Magical Library

Men always like to show their charm in front of women, especially beautiful women.

Watching the nobles fawn over a group of songstresses, Hudson silently chose to remain a bystander.

A one-night stand is easy, but the price is too cruel. The married nobles don't care; it's just a fling, and adding a romantic affair to their lives is harmless.

As a single man, Hudson couldn't follow suit. If things went wrong and he was held responsible, that would be incredibly awkward.

Similar things have happened before. It's perfectly normal for people to use some underhanded tactics to marry into a wealthy family.

Although the probability of success is low, there are still successful cases. Minor nobles and married nobles are not the targets of the songstresses, but those above them are a different story.

This can be seen from their different treatment of others. Unfortunately, lust-driven guys never think that far ahead; they just want a romantic encounter.

Unfortunately, the opponents were too strong; they were all beautiful women who had undergone professional training to capture men's hearts, and each of them was well-versed in men's thoughts and feelings.

The more you want something, the less likely you are to get it. On the contrary, songstresses often come and go in front of Hudson, who remains unmoved.

They claimed to be attracted by the unparalleled heroism of Earth Bear Stearns. But the question is, when has Beldens ever been a hero?

In addition, scions of wealthy families such as Viscount Cayou and Viscount Ciss were not short of beautiful women surrounding them.

These guys, despite their lustful nature, generally exercised restraint. While they readily accepted temptations, they didn't recklessly pounce on them.

Whether it's due to their extensive experience or professional training, these scions of wealthy families have a much stronger resistance to beauty than ordinary people.

However, this does not include Isabelle. Faced with this exceptional beauty, even the scions of wealthy families have little resistance.

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Hudson even witnessed a nobleman's son propose to her on the spot. The result, of course, was predictable: he was friend-zoned.

"How far has the matter progressed?"

A cold voice rang in her ears, and Isabelle turned her beautiful eyes and glared fiercely at the person who had come.

Yet, even within that fierce gaze, there was an undeniable hint of tenderness. Clearly, this was a woman whose very essence was allure; every frown, smile, joy, and anger was captivating.

What normal man could resist that?

"Shadow Kill, are you out of your mind?! There's an Earth Bear in the camp. You've sneaked in at this time, aren't you afraid of being caught by Beldens...?"

Before Isabelle could finish speaking, the Shadow Man interrupted, "Don't worry, the organization knows the Earth Bear better than you do."

I entered your tent, not that of Lord Hudson. The lazy Earth Bear has no habit of spying around.

Unless that Lord Hudson is so obsessed with you that he gets the Earth Bear to keep an eye on you, even if you are discovered, you will be able to handle things.

After all, my current official identity is that of a servant in the troupe of songstresses. It's not unreasonable for us to be related, is it?

Upon hearing this answer, Isabelle rolled her eyes. She said irritably, "Since you're so capable, why don't you go and handle it yourselves? Why do you need me to step in?"

"This woman is of limited talent and lacks the ability to shoulder this heavy responsibility; I have failed to subdue this person."

Half of her anger was directed at Shadow Kill, and the other half at Hudson. A delicate, beautiful woman performed several times, yet remained unmoved.

If it weren't for the Isabelle was certain Hudson was having a physical reaction and had only managed to suppress it through willpower, she would have doubted whether Hudson was even a man.

"It's a miracle that there's a man in this world that you Isabelle, can't handle!"

The shadow man said expressionlessly.

But when this scene fell into Isabelle's eyes, she widened her eyes and looked at it curiously from all sides.

Now she finally understood why she couldn't seduce the shadow man. It turned out he wasn't a real man after all.

"What are you looking at? Don't forget your mission is to find out as soon as possible whether Hudson has the Blood Moon Horn."

The shadow man reminded him.

"No need for your nonsense, I know the mission perfectly well. But that Hudson is not easy to deal with!"

Even though she was already tempted, she still forcibly suppressed her desires and pretended to be unmoved.

You know how twisted nobles can be. Some ruthless individuals, in order to temper their character, will even go so far as to harm the women they love..."

Halfway through her sentence, Isabelle stomped her foot angrily. Deep down, she groaned, wondering if she'd encountered a pervert herself!

With a large escort of knights, the journey was naturally smooth. No matter how reckless the mountain bandits were, they wouldn't be foolish enough to deliberately offer themselves up for death.

Upon arriving in the Royal Capital, amidst everyone's reluctance to part, they bid farewell to the ladies of the songstress troupe.

Meeting Isabelle's resentful gaze, Hudson had a feeling that things wouldn't end so quickly.

You've got your eye on him?

This is so bizarre.

I don't deny that love at first sight can happen, but it would be quite ridiculous for a woman working in the entertainment industry to fall in love at first sight.

Judging from appearance alone, Hudson is just average-looking. He's not ugly, but he's not exceptionally handsome either.

What attracts noble ladies to him is more the added charm that comes with his strength and social status.

These are very attractive to young girls, but they are no match for a top-tier singer like Isabelle.

If it wasn't love at first sight, then she came specifically for him.

There are quite a few spies infiltrated the Mountain Territory, but Hudson has never encountered a force that uses such a beauty as a pawn.

It's not that I'm being self-deprecating, but that I genuinely don't know.

In the world of the nobility, there is no love or hate without a reason. The things that the Mountain Territory people scheme for are just a few.

All of these are things Hudson would never let go of. Even if Isabelle, he can't move the territory!

Hudson vaguely felt that he had discovered the truth, but there was still a barrier between him and the truth.

Upon arriving in the Royal Capital, it was time for everyone to part ways.

This is the time to show strength. Powerful families have their own residences in the Royal Capital, while nobles without strength can only stay in inns.

The Hudson is caught in the middle. As the family with the widest distribution of members, the Royal Capital naturally has no shortage of members of the Coslo Family.

As for the residence itself, well, that's a long story. Judging from its layout alone, it was just a commoner's courtyard.

Living in the capital is not easy.

Even for nobles who are not wealthy, it is not easy to acquire property here that matches their status.

Having a place to stay is good enough. Hudson isn't picky, nor does he have the right to be.

Even the cheapest viscount's mansion costs tens of thousands of gold coins. Don't complain about the price; these properties are snapped up as soon as they're released.

In fact, very few noble mansions end up on the market for sale. No matter how desperate for money someone is, no one sells their mansion.

Foreign nobles mostly stayed in hotels.

The better hotels are decorated almost like palaces. However, the prices are also quite high.

Having money isn't enough to check in. Your status determines the room category you can stay in.

If a viscount like Hudson were to go there, he could only stay in a viscount's castle that cost 30 gold coins per day, or a room of a lower standard.

As long as you're respectable enough, the cheapest knight's room only costs 3 gold coins per day.

Hudson had serious doubts that those poor, lowly knights could earn 3 gold coins a day.

Hudson greatly admired the hotel owner who had accurately predicted the aristocracy's competitive nature and devised this business model.

Imitation is impossible.

This kind of business model is not something that ordinary people can imitate.

If you don't have a strong enough backer, the noble gentlemen in the shop might cause a scene, and things could get out of control.

A humble courtyard is a humble courtyard; to avoid paying the "stupidity tax," Hudson was too lazy to join in the fun.

To be precise, the restaurant was fully booked.

The Coslo Family received the news too late, and their network of connections in the Royal Capital was extremely weak, so they were unable to secure a room for Hudson.

The courtyard had been recently renovated, and it was clear that care had been taken in its creation. Although it didn't quite match the Viscount's status, Hudson, who didn't have high demands for living conditions, was still satisfied.

After a night's rest, I received a notice early the next morning to enter the palace to rehearse the investiture ceremony.

Hudson was dumbfounded upon receiving this answer. It seemed that even on the Aslant Continent, he hadn't escaped it...

The urgency was obvious; the delegation from the Southeast Province had arrived late. Normally, they would have arrived well in advance.

However, with the addition of the songstress troupe halfway through the journey, their speed dropped from hundreds of miles a day to tens of miles a day, naturally increasing the time spent.

There are only eight days left until the investiture ceremony. If we don't rehearse in advance and something goes wrong during the ceremony, it will be a disaster.

Unsurprisingly, those participating in the rehearsals were all minor nobles. As for His Majesty the King, he naturally had no need for such formalities.

Under the guidance of the etiquette officer, Hudson followed the procession like a wooden puppet for the entire morning.

This is just the beginning. In the next few days, we will come here to practice every day.

The reason he was able to finish early was because he was a viscount, which placed him among the higher-ranking nobles.

The barons and knights below them fared even worse, especially the lowest-ranking knights, who were basically stuck in line for an entire day. They had to wait until all the nobles above them had been appointed before it was their turn.

Theoretically, they could have come in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the upright officials were inflexible and insisted on recreating the Investiture Ceremony as accurately as possible.

Apart from the absence of Caesar III, the rest of the proceedings were basically a live-action simulation.

Hudson had originally intended to visit the palace, but after thinking about it, he changed his mind. He knew without a doubt that the guards wouldn't allow it.

If anyone could roam freely in the palace, it wouldn't be a palace, it would be a marketplace.

"Sir, Miss Melissa requests your presence?"

I had just returned to my post and was about to change into some casual clothes to go out for a stroll when I received this unexpected news.

It's not that Hudson was overthinking it; it was just too much of a coincidence.

He wasn't there when they were discussing marriage, and then he just happened to come back after the wedding was postponed, making it seem like he was deliberately avoiding her.

However, the training trip to the Monster Mountain Range was arranged by the Magic Academy. As a novice mage, Melissa had no power to influence the academy's decisions.

Even the Hollisir Family doesn't have this much influence now.

After seeing the familiar small print on the parchment and confirming that it wasn't a prank, Hudson changed his clothes and headed straight for the Magic Academy.

Lush white poplars, vibrant lawns, the sweet scent of violets, and bright red apples hanging from apple trees not far away.

If it weren't for the biting cold wind, Hudson wouldn't believe it was winter.

Spring's vitality, summer's prosperity, autumn's harvest, winter's desolation.

All of them were gathered together, an unusual scene that did not surprise anyone, simply because this was— Magic Academy.

As the oldest and most prestigious academy in the Alpha Kingdom, any supernatural phenomenon occurring here is simply considered normal.

When they met again, their relationship had undergone a qualitative change.

Once a noble marriage is announced, there's virtually no chance of reneging. The only difference between a fiancée and a married couple is a wedding ceremony.

After exchanging a glance, the two stood awkwardly together, unsure of what to say.

"How come you're back from the training so quickly? Wasn't it supposed to last for six months?"

Hudson asked tentatively.

"Something happened in the Monster Mountain Range. A dragon appeared out of nowhere and fought with two Earth Bear, causing the monsters in the area to panic and run rampant."

In the outer areas where we were training, mid- to high-level monsters frequently appeared.

After three trainees were unable to send out distress signals before the accidents occurred, the academy's leadership postponed the training program.

Melissa began to narrate slowly.

From his anxious expression, one could also detect a hint of lingering fear in his eyes.

Clearly, this experience wasn't as easy as she made it out to be. She most likely witnessed something dangerous, which explains her lingering unease.

Hudson wasn't surprised that a single Giant Dragon could take on two Earth Bear. As the most powerful creatures in this world, Giant Dragon have always been the pinnacle of combat prowess.

Although the Earth Bear are said to be able to take on Giant Dragon one-on-one, they have a fatal flaw: they cannot fly.

When a creature on land fights a creature in the sky, it's obvious that the land creature will be at a disadvantage. However, if it's two against one, then the outcome is uncertain.

Essentially, they are all top-tier extraordinary beings, belonging to the top of the food chain, and their strength depends on the individual's development.

Even magical beasts of the same type and level can vary greatly in strength. A magical beast that diligently trains is often stronger than a lazy one that relies solely on talent.

The ultimate growth limit in Warcraft depends not only on talent, but also on one's own efforts.

In this respect, they are essentially the same as humans. It's just that monsters have a very high lower limit, as they are born with extraordinary power.

"It's better to postpone it. The Monster Mountain Range is still too dangerous for you Beginner Mage."

Even if it's a training exercise, it's unlikely to yield any significant results. It's better to wait until you're stronger before going on that training journey.

The current situation is very tense, and war could break out at any time. There is no shortage of opportunities to take action.

..."

As they talked, Hudson realized something was off. He thought he was on a date, so why was the conversation drifting to these irrelevant topics?

Fortunately, arranged marriages are common on the Aslant Continent, where the emphasis is on matching social status and economic conditions; hard criteria are a hundred times more important than sweet talk.

Most importantly, there weren't many opportunities for the man and woman to interact. If their families hadn't already decided on a marriage alliance, even a single man and woman walking together on campus would cause gossip.

For unmarried aristocratic men and women, gossip was a symbol of an immoral private life. Once tainted with a bad reputation, it would be difficult to find a good marriage.

Either lower your standards or marry someone with an equally promiscuous private life; either way, you'll end up in trouble.

"Can you tell me what happened to Isabelle?"

Melissa's words pulled Hudson back from his reverie.

The news spread incredibly fast.

Sure enough, those nobles weren't the type to keep secrets. Fortunately, he restrained his desires and didn't do anything reckless.

"She's just a pretty songstress trying to climb the social ladder overnight!"

Hudson replied casually.

Reason told him that it was best to shift the blame in this situation. Although he hadn't done anything, it didn't mean no one was gossiping about him behind his back.

Jealousy is an original sin.

Hudson had the opportunity to get close to Isabelle, but although he gave it up, the hatred was still stirred up.

Of course, it's more likely that Melissa's other suitors were behind it. Hudson wasn't the only one eyeing the Hollisir Family; there were certainly many others hoping for a marriage alliance.

Hudson's ability to stand out was not only due to the alignment of interests between the two parties, but also because of his legendary experience.

In every war with the Beastfolk, the casualty rate among nobles has remained consistently high. Now, arranged marriages are a gamble; if luck is against them, they could end up widows.

Although the Aslant Continent does not reject widows remarrying, and some families with few offspring even specifically choose widows who can bear children, they are ultimately only a minority.

Most noblemen and women would remarry a lower class after becoming widows.

It's impossible not to mention gambling; after every major war, the male-to-female ratio would be severely imbalanced, and many noble ladies would be unable to find partners and would have no choice but to become nuns.

For a family, abandoning the alliance brought about by marriage is undoubtedly a waste of resources.

Since it's all gambling anyway, you should naturally choose to bet on the ones with the highest odds of winning.

Without a doubt, Hudson, with his good luck and strong abilities, is the first choice for all teams.

"Oh, that's for the best."

"Oh, right, Hudson, you mentioned last time that you wanted to visit the library. Since you're finally here at the Magic Academy, why don't you go check it out?"

His poor acting skills masked his embarrassment, but naturally, they didn't escape Hudson's notice.

However, such things are rarely handled smoothly. As a creature who has never been in a relationship, he doesn't want to cause any trouble because of his straightforward personality and disrupt his marriage plans.

"OK!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hudson realized something was wrong; it seemed they had already arrived at the library entrance.

The Magic Academy's library was naturally filled with fantasy. As an outsider, Hudson was immediately stopped at the entrance.

"Please pay the 50 gold coin entrance fee!"

As the mechanical voice sounded, Hudson realized that the toll collector in front of him was actually a mechanical doll.

After glancing at Melissa and confirming that everything was alright, Hudson immediately took out the money.

"Welcome to the Alpha Kingdom Magic Academy Library. Please abide by all the rules here! Violators will be held responsible for the consequences!"

A warning sounded, and a huge sign appeared ahead, listing dozens of rules that needed to be followed.