CHAPTER 35: KNIGHT IN SHINING... HELMET? [3]

The number of unpredictable variables in this world was growing every day—Elena’s strange behavior, the appearance of people who shouldn’t exist, the hidden artifacts...

If I wanted to survive whatever was coming, I needed more mana. More power.

But right now?

Right now, all I wanted was a bed.

My limbs felt like lead, and my eyelids grew heavier with every step I took.

Still, I pushed myself upright, forcing my trembling legs to move.

One step at a time, I made my way out of the alley, heading toward the faint lights of the academy in the distance.

By the time I finally reached my dorm, I was too exhausted to even think.

I collapsed face-first onto the bed, armor and all.

"...I’ll think about it tomorrow."

And with that half-conscious mumble, I drifted off to sleep—

unaware that tomorrow’s problems were already waiting for me.

----

The next day.

The academy was in an uproar. Word of last night’s incident had already spread like wildfire through the security division.

A student had been kidnapped.

Not just any student—but the daughter of a count.

It was the kind of event that sent shockwaves through the entire campus. Professors whispered in hushed tones, guards doubled their patrols, and students were told to stay within the academy grounds.

By noon, the administration had issued an official notice:

All student outings are suspended until further notice.

That one line was enough to crush my weekend plans.

"...Great. Just great."

I had been planning to use the weekend to search for items that could help boost my magic power. Now, thanks to the lockdown, I was stuck.

In the original story, Ed was the one who saved Elena—swiftly and cleanly—with nothing but his impeccable swordsmanship. The guards hadn’t even needed to get involved. Everything had gone according to the script.

But now?

I’d intervened. And I hadn’t exactly done it quietly.

The "Lightning Slash" had been spectacular enough to wake the whole neighborhood, apparently.

So, of course, the story had shifted.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

Still... I didn’t regret it.

If I hadn’t gone all out, I might not have survived that fight. Holding back would’ve been suicide.

But there was something else—something that bothered me far more than the lockdown or the attention I was now getting.

Why hadn’t Ed shown up at all last night?

According to the story, he should’ve been there. He should’ve been the one to save Elena. But when everything went down—when she was taken, when I fought those kidnappers—he was nowhere to be found.

Could something have happened to him?

The thought wouldn’t leave me alone.

When I finally stumbled back to my dorm room, exhausted and barely keeping my eyes open, I pulled out the Sage’s Bookmark.

My hands trembled slightly as I flipped open a blank page and pressed the bookmark down.

"...What was Ed doing during the kidnapping last night?"

The page glowed faintly. Letters began to rise, forming words in the air before me.

—Physical. Training.

"...Huh?"

For a few seconds, I just stared blankly at the floating text.

That was it?

The protagonist—the Ed—had been doing physical training while the heroine was being kidnapped?

My jaw slackened in disbelief.

"Unbelievable..."

I slumped back in my chair, trying to make sense of it.

Was he just that confident nothing would happen? Or was it arrogance?

No matter how I looked at it, it was absurd.

If I hadn’t gone there by chance, if I hadn’t intervened when I did—

Elena might have...

A chill ran down my spine at the thought.

This wasn’t something I could brush off. Not anymore.

"The future... didn’t go as planned."

Saying it out loud made it feel heavier—more real. The weight of those words pressed against my chest like a stone I couldn’t move.

Up until now, I’d treated everything lightly, almost carelessly, thinking the story would simply play out as it did in the comic. That all I had to do was nudge things along—keep the timeline intact—and everything would fall neatly into place.

But the reality in front of me was far from that.

One wrong step, one small deviation, and everything started to shift—subtly at first, but now I could feel it spiraling. The future I thought I knew was already slipping through my fingers.

And if I kept pretending it was fine, pretending I could predict everything that would happen...

Then sooner or later, I’d be the one crushed by the consequences.

I exhaled slowly, my thoughts aligning with grim clarity.

"No more foolishly believing in a predetermined future," I muttered.

The simple goal I once had—bringing Ed and Elena together, watching the story reach its proper ending, just to satisfy my own curiosity—

That was no longer enough.

If the world was changing, then I’d have to change with it.

Maybe it was time to stop following the story.

And start writing my own.

*****

Elena hurried along the academy path, practically fleeing from her overly enthusiastic maid, Ollie, who had been chattering nonstop since morning.

Last night’s events were still vivid in her mind.

The sudden ambush, the moment everything went dark—and then, the mysterious stranger who had appeared out of nowhere to save them.

Ollie, of course, hadn’t stopped talking about it since dawn.

"And then, he appeared like a knight in shining armor! No, not armor—a helmet! A real hero, Lady Elena! Kyaaa!"

Elena sighed softly, glancing at her maid with a weary smile. "Ollie... we’ve been over this at least ten times already."

"But my lady! He was so cool! The way the lightning danced around him—like something out of a fairy tale!"

Elena pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh despite herself. She couldn’t deny it—their rescuer had been incredible.

A man who appeared from nowhere, facing down danger without hesitation, saving people he didn’t even know.

It was something straight out of the heroic stories she had loved since childhood.

Someone who couldn’t stand injustice.

Someone who acted without seeking reward.

A righteous, selfless person.

Yes... he was exactly like a hero from a novel.

Still, gratitude weighed heavily on her heart.

She had wanted—desperately—to thank him, to at least see his face and know who he was. But before she could even gather her thoughts, he had vanished into the night.

He hadn’t said a single word. Just turned away and disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the faint crackle of electricity in the air.

Elena hadn’t seen his face—no one had. His identity was completely concealed beneath that helmet.

Only Ollie, who had regained consciousness sooner, remembered one thing clearly.

"He used lightning magic, my lady! And... he was holding a sword!"

That was the only clue they had.

A swordsman who wielded powerful lightning magic—a rare combination.

Elena’s gaze drifted toward the morning sky as she walked, her expression softening.

"Who could he be..." she murmured under her breath.

Who was that man who had appeared so suddenly, only to vanish before she could say a word of thanks?

There were so many things she wanted to ask him.

So many things she wanted to say.

And if fate ever allowed their paths to cross again—

She swore she wouldn’t let him leave without knowing her gratitude.