The Beginning

The next day, when Charles arrived at the dormitory, Ang was still asleep. Since the term had not officially begun and the training grounds were not yet open, Ang had gotten up early to meditate, but lay back down to rest afterward. The sound of Charles opening the door woke him. Dressed in refined noble attire, with a youthful freckled face beneath his curls, Charles stood out amid the servants surrounding him.

Though Ang was still sleepy after being disturbed by Charles and the servants, he did not go back to sleep. He got up and began tidying his things, preparing for the new day. Seeing that Ang was awake, Charles greeted him warmly. Although Charles's servants had initially mistaken Ang for another student's servant, Charles had learned through his family's channels that his roommate was actually a warrior retired from the front lines, a full ten years older than him.

Despite the obvious age difference, Charles showed no arrogance. Instead, he treated Ang with curiosity and respect. Though he did not yet know Ang's exact strength, Ang's experience of returning from the battlefield led Charles to assume that he was no weakling, at the very least a Senior Squire. Charles felt both admiration and anticipation toward his new roommate.

Ang also warmly returned Charles's greeting. Seeing the youth, who was a full ten years younger than him, he could not help feeling a strange sense of contrast. When the servants heard that Ang was also a student of the academy, a trace of surprise crossed their faces, but they quickly returned to normal. Fortunately, they had not shown Ang any disrespect or contempt the day before.

After the servants left, Charles formally introduced himself to Ang. He told him that he came from Campasareta, a subordinate region of Tan'anster. His family was a viscount family, and his full name was Charles Remant. He specifically mentioned that he was the youngest child in the family. To make his words more convincing and display his family's honor, Charles took a small badge from his pocket and showed it to Ang.

Ang looked at the small badge. It bore intricate family symbols and patterns, and at first he thought it was a badge representing noble rank. Charles explained that it represented the bloodline and historical legacy of the Remant Family, a symbol of the family's glory. Ang nodded in understanding. Though unfamiliar with noble etiquette and symbols, he could still sense Charles's pride in his family.

The distance between them narrowed somewhat at that moment. Ang discovered that although Charles was still young, he already possessed the confidence and courtesy unique to noble children.

Charles was still young, after all. When Ang praised him for being so knowledgeable, Charles secretly felt pleased, especially since the questions Ang asked were all common knowledge. This made him explain everything without reservation. Charles began introducing Tan'anster's noble hierarchy. "The highest-ranking noble in Tan'anster is naturally the Grand Duke of Tan'anster, the ruler of the entire duchy. Beneath the grand ducal family are three Marquis Families, followed by nine count families, and below them are many viscount and baron families."

Charles continued, "Our Remant Family is an old noble family. Our history can be traced back to the era of Tan'anster I, when our family still held the title of count. But later, because we failed to pay enough Black Magic Crystals, our title was reduced to viscount. Even so, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Our family's strength is still comparable to some of the lower-ranked count families."

As he said this, Charles unconsciously puffed out his chest, a hint of pride in his tone. Noticing that his throat had gone dry, Ang thoughtfully poured him a cup of water. Charles accepted it gratefully, then casually mentioned the family business, focusing on the Remant Family's warrior corps. Filled with longing, he said, "I dream of becoming the leader of the Family Warrior Corps one day."

Hearing this, Ang could not help asking, "Can't you inherit the viscount title?" Charles glanced at him as if to say, How could you even think that? Then he explained, "Though I come from a noble family, the title can only be passed to the eldest son. Other children need to earn military achievements or become mages to obtain new titles. Unfortunately, I have no talent for magic, so I can only strive forward on the path of a warrior."

Ang nodded silently. He did not know much about the inheritance rules of noble families, but after hearing Charles's explanation, he finally understood. It made him realize more clearly that even within noble families, the distribution of resources and power was far from simple and could even be full of competition and pressure.

After talking about his family background, Charles became curious about Ang's circumstances and asked about his experiences. Ang briefly told his story, saying that he was merely an ordinary commoner who had retired from the battlefield of the Maple Sugar Plane only a few months ago. The moment Charles heard "Maple Sugar Plane," surprise flashed in his eyes, and he eagerly asked, "Have you seen Demons?"

Ang nodded. "Yes, I've seen Demons." This made Charles even more excited. He had never seen a Demon with his own eyes and was deeply curious about such mysterious and terrifying beings. He continued asking about their appearance and what the battles had been like.

Ang roughly described the Demons. "Demons are extremely vicious creatures. They look hideous, move with incredible speed, and often carry a suffocatingly cold aura." He then recounted his experiences fighting Demons on the Kwenhua Plain, describing the brutality of the battlefield and the Demons' strength. Charles listened with rapt attention, occasionally gasping in amazement. He both admired and envied Ang for having personally experienced those battles.

After Ang finished recounting his experiences, Charles could not help asking, "Since you had so much combat experience in the army, why didn't you stay? Couldn't military achievements earn you a title?"

Ang shook his head with a bitter smile. "In the Allied Forces, I was transferred from the Logistics Regiment to the Infantry Regiment. By the rules, I couldn't share in the distribution of military achievements. So even if I performed well on the battlefield, I had no chance of gaining a title through military merit."

Charles nodded thoughtfully, showing that he understood. Though he understood Ang's situation, he still found it regrettable. Then he suddenly suggested, "Ang, if you have no other plans after graduation, you can consider joining my family's warrior corps. With your strength, I'm sure you'd be put to good use there."

Ang thanked Charles for his kind offer but did not agree immediately. He smiled and said, "Thank you for the invitation, but let's talk about it after graduation. I haven't decided what direction to take in the future yet."

Charles nodded. Though somewhat disappointed, he understood that Ang needed time to consider his future. After their conversation, the atmosphere in the dormitory became even more relaxed. They began discussing the academy's courses and training arrangements, preparing for the student life that was about to begin.

Through his conversation with Charles, Ang learned much about noble life that he had never encountered before. Charles truly had considerable talent. Before coming to study at the Warrior Academy, his family had specifically arranged instructors to train him and the other noble children, allowing them to receive an elite education from a young age. This gave Ang a better understanding of Charles's strength and made him realize that the resources and training opportunities noble children received while growing up far exceeded anything ordinary commoners could imagine.

In the afternoon, Charles suggested that he and Ang eat at a restaurant outside the academy, while he introduced Ang to more details of noble life. Charles chose a restaurant that only nobles could visit. Ang noticed a special emblem at the entrance, reminding him of similar signs he had seen in Wolff and River Bay City. It turned out that establishments bearing those signs were restaurants and venues dedicated to serving nobles. Today, through Charles's invitation, Ang was finally able to experience one for himself.

The moment they entered the restaurant, Ang immediately sensed an atmosphere completely different from that of ordinary eateries. The interior was lavishly decorated, the attendants' service was meticulous, and even the tableware was exquisitely crafted. Charles ordered several signature dishes for Ang. The dishes used magical beast meat as their main ingredient, while the drink was maple sugar wine infused with magical elements. It was Ang's first time tasting such luxurious food. The melt-in-the-mouth magical beast meat and faintly glowing maple sugar wine made him marvel at the extravagance of nobles.

During the meal, Charles explained, "This restaurant is an important place where we nobles usually gather and socialize, so it is open only to nobles. The emblems you saw are meant to distinguish ordinary commoner restaurants from places specially serving nobles."

Ang nodded in understanding, but inwardly he could not help sighing. A meal like this might equal several years of income for an ordinary commoner family. It made him feel the enormous gap between nobles and commoners even more deeply. Still, since Charles had invited him so warmly, Ang did not intend to refuse. He accepted the feast with a smile and thoroughly enjoyed the rare culinary experience.

After the meal, Ang and Charles discussed their plans for the future. Charles was full of confidence in his family's warrior corps, while Ang became even more determined to study hard at the Warrior Academy. Over this meal, they deepened their understanding of one another, and Ang gained a more profound understanding of the noble world.