Undercurrents Stirring

The people around them all stared at Caroso in bewilderment.

"Raiding dungeons from the age of eight?" One student could not hold it in and blurted out, "Are you joking? Don't you have to be at least twelve?"

"In my family, we all started raiding dungeons at eight," Caroso said.

"Isn't that just throwing yourselves away?" The student was instantly thrown into disarray.

"Yes. I had an older brother and an older sister. They died in a dungeon." Caroso nodded.

Everyone fell silent.

Azure Wolf Province was the duchy with the largest army in the entire kingdom, as well as the largest territory of all the duchies. That had not come from nowhere.

Looking at Caroso's still-youthful face, Bai's expression turned complicated. She let out a long breath. "I think you've raided more dungeons than anyone your age... No, even students two grades above you might not have more experience than you."

"So, in terms of experience, I can join this raid," Caroso said with certainty.

"Do you know that if you enter the dungeon, the danger may not necessarily come from monsters?" Bai gave one final warning.

"I know." Caroso nodded. "If anyone wants to deal with me, they will have to pay with their life. Kolia has never feared any challenge."

"Fine. I'll submit your name and experience." Bai said, "As for whether you'll be selected, that depends on the Vice Principal's arrangements."

News of Caroso signing up leaked out, as expected.

When Karei first heard about the appearance of this so-called third-tier dungeon, he had not paid it much mind. But once he heard that Caroso had signed up, he could no longer sit still.

Caroso's humiliation of him before was still vivid in his mind. He felt that he had merely spoken in a slightly harsher tone, yet Caroso had made him lose all face before everyone. It was simply intolerable.

During the break between classes, Karei decisively returned to his dormitory and began making a call with a magic stone.

"Young Master."

Soon, a young man appeared within the magic stone.

"Post a job for me. Cripple Caroso," Karei said. "Inside the third-tier dungeon!"

"Understood."

Karei thought, I can't enter myself, but can't I hire someone else to go in?

With gold coins as bait, some people would do anything!

Warrior Academy.

When the Prince learned that Caroso was going to the dungeon, he could not sit still either.

The Prince held a position at this school as well. He was the dean of the Warrior Academy, a top-tier warrior.

If Caroso had been a genius from an ordinary family, the Prince would have spared no effort in recruiting him into the Royal Family and turning him into Royal Family talent. But Caroso was Osiris Kolia's son. That meant Caroso could never be recruited.

Judging from Caroso's performance, this person posed far too great a threat.

The Prince had not cared much about those cards. In his eyes, they were not the work of a child like Caroso at all, but creations of Grand Duke Kolia's card-making team. Caroso had merely been pushed into the spotlight.

There was one thing the Prince cared about greatly: when Caroso had first entered the school, he had triggered the statue of the War God!

After that day, he had held meetings with quite a few people and consulted the church as well, confirming Caroso's condition.

Caroso was one of God's Chosen—and one chosen by the War God!

In the Prince's impression, every one of the War God's Chosen had been someone who would throw this world into chaos.

The appearance of one chosen by the War God meant that countless ancient nobles would perish, just as her Flaming Magic Sword Laevateinn had burned countless old gods to ash.

Every one of the War God's Chosen was a revolutionary. Countless nations had changed because of God's Chosen.

If Caroso had merely been one of God's Chosen, the threat would still have remained within controllable bounds. After all, there were countless God's Chosen who had fallen along the road to growth. Once the voices of the gods vanished, the safety of God's Chosen was no longer protected by the gods.

But Caroso possessed a natural advantage. In the future, he was very likely to inherit Grand Duke Kolia's position. The three hundred thousand soldiers of Azure Wolf Province were no joke.

After class, the Prince returned to his office and secretly began making contact.

"Your Highness." Karei's figure appeared on the Prince's magic stone.

"Karei." The Prince opened his mouth and said softly, "Kolia has proposed marriage to the Royal Family. Grand Duke Osiris wants Caroso to marry Elena."

"What?" Karei's face turned green. "Elena and I..."

"I know the two of you are close, but the Royal Family believes that Caroso is a little too outstanding. Having Elena marry Caroso is the best choice." The Prince continued.

"Your Highness, I refuse to accept this!" Karei said anxiously. "In the future, I will also have the ability to inherit the duke's position. If Elena marries me, she will definitely become a duchess!"

The position of duke had to be fought for.

In the past, conservative dukes would pass their positions to their eldest sons. But as times changed, that notion changed as well.

A duke would still pass his position to his own son, and specifically a son born of his lawful wife.

But it would not necessarily be the eldest son.

If one could not win the duke's favor, then one could only fight for it personally.

If he could form a marriage alliance with the Royal Family, it would also be a valuable bargaining chip for Karei.

"I still favor you." The prince said, "I like Elena very much. I've always raised her as if she were my own daughter. I hope she marries for love, not politics. The reason for a marriage alliance with the Kolia family is Caroso's excellence—and Caroso need not be so excellent."

"Whew..." Karei let out a long breath. "I understand."

Karei had already wanted to deal with Caroso. Now, his resolve had only hardened.

The reason Caroso stepped on me before must have been this!

Damn it, I'll make you pay the price!

The prince ended the call through the magic stone, then connected to another soul.

"Harvey Colin." The prince addressed the image appearing within the magic stone.

"Oh, my dear Your Highness, I didn't mean to skip class." Harvey gave a noble salute through the magic stone, then sat back down on the sofa.

He held a glass of red wine in one hand and had an innocent-looking female student in his arms, a cynical, devil-may-care smile hanging on his face.

"You know Caroso, don't you?" the prince said.

"Oh, that detestable barbarian." Harvey narrowed his eyes.

If Caroso had been there, he would have recognized him at a glance. When Caroso had first enrolled, this was the very person who had mocked him the moment he arrived.

He was the son of Grand Duke Colin of Horn Peak Province. Horn Peak Province bordered Azure Wolf Province, and the two sides had often clashed, even coming into military conflict.

Harvey and Caroso were destined never to become friends.

"He's going to explore a dungeon," the prince said.

"What a barbarian indeed. Is a place like that somewhere nobles should go?" Harvey mocked.

"I'm merely informing you."

With that, the prince cut off the contact.

Immediately afterward, he contacted several more people who had conflicts with the Kolia family.

It could be said that, because Azure Wolf Province lay far from the prosperous center and showed obvious ambitions of expansion, Grand Duke Kolia had offended quite a few people.

And so, many blows would fall upon Caroso.