Early the next morning, as the sky began to brighten.
At the entrance of the lord’s mansion, Leo was already prepared.
Butler Alfred stood before him, handing over a heavy money pouch.
The cloth bag was embroidered with the first edition of Thorn Crest from Blackwood Town.
“Young master, this is a portion of the territory’s recent trade earnings. Expenses are high in the Royal Capital of Aldrich—take this with you, just in case.”
Worry was written all over the old butler’s face.
“The capital is full of all kinds of people. You must be careful in everything, especially… don’t let those Royal Princes catch you making any mistakes.”
Leo took the money pouch and weighed it. It was not light.
“I know, Alfred.”
He looked at the old butler who had dedicated everything to the territory, and felt a warmth in his heart.
But being careful?
This time, he wasn’t going back to be careful.
Those brothers who once schemed against “Leo” had better not come looking for trouble.
Under the worshipful gaze of the residents of Blackwood Town, Leo raised his hand, and a complex magic circle unfolded on the ground.
With a clear, ringing cry, the massive Gray-Feathered Gryphon spread its wings and appeared.
Leo swung himself onto the gryphon’s broad back.
“I’m off.”
He waved his hand.
The gryphon’s wings beat fiercely, whipping up a wild gust of wind as it carried him up into the sky, soon turning into a tiny black dot on the horizon.
On the ground, the residents of Blackwood Town erupted in cries of awe, reluctant to disperse for a long while.
High in the sky, the cold wind brushed against his cheek.
Leo glanced back at Blackwood Town, now only the size of a palm, and couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
Going to school.
Just thinking of those words made him feel uneasy all over.
This feeling was even more exhausting than grinding elite monsters in the Black Forest for three days and nights straight.
The Gray-Feathered Gryphon flew at incredible speed, and in less than half an hour, the mighty outline of the Royal Capital of Aldrich appeared at the end of the horizon.
From high above, the whole city looked like a crouching giant beast, its magnificent body formed by white city walls and rows of red-tiled buildings.
However, Leo felt nothing at all.
He even felt like laughing.
In his previous life, he’d lost count of how many times he’d run through this giant city in the game.
For trade runs, for hidden tasks tucked away in obscure corners—he’d stepped on almost every single brick of this map.
He could find hidden treasure chests in alleys with his eyes closed, knew which NPC would issue a Rare Task at midnight.
He wasn’t dumb enough to ride the gryphon straight into the city.
That would be way too conspicuous.
In a secluded grove outside the city, Leo had the gryphon land and then returned it to the Summoning Space.
He tidied up the new set of clothes he’d bought a few days ago—dark blue fabric with silver thread in subtle patterns, making him look like just another young noble arriving at the capital for studies.
Once everything was in order, he strolled unhurriedly toward the majestic city gate.
There was a long queue to enter the city, and Leo obediently waited at the end.
When his turn came, the guard at the gate took the Identity Document that Alfred had prepared for him.
“Name, Leo…”
The guard paused noticeably when reading the name, as if remembering something.
He looked up at Leo, but only saw a handsome young man with a warm, harmless smile.
Maybe it was just someone with the same name.
After all, the deposed fourth prince had long since been exiled to some godforsaken borderland to fend for himself.
How could he possibly show up here?
The guard thought no more of it and waved his hand as a matter of routine.
“Go on in.”
Leo nodded at him and stepped into the long-lost capital.
The familiar stone roads, the familiar street layouts, vendors hawking their wares and passersby chatting in his ears.
It felt exactly like the opening cutscene of the game.
He didn’t rush to report to the capital’s Magic Academy.
No kidding, there were still several days before registration.
What’s the hurry?
Although he didn’t have any fondness for the Academy, he was more than familiar with the royal city.
Coming here really did feel just like coming home.
Relying on his memory, he first found an elegant and expensive inn in the Commercial District.
“I’d like your largest suite, with a private courtyard.”
Leo placed a gold coin on the counter.
The attendant immediately switched to his warmest smile upon seeing the gold coin.
He’d booked such a room mainly for convenience.
That little courtyard was enough for his gryphon to take off and land—perfect for solving the commuting problem.
After settling into the room, Leo didn’t rest but headed straight out the door.
He navigated the winding streets with ease, ducked into seven or eight alleys, and finally stopped in front of a shabby-looking tavern.
The sign was already hanging crooked, its letters nearly illegible, but you could just make out “The Rusty Anchor.”
The Rusty Anchor.
In the game, this was one of the main haunts of the capital’s biggest black-market dealer, Giggs the Thousand-handed.
Leo pushed open the creaky wooden door.
The air inside was a mixture of cheap ale, sweat, and mold.
The lighting was dim, with small groups of rough-looking types scattered about.
His arrival made the tavern fall silent for a moment. Several unfriendly gazes fell on him.
After all, his attire was completely out of place in this setting.
Leo didn’t care at all and walked straight to the bar.
He scanned the room and soon spotted his target in the most inconspicuous corner.
A short goblin with green skin and a pair of pointed ears.
The fellow was shiftily wiping a silver cup, his eyes constantly darting to each new customer who entered.
That’s him.
Leo walked over to the corner table and pulled out a chair to sit.
The goblin looked up, revealing a mouthful of sharp, yellow teeth.
“Hey there, young man. Alone? Care for a glass of our finest ale? Or maybe… you’re looking for something else?”
Leo put on a naive look, glancing nervously around.
“I… I heard you could buy some… special things here.”
“Oh?”
The goblin’s eyes lit up.
“Special things? There’s plenty of those. Weapons, armor, potions, or maybe information? As long as you’ve got the coin, Giggs can get you anything you want.”
“I’d like to buy… blank magic scrolls.”
Leo lowered his voice.
“Good quality ones.”
Giggs immediately lost interest.
Turned out to be a poor mage apprentice.
But even the smallest mosquito is still meat.
“Blank scrolls, sure.”
He dragged out a small box from under the table and opened it, showing several rolls of parchment tied with string.
“Finest goatskin, great for magical ink absorption. Ten silver coins a sheet.”
Leo picked up a roll, unrolled it, then put it back with a troubled look.
“Too expensive… Besides, I need a lot.”
Giggs curled his lip.
“Kid, you get what you pay for. This is standard material for crafting Level 1 and Level 2 scrolls. If you think it’s too pricey, I’ve got some lower-grade stuff.”
With that, he pulled out a stack of yellowed, frayed-edged parchment from the bottom of the box and tossed it on the table.
“Here—scrap. Who knows which unlucky fellow failed making scrolls with these. There’s still some magical residue on them, might lower your success rate. If you just want to practice, I can give you a deal. Whole stack, fifty sheets, one gold coin, all yours.”
Leo almost burst out laughing inside.
Here it comes!
These weren’t scraps at all, but high-grade magic paper woven from a material called Moonlight Silkworm Paper.
This paper had extremely high affinity for magical elements, making it perfect for crafting Level 3 and above scrolls.
But one of its features was that it naturally absorbed ambient magical particles, making it look like it had “magical residue,” and it resisted low-grade inks—so people who didn’t know better always took it for junk.
In his previous life, he’d made his first fortune reselling this stuff in the game.
“One gold coin? Still too expensive…”
Leo kept up his act, looking genuinely torn.
“These look almost ruined.”
“Hey, kid, don’t push your luck!”
Giggs pretended to be annoyed.
“One gold for fifty sheets, that’s just two silver coins each! Where else are you going to find that price?”
“Eighty silver coins.”
Leo held up eight fingers, as if steeling himself.
“That’s all I’ve got.”
Giggs stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide if he was lying.
Finally, he grinned, quickly shoving the “scrap” over and sweeping the eighty silver coins into his pocket.
“Deal! For such sincerity, let’s be friends!”
The goblin was delighted.
He’d picked up this so-called junk for less than ten silver coins, and now he’d sold it for eighty—eight times the profit!
This noble brat from who-knows-where was such an easy mark!
Leo carefully tucked the high-grade scrolls into his coat, wearing a face that said “I guess I lost money but what can I do.”
He snickered inwardly.
With skills like yours, back in the game I practically fleeced you bald.
After finishing his purchase, Leo didn’t linger and left the tavern.
By the time he returned to the inn, dusk was settling outside.
He locked the doors and windows and spread the Moonlight Silkworm Paper scrolls out on the table.
Reporting to the Academy could wait until tomorrow.
For now, he’d make a few Summoning Scrolls for Irina.
From his storage space, Leo took out a Mithril Rune Pen and a small bottle of special ink blended from various types of Beast Blood Ink.
He selected a scroll and smoothed it out.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind and slowly channeled his mana into the pen’s tip.
The tip of the pen traced complex, intricate golden runes across the Moonlight Silkworm Paper.
With the final stroke, the scroll suddenly flared with a gentle light.
The summoning array for a Lv45 [Magma Core Giant] was now perfectly sealed within this little piece of parchment.