A Reader's Grimoire In A Novel World

Sasha looked back as she heard River call Julius' name. She frowned and gritted her teeth, turning toward him and walking with killing intent.

"After your brutal act, you still proceed to mention his name. Forget about waiting..." Sasha waved her hand, and a long metal spear formed in front of it.

The spear, with a shimmering silver blade, glistened under the artificial crystal light formed over the field.

"No, Julius is alive. He's coming," River said, raising his hand defensively, and Sasha frowned as she heard him.

Her face softened as she saw Julius behind River, soaked with water, including his coat and his royal outfit, holding a broken sword.

"Why so angry, Sasha? We haven't seen each other for a long time." Julius walked past the students, and they all turned to him, unable to believe it.

"Wasn't he frozen in ice water before?"

"It's really him. He came back to life."

The students were all agitated as they saw Julius return from an inescapable death. Not only that, but he didn't appear like the others and came directly from the forest… so he survived.

Sasha ran toward him as she saw him and stopped in front of him.

She pouted as she noticed Julius was a bit taller than her, and she gazed at his arm, which was tied with a cloth, along with the multiple bruises and bloodstains covering his clothes.

"Hi..."

Sasha looked at his face once more as those words left his mouth, and she held his healthy arm, walking away with him.

...

"Ragner, what happened?" the king asked as he saw Julius walk away, and the elder smiled.

"It turns out there was another tunnel within the water that let him escape right on time. I broke the spell formation to interfere with the trial, so if he had died... it would've been permanent," the elder said, and the king nodded, gazing down from the platform at Julius.

"One wrong judgment would've led to his death. Is it luck, or something else?" the king mumbled, and Ragner couldn't help but frown as he remembered the strange eye that Julius wielded during the trial.

"That eye… It felt as if all my secrets were exposed to it. I should probably tell the king about it," Ragner thought, then glanced at Sasha.

"Hm... Perhaps, I'll ask him about it," he thought, then hopped down from the platform.

The students looked at him as he hovered in the air, and they all gathered around.

"Attention! The first phase of the trial has been completed. The qualified candidates will be mentioned now!"

"Faren Hiet, Trisha Malay..."

All the students clenched their teeth as Ragner called the names one by one.

Julius, on the other hand, had finished reading the list from a distance and smiled at what he saw.

"River Veloria Augustine. And finally, Julius Veloria Augustine."

"Julius managed to obtain the highest level of beast seal in this entire trial and has been allowed to skip the next trial due to his injuries. The hundred people I called will participate in the next round two days from now. Dismissed," Ragner said with a wave of his hand.

The rest of the students who were disappointed all left, hoping to pass the trial next year.

"Come on," Sasha said, assisting Julius to a white and gold carriage waiting just outside the forest.

He sat inside and couldn't help but let out a sigh. The pain was still in his arm, and he felt a sudden pain in his left eye.

He touched his cheek to see that it was blood coming from his eye, and he used material to tie it, just as before.

"Hey... how have you been?" Sasha's voice came from his side, and he looked over to see her looking down, her fists clenched on her lap.

Julius looked up at the carriage ceiling and saw a straight line of little crystals illuminating the interior, and he couldn't help but find it beautiful.

"How I've been, huh?"

"I've been alright. How was the royal tower?" Julius asked, and then Sasha looked at him with a smile.

"The tower was okay. I wasn't able to complete it because of the boss on the seventh floor. I'll try again after Midgard Academy," she said, and Julius nodded.

"Don't feel bad that you left me. Some are born talented, while some are born to be nothing more than a speck of dust..."

Sasha looked at his face as she heard those words.

"You're not a speck of dust. You're my brother." She grabbed his free arm and curled hers around his.

Julius couldn't help but rub her hair as she did that, and he tried to relax.

"At least... I have family here too. I wonder where Mum is right now," he thought, then closed his eyes.

They got to the castle after a long drive, and he went straight to an inn inside the castle and laid down on the bed.

A woman wearing a white and red gown, with a pin holding her hair, walked towards him with a smile.

"Prince Julius. The potion has already taken effect, and it might take at most six days for all your bones to be fixed," the nurse said, and Julius nodded to her.

"Thank you," Julius' low voice reached the nurse's ears.

"Of course." She flashed him a beautiful smile before leaving.

The room became silent, and the only sounds were the wind and the creaks of the bed as Julius adjusted to a comfortable position.

"The next trial would be dungeon exploration. I've only read about them, and I would love to attend. But I broke my sword and also my arm..." he thought, clutching his chest and taking a deep breath.

"The one I'll attend is the battle royale round. It's going to be brutal. I hope they sneak another life-saving spell into that one," he smirked.

Sasha and Margaret came into the room soon enough, and Julius smiled as he saw them.

His smile faded as he saw River behind them, and he became confused.