Stepping out of the library, I felt the need to clear my mind.
So I just took a casual stroll around the mansion, taking a path I hadn't taken before.
As I walked, I saw a very familiar hallway and quickly realised where it led.
Walking down the hallway, I eventually came across the very room where it all began.
Before, I never got a chance to truly look around this room since I was focused on not losing my head constantly.
Stepping into the room, I was finally able to see it. It looked like a noble's office where they handled important documents and married their daughters off for money.
I stepped toward the desk, seeing papers scattered all over.
I sat down at the desk and read the papers, hoping for some useful information.
There were many documents, so I just sifted through most of them. There was one thing I noticed. Most of them were layoff approvals, all signed by Leon Hardt.
'He must be the owner of this house.'
I continued to search the desk for anything until I came across a single photograph. It was a simple family picture. The husband stood beside his wife, smiles plastered on their faces, but right beneath them was a child smiling happily.
The child looked like me.
No.
'That's me.'
Right beneath the picture was an elegant handwriting that read...
-Happy birthday, Leon, you'll always be mommy's baby-
'I'm Leon Hardt.'
Which meant the ones in the picture were my parents...
And this mansion is my home.
------
It's hard to describe what I felt when I stared at the photo of my supposed family.
My heart tightened slightly, but I felt no real emotion.
No sadness, no nostalgia, only a slight tingly feeling in the back of my heart.
They were strangers.
Though I did put the picture in my pocket, deciding it was probably best to keep it with me, who knows if I meet them, I'll need this then.
I searched through the desk once more for anything else of use, but there were only more documents and layoff approvals.
"Looks like the previous Leon went on a power trip."
It now made sense why the entire mansion was empty.
He had fired all the staff.
And that guy was most likely an assassin sent to kill him.
I did, however, learn some things, like the fact that the Hardt family was a family of somewhat successful merchants founded by Leon's Grandpa.
There was something that wasn't adding up, though.
The fact that I was a half-blood meant that either my mother or father was a demon in disguise, who probably fell for a human.
I was the result of a literal Romeo and Juliet level relationship.
The books I read in the library emphasised the hatred between humans and demons. They were complete mortal enemies, dead set on wiping each other out.
Which meant my parents were a couple that defied all the rules set by the races, a once-in-a-lifetime love.
I chuckled. "Guess it's true love surpasses all."
Before leaving, I noticed one more thing on the wall.
A letter signed by the old Leon.
'An application letter?'
I wasn't sure why someone would put an application letter on the wall. But it read...
-DEVEL ACADEMY APPLICATION-
"An academy, huh, a bit cliché."
Grabbing it off the wall, I decided on my next destination.
'I still don't know enough about this world.'
It was true I lacked knowledge not only about magic but the world I was in, and the library could only tell you so much.
I needed to know where I was and how I got there.
And where else would you learn things than in an academy?
"But damn... school sounds so ass."
Still, after thinking about it, it was the best place to go.
There was one problem, though.
I looked into a nearby mirror.
"This hair is gonna cause a lot of problems."
My hair was still white.
Shaking my head, I left the room, leaving the problem for my future self to solve.
Would I regret this? Yes, but come on, I was already too stressed from all the information I was learning and wanted to stop thinking about my cursed future.
------
I went to the kitchen and took some food for the journey.
I also found the previous Leon's bedroom.
It was almost empty, only a bed and a desk, not even a mirror, as if he didn't want to look at himself.
I did, however, find a wardrobe that gave me clothing that fit, so I changed into whatever I thought looked good.
I went back to the library and took some books I hadn't yet read.
I also found a map of the area.
It showed a nearby town.
'I could talk to the locals'
After all, I didn't even know the way to the academy.
So I took the map with me.
At this point, the bag I had found was starting to get full, so I decided on one more thing to get.
I went back to a familiar open space, and as soon as I got there...
"Ah!.. fuck!!"
An incredibly putrid smell pierced my nostrils.
Yes, I still hadn't gotten rid of the body, so the smell had grown much worse than before. But I really didn't want to touch it, so can you blame me?
I stepped toward the weapons storage, covering my nose.
I looked around until my eyes landed on a sleek bow hanging on the wall.
Now, I didn't know much about bows at the time, but I did know this was a good bow.
It looked handcrafted and fit nicely in my hands.
Taking the bow, I left the storage, my nose still covered.
I had no intention of getting rid of the body. I just really, really did not want to touch it.
------
Taking one last stroll around the mansion, I finally reached the front gate.
Taking a look around, I spotted a single gracestone beside the gate.
It read...
-IN MEMORY OF ALEX HARDT AND SAMANTHA HARDT-
"..."
Staring at the gravestone, it was easy to realise what this meant.
My parents were dead before I could even meet them.
Taking the photo out of my pocket, I stared at it for a moment.
"...Again, huh?"
Putting the photo back in my pocket, I decided to leave. This mansion had taken too much out of me.
Stepping toward the gate, I pushed it open.
-creeeaaakk
The gate was clearly old, evident by the rust and noise it made when I opened it.
Stepping out, I paused for a moment and looked back at the mansion.
"..."
I turned around and walked in the direction of the village.
I was finally leaving the mansion.