Morning sunlight poured through the tall windows of the Blackwood carriage as it rolled along the wide stone road leading to the capital.
Lucien sat quietly inside.
Across from him, Alfred maintained his usual composed posture, hands folded neatly on his lap.
Outside the carriage window, the city of Ardentis slowly came to life.
Merchants opened their shops. Street vendors arranged colorful fruits on wooden carts. Young mages in academy robes hurried through the streets, books tucked under their arms.
But Lucien barely glanced at them.
His thoughts were elsewhere.
Three days.
That was how long he had before the first major opportunity in the story appeared.
The Royal Arcane Academy.
The beginning of everything.
Lucien leaned his head slightly against the window as the academy's towering gates slowly came into view.
Even from afar, the academy looked magnificent.
Massive white stone towers rose high into the sky, surrounded by floating rings of glowing runic symbols. Magic flowed through the air like invisible currents.
Hundreds of new students gathered in the plaza before the entrance gates.
Noble heirs.
Talented commoners.
And hidden among them…
The future legends of this world.
The carriage slowed.
Alfred opened the door.
"We have arrived, Young Master."
Lucien stepped out onto the polished stone pavement.
The moment he appeared, several nearby students glanced in his direction.
Some whispered quietly.
"The Blackwood heir…"
"Lucien Blackwood."
"Isn't he one of the top-ranked applicants this year?"
Lucien ignored them.
In the original story, Lucien had enjoyed this attention. His noble status and magical talent made him one of the most famous freshmen in the academy.
But now…
Such things were meaningless.
Lucien's eyes scanned the crowd calmly.
Where are you…
The protagonist.
Adrian Vale.
Lucien knew exactly what Adrian looked like.
Dark brown hair.
Simple academy robes.
A quiet expression.
Someone who looked completely ordinary.
Yet that ordinary boy would eventually become the most powerful mage in the empire.
Lucien spotted him within seconds.
Standing near the edge of the plaza.
Adrian Vale.
Just as Lucien remembered.
His robes were slightly worn. His posture humble. No one around him paid much attention.
The perfect background character.
Lucien's lips curled faintly.
There you are.
For a brief moment, Adrian looked up.
Their eyes met across the plaza.
Lucien saw something interesting in those eyes.
Calm.
Focused.
Not the eyes of someone weak.
But Adrian quickly looked away, as if avoiding attention.
Lucien chuckled quietly.
"Yes… that's him."
But Lucien had no intention of confronting him now.
Not yet.
The story had not truly begun.
Soon, a deep bell echoed across the academy plaza.
DONG—
The sound vibrated through the air.
All conversations stopped instantly.
A tall elderly man stepped onto the central platform.
His long silver robes shimmered with magical runes.
The Academy Headmaster.
Professor Aldric.
His voice carried effortlessly across the entire plaza.
"Welcome to the Royal Arcane Academy."
"From this day forward, you will walk the path of magic."
"Some of you will rise to greatness."
"Others will fall behind."
His sharp gaze swept across the students.
"In this academy, only one thing matters."
"Talent."
A faint magical pressure filled the air.
Several weaker students immediately looked nervous.
Lucien crossed his arms casually.
He remembered this speech well.
It was the same speech from the novel's opening chapters.
The speech that marked the beginning of the protagonist's journey.
The headmaster continued.
"Classes begin tomorrow."
"Today, you will explore the academy grounds and receive your dormitory assignments."
Students around the plaza immediately began moving.
Groups formed quickly.
Nobles gathered with nobles.
Commoners clustered together nervously.
Lucien remained where he stood.
Because he knew something important.
Today…
Nothing major would happen.
But tomorrow night—
The opportunity would appear.
Lucien turned toward Alfred.
"You may return home."
Alfred looked slightly surprised.
"Young Master? The family arranged a private residence near the academy."
Lucien shook his head.
"No need."
"I will stay in the student dormitories."
Alfred hesitated.
But eventually bowed.
"As you wish."
Lucien watched the carriage disappear down the road.
Then he turned toward the academy buildings.
A massive complex stretched before him.
Lecture halls.
Training arenas.
Alchemy labs.
And somewhere deep inside…
The Grand Library.
Lucien's destination.
He began walking slowly through the academy courtyard.
Students rushed past him excitedly.
But Lucien walked calmly.
Every step deliberate.
Because in his mind, the timeline of the story unfolded perfectly.
Tomorrow night.
The academy janitors would assign punishment work to several new students.
Among them…
Adrian Vale.
The protagonist would be sent to clean the old archive room beneath the Grand Library.
There, hidden behind a broken shelf—
The forgotten spellbook waited.
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll take that first."
A faint breeze moved through the courtyard.
Lucien stopped walking.
For a brief moment, he felt something strange.
A subtle warmth in his chest.
Then—
A quiet mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[System Initialization…]
Lucien froze.
His pupils shrank slightly.
"…A system?"
The voice continued calmly.
[Villain Destiny System Activated]
A translucent blue panel appeared before his eyes.
Host: Lucien BlackwoodIdentity: Original Story VillainMission: Rewrite your doomed fate
First Task:Seize the hidden spellbook before the protagonist.
Reward:Mana Talent +30%
Failure:Destiny correction will begin.
Lucien stared at the floating screen silently.
Then he laughed softly.
"Interesting."
It seemed the world wanted to help him.
Or perhaps…
This was the true advantage of becoming the villain.
Lucien closed the panel.
His gray eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Adrian Vale…"
He whispered quietly.
"I'm sorry."
"But that spellbook…"
A cold smile spread across his face.
"Belongs to me now."
Far away across the courtyard—
Adrian Vale suddenly stopped walking.
For some reason, he felt a strange chill run down his spine.
As if someone had just stolen something that should have belonged to him.
He turned around.
But the crowd had already swallowed Lucien's figure.
And the story…
continued to move forward.