents.
But Harca looked as if the entire process was tedious.
At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had transcended human limits.
“You’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?”
Anakin laughed awkwardly.
Harca, who had been staring at him, suddenly leaned in close.
As Harca’s face came inches from his own, Anakin stopped breathing.
Harca’s cool, crisp pheromone scent made his mind go hazy. Leaving the frozen Anakin behind, Harca reached out and nonchalantly brushed a speck of dust off Anakin’s robe.
“Anakin.”
He lowered his lashes and gazed quietly at him.
Thump, thump, thump.
Anakin’s heart beat erratically.
For a moment, he felt it would be okay if his heart stopped entirely—it felt so loud he was sure Harca could hear it.
“Yes?”
When the frozen Anakin finally spoke, Harca lightly lifted the edge of Anakin’s hood.
“I want to see your face.”
“…”
Harca gently tilted Anakin’s chin up.
Anakin’s eyes met his directly—eyes blacker than the darkness of the night sky.
As Anakin blinked, Harca stared down at him, as if trying to engrave this exact moment into his memory.
“Harca……?”
Flustered, Anakin gave an awkward smile and stepped back. Harca let him go easily.
‘Wow, the atmosphere just now was insane. He couldn’t be a hidden love interest, could he? I knew that handsome face was suspicious.’
“You startled me.”
“……”
To Anakin’s reproach, Harca replied:
“You always wear that robe. You look suffocated.”
‘I guess it looks that way to others, too.’
“Well…… I’ll probably keep it on except during class.”
‘Should I really start using transformation magic?’
If being beautiful were a crime, Anakin would have been executed for high treason.
As Anakin let out a sigh, trying to calm his racing heart, Harca asked:
“Can’t you just walk around comfortably?”
“Ahaha…… I’d like to.”
Anakin touched his robe, looking resigned. Harca looked puzzled.
“Beautiful things aren’t meant to be hidden, are they?”
“I’m just worried about strange people following me……”
It was natural for people who saw Anakin to develop feelings for him, even those who just passed him by.
In the original work, it truly was like that.
“Hmm……”
Harca narrowed his eyes in thought, then spoke.
“Then you can just get rid of the people who follow you.”
* * *
