Chapter 70: Going Back

The Grandel family’s residence in Helheim City stood upon a spacious estate in the northern district, surrounded by tall stone walls, carefully maintained gardens, and several smaller buildings reserved for servants and visiting retainers.

Compared to the ancestral seat of the Grandel Clan, it was a relatively modest property, but its location alone made it more valuable than many noble estates elsewhere in Varangia.

From the upper floors, one could see the mountains of Westphalia rising beyond the city, their highest peaks disappearing into the clouds.

Sigurd returned to the mansion on the morning following the entrance examination, accompanied by several family attendants who had been waiting at the extraction station. Seven days in the Grauwald Range had left their marks upon him.

His clothes were torn in several places, his arms carried numerous shallow cuts, and the accumulated exhaustion of constant fighting had finally begun catching up with his body.

Although his injuries were minor compared to those suffered by many applicants, even his exceptional physical constitution could not entirely dismiss the consequences of a week spent hunting Demonic Beasts and competing against other awakened children.

The moment he entered the mansion, Ottilie appeared at the entrance hall with two younger maids following behind her.

The middle-aged woman had served the Grandel family for many years, and her familiar expression of stern concern immediately deepened when she noticed the condition of his clothing.

"Young Master, what in the world happened to you?" she demanded, approaching him before the attendants could finish their greetings.

Her eyes traveled from the damaged fabric around his shoulder to the dried blood near his sleeve, and her expression became increasingly displeased.

Sigurd glanced down at himself before answering with a faint smile. "Nothing particularly serious, Ottilie. Most of the blood isn’t mine, and the injuries have already been treated."

Unfortunately, the explanation did little to reassure her. Ottilie examined his face for another moment, then instructed the maids to prepare hot water and a proper meal.

"You may have won the examination, Young Master, but that doesn’t mean you can return looking as though you’ve been dragged through an entire battlefield," she complained.

Sigurd considered pointing out that the examination had involved several actual battlefields, but decided that silence would be considerably wiser.

News of his victory had reached the mansion before his arrival.

The academy’s preliminary announcement had already circulated throughout Helheim City, and the name of the first-place candidate had attracted considerable attention among the families whose children had participated.

For the Grandel Main Line, the result was a source of pride, although Sigurd suspected that some relatives would be considerably more interested in the rankings of the other five children.

Cassian’s second-place finish was particularly impressive, while the performances of Konrad, Isolde, Matthias, and Helena had ensured that every Main Line candidate successfully entered Helheim.

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Sigurd finally sat down to eat.

The dining room overlooked a courtyard filled with flowering trees, and the quiet surroundings felt almost unfamiliar after a week of sleeping beneath branches and listening for approaching beasts.

Ottilie supervised the servants as they brought out several dishes, refusing to leave until she was satisfied that he had eaten enough.

Sigurd accepted the attention without complaint.

He had survived situations far worse than the Grauwald examination in his previous life, but experience had taught him that arguing with a determined household attendant was rarely worth the effort.

Once the meal was finished, Ottilie informed him that her nephew had returned safely as well.

Emil Rainer had passed the examination, although his final ranking was nowhere near the leading candidates.

The boy had suffered several bruises and a strained ankle during the final days, but the academy physicians had already confirmed that he would recover completely. Sigurd was pleased to hear it.

Emil had proven useful during their time in Grauwald, particularly when he revealed the hidden valley where Demonic Beasts could be found, and Sigurd had developed a favorable impression of the earnest young applicant.

"Emil has been talking about nothing except Helheim since he returned," Ottilie remarked while collecting the empty dishes. "He keeps asking whether the dormitories really have their own training grounds and whether ordinary students are allowed to visit the Grand Library."

Sigurd leaned back in his chair and answered, "He’ll find out soon enough. Tell him to rest while he still has the opportunity. I doubt the instructors will be particularly gentle once lessons begin."

Ottilie gave him a knowing look before replying that the same advice applied to him, and Sigurd acknowledged her warning with an amused nod.

Later that afternoon, Sigurd visited the mansion’s private training courtyard. He had no intention of undertaking another exhausting session, but remaining completely idle felt unnatural.

Drawing his sword, he moved through several familiar forms, carefully observing the condition of his muscles and the circulation of Vis within his body.

His movements were slower than those he had employed during the examination, emphasizing precision rather than speed.

Each swing carried the accumulated understanding gained from seven days of practical combat, and he could recognize several imperfections that had escaped his notice before entering Grauwald.

His confrontation with Cassian remained particularly clear in his memory. The duel had demanded more than superior physical strength, forcing him to combine swordsmanship, timing, and the abilities of his Martial Soul against an opponent who understood his habits remarkably well.

Cassian had lost, but the difference between them was not something Sigurd intended to exaggerate. The other boy possessed exceptional discipline and talent, and there was little doubt that their rivalry would continue once both entered the academy.

Sigurd eventually lowered his sword and examined the Vis circulating within him. His first Vis Core had grown considerably more stable throughout the examination, and he could feel that his foundation was approaching the point required for another advancement.

However, attempting to force a breakthrough while his body remained exhausted would accomplish little. He had spent too much effort improving the quality of his foundation to jeopardize it through impatience.

Helheim possessed cultivation facilities far superior to those available in an ordinary residence, and waiting several more days was hardly a sacrifice.

By the following morning, his condition had improved considerably. Sigurd accompanied Ottilie into Helheim City’s commercial district to purchase several personal necessities before his admission.

The streets were already crowded with carriages, merchants, armored guards, and families preparing to send their children into the academy.

Enormous trading houses stood beside workshops and restaurants, while banners bearing the insignias of influential vassal families hung above several prestigious establishments.

Despite having visited the city before, Sigurd found its scale impressive.

Millions of people lived beneath the shadow of Westphalia, and the academy towering above them influenced nearly every aspect of the city’s economy.

Their carriage passed a broad public square where a large notice board displayed the entrance examination results.

A crowd had gathered around it, with parents searching for familiar names and merchants discussing the achievements of promising candidates.

Sigurd noticed his own name occupying the highest position and immediately turned his attention elsewhere.

Ottilie, however, appeared delighted by the sight. "Young Master, they’re still talking about your victory," she observed, unable to conceal her satisfaction.

Sigurd glanced toward the gathering before replying, "Then I hope they find something more interesting to discuss once classes begin."

Ottilie laughed softly, although she made no attempt to hide her pride.

They returned to the mansion shortly before evening, where Emil was waiting in the entrance hall.

The boy rose immediately upon seeing Sigurd and greeted him with an enthusiasm that made his aunt shake her head.

"Young Master! Congratulations on taking first place!" Emil exclaimed, his face brightening as he approached.

Sigurd acknowledged the greeting and examined the boy’s ankle, which appeared to have recovered sufficiently for ordinary movement.

"And congratulations on passing, Emil. You managed to finish the examination despite everything that happened," he replied.

Emil scratched his cheek with an embarrassed smile and admitted that he had nearly failed to reach the extraction station before sunset.

Their conversation eventually turned toward the academy itself.

Emil admitted that he was both excited and nervous about entering an institution containing tens of thousands of awakened students.

He had heard stories about powerful senior students, dangerous training exercises, and the fierce competition for academy resources.

Sigurd listened patiently before reminding him that the entrance examination had already demonstrated the importance of judgment.

Strength mattered, but knowing when to fight, retreat, cooperate, or seek assistance could be equally important. Emil considered the advice carefully, then promised that he would remember it.

That evening, Sigurd summoned Ottilie to his study and informed her that he intended to bring her to Helheim as his personal attendant.

The examination champion’s residential privileges permitted an approved household attendant, and Sigurd saw little reason to entrust his daily affairs to someone unfamiliar.

Ottilie appeared surprised by the proposal, particularly because accepting would require her to reside within academy territory.

However, after confirming that the arrangement was permitted, she agreed without hesitation.

She had watched Sigurd grow since childhood, and the prospect of continuing to care for him brought unmistakable warmth to her expression.

On the third morning, the mansion’s servants finished preparing their luggage before sunrise.

Sigurd stood beside the courtyard fountain in traveling clothes, watching the first light spread across the distant mountains.

His victory in Grauwald had earned him the right to enter through its gates with the examination Crown, but Sigurd understood that a single achievement meant little in a place where exceptional individuals gathered from every corner of Grandel territory.

Ottilie approached with the final travel arrangements, while Emil waited beside the carriage with barely concealed excitement. Sigurd took one last look at the mansion before following them toward the entrance.

The three days of rest had ended, and the next stage of his life was about to begin.

Beyond the city, the great mountains of Westphalia rose beneath the morning sky, and somewhere high among them, Helheim awaited its newest generation.