As Cassian came out of the office, he started heading towards a certain destination.
The library.
'Even though I know this world from the game, I want to check if there are any differences or not,'
he thought.
Keeping that thought in mind, he reached a large door.
He opened the door and was greeted by the vast view of the room.
Shelf after shelf, countless books were neatly arranged.
Even though he had seen this place in Cassian's memories, it still amazed him.
After composing himself, he began looking for a book that matched what he was searching for.
He found a book titled [Kerlyhr].
The name of this world.
Finding a nearby table and chair, Cassian sat down and opened the book.
As he delved deeper into its contents, the world of Kerlyhr unfolded before him like a brilliant fantasy painting.
A super-Earth significantly larger than Earth, with 50% of its surface covered by water, and the remaining land distributed among diverse races.
The land was divided into five continents:
Cyndria Continent:
Cyndria is a human-ruled domain dominated by a single great monarchy.
The Dukedoms played a vital role, guarding the kingdom from all sides—north, south, east, and west.
Faerion Continent:
This continent, dominated by the elves, boasts an abundance of plant life.
The elves ruled a single empire and were known for their deep connection to nature.
Their culture was characterized by their appreciation for tranquility and the environment.
Xalvoris Continent:
This continent is ruled by the Red Demons, who are considered warriors.
The sins of Pride, Wrath, and Gluttony fall under this category of demons.
Maldrath Continent:
This continent is ruled by the Blue Demons, who are considered mages.
The sins of Lust, Sloth, Envy, and Greed fall under this category of demons.
Continent of Academy:
The last and most important continent.
The Academy here was formed by five legendary heroes.
As Cassian studied the map of the Continent of Academy, he sighed.
This is the place where geniuses from all continents will gather to study.
But getting there isn't simple.
Each of the four other continents has its own academy where students train. From these academies, only five students will be selected from each academy to attend the Academy of Continents.
"Looks like nothing is different," he muttered.
After closing the book, he left the library and started heading back to his room.
As he reached the door to his room, he found Sylvia standing there in her blue and white maid dress.
Her face lit up as she saw him walking towards her.
"Master, you're here! I was looking for you," Sylvia said, innocence flickering in her eyes.
Cassian's mouth twitched at her words.
He opened the door and said, "Sylvia, come inside. I want to talk to you about something."
After saying that, Cassian entered the room.
Sylvia's mind short-circuited at his words.
'What does Master want to talk about?'
"Is he going to confess to me?"
"No, that's absurd. Why would he love a maid like me?"
"Okay, let's get inside."
Sylvia stepped inside and saw Cassian seated on the bed, looking seriously at her.
'Of course, I can't get angry at her, but I will teach her a lesson for being my mother's ears,'
Cassian thought.
In a heavy tone, he said, "Sylvia."
"Yes, Master?"
"How many years have you been my personal maid?"
Sylvia started counting on her fingers and replied, "Five years, Master."
Cassian nodded and then said, "So, I was thinking that I should swap you with Elisa's maid."
Sylvia's happy demeanor instantly shattered. She lowered her gaze, trying to piece together what Cassian had just said.
Tears started falling from her eyes, hitting the floor, shocking Cassian
But he didn't let it show on his face.
"What did I do wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs.
'Quick to catch on, huh?' Cassian thought.
He maintained a serious expression and said, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. But Elisa's maid doesn't inform father or mother about whatever Elisa does."
His tone carried a hint of mocking seriousness.
Sylvia immediately understood what he was talking about.
/Sob/ /Sob/
"But... but you were screaming in your room this morning," she said, her sobs intensifying.
"And it was an inhuman scream.... the most terrifying scream I've ever heard, like some ravaged beast was crying out..."
Cassian's face darkened at her description.
'Is that how I sounded during the soul-merging process, System?'
[Yes, Host. The scream that escaped from you cannot be described as human.]
Cassian's mouth twitched at the System's blunt response.
"And... and in your training chamber, you were screaming again, though it was more like a normal scream," she continued.
"So... so I thought... Master was in p-pain."
"So I informed Mistress Sophia."
"Please don't replace me. I won't inform anyone about anything from now on," Sylvia said, her tears falling steadily to the ground.
Seeing her cry like that, Cassian couldn't bring himself to tease her any longer.
"Okay, okay. I was just joking. Stop crying," he said.
Sylvia processed his words, and a fierce pout formed on her face.
"Then comfort me like you used to," she demanded.
Cassian tilted his head, searching his memories, where a certain scene unfolded.
-------------------
A small girl, around 5 or 6 years old, was crying in a garden, hiding behind a tree.
/Hic/ /Hic/
"I don't want to do this maid training anymore."
/Hic/ /Hic/
"Even Mom scolded me too much today."
/Hic/ /Hic/
"Hey, why are you crying?"
A boy, about the same age, with black hair, black eyes, and creamy white skin, asked her.
The girl looked at him and, with a suppressed sob, asked, "Who are you?"
The boy replied with a smile, "Cassian."
"What's your name?"
"Sylvia," she answered.
Then Cassian sat beside her and asked, "So, Sylvia, why are you crying?"
Hearing the question again, tears started forming in her eyes.
"My mom scolded me in front of all the maids."
Cassian then asked, "And why did she scold you?"
She hesitated.
"Because... I wasn't doing the right thing."
Cassian asked again, "Is she like this when you're alone with her?"
Sylvia replied, "No, Mom doesn't scold me when we're alone. But she scolded me in front of everybody."
"I know she hates me."
Tears started forming in her eyes again.
Cassian suddenly began patting her head.
Sylvia looked at him.
"You know, when my mother trains me, she also scolds me for every wrong move I make."
"But in the end, she loves me too much."
Then Cassian looked at her and said
"She doesn't hate you."
"She just doesn't want others to think she's treating you differently. If She does that, others might start to hate you."
"Really?" Sylvia asked.
"Really."
Cassian started removing his hand, but Sylvia started crying again.
"You really are a crybaby, you know," Cassian said, "but a cute one," he added.
After a moment of silence, she asked in a weak voice, "Can... can I hug you?"
"Hmm, okay," Cassian said.
She immediately hugged him while Cassian patted her head.
After a few moments, Cassian said, "Let's look for your mother. She must be worried."
"Mmm," she nodded.
They started searching here and there in the garden for Sylvia's mother.
Then—
"Sylvia!"
Both looked at a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a black and white maid dress.
She came running toward Sylvia.
"Where were you? I was so worried about you," she said, small tears glistening in her eyes.
Sylvia started hiding behind Cassian.
The woman looked at Cassian, and her eyes widened.
"Young Master!"
She bowed and apologized.
"Sorry for the inconvenience brought by my daughter."
Cassian smiled.
"Ah, Miss Rayla. So Sylvia is your daughter."
He moved slightly aside as Sylvia started walking toward Rayla.
"And you don't have to apologize."
"Sylvia is very cute. I enjoyed my time with her."
Sylvia started blushing at Cassian's words.
-------------------
Then the memory ended.
Cassian stepped forward and hugged Sylvia, patting her head.
"You're still a crybaby," he said.
She buried her face in his chest and nodded.
She remembered how Cassian comforted her every time she ran from her maid training—though most of those times were just her drama to get closer to him.