Chapter I

The warm morning breeze entered the room and brushed against my exposed skin. I slowly opened my eyes, shielding them from the rays of light coming from the fiery ball of death outside. The sun and I were always mortal enemies. I was a creature of the night, a man of banquets and tavern fights, and therefore only ever had two things that I hated: the sun and morning classes.

The first was easy to deal with: I only needed to draw the curtains before bed, and the morning sun would not dare burn my retinas with its devious power. The second, however…

I wasn’t the greatest student—far from it—but I needed to maintain an appearance of competence to continue living my current lifestyle. My dear Lord Father would cancel my tuition to the Royal Academy in a heartbeat if he learned I had lapsed in my academic studies—no doubt about it.

I am his third son, and as such, I would be of better use in the Knightly Order or the Temple. Yet he let me study here—even past my third year—if only to humor me. To be honest, I wouldn’t be content with any of their vows. I am fit to be neither a paladin of the gods nor their messenger. So if I want to continue to woo women and party every night for the next two years, I need to be diligent.

My lifestyle, however, was the very reason I was losing now to my greatest enemy. Unfortunately, the charming wench I sweet-talked yesterday did not have drapes in her room. I shifted, adjusting to the warmth pressing against my left side.

“Mmmm,” I heard a hum in my left ear. The sweet redhead shifted her body in accordance with my movements, and I was able to comfortably embrace her. I burrowed my face in her ginger curls and grabbed onto her chest. It was like a dream…

And then the dream ended.

“Mary, are you there?” I heard the rough male voice and thumping on the closed door. “Open the door right now!”

So her name is Mary? I noted, but that detail was hardly important in this situation. The emerald eyes of the beautiful wench beside me snapped open at the sound; her face looked nervous.

“Your father?” I asked under my breath, and what I heard in return made my blood run cold. “Husband.”

Husband? I never signed up for any of this! Dealing with angry fathers is one thing, especially when we talk about commoners. They’re usually tame after they learn that I’m a son of a count. No wise man would put his life on the line to punish his daughter’s lover, especially when he can hope to recognize the noble bastard if any were born. But husbands? They have nothing to gain from any child born of that affair, and they have every incentive to punish their wife’s lovers. It will be the end of me.

I scrambled out of bed and started to put my clothes on haphazardly while looking for a way out. A window would be the last resort. If I remember correctly, we are on the second floor of the building. The fall wouldn’t be lethal, but I would probably break a bone or two from that height. It wouldn’t be a problem if I knew sufficient healing magic, but unfortunately, classes dedicated to light and life magic were always held early in the morning. Hiding under the bed or in the wardrobe would be too cliché; he would check those places first. I frantically looked around the room while putting my clothes on until…

This whole time, Mary was trying to stall her husband for as long as possible. “I’m sorry, my love, I am still preparing myself for you.” She also tried to get dressed in a hurry while her husband tried to force the door open. “I’m coming,” she said. That was not the first time I had heard her say that, though.

As she unbarred the door, it immediately swung open, and this large, hairy brute came into the room. “Where is he?” he asked. “I heard in the tavern that you left with somebody.”

“Yes, I did,” said Mary. “Darling, didn’t you hear about the bandits that have been attacking lonely women on the street lately? This charming nobleman obliged to escort me back to my home to be sure that nothing would happen to me.”

The husband didn’t look very convinced, but as he went through the room piece by piece and found nothing, he started to believe her tall tale. When she convinced him to leave for work, I had my opportunity to escape.

All this time, I was hiding under the roof, on a long supporting beam. I used a spell that was infused in my magic cloak—Chameleon. It made me match my surroundings in appearance, so as long as I stayed hidden and did not move, nobody could detect me.

I jumped down, fixed my student clothes, and left the building with dignity. As soon as I did, it came to me that we have “Magical Implements—Charms and Infusions” class, and I started to run through the cobblestone streets of the royal capital to the building of the Royal Academy.