CHAPTER 38: HIDDEN TREASURES

After school.

At Elena’s request to spare a bit of time, I found myself sitting across from her in a small café tucked inside the Academy grounds. The faint aroma of roasted beans filled the air, and the chatter of other students served as a soft backdrop.

"I’m sorry for deciding on my own..." she said suddenly, her voice low but sincere.

"No, there’s no need to apologize," I replied, waving a hand lightly.

Elena’s eyes were full of guilt as she fidgeted with her teacup. I hadn’t expected her to take the vice representative decision so seriously.

Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal.

Sure, I hadn’t planned on becoming vice representative—but it wasn’t necessarily a bad outcome either.

In fact, if I thought about it logically, it could even be useful.

Getting closer to the main characters wasn’t a problem; it might even help me steer the story back to its original flow. The narrative had already gone off the rails, and if I wanted to prevent more unexpected variables, I needed to be close enough to influence them.

After all, I was the one who’d convinced Elena to become class representative in the first place.

So, if she wanted me by her side to help... it was only fair that I follow through.

"It’s fine, really," I said again, offering a small smile. "You don’t have to feel bad about it. If anything, it’s my fault for not expecting it."

Elena looked up, her expression softening slightly. "Even so... I’ll try not to burden you too much."

"That’s not something you need to worry about."

It took a few minutes and several reassurances before I finally managed to calm her down. Once she seemed more at ease, the conversation drifted toward lighter topics—classes, the Academy, and even small details about student life.

But eventually, she had to leave.

After yesterday’s kidnapping incident, she wasn’t allowed to move around freely anymore. For her safety, she returned to the dormitory under the watchful escort of Ollie and a group of knights.

As I watched her disappear down the street, I exhaled quietly.

The immediate crisis had been resolved. There shouldn’t be any major incidents for a while, which meant... I could finally relax a little.

Or at least, that was the plan.

"Berno," I called as soon as I returned to my room.

"Yes, young master," he answered, stepping forward with his usual calm expression.

"Do you have any magic potions hidden away?" I asked casually, leaning against the desk.

Berno blinked. "Magic potions?"

"Yeah. Anything that could increase my mana reserves or strengthen my circuits."

He hesitated. "No, I don’t."

...That pause was suspiciously long.

The way he looked away immediately after answering only made it worse.

"You sure about that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.

Berno coughed lightly, avoiding my gaze altogether. "Ahem... completely certain, young master."

I sighed. It was obvious he was hiding something, but I decided not to press him.

Even if he did have a few minor potions stashed away, they wouldn’t make much difference. A simple mana enhancement elixir wouldn’t raise my rank from D to C, let alone anything higher.

What I needed was something stronger—something rare enough to actually make a difference.

And I already knew where to find it.

’That’s why I was planning to go out this weekend...’

There were a few places outside the Academy where I could find the materials—or maybe even the artifacts—I needed to increase my magical power. But venturing out wasn’t something I could do carelessly.

"Are you going straight to training today?" Berno asked, tilting his head.

The way he asked told me exactly what he was thinking: You’ve been slacking off lately.

I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. "Not today."

"May I ask why?"

"There’s something more important than swinging a sword right now."

"And that is?"

I turned toward the window, watching the faint glow of the evening sun spill across the Academy grounds.

"A way to increase my magic power," I said quietly.

Because in this world—strength wasn’t just about the sword.

It was about mana.

And until I broke past this limitation, I’d always be standing in someone else’s shadow.

Wait a minute... maybe—

Could there be hidden treasures within the Academy that never appeared in the comic?

The thought struck me suddenly, sending a spark of excitement down my spine.

It wasn’t impossible.

After all, Class E’s Baldo was proof enough—he didn’t exist in the comic’s original story, yet here he was, very much real. If one person could appear out of nowhere, then who’s to say there weren’t places, artifacts, or secrets the author never bothered to show?

’There could be hidden dungeons... sealed relics... maybe even legendary items tucked away somewhere in this massive campus.’

If that were true, and if I could find them, they might be just what I need to boost my magical power.

But the problem was obvious—how was I supposed to find them?

The Academy was enormous, practically a city in itself, filled with ancient buildings and wards older than most kingdoms. I could search for months and still not uncover half of it.

Then, an idea hit me.

’Wait... the Sage’s Bookmark!’

That artifact could answer almost any question—why not this one?

If I asked it directly, wouldn’t it tell me where to find one of those hidden treasures?

A grin crept onto my face.

’I’ve got an all-purpose answer sheet in my pocket, and I’ve been worrying for nothing.’

Without wasting another second, I jumped to my feet.

"Alright," I muttered, feeling my pulse quicken. "Let’s test it right away."

Having made up my mind, I bolted toward the dormitory.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Berno’s voice echoed behind me, sharp with irritation. "You still have training left!"

"Taking a break today!!" I shouted over my shoulder, not bothering to look back.

"Louis!"

I could hear him still yelling something, but his voice faded quickly as I sprinted across the courtyard.

Not today, Berno. Not when I might be on the verge of discovering something incredible.

I had more important things to do.

If there really were hidden treasures within the Academy—things the comic never mentioned—then finding them might be the key to changing everything.

And I intended to find out.