Exposed

So-called work had just been a misunderstanding.

The coachman drove the elegant carriage to the Russell family's front door. Colin stepped down from the carriage, turned, and waved at Bill. "Goodbye, Bill."

"Goodbye, Colin." Bill waved back. The coachman shut the carriage door, climbed onto the driver's seat, flicked his whip, and drove away.

After watching the carriage depart, Colin opened the door and went inside. He first went to the living room and tore up the note saying he would be staying out overnight.

Just thinking about it made Colin blush. If he had not turned around and left in the end, he might have spent the night in the Countess's bed, all under the noble pretense of work.

"But what should I do? What about my startup funds?" Colin climbed the stairs, leaped onto his bed, and lay there staring blankly at the ceiling.

The next day.

Sunday's weather was still excellent, with a cloudless sky stretching for miles. Colin went out to ask around and learned a few things.

A complete set of basic potion-making tools cost ten Gold Coins.

The magical ingredients for one complete Basic Strength Potion cost two Gold Coins.

Judging by the "Basic Strength Potion Crafting (Poor)" entry on his panel, he needed to prepare at least five to ten sets of ingredients. That meant at least twenty Gold Coins.

Smith worked at the Ministry of Finance, yet his monthly salary was only one Gold Coin. Linda earned even less as a House Tutor—just eighteen Silver Coins a month.

One Gold Coin could be exchanged for twenty Silver Coins.

In other words, the Russell family's two employed members, Linda and Smith, would have to work continuously for a year without eating or drinking to save up Colin's required startup funds.

Monday.

The weather grew even hotter. Steam rose from the ground, and even the air seemed to warp. Colin took off his coat, wore only a shirt, slung his schoolbag over his back, took his Training Greatsword, and headed to school.

"Keep it up, Colin." Linda, who was clearing dishes in the kitchen, encouraged him.

"I know, Sis." Colin replied weakly. "Give me twenty Gold Coins, and I'll be fully fueled and run like the wind. But..."

After arriving at his classroom, Colin greeted Bill as usual, stuffed his schoolbag into his desk, and put away his Training Greatsword.

The morning was for academic classes. Literature, history, etiquette, and the like posed no challenge for Colin. After all, he had 5 Intelligence. And 5 Intelligence was the passing threshold for studying Potionry, which showed just how valuable it was.

However, Colin lacked the proper talent for courses such as oil painting.

The afternoon was for training, and the first class was Roer Military Swordsmanship.

This set of Roer Military Swordsmanship had eight moves in total. It was said to have been created by a knight named Roer and was the Basic Swordsmanship of the Two-handed Greatsword.

For a proper knight of the Empire, the weapon of first choice was the Two-handed Greatsword.

The Two-handed Greatsword was heavy, sturdy, and extraordinarily lethal, making it well suited for head-on combat.

Although Colin's skill panel listed Roer Military Swordsmanship (Poor), his classmates were all at roughly the same level. After all, they were only second-year students.

On the completely uncovered training ground, the earth beneath their feet grew ever drier under the scorching sun. As the students trained, great clouds of dust rose into the air.

Colin took off his shirt, revealing an exceptionally lean upper body. Gripping the ten-pound Training Greatsword with both hands, he practiced his swordsmanship with meticulous focus. Sweat gathered over his body before eventually streaming down, soaking his trousers.

Nearby, Ms. Anna stood beneath the blazing sun with her arms folded over her chest. She wore a tight black short-sleeved T-shirt that emphasized her impressive assets. A leather skirt of the same color was fastened by a silver belt, while her straight, rounded, wheat-colored long legs radiated strength.

Ms. Anna's gaze was fixed on Colin, and her brows furrowed slightly. As the homeroom teacher of Class Five and a powerful knight herself, she knew her students' strengths inside and out.

Last time, students with bloodlines had taken Bloodline Potions, while those without bloodlines had taken Strength Potions. Almost no one had failed, and everyone's strength had improved significantly. Colin, however, had shown almost no improvement.

"Did he fail?" Ms. Anna soon relaxed her brows. Such cases were rare, but they did happen from time to time. She merely found it regrettable.

She had noticed Colin for quite some time. The student was very intelligent and trained diligently and seriously. Though his talent was not outstanding, his hard work and earnestness meant he might still achieve something in the future. Unfortunately, his Bloodline Potion had failed.

It was not only the homeroom teacher who noticed. A small number of students noticed as well.

"This guy's Bloodline Potion failed." Brian was powerfully built, like a young bull. In terms of swordsmanship and physical ability, Brian ranked among the best in the class. He glanced at Colin and a faint sneer curled across his lips.

He remembered what Colin had said, and it felt as though an arrow had pierced his heart, making it convulse violently.

Whether it was bloodline strength, physical ability, or swordsmanship, he was superior to Colin. Yet simply because he had no surname, he was not a noble.

Even though his family was wealthy, their status could hardly compare to that of nobles.

Nobles. Hmph. Nobles.

"Chal." Brian turned and called to a student beside him.

"Brian?" Chal turned to look at Brian in confusion. He had an utterly ordinary face, even somewhat ugly, but his body was exceptionally large and imposing.

Chal and Brian belonged to the same circle; he too was the son of a wealthy merchant. In terms of ability, he was in the lower middle ranks of Class Five, about on par with Colin.

At Will Knight Academy, students could choose opponents for sparring during training classes. However, the student selected could refuse.

Before taking the Bloodline Potion, Chal and Colin had been evenly matched. Since Brian and Colin had a poor relationship, Brian often ordered Chal to challenge Colin.

Colin had never refused, and the two had won and lost against each other in equal measure.

"I've watched this guy for a while. Neither his strength nor his speed is any different from before. His Bloodline Potion failed. Go challenge him and expose his failed Bloodline Potion. Make him a laughingstock." Brian leaned close to Chal's ear and sneered.

"The success rate of a Bloodline Potion is as high as ninety percent, and this guy actually failed?" Chal froze for a moment, but he trusted Brian's judgment. Rubbing the right side of his ribs, he gave a vicious grin. "The last time we sparred, he hit me here with his sword. It still aches faintly. Perfect—I'll settle the score with him."

The school's Training Greatswords were unsharpened, but the students were all powerful Novice Knights. A blow from such a greatsword was still far from pleasant.