Work

Life is unsatisfactory eight or nine times out of ten. Nothing can always go your way. Colin consoled himself inwardly. Forget it. He pulled himself together and returned "Basic Alchemy" and "Basic Strength Potion Crafting" to their original places. Although that beautiful lady had helped him take the books down, he still had to use a ladder to put them back.

After finishing, Colin hurriedly left the Kent Library and returned home on Wright Street.

As usual, Linda came to greet him at the door and warmly hugged and kissed him. During dinner, it was mostly Smith and Linda talking. A House Tutor and a young Financial Officer exchanged what they had seen and heard that day.

After dinner, Colin returned to his bedroom and lay down, looking forward to the job Bill would introduce him to tomorrow.

Now that he had some foundation in Potionry, he knew some basic information. First, brewing potions required a complete set of glassware, a special Magic Lamp, and the corresponding magical ingredients.

The magical ingredients were heated with the Magic Lamp, mixed in certain proportions, and ultimately refined into potions that could enhance one's attributes.

He still did not know exactly how much money this would require.

Colin sighed, slipped a hand into his trouser pocket, and fished out one dull silver coin and six very old copper coins.

"This definitely isn't enough to buy materials. I hope the job Bill introduces me to really is easy, comfortable, and well-paid."

Saturday.

Although Colin had wanted to sleep in, sunlight quietly streamed into his room and woke him with its warmth. After washing up, Colin had breakfast with Linda and Smith: slightly burnt fried eggs, fragrant sausages, and a bowl of vegetable soup.

The Ministry of Finance was closed on weekends too, but Smith went out after breakfast. Linda was a House Tutor without fixed vacation days, so she went to work as well.

Colin sat alone in the living room for a while before hearing Bill's footsteps at the door.

"Colin," Bill called.

Colin quickly went to the entrance, bent down, and took a pair of guest slippers from the shoe cabinet. Bill took off his leather shoes, put on the slippers, and entered with Colin.

"Colin, put on your most presentable clothes, and spray on some perfume." Bill frowned as he looked at Colin's academy uniform.

An easy, comfortable job with generous pay had to be respectable work. Colin nodded at this and immediately took out the white coat Linda had bought him for the New Year, pairing it with a blue shirt and a brand-new pair of black cowhide shoes.

After some thought, Colin secretly entered Smith's room, found a bottle of men's cologne made in Lint City, and sprayed some on himself before returning to the living room to see Bill.

"That's more like it." Bill looked Colin up and down, then nodded in satisfaction. Colin was not particularly handsome, but at least he looked valiant and upright.

"Oh, the job may last until tomorrow. Leave a note at home," Bill added, remembering something else.

"Okay." Colin quickly fetched pen and paper, wrote a letter, and left it in the living room before heading out with Bill. A respectable noble household needed to maintain at least several servants, a butler, and a carriage for travel.

The Russell family certainly had none of those, but Bill did.

An exquisite white carriage stood outside the door, pulled by a sturdy Eastglen stallion. A middle-aged coachman sat at the front. Upon seeing the two young nobles, the coachman respectfully climbed down and opened the metal-framed glass carriage door for them.

Once they had entered, he carefully shut the door. Only then did the coachman climb back onto the carriage and drive toward the outskirts of the city.

The carriage interior was not spacious, consisting of two cowhide sofas positioned at the front and back. Colin and Bill each occupied one sofa, sitting opposite each other.

"What kind of job is this, exactly?" Seeing that they were leaving the city, Colin could not help asking curiously.

"You'll know when we get there." Bill still kept him in suspense. Colin was a little annoyed, but then he thought, Bill probably wouldn't hurt me. I'll find out when we arrive.

The carriage left Wright Street, turned onto Marquis Kent Street, and headed east out of Will City. Once outside the city, the scent of agriculture became apparent.

Apart from a broad, straight road, the eye could see nothing but wheat fields divided into small plots. The wheat was growing exceptionally well, and countless farmers were busy working in the fields.

"This year's wheat prices will be a little higher than last year's." Bill looked up at the wheat fields outside the window and spoke casually.

"Why?" Colin asked curiously.

"There's a war in the eastern Empire. No one knows how long it will last." Bill gave a very feminine shrug.

"Oh." Colin immediately understood. War required provisions, after all. But his mood soon grew heavy again. Once students like them graduated from the knight academy, nobles would receive the title of Lifetime Knight, but they would also have to serve the marquis. If war broke out, they would be sent to the front lines to fight.

The topic did not last long. War was still too far away from young men like them. Besides, they soon reached their destination.

The carriage stopped before a villa surrounded by forest, and the door was immediately opened. Colin and Bill stepped out of the carriage.

Colin looked up at the villa and was somewhat astonished. Two well-dressed guards stood before the iron gate. Through the gate, he could see an exquisitely constructed front garden and vaguely make out an artistic male statue.

"The owner of a country villa of this scale can't be an ordinary person. Why would someone like that offer me an easy, comfortable, well-paid job? Are they asking me to be a nude model or something?" Colin could not help turning to Bill and asking, making a small joke.

With the system in hand, gold would shine eventually. He was not belittling himself; he was merely judging by common sense.

"Come over here." Bill became increasingly hesitant. He glanced at the villa gate, where the two guards had already noticed them.

Bill pulled Colin aside, away from the coachman, and only then whispered, "A Countess lives here. Her bloodline comes from House Kent, while her title came from her deceased husband. This Countess has enormous influence throughout the marquisate. Since you failed to take the Bloodline Potion, you should start thinking about your future."

Of course, Colin knew that widows in this world could inherit their deceased husbands' titles.

"Even if I failed to take the potion, I should think about my future. But what does that have to do with my job?" Colin could not help asking.

"Today, I'm not introducing you to a job. I'm introducing you to connections." Seeing how "clueless" Colin was, Bill had no choice but to explain. "This Countess is famous for being promiscuous and has many lovers. My family has some history with her. I can introduce you to her. Don't you usually have plenty of interesting topics? Things like Journey to the West. As long as you make her happy, you may have a chance to stand out. Even if you cannot become her husband, you can still rely on her connections to thrive in the marquisate and become an important figure in the secular world."

Colin had once told Bill about Journey to the West, and Bill had been deeply impressed by it.

After hearing this, Colin was utterly dumbfounded.

"Fuck! What kind of job is this? You're clearly pimping me out. I never thought you were this kind of terrible friend."