After exiting the building where his room was located, Lucien found himself surrounded on all sides. He reached for his sword and drew it from its scabbard.

  "Vice Commander, what are you doing?" Lucien asked, his voice icy enough to slice through everyone’s heart. The soldiers seemed to shudder at the sound of his.

  "This is for your wellbeing. Tell me if you are feeling uncomfortable. If so, I will send a message to the Duke." Vice Commander Jareth stepped forward, both hands gripping his sword tightly, ready for a fight that could break out at any moment.

  "I am fine now," Lucien said coldly.

  They were tense, and Jareth was making sure Lucien did not lose control. He seemed fearful that he would repeat the same thing again that had led to Lucien almost killing Jareth’s daughter.

  Lucien sheathed his sword back in the scabbard.

  "Make way for me. I have somewhere to be," Lucien ordered. The soldiers immediately stepped aside, giving him a path to exit.

  Jareth stood there, looking reluctant, but finally sighed and sheathed his sword. "May I ask where you are going, Lord Lucien? Are you returning back to the academy?" he asked.

  "It’s none of your business," Lucien answered coldly. This was simply his way of speaking. Others might think he was being an ass, but those who knew him understood he spoke this way with everyone. Lucien had never feared speaking freely with anyone he had met so far, and he did not fear anyone; if he wished, he could go directly into the depths of the forest where no soul dared to venture. Still, he was not so unstable as to actually travel to the very center of the forest, where no one knew what might lie.

  Somehow, thinking about it filled him with excitement. Lucien underestimated himself; he would have gone there if he had any reason. The thrill of exploring uncharted land seemed to boil his blood.

  ***

  Lucien stood outside the stable, waiting for his horse.

  A boy with brown hair and black eyes exited the stable. He trembled as he grabbed the reins of the horse and guided it toward the exit.

  Lucien’s horse, Obsidian, was no ordinary animal. It was a highland warhorse found only in the valley of the northwest part of the Eldoryn Empire. He had named the horse Obsidian because it was as pitch black as his own hair. Now that he remembered his past life, he found himself cringing internally at the name.

  Still, Lucien's face remained impassive; he did not let his thoughts affect his expression. This was something he had liked about Lucien in his previous life while reading the story—he rarely showed his emotions. He always wore that impassive look of a villain, yet he was more handsome than the hero. It caused a great deal of pain when the author killed him off in the book; female fans hated the author and wanted Lucien to be resurrected.

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  Lucien questioned whether the author was the god who brought him here or if it was someone else who simply wanted to watch him suffer in this world. It was something he doubted he would ever discover.

  "Neighhh!" Obsidian let out a high-pitched, loud shriek as it saw Lucien. The horse lifted its forelegs high in the sky and charged toward him.

  Thankfully, the brown-haired boy let go of the reins before Obsidian charged. Otherwise, the boy would have ended up face-first on the ground, dragged by the powerful horse he was clearly unable to restrain.

  Obsidian stopped just short of Lucien’s face. The horse did not dare lick him—Obsidian knew how much Lucien hated getting dirty. Unlike other main characters who enjoyed such affection, Lucien truly hated unruly behavior.

  Lucien reached his hand toward Obsidian’s neck and patted it lightly. Obsidian let out a happy shriek, clearly enjoying the attention. Thankfully, its black fur did not come off on Lucien’s hand; the fur was firmly attached. That was the only reason he patted the horse—otherwise, he would not have done it at all. The thought of having animal hair on his body disgusted him.

  The brown-haired boy stared in a daze at Lucien and the horse, who now seemed docile—so different from before. Obsidian must have caused plenty of trouble for the horsemen who take care of the horses.

  Lucien felt disgusted by the boy, who smelled of horse dung and wore filthy clothes. He restrained himself from saying anything harsh. Since regaining his old memories, he had noticed how villainous his behavior was. He knew he was unlikely to change anytime soon—this was simply how he had grown up.

  Lucien leaped onto Obsidian’s back and settled into the saddle. Before leaving, he tossed a few coins to the boy.

  "Brat, take this as a reward and buy yourself some new clothes," Lucien said coldly, his voice icy enough to make the boy freeze as the coins clattered to the ground.

  Lucien had not intended to say anything, but his behavior and language were rooted deep within him. It was part of what made him Lucien—a villain. This body did not know how to speak sweet words. He spoke whatever he wanted.

  ***

  Lucien did not let Obsidian stop once their journey began. The sun was setting below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and gold. Obsidian was no common horse; it was a warhorse that could run for days without tiring.

  Lucien had left the stronghold without giving it much thought. He had already dealt with wolves, the stronghold was under control, and he was the son of the northern duke—who could stop him if he wanted to go somewhere? The vice captain of the stronghold, Marquess Jareth Halvorn, was present to handle matters. The marquess was more than capable.

  Lucien had taken the western road from the stronghold, passing through forests, villages, towns, and small cities—no major cities were built along the northern border. He followed the border walls, which seemed to stretch up to the heavens; they were enormous structures built from massive stones, like the pyramid stones from his previous world.

  Finally, after some time, the walls ended, and mountains began to appear. Their peaks soared even higher than the walls. Some were smaller, but all were imposing enough to keep most beasts at bay—though some still managed to climb through the steep terrain. The mountains were covered in thick, green forest that now looked black and dark, as the sun had already set and the moon was slowly rising in the east.