To leave the Capital safely, I had no choice but to use a secret passage, like the one at the tavern from which I first escaped.0

I lay down on the dirt ground. Staring at the sky, cold and thin like it was coated in frost, I mentally organized my plans one by one. 0

First, I would stay on the outskirts of the Capital. If serious pursuit began, I wouldn't go to the tavern. I didn't want to drag Naneow or Rena into the storm headed my way. I'd give myself five days. If nothing happened after that, I would head to the tavern.0

That way, I could still make it in time for Rena's inauguration.0

I planned to ask Naneow for help to escape the Capital. Then, I'd travel here and there, focusing on training, ideally without using magic along the way.0

***0

I spent five days in the mountains, slowly refining the skills I had absorbed. In the quiet solitude of the mountains, I practiced freely, becoming more familiar with the...0