With a sharp breath, Ruvian abruptly choked on himself as the sheer magnitude of the number imprinted itself upon his mind.

’100 Golds?!’

He immediately sprang to his feet, knocking his chair over, his hand gripping the letter tightly.

Ruvian had not, even in the most optimistic stretch of his expectations, anticipated such an outrageous sum.

At most, he had envisioned twenty golds, perhaps slightly more, should her generosity lean further than usual... but one hundred?

That wasn’t just generosity anymore.

It was excessive.

"Is she trying to flaunt her wealth to me?"

The corners of his lips trembled, then lifted, and despite his most earnest attempt to restrain himself... the grin still spread across his face.

It was entirely futile.

Ruvian let out a suppressed laugh.

Just as he had surmised... choosing not to specify an amount had been nothing short of a brilliant decision!

’Say no more bread and soup!’

He raised his fist and struck it lightly against the air above, declaring a quiet yet triumphant vow.

And yet, even that was not the full extent of it.

It was not solely the gold that had rendered him momentarily speechless.

There were also one hundred recovery potions... and, in addition to that, one hundred mana training enhancement potions.

Ruvian’s gaze lingered upon the storage ring, his expression resting somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

He picked up his chair, shaking his head in incredulity before sitting again, though the smile upon his face remained entirely unshaken.

Today...

Without the slightest exaggeration...

Had proven itself to be the finest day he had experienced thus far.

Ruvian inspected his [Runeheart].

==========

{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}

◇ Name: Ruvian Castelor

◇ Age: 17

◇ Spellcore: Tier 2

◇ Rank: Fourth-Class Magus

◇ Magic Affinity: None

◇ Relevance Tier: Stage II – Wandering Extra

◇ Plot Points: 18,180 (PPs)

◇ Current Arc: Arc 2 – Beneath the Banner of Enrollment

[Mana Resonance: (8/500)]

==[General Attributes]==

Strength: E-

Agility: E-

Endurance: E-

Vitality: E-

Perception: E

==[Mage Attributes]==

Mana Control: E-

Casting Speed: E-

Magic Power: F+

Mental Strength: S

Mana Sensitivity: E

Mana Essence: [280/280]

==========

==[Innate Blessings]==

- [Blessing of Indomitable Will]

==[Affinity Mastery]==

- [Pure Mana (Intermediate)]

- [Wind, Darkness (Basic)

==========

Despite everything that had happened over the past week, Ruvian could not help but notice that his stats had not moved even a little.

The numbers remained the same no matter how he looked at them, as if all his effort had simply passed without leaving a mark.

’Well, it is what it is.’

He understood the reason well enough.

Training alone, without any form of support, was never something that could produce sudden or dramatic growth. It was a slow and steady path, one that demanded patience more than anything else.

And it had only been a week since his last increase.

Expecting any real change within such a short time would have been unreasonable. If he truly wished to push himself forward through effort alone, then he would need far more than this.

A month, at the very least.

That was the reality of this world.

Growth came at a cost, and that cost was time, discipline, and a level of persistence that most would find exhausting.

Even then, a full month of training might only be enough to move within the same rank, from E- to a slightly stronger E.

When he thought about it like that, it almost felt cruel.

Yet, as his thoughts drifted, he realized something else.

Tomorrow would mark one full month since he had arrived in this world.

Within just two weeks, he had already risen from Rank F to the very edge of Rank E. That alone was far beyond what most would consider normal, and even now, it still felt slightly unreal when he thought back on it.

And things would not stay the same from here on.

He shifted his eyes slightly, as if he could already see what was to come.

With the potions Silvena had given him, his growth would no longer be confined to the slow process of normal training. Each of the potions was a shortcut, a way to bypass the limits he would otherwise struggle to overcome.

And if it ever came down to it, he still had his skill.

[Powerscaling] still remained as his final option, a method to forcefully raise his stats in exchange for Plot Points.

It was not something he intended to rely on, but knowing it was there gave him a sense of control if push came to shove.

With all of that in mind, his decision came naturally.

He will begin his training tomorrow.

This time, he would not hold back, nor would he rely on slow progress alone. There was no longer any reason to hesitate.

After all, only five days remained before the event.

Five days before he would make his move against the demon.

’Yeah, it’s time for me to get stronger...’

The past week had been relatively uneventful in comparison, with no real pressure weighing down on his shoulders and no immediate threat forcing him to act.

He had been able to move at his own pace, to observe, to prepare, and to think.

But now, things were no longer the same.

Because the coming days were no longer something he could approach lightly.

*****

The next day came, and by the time Ruvian’s mandatory class and his mathematics elective had both come to an end, the afternoon light had already begun to soften along the corridor windows.

As the scholars slowly filtered out of the hall, he gathered his things and stepped outside.

However, his mind was full of questions.

’Where the hell is Silvena?’

Because he couldn’t spot her at all in that mathematics hall.

His eyes moved through the corridor almost out of habit, searching for a familiar presence among the dispersing scholars, but Silvena was nowhere to be seen.

It was strange.

Silvena was not someone who skipped her classes.

A faint crease formed between his brows as the thought settled in.

’Did something happen to her?’

As that question lingered in his mind, his attention shifted, catching sight of a figure standing a short distance away along the corridor wall.

Irene stood there quietly, as though she had been waiting for someone.

When her eyes met his, she straightened slightly and began walking toward him.

Ruvian slowed down and stopped, looking a bit confused as he saw her coming closer.

He was about to ask about Silvena, but before he could say anything, Irene gave a small nod and spoke first.

"Lady Silvena suddenly fell ill yesterday, so she won’t be able to attend class today," she said, her voice calm and clear. "She asked me to inform you, since she was worried you might not hear about it otherwise."

The words reached him all at once, and for a brief moment, Ruvian simply stared at her, the meaning settling in a beat too late.

Then, without thinking, he spoke.

"What?"

Out of all the damn times... his partner in crime had to fall ill now?

Ruvian pressed his palm against his face and let out a long, tired sigh.

"Take me to where she is now," he said, his voice calm but urgent.

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 127: Partner in Crime (2)]

Plot Points= 18,180