I Fell into a Romance Fantasy, and Now I Must Wake Up

"Will you admit it now?"

I sheathed my sword with a casual flourish.

Thalia still looked utterly dazed.

"This makes no sense. No matter how I look at it, this is..."

"Believe it or not. But let me make one thing clear: I don't want to hear any excuses about it being a fluke or how I won't be able to do it next time. I'm tired, so I'm going to bed."

Shrugging my shoulders, I threw her own words back at her with a slight twist.

As I turned and started walking, Thalia hastily sheathed her sword and scrambled to catch up.

"My Lord, what on earth did you just do?"

"What do you mean? I was training."

"That's not what I mean! How did you do that just now?"

"You saw it yourself. I controlled my aura."

At my half-hearted reply, Thalia gritted her teeth.

"I admit you have talent, My Lord. But for a beginner to stabilize their aura in an instant, let alone control its output... That is like a newborn baby immediately getting up and running a marathon...!"

Oh, yes. Keep it coming. More!

This was the ultimate privilege of being transmigrated. Monopolizing a hidden cheat and enjoying the sheer shock ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the people around you. I loved it.

"Hmm, is it really that big of a deal?"

"It goes far beyond being a 'big deal'!"

"Then praise me some more. It sounds nice."

She looked utterly dumbfounded.

I placed my index finger over my lips like a true GOAT and let out a soft shushing sound.

"Actually, never mind. It's late, so we should keep it down. Besides, the girls' dormitory is in the opposite direction. Shouldn't you head back before curfew?"

Thalia shut her mouth tight at my sly deflection.

I decided to tease her a bit more.

"Or would you like to sleep in my room tonight? Well, if you want to sleep together that badly, I suppose I have no choice..."

"I shall take my leave first."

I chuckled.

It was time to get some actual rest. I had acted cool, but my stomach was still churning.

"...Ugh, blegh."

I stumbled into my room and shed my clothes.

I felt like I had just downed a whole bottle of hard liquor. The moment I collapsed onto the bed, my vision spun, and the ceiling doubled.

"This isn't easy..."

Come to think of it, it made sense.

A twenty-fold increase in training speed meant twenty times the fatigue. Of course, it wasn't a simple one-to-one conversion, but... due to physical limitations, getting a clean twenty-times boost seemed unlikely. The accumulated fatigue would naturally slow down my recovery.

But the effect is definitely real.

It was incredibly effective for the kind of training where "once you get the hang of it, the rest is easy," just like earlier. I had mastered aura control—something even talented knights took three weeks to grasp—in a single day.

I should reach at least the level of an Upper-class Swordsman before the major events of the original novel begin.

My eyelids grew heavy.

Ah, but the female lead, Rianette, is the problem. Since she's a regressor, she'll find it suspicious if I suddenly become too strong... So I have to hide my true power. Well, playing the hidden expert makes me feel like a real protagonist, so I guess it's fine.

The splitting headache gradually faded as sleep claimed me.

And then...

"Wake up, My Lord."

"...Ugh. What nonsense are you talking about, Thalia?"

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up.

Thalia was staring at me with a strange look.

"Do you now dislike even being told to wake up?"

"What? No, it's not that. You just said..."

Just now. Right, what did she say just now?

I could have sworn Thalia said something. Or did she?

"...Never mind. I must have been dreaming."

"That is a relief. I thought you had finally lost your mind."

I casually ignored her jab.

Today, I gathered my clothes, dressed myself in my uniform, and even fastened my cloak without any help.

"..."

Thalia watched me with a peculiar expression.

What was it this time? Was she going to criticize how I wore my clothes?

"What is it?"

"No, it is nothing, but..."

As expected, Thalia shook her head, stepped closer, and lightly adjusted my uniform.

"Your uniform is crooked."

"Is it?"

"Yes. If you plan on dressing yourself like this in the future, just tell me. Walking around looking like this will only damage ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the prestige of Lamedia."

Her usual sharp tongue.

I shrugged in response, as I always did.

What followed was the same. We headed back to the academy.

"Good morning, Lady Rianette."

I greeted Rianette once again.

"...Good morning, Lord Edwin."

Today, she actually replied.

It was just like the original novel. Over the past day, she must have been busy adapting to the changes brought by her regression and planning how to alter her tragic future.

That meant I needed to stand out just enough. I'd build up some favorability, keeping it subtle so as not to arouse suspicion.

"You didn't get rejected today."

"I know, right? She must like me."

I laughed off Thalia's sarcasm.

Her eyes narrowed.

"...You don't actually have feelings for her, do you? Please do not forget that she is the fiancé of the 3rd Prince."

As if I could forget.

I knew all too well that the 3rd Prince's inferiority complex toward the genius female lead would be the root of all their misfortunes. I also knew that after her regression, Rianette would expose his weaknesses and break off the engagement.

"I know. Let's head to magic class."

I walked briskly, and Thalia followed close behind.

The moment we stepped into the lecture hall, I felt a strange sense of out-of-placeness.

I could feel the surrounding students stealing glances at us.

It took me a moment to realize why.

Ah, it's the cloaks.

At the academy, students wore different cloaks depending on whether they were in the swordsmanship or magic department. Thalia and I wore the red cloaks of swordsmanship students, while almost everyone else in the lecture hall wore the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠purple cloaks of magic students.

Thalia leaned in and whispered, "But My Lord, why did you register for a magic class? You are a swordsmanship student, so magic classes aren't mandatory for you."

"I know. It's just..."

It wasn't that I had a burning passion for magic. Sure, as a reader of the original novel, I had some curiosity about the magic system, but I had no intention of studying it seriously.

However, many of the main characters in the original novel are magic students.

That was my primary goal. The female lead, Rianette, would eventually attend these classes too.

"...I was just curious about what they teach in magic class."

Thalia tilted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her head but sat down beside me without further comment.

Soon, the professor took the podium, and the lecture began.

"...The sage Ideline explained the transmutation of mana based on the elements. Hot, cold, wet, or dry. Recently, this theory has evolved to interpret the properties rather than the elements themselves..."

The content wasn't particularly interesting.

Since it was an introductory lecture for freshmen, it was mostly theory rather than practical application.

Instead, my attention was drawn to the lecturer. It wasn't just because of a certain voluptuous figure that swayed every time she wrote on the blackboard, but because she was a character from the original novel.

A beautiful blonde woman of mysterious age.

Cordelia.

She was one of the most secretive professors at the academy. One could easily tell just by looking at the hidden assets she carried.

"Professor, I have a question."

When I suddenly raised my hand, Thalia flinched.

Professor Cordelia also looked at me, momentarily taken aback by the color of my cloak.

"Oh, well. Student? What is your name?"

"I am Edwin Faldemont."

"Hmm, Edwin. Looking at your cloak, you seem to be a swordsmanship student. What brings you here?"

"I came because I am interested in magic."

At my words, the professor's guard lowered slightly.

She asked in a gentler tone, "I see. And what is your question?"

"Yes. You explained the classification of magic, but under which category does Dark Magic fall?"

A collective murmur rippled through the lecture hall.

I thought I heard someone whisper, What is wrong with him? Is he insane?

It was only natural. Dark Magic was strictly forbidden, a taboo in the magical community. Even speaking of it was frowned upon. My question was the equivalent of asking if communism was good in the middle of a red scare.

"Now, quiet down, please!"

As the lecture hall grew noisy, Professor Cordelia clapped her hands to restore order.

"The academy does not mock academic curiosity! Every student has the right to ask 'why' about any subject. So, please be quiet!"

Hmm, a truly admirable attitude for an educator.

Though, technically, I wasn't a magic student.

"To answer your question, Edwin: the answer is that it can be classified under all categories. In the first place, Dark Magic deals with the fundamental properties of mana in nature..."

Apologies to the passionate professor, but I barely listened to her explanation.

Instead, I indulged myself by watching her voluptuous figure sway. I hadn't asked the question out of genuine curiosity anyway. It was purely to catch her attention.

"...Because its roots touch upon the soul, research into Dark Magic has been forbidden. However, the pursuit of understanding the essence of mana continues to this day..."

Cordelia, the academy's magic professor.

She had one secret: she was a dark mage who secretly researched Dark Magic.

Perfect. This should be enough to get on her radar.

I nodded in satisfaction.

The only miscalculation was that Professor Cordelia stared at me like a predator eyeing its prey for the rest of the lecture.

But no way was I becoming a grad student. Not a chance. I wouldn't be swayed by her academic charms!

"Thalia, let's go."

"Yes, My Lord."

As soon as the lecture ended, I hurried from the magic department to the swordsmanship department.

The swordsmanship curriculum included basic swordsmanship, defensive techniques, and aura control.

Even though I had already learned aura control from Thalia, I didn't show off. I pretended to learn diligently from scratch. If I became too strong at this point, Rianette, who remembered the previous timeline, might suspect something. I was forced to play the weakling.

"..."

Thalia gave me a strange look. It must have been bizarre to see someone as boastful as me quietly paying attention in class.

Once classes were over, we resumed our training near the dormitory, and Thalia finally asked.

"Why are you pretending you cannot stabilize your aura?"

"Well... if I do it perfectly from the start, it'll look like I learned it beforehand. But if I suddenly master it mid-class, wouldn't people call me a genius?"

When I offered that half-baked excuse, Thalia gave me a look that said, Of course... and stared at me with pity.

Hey, now. If you think about it, Thalia really has a bit of an attitude.

Our training continued.

"High guard, bottom-right, top-left, bottom-right again."

"Hey! The last one was top-right!"

"Why would you trust your opponent's words?"

"Thalia, do you want to get hit?"

"Hit me if you can."

"Argh!"

I was completely exhausted after training with Thalia. Since it was a new moon, the night was pitch-black, and I tripped several times on my way back.

"Ugh... blegh...!"

I deactivated the clones of the Pale Cameo. Gagging strangely, I collapsed onto the bed.

It was tough. Still, it wasn't a bad life. Knowing the future brought a sense of peace. Having a clear goal made the effort feel rewarding.

Let's just work hard enough to survive. Wooing the female lead might be a good idea too. If I play my cards right with my knowledge of the original novel, maybe I can become the main male lead...

I was dreaming.

A pitch-black space. Yet, it wasn't completely dark. It felt like a horror game where only the immediate area around me was illuminated.

And right in front of me...

A brilliantly glowing notification window floated in the air.

"What is this?"

As I stared at the window, the text scrolled down.

My jaw dropped.

What the hell was this? Wasn't this supposed to be a romance fantasy transmigration? Where did this unheard-of setting come from?

...Wait, relic?

The word triggered a realization. The Pale Cameo! That was it.

Did using the relic come with some kind of penalty? Was this ridiculous notification window part of the side effects?

But that made no sense. There was no such setting in the original novel—

"...Huh?"

Just then, the notification window scrolled all the way to the bottom.

Death. The word burned into my eyes.

And at that moment...

Growl.

A bizarre sound echoed. A chill ran down my spine. In my head, the words from the notification window I had just read flashed again.

The implication of those messages.

In this place...

Growl.

"...Fuck."

I was not alone.