The morning of departure arrived with unseasonable cold, as if the world itself was reluctant to let Kael leave. He stood in his bedroom—former bedroom now—looking at the single travel bag that contained everything he owned. It seemed impossibly small for someone's entire life, but then again, he'd never owned much to begin with.
[DAILY QUEST: FINAL PREPARATIONS][Pack belongings 1/1, Say farewells 0/4, Travel to academy 0/1][Bonus objective: Leave no regrets behind]
The system had been offering increasingly complex quests as his departure approached, as if recognizing the magnitude of what he was undertaking. This one felt particularly poignant—the idea of leaving with no regrets seemed both essential and impossible.
"Kael!" His mother's voice carried up the stairs, thick with emotion she was trying to hide. "The transport is here!"
Through his window, Kael could see the official academy carriage waiting in their farmyard. It was far grander than anything that had ever visited Millhaven—polished black wood with silver fittings, pulled by four magnificent horses that looked like they could run from dawn to dusk without tiring. The driver wore the blue and silver livery of the academy, marking him as someone used to transporting future heroes rather than farm boys.
Kael shouldered his bag and took one last look around the room where he'd spent sixteen years dreaming of being someone else. The bed where he'd read adventure stories by candlelight. The desk where he'd struggled through his father's old textbooks. The window where he'd watched other young people leave for opportunities he'd never thought he'd have.
"Goodbye," he said quietly to the room, then headed downstairs to face the hardest part of leaving.
His family had gathered in the kitchen, all pretending to be busy with morning tasks while obviously waiting for him. Elena was fussing over a packed lunch that could have fed him for three days. Marcus was checking and rechecking the handful of silver coins they'd managed to scrape together for his expenses. Tam was sitting at the table, absently stirring a bowl of porridge he clearly had no intention of eating.
"You have the letter from Master Aurelius?" his father asked for the third time that morning.
Kael patted the inner pocket of his jacket, where the academy admission documents rested safely sealed. "Right here, Father."
"And the emergency funds are sewn into your bag's lining," Elena added, pressing the wrapped lunch into his hands. "Don't touch them unless you absolutely have to."
"I know, Mother. You've told me a dozen times."
But he didn't say it with irritation. These final reminders were as much for his family's comfort as his own, a way of maintaining the illusion that they still had some control over what happened to him.
A polite knock at the door interrupted the moment. The carriage driver stood on their threshold, his expression professionally neutral as he took in their modest home.
"Master Thornwick? I'm Driver Henley, here to transport you to the academy. Are you ready to depart?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge. Was he ready? Could anyone ever be ready for this kind of change?
"Almost," Kael replied. "Just need a few more minutes."
Driver Henley nodded understandingly. "I'll prepare the carriage. No need to rush—we have plenty of time."
As the driver retreated, the Thornwick family found themselves alone together for what might be the last time in years. The weight of that realization settled over them like a heavy blanket.
"I'm proud of you," Marcus said suddenly, his voice rough with emotion. "Whatever happens at that academy, remember that we're proud of you for having the courage to try."
"Your father's right," Elena added, tears finally breaking free despite her efforts to stay strong. "You're going to do wonderful things, Kael. I've always known it."
Even Tam stood up from the table, his usual sarcasm nowhere to be found. "Don't forget about us when you're off being a hero," he said, attempting lightness but not quite managing it.
"Never," Kael promised, pulling his younger brother into an awkward but heartfelt embrace. "And don't think this gets you out of doing my share of the farm work."
They laughed at that, the tension breaking slightly. But the moment couldn't last forever, and Driver Henley's return to the door signaled that the time for delays had ended.
"The roads are good today," he reported. "We should reach the academy by early evening if we leave now."
Kael hugged each member of his family in turn, trying to memorize the feel of his mother's arms around him, the strength in his father's grip, the surprising emotion in Tam's usually distant demeanor. These people had loved him when he was worthless, supported him when he was hopeless, and sacrificed for him when he finally found his chance.
"Write to us," Elena whispered as he held her. "Every week, if you can."
"I will," he promised, though he wondered what he'd have to tell them. His life was about to become something completely outside their experience.
The carriage interior was more luxurious than anything Kael had ever imagined. Soft leather seats, small windows with real glass, and enough space for him to stretch out comfortably. It was clearly designed for transporting nobility rather than farmers' sons, which only emphasized how surreal his situation had become.
As the carriage pulled away from his family's farm, Kael pressed his face to the window and watched everything he'd ever known slowly disappear behind them. His parents stood in the doorway, waving until the distance made them impossible to see. The village of Millhaven, the fields where he'd worked his entire life, the forest where he'd found the mysterious crystal that had changed everything—all of it fading into memory.
[Farewell Complete: +50 XP bonus][New Status: Academy Candidate][Warning: Previous life officially ended - new challenges await]
The system's acknowledgment of the transition felt oddly final, as if confirming that there truly was no going back now.
"First time away from home?" Driver Henley asked, apparently noticing Kael's emotional state.
"Yes, sir. First time more than a few miles from home, actually."
"You'll be fine," the driver said with the confidence of someone who'd transported many nervous students over the years. "The academy has a way of bringing out the best in people, even when they don't think they have any best to bring out."
"How many students have you taken there?"
"Hundreds, over the past five years. All kinds—nobles who've been preparing since birth, scholarship recipients who've never seen indoor plumbing, exchange students from the other kingdoms who can barely speak Common. They all arrive scared and uncertain. Most of them graduate as heroes."
"What about the ones who don't?"
Henley was quiet for a moment, considering his answer. "Some find out they're meant for different paths. There's no shame in that. But the ones who truly want to be there, who are willing to work for it... I can't remember any of those failing."
It was meant to be encouraging, but it also highlighted the pressure Kael would be under. Success at the academy wasn't just about talent or intelligence—it was about want and determination. He'd have to prove every day that he belonged there, that his admission hadn't been a mistake.
The journey to the academy took them through countryside Kael had never seen before. Rolling hills gave way to dense forests, which eventually opened onto vast plains dotted with prosperous farming communities. The roads were better maintained here, marked with stone mile markers and patrolled by kingdom guards who nodded respectfully to their official carriage.
They stopped for lunch at a roadside inn that was several steps above anything in Millhaven. The proprietor treated Driver Henley like an old friend and showed obvious curiosity about Kael, though he was too polite to ask direct questions about why a farm boy was traveling in an academy carriage.
"You're not what I expected when I got the pickup assignment," Henley admitted as they resumed their journey after the meal.
"What did you expect?"
"Usually, special admissions are either noble brats who need extra time to meet minimum standards, or prodigies from other kingdoms showing off for political reasons. You're the first ordinary kid I've transported who got in through genuine heroics."
"I'm not sure what I did counts as heroic," Kael said honestly. "I just did what needed to be done."
"That's exactly what heroism is," Henley replied. "Doing what needs to be done, even when you're scared or unprepared or completely out of your depth."
The conversation helped pass the time, but as the day wore on, Kael found himself growing increasingly nervous. The countryside they were passing through grew more cultivated and prosperous, with larger towns and more impressive architecture. This was clearly a wealthier region than anything near Millhaven, and the reminder of his humble origins felt increasingly heavy.
Late in the afternoon, they crested a hill that offered their first view of the academy's location. The International Academy for Adventurer Excellence sat in a broad valley surrounded by protective mountains, its buildings sprawling across hundreds of acres like a small city. Even from a distance, Kael could see the grandeur of the main campus—towering spires, vast courtyards, and structures that seemed to blend architectural styles from all three kingdoms.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Henley said, noting Kael's awed expression. "They say it's the largest educational institution in the world. Three thousand students, a thousand faculty and staff, and enough resources to equip a small army."
"How am I supposed to fit in there?" Kael asked, the question slipping out before he could stop it.
"Same way everyone else does—one day at a time. Remember, they invited you. That means they think you belong there, even if you don't feel like it yet."
The final approach to the academy took them along a grand boulevard lined with monuments to famous graduates. Kael recognized some of the names from his childhood stories—legendary heroes who had saved kingdoms, discovered new lands, or died fighting the abyssal threat. The thought that he was following in their footsteps felt both inspiring and impossibly daunting.
The academy's main gate was a masterwork of magical engineering, with silver letters that glowed with their own light spelling out the institution's motto: "Forged in Trial, Tempered by Service, Proven in Battle." Guards in ceremonial armor flanked the entrance, their eyes alert despite the formal nature of their posts.
"Academy transport with new student," Henley announced to the guards, presenting official documents.
The guards examined the papers with professional efficiency, then waved them through. As they passed under the gate's archway, Kael felt a strange tingling sensation, as if the academy's magical defenses were examining him and finding him... acceptable, if barely.
The main courtyard was bustling with activity despite the late afternoon hour. Students moved between buildings with the casual confidence of people who belonged, their conversations mixing languages from across the known world. Kael saw humans, elves, dwarves, and several beastkin species, all wearing the academy's distinctive uniform—practical gray and blue clothing that managed to look both scholarly and military.
But what struck him most was how young they all looked. Many appeared to be his own age or younger, yet they carried themselves with a poise and confidence he'd never possessed. These were people who had grown up expecting greatness, who had been preparing for this moment their entire lives.
The carriage pulled up to what appeared to be an administrative building, its facade decorated with symbols representing all three kingdoms. Driver Henley climbed down and began unloading Kael's modest baggage.
"This is where I leave you," he said, offering a firm handshake. "Report to the Office of Student Affairs—that's through the main doors and up one flight. They'll get you sorted out with housing and your class schedule."
"Thank you," Kael said, meaning it. "For everything."
"Good luck, young Thornwick. I have a feeling you're going to surprise a lot of people here."
As the carriage pulled away, Kael found himself alone in the courtyard of the most prestigious school in the world, clutching his single bag and trying not to look as terrified as he felt. Students passed by without giving him much notice, though he caught a few curious glances directed at his obviously non-uniform clothing.
[Travel Complete: Academy grounds reached][New Location Unlocked: International Academy for Adventurer Excellence][Warning: This environment contains individuals significantly above your current level][Recommendation: Proceed with caution and humility]
The system's warning was hardly necessary. Even without supernatural perception, Kael could sense the power radiating from some of the students around him. Their casual conversations mentioned concepts and techniques that sounded impossibly advanced, and several of them wore equipment that probably cost more than his family's entire farm.
But he was here now, officially invited and properly enrolled. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he'd face them the same way he'd faced everything else in his life—with determination, resourcefulness, and the stubborn refusal to give up that had carried him this far.
Taking a deep breath, Kael shouldered his bag and walked toward the main building. Time to find out if a cursed farm boy really belonged among the future heroes of the world.