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Chapter 30: Sequela (1)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

Angele played with the emerald ring for a while and tied it back to his necklace. He tried to hide the whole thing inside his clothes. The carriages were moving forward ever so slowly, constantly bumping by the small stones on the road.

The baron sat opposite to Angele in the leading carriage while holding a black canteen full of wine.

"It's nice that we found a river to wash ourselves and our clothes. Otherwise, the whole caravan would not smell good." The baron drank some wine from the canteen and laughed after.

"Our water supply is still limited. It would be lucky for us if we could find another river in ten days. I can now smell the sweat from everyone the caravan." Angele laughed too.

"Well, according to the map, we are already on a shortcut to another river." The baron tried his best to find the best route. Angele looked at his father's tired face. The baron was still strong, but the wounds and the sequela were affecting his mental state. He had lost everything and all his friends had betrayed him not so long ago.

Angele sighed. He knew Knight Audis's betrayal was a big shock to the baron, but there wasn't much he could do. Only time could heal the baron's broken heart.

"Father, I am going to check the other carriages." Angele said with a light tone.

"Sure, just don't do any intense activities." The baron nodded before saying. Angele nodded in response and looked at the baron's face for a second. He opened the door and jumped off the carriage.

The sunlight poured into the carriage after Angele opened the door, making the baron's hair look darker than before. He was looking at somewhere far outside the window as though he was reminiscing about the past. Angele somehow felt a bit sad after looking at his father, so he just walked towards the second carriage quickly.

"Hi, Young Master Angele." One of the guards greeted.

"Want some fresh air, eh?" Another one greeted him. Angele liked those guards more than the post knights and he trusted them more. Angele nodded and smiled before jumping onto the second carriage. Maggie's mother, Mrs. Jacklyn, was driving the carriage. This middle-aged woman was not attractive anymore, and Angele could see the wrinkles over her face. She looked like any other women in their mid-forties.

"Young Master Angele, you are here." Mrs. Jacklyn smiled and greeted.

"Yea, are they ready?" Angele opened the door and asked.

"I heard they're prepared." Mrs. Jacklyn answered.

"Good." Angele nodded and got inside the carriage.

The carriage was big, about the size of a large RV on Earth. It was like a large bedroom. Maggie, Celia and seven other people — 10 in total including Mrs. Jacklyn — could easily stay in the carriage together.

Angele had been surprised when he first saw one of those carriages, but he understood the reason when he realized that the size of a horse here was twice that of the ones on Earth. In the carriage, Maggie and Celia were organizing plucked flowers in the corner. They also caught insects and picked up fruits on the way. Those insects and fruits were piled up at the corner, emphasizing their colorful features. As Angele glanced around, he also saw other people sitting in other corners.

Besides Maggie and Celia, there were Maggie's father, Celia's mother, and three other children of the baron: two boys and one girl. The children were playing with some ants. A pharmacist named Henry was also on the carriage sleeping with a tired face. Cecilia, who was covered with a blanket, was sleeping as well in the corner.

The three children were Angele's brothers and sister, but they lowered their heads to greet when they saw Angele going in. It was their show of respect to him, especially when they were made aware of how strong Angele was after the recent events.

"Angele!" Celia and Maggie put down the purple roots in their hands and came over to greet him.

"How's the collection going?" Angele had a glance on the random things in the corner.

"As you ordered, we collected hundreds of different plants and insects these days. Everything is here besides the toxic ones." Maggie proudly answered before Celia could even talk.

"You two did a great job." Angele kneaded Maggie's butt and also kissed Celia on her lips after praising the two of them. He didn't care what the spectators would think anyway.

"You two can take a good rest now." Angele put those plants and insects into a larger bag. He then jumped off the carriage and got into the last one. The last carriage's coachman was Captain Mark, but no one else was in it. It was carrying all the supplies, such as food and water.

"Did my father come by recently? With Miss Katyusha?" Angele asked.

"The baron looked depressed recently, and Young Master, you should talk to him about it if you got time." Mark shook his head and said. Angele nodded. Miss Katyusha was the mother of Celia; she was wise and sexy. There were many beautiful ladies in the castle, but only she chose to stay with the baron when the baron asked this time. The baron began to like her more after that, and they even had some good time in the third carriage on the way. After Angele became injured last time, the baron barely came to the third carriage with her.

"Father is a bit stressed recently. Don't worry, he will get himself together." Angele said.

"Yea…" Mark sighed and stopped talking after. Angele opened the door and got into the carriage. Besides the supplies, there was an empty space in the middle. Angele sat down by a wooden box and put down the bag in his hand. He took some purple leaves out of the bag and put them into his mouth. Angele's face scrunched after chewing those leaves since it didn't taste quite well. He looked disappointed after a while as he spat everything out on a piece of cloth he prepared earlier. Angele then grabbed a large green caterpillar that looked exactly like the ones on the earth, but it had two heads. It looked like a forked branch, but with its heads moving around in Angele's heads and it having a lot of wrinkles on its skin, it looked very unappetizing.

Angele felt a bit sick. He applied a bit of strength on the caterpillar. The caterpillar died in a second and some of its green juice oozed out of its body. Angele dipped his finger in the juice and put it into his mouth.

"Crap!" Angele's eyebrows scrunched, still looking disappointed. He kept trying different plants and insects, and it took him a while to empty the bag.

"Found two useful ones." Angele said with a light tone. He put some black tree berries back into the bag and some triangle leaves as well.

He discovered about twenty different things that could increase his attributes, and he tried about thousands of different plants and insects. 4 out of 20 had no side-effects while the others all had something that would make Angele sick, so he only took the 4 with him. However, all the information was still stored in the chip including the useless ones. He merely wanted to keep adding things to his database that might be useful to him later on.

He spat out the remaining of the things he tried on a piece of cloth beside him, and dumped all of them onto the ground outside after.

'How much information was recorded, Zero?' Angele asked.

'About 2341 types of plants, 49 types of insects, 21 types of animal tissues.' Zero reported precisely.

"That's a lot…" Angele took a deep breath and started thinking.

"Angele? Are you there?" Maggie's voice came from outside.

"Come in." Angele stopped thinking and said. A girl got inside the carriage quickly. Maggie's body looked very attractive for her age, and yet only she was about 13 years old. Angele thought she looked like an 18-year-old girl on the earth. Additionally, she had decent sized breasts, attractive butt, and a slim waist. She was only wearing a gray one-piece and a pair of boots, but she still managed to show off what she was proud of. Her legs were fair and they looked shiny under the sunlight.

"Angele, I am here to change my clothes." Maggie's voice was very faint as she stood in front of Angele.

"Changing your clothes?" He whispered beside Maggie's ear. Angele felt a bit aroused, but he still asked Maggie to sit in front of him.

"Yea… Changing my… underwear… if you are asking." Maggie was blushing. Obviously, she wanted something else. Angele touched her long hair around her shoulder and smelled the fragrance on her.

"I will leave you here then." Angele smiled and said in a light tone.

"Could you… do it for me?" Maggie shook her head, her expression very bashful.

Chapter 31: Sequela (2)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

Two months later. Somewhere in the endless Anser Plain.

Three black carriages with an insignia of an "eagle around thorns" engraved on both sides were moving slowly against the wind. The sun was in its highest as it was midday. Billowing clouds were obscuring the sky and even deterring the sunlight from pouring down the earth. Blustery was the wind that was blowing all over the grass throughout.

Angele was sitting in the leading carriage looking outside the window. It was as though he was thinking of something. He used the plants and insects he had collected to slowly boost his attributes, but the sequela from his last injury brought him inconvenience. Though his body was strengthening according to the data, his limbs sprained several times during recent practices. The doctor informed him that he had osteoporosis after check-up and would take about a month for him to recover.

Angele, who was wearing a black hunting suit, sat by the window of the carriage. He was learning to distinguish different sounds from the outside and catch the crucial information from the noises through the chip's assistance. He foresaw many possible bandit attacks, which helped their caravan to tread upon a safer path.

They encountered several bandit groups, both big and small, but most of them were cleared by the baron. Larger bandit groups were all avoided because of the warnings given by Angele.

About five or six encounters with the bandits went terribly bad. In one of these encounters, one of Angele's brothers took an arrow to his neck and died right away. That was the worst experience they had. During that fight, the bandits were robbing a noble convoy. They had mounted archers, and they were quite agile and proficient in executing the orders of their leader. Angele also took an arrow to himself as he witnessed the knights of the noble convoy being slain in an onslaught of countless arrows.

The knights had attempted to charge forward, but many of them died from the shower of arrows. Several guards in the noble convoy burst out their potential in the final exchange, successfully driving away the bandits. Angele's caravan could've been wiped off the face of the earth if they were the ones targeted by those bandits.

On the way, Angele's caravan passed by many remnants of battlefields that were full of corpses. He could imagine just how intense the fights were. The baron also saw the corpse of someone he once knew, a grand knight from the capital city. The people in their caravan had become very scared after seeing those gruesome scenes, but after about ten days, they finally calmed down,

Angele finally grasped the gist on how strong he actually was in this world. In the best fight he had, Angele slew 28 bandits with his bow and arrows and his sword all by himself. It was an impressive feat, but he still couldn't deal with mounted archers. He killed about 15 bandits in the fight that also had mounted archers in their ranks. He kept doing damage to them until he took an arrow to his right arm. The mounted bandits were very fast and agile as they kept on dodging the arrows upon the horses, making Angele use all of his arrows. Angele wouldn't have secured so many kills without the help of the chip.

They had also been attacked by soldiers masquerading as bandits. The leader of those soldiers was a knight, and he shot multiple arrows that took out eight guards in the baron's caravan. He, however, was still slain with the coordinated attacks of the baron and Angele.

'Knights in this world are like the generals in ancient China. Just one of them can deal with hundreds of regular soldiers, though they still need good equipments. Without it, they are weak and they cannot deal with great numbers of ranged weapons.' Angele thought as he had now a better idea of knight-level warriors.

'Well, basically, knights are strong people with better fighting skills. However, I am still not the best.' Angele concluded, thinking that he wouldn't be able to contribute to anything in a real war.

'Check my body condition,' Angele ordered.

'Checking… completed. Angele Rio: Strength 2.7. Agility 3.0. Stamina 1.2.' Zero reported.

'Damn sequela... My attributes are almost halved by it. I am not recovering so well,' Angele thought.

"Some people are fighting up ahead, stop the carriages!" After about half an hour, Angele suddenly stood up and yelled. He detected another situation up ahead just by his hearing.

"Mounted bandits?" Baron looked over and asked.

"Probably, but it's just a small group." Angele nodded.

"I'll go take a look." The baron scrunched his eyebrows and said. He put on the silver chain armors on the side and grabbed his black greatsword. The baron opened the door and jumped off the carriage after it slowed down.

"Angele, some Rudin nobles are being surrounded by the bandits. Let's take another route." The baron yelled outside after a while. Angele was about to reply, but he heard something again and the expression on his face changed.

"No, too late. Some of them are coming for us. Our carriages are much slower than their horses, prepare for battle!" Angele yelled and put on his leather armor quickly. He also put his bow on his back and grabbed his silver crossguard sword before jumping off the carriage.

Up ahead their caravan, sounds of battle resounded as two groups were fighting on the grassland, which were the noises Angele heard.

"HA~!" A team of mounted bandits were screaming and traveling towards them. They had their bright blades raised up in the air.

"Get ready to fight!" Captain Mark yelled as he drew his sword. After some noises that were made by the unsheathing of swords from the scabbards, all the guards had drawn their swords and prepared for the incoming fight. Angele held his longbow in his hand, completely focused on the situation. He had used up his white-feather arrows, so he was now using some random wooden arrows picked up from various battlefields. Though the wooden arrows dealt less damage, he had still collected plenty of them. In such a situation they were currently in, quantity was far better than quality in regards to its practicality. Angele had the best archery skills in the caravan, so the guards handed all their quivers to him.

Angele grabbed a wooden arrow and nocked it onto his bow. The baron who wore his own chain armor stood in front of Angele. He had all bases covered just to block any ranged attacks that would threaten his son.

BAM!

A mounted bandit took the arrow with his body and fell right off his horse. As Angele kept releasing arrows one by one, about ten bandits who were on their way to the carriages died. Only two survived and they began to retreat.

The baron looked at the noble convoy that had just been attacked. He saw the silver rose insignia on their carriages.

"That's a silver insignia, so they must be some high class noble in Rudin Empire. At least at the rank of a duke. The rose insignia… They are of royal blood, so we can probably receive help when we arrive to Marua if we can save them," the baron said.

"Help? What help? There are so many nobles of royal blood in this empire. I heard the royal court of Rudin Empire are split into four main factions and there are about ten sub-factions governed by each main faction. Who knows which one they belong to…?" Angele said, wholly showing that he wasn't impressed.

"But we should take chances. After all, they at least have a silver insignia," the baron said with a deep voice.

"The members of Rudin's royal court have good relationship with the Andes Alliance. Those ones are most likely intending to join some relatives there since many high-class Rudin nobles had connections with the Andes nobles through bonds of matrimony.

"Also, there aren't too many mounted bandits and it looked like they were just some vanguards of a larger group," the baron continued.

"If you say so, let's finish them off. We could use some of their equipments and we are also running out of weapon oils anyway." Angele scrunched his eyebrows and said.

The carriages drew closer, making Angele get a clearer view on the nobles that were being attacked. Beside a small black carriage were two heavy armored knights who wielded heavy swords trying to protect a handsome young man behind them. The two were clad in silver plate armor, all at knight level. Their sword skills were dazzling, but it wasn't too effective in actual combat. The two were sweating heavily, seemingly unable to hold on any longer. The man being protected had fear etched all over his face. He was wearing luxurious clothes, looking as though he was a child from a high class noble family.

About twenty mounted bandits were attacking the convoy in groups. There were 7 or 8 dead bandits lying on the ground, probably killed by the two knights. Angele once again scrunched his eyebrows again and grabbed the wooden arrows. Three bandits up ahead were pinned down by down. Three bandits were pinned down by him alone. Captain Mark rushed in with the baron while screaming, easily killing five of them.

Chaos ensued. The bandits didn't expect this situation. One of the knight-level leaders from the bandit group attacked the baron once, but got blocked by him instead. Angele took this opportunity to shoot an arrow to the bandit leader in his right chest. It resulted in the man turning around and trying to run after being scared completely.

The baron yelled and attacked him with his greatsword. The bandit leader's head was decapitated and it dropped to the grassland after. The rest of the bandits saw this scene and they started to retreat.

Chapter 32: Philip (1)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

The three walked toward them after all the bandits fled.

"You're looking at Count Philip, son of Marquis Syrias, of the Rudin Empire!" One of the knights yelled while walking. The young man behind was busy fixing his own clothes, seemingly too concerned about his appearance.

"Count Philip, I'm Baron Rio from the south. You grace us with your presence." The baron stepped forward and bowed to Philip. Angele smiled and followed suit. The rest of the guards in the baron's caravan became restless after hearing that the young man was a count. They, too, also bowed after seeing the baron and Angele. Some lowered their heads, some knelt, and some just drew their swords to show respect. The baron and Angele became speechless after seeing their guards' behaviors.

"Karl Rio, I thank you for saving me from danger. I shall repay you back sometime in the future." The young man in luxurious clothes seemed not concerned with the guards' actions, only stepping forward and speaking loudly. His voice was loud but clear, sounding like those singers on Earth.

"Count Philip, if you don't mind me asking, I wonder where you're heading to?" Baron Karl straightened his posture and asked.

Count Philip looked at the two knights for a second, unsure of whether he should answer or not.

"We are heading to Marua Harbor wherein my father's best friend is the governor there. The situation is bad right now, so we're planning on joining him there," Philip smilingly said. He maintained a bit of a distance from the baron because he knew his status was higher and thought the baron was seeking something from him.

"Oh, Count Philip, we're also traveling to Marua Harbor. If you don't mind, you can join my caravan. After all, more men will make the trip much safer." The baron was happy, but he didn't let it show on his face. Philip felt elated. He was actually thinking of the same thing after he saw the baron's strength.

"Fine, I was about to return to my father's convoy. But since you asked, I'll accompany you for now," he said while nodding after a young knight whispered something to his ear.

'Dumb*ss! If you could return to your father's convoy, why would you join a random, low-class noble's caravan? You need better excuses. Obviously, you lost contact with your father. Those mounted bandits brought you enough trouble I suppose,' Angele thought. He looked at the two knights for a while. Their equipment was good-looking, but he doubted the effectiveness of those.

'Two male peacocks…' Angele concluded.

The baron went back to their caravan alongside the three. People got off the carriages to greet them. However, Philip didn't talk much, only nodding several times in response to their greetings. Angele scrunched his eyebrows as he watched the baron conversing with them about recent events and whatnot in Rudin Empire. Somehow, they found themselves sharing experiences, which further increased the familiarity with each other. It was also because they had friends that were similarly friends with both of them. And so, Philip's carriage joined the caravan.

Angele stood by Captain Mark on the sidelines. With his status, he couldn't join the conversation, so he just stood there and listened.

"Mr. Karl, I'm a bit sleepy so I'm going to take some rest now," Philip yawned after talking for a while.

"Sure, we'll make sure no one disturbs your dream," the baron said while smiling. Philip nodded in response and followed one of the knights back to his carriage. The other knight told the baron something.

"I know, please wait a second," the baron nodded while the knight went back to the carriage with a satisfied expression. Angele clearly heard the knight's words, checking whether the caravan had enough food and water.

"Father, although we just got enough water for the next month, we still need to cut everyone's daily ration. Also, we're short on food…" Angele said after the three left.

"We saved Count Philip, so we'll get something in return when we get to Marua Harbor. We'll live a much better life later if we can save some food and water for them now," the baron said after stopping Angele from talking.

"We don't even know if they're actually high-class nobles…" Angele said and scrunched his eyebrows.

"I've heard of his name. He's one of the most beloved sons of Marquis Syrias. He has two knights guarding him, so I was certain he's someone important at least," the baron explained.

"Those two… They didn't look like they were at knight level," Angele was still wondering.

"They're wielding the royal sword skills, which are mostly for show. These skills are used for performing in front of high-class nobles, but the skills aren't effective in actual combat. They probably had some rare resources to help them reach knight level. They could've even had decent backgrounds as well," the baron laughed as he said.

"Really?" Angele said. It looked like he realized something.

"Well, let's just try to treat them well. Thanks to the mounted bandits, we got enough horses for the rotation on the way. We can travel much faster now, though it will take us about two months to reach the border of Andes. It's only two months, then we'll be fine after," the baron said after tapping on Angele's shoulder lightly.

Angele nodded and he stopped talking.

Two guards brought food and water to the count. Meanwhile, others collected the horses from the dead bandits to use those horses as spares. Angele walked toward the bandits he had killed using arrows and checked the wooden arrows. Most of them were broken into pieces and couldn't be reused. The bandits didn't carry arrows with them, so Angele was a bit disappointed. He grabbed a cracked dark brown wooden arrow, and it snapped after Angele lightly applied force on it.

"Damn. I need more wooden arrows now," Angele looked a bit nervous.

*********************

Three days later, somewhere in the Anser Plain.

The sky was bleak as it rained. A caravan was moving forward slowly along the endless plains. Of all the carriages of that caravan, the second carriage had better decorations compared to the other three. Meanwhile, a brown-haired teenager who was in the leading carriage was chewing on something. Purple wildberries were in his hand. The teenager wasn't handsome, but his countenance showed a calm and reliable personality. He was Angele, who was wearing a black hunting suit, and he had been trying his utmost to recover completely.

He grabbed a berry and threw it into his mouth. It had a very sour taste but was still manageable by Angele. There was a black water canteen on the table beside him and around it lied a bunch of berries. Angele kept eating the berries while looking outside the window. In about ten minutes, he finished eating all the berries and drank water right after.

The door was opened by someone outside. With scrunched eyebrows, there came in a bearded middle-aged man with long blonde hair wearing a black-red noble suit. The man was Baron Karl.

"Angele, we're in trouble. Our food and water supply are nearly in the gutters. This will last us only for about half a month," the baron said.

"Well, three people joined our caravan not too long ago. Father, what's your plan?" Angele said with a serious expression.

"We can kill some horses if we have to. We got four horses from the bandits anyway," the baron said.

"That's the last thing we want to do. Horse meat tastes sour and it smells bad. People won't even bother with it unless they're completely starving," Angele said in a light voice. The baron stopped talking and began thinking of plausible alternatives.

"Yesterday, I saw the count pouring off a whole bucket of water from his carriage. I think he used it to shower. Also, they never finished the white bread and meat soup we gave them. They just threw out whatever they didn't want. If we let them waste our supplies like that, we won't last for long," Angele said.

"If we don't fulfill their requirements, they'll most likely become dissatisfied. They're used to the extravagant lifestyle they had in the city. They just asked me for oil and to do the maintenance for their equipment. We don't even have enough oil for cooking, and yet, they want to use it for their equipment!" The baron wryly laughed, disappointment apparent in his expression.

"Well, I'll try to bear with them. However, it'd be nice if you could try talking to them about the situation, Father. Otherwise, with the amount of food that we have, it won't even last us for five days," Angele said.

"Okay, I'll talk to them about it," the baron nodded and left the carriage.

Angele sighed. After grabbing his water canteen that was half-full, he jumped off the carriage. He walked toward the back and got on the last carriage. Captain Mark, who was the coachman for the last carriage, was in low spirits. He forced a smile on his face when he saw Angele coming.

Chapter 33: Philip (2)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

"Captain Mark, I'm here to get water." Angele smiled while shaking his water canteen.

"We don't have much left. One knight just took another bucket of water. He said he was going to wash clothes," Mark said in a helpless tone.

"Washing clothes? On a rainy day? He can just save some rain water in his bucket easily. Whatever, I need some jam and white bread. I'm a bit hungry," Angele scrunched his eyebrows and said.

"Well, only black bread is left. The loaves of white bread were taken by the two knights," Mark said with a bitter smile on his face.

"They took everything?" Angele was a bit surprised.

"Yep." Mark nodded. Knowing about that, Angele felt slightly angry.

"I'll take a look myself." Angele opened the door and got into the carriage.

The carriage that had been full of supplies before now looked empty. The brown wooden barrels were only half-filled. Angele walked straight toward one of the water barrels. Empty. He opened the second one. Empty again. Angele continued checking. The third, fourth, and the fifth were all empty as well and only the last two water barrels were half-filled. Those barrels were supposed to easily last the whole caravan for about a week, but now, it's nearly gone. Angele became infuriated.

Angele scooped some water into his water canteen and covered the water barrels with the lids after. He then opened the barrel that contained food such as bread, jam, and meat jerky. Black bread filled the barrel while not much meat jerky was left inside. Angele took a loaf of black bread and some meat jerky. He put the lid back after scrunching his eyebrows and headed back to the leading carriage right away.

The baron wasn't back yet. Angele sat at the table alone and looked at the black bread in his hand. The size was about half an arm and had a hardness comparable to a piece of wood. It had two yellow scars on its surface. Contrary to its outer appearance, its inside was white. Angele grabbed the bread and took a bit. It was very hard that it even made sounds akin to cutting through a board. White bread crumbs fell off the ground. As Angele ate it, he felt quite unhappy. It was hard, had a dislikable texture and no taste. Angele's mood worsened as every minute passed.

HUA!

Angele heard someone pouring out water at the back, so he opened the window to check. One of the knights in silver armor was returning to the count's carriage with a silver plate in his hand. On the ground, Angele could see spilled soup and pieces of white bread that were only half-eaten. It seemed they only ate the softest part of the bread and threw the remains away. It was really a waste.

Angele alternately looked at the black bread in his hand and the white bread on the ground, his mind in turmoil about the things that should be done. Horrifyingly enough, his face had already contorted to that of a demon that embodied wrath. But then, he took a deep breath and closed the window. Angele quickly finished the black bread and ate all the meat jerky he had taken. He then drank some water quickly, and finally, he felt a bit better.

Angele calmed himself down and leaned his back on the wall. He decided not to think of the count too much and started checking his own condition instead.

'Zero, check my body condition,' Angele thought.

'Checking… Angele Rio: Strength 2.9. Agility 4.1. Stamina 2.5. You have reached the limits set by your gene. Health condition: Good.' Zero finished analyzing quickly.

'I reached my limit…' Angele thought while feeling disappointed. His attributes were nothing compared to the strong warriors in this world, but at least he could protect himself against random scrubs. He, however, had mixed feelings about his situation. He took the emerald ring tied upon his necklace. Its gem had already lost its hue and cracks were all over it. The words engraved on the ring were also broken by the cracks. Angele rubbed on the surface of the ring slowly.

"If I cannot increase my attributes anymore, this mysterious power will be my only chance to obtain power," Angele said while carefully staring at the emerald.

He examined the ring over hundreds of times, but the only new thing he discovered was the sentence engraved on it, which meant 'The Ramsoda College – Venis'.

"The Ramsoda College… Where is this place?" Angele asked in a faint voice

"This Venis might be the original owner of the ring, and he could actually be a real wizard,"

Angele fiddled with the ring for a while, but he didn't discover anything else. He put it back to the necklace and hid it on his chest underneath his clothes. Though the energy in it had been completely consumed, this was still the one and only object that connected him to the world of wizards. Angele felt like he'd still obtain more clues from the ring, so he had it kept safe.

The carriages kept moving toward their destination, and then another two days had passed. The caravan members were in dire need of clean water, so people had begun filtering the water on the ground using gauzes.

The caravan stopped by a water puddle. At present, thick, heavy clouds blanketed the sky.

"Why are we stopping? Let's keep moving. We're already very close to the border. Also, the bandits are most likely still searching for us!" A knight in silver armor said with a disappointed face. He even put his arms in front of his chest.

Angele and the baron were standing at the back without a noise, but they were already completely enraged. The three took about three buckets of clean water from their supply carriage, which was the main reason why they were now lacking water. They didn't want to drink the water in the water puddles, thinking that they could get poisoned if they were to do so.

"It won't take long, so please wait a second," the baron said in a light tone, his fury completely masked. The guards and the maids were busy scooping water into the wooden barrels from the water puddles. The water was dirty and the puddles were full of grass and mud. However, that was what they could only find. The water would become clean if filtered properly, anyway.

Count Philip got off the carriage while rubbing his eyes and looked at the people around the water puddles.

"Why are we not moving?" He walked toward them and spoke with a deep voice. One of the knights explained the reason, which resulted in the count scrunching his eyebrows.

"Really!" the count said. He glanced at the group and saw someone who made him a bit excited.

"Mr. Karl," he yelled.

"Anything I can do for you? Count Philip?" the baron turned around and bowed.

"Well, I need a few maids to organize my carriage. Get those two into mine. That won't be an issue to you, right?" Philip asked as he pointed at Maggie and Celia. The baron became unhappy when he looked over.

"Well, it would be an issue actually," Angele said, hindering his father from trying to talk.

"Those two have their jobs. I'm afraid they won't be able to serve you well, Count Philip," Angele smiled and said. He knew what Philip truly wanted. Obviously, he merely wanted to have fun with the two girls. However, Angele had already considered the two girls as his own lovers a long time ago. With these facts laid out, he should've already unleashed his fury, but he controlled his anger well.

"I remember you. You killed about ten mounted bandits using your bow that day. You're good. I like warriors like you," Philip said in a light tone after carefully looking at Angele.

"Thanks for your praise, Count Philip," Angele bowed and said.

"It's getting late, so just bring the two girls to me after. I'm tired so I'm returning to my carriage." Philip started to walk back to his carriage with the two knights following him at his back.

Angele and the baron finally unmasked their rage on their faces. Angele placed his hand on the sheath, about to draw his sword, but the baron stopped him and shook his head.

"Don't," the baron said.

"I know, Father." Angele put down the sheath after he calmed down for a bit. He tried to smile, only to look slightly funny.

"Let me handle this, I'll talk to them. Think twice before you act, you know it's not worth it," the baron said with a light voice. Angele nodded and deeply breathed to calm his rage.

The baron continued talking with Angele for a while, after which, the former walked toward the count's carriage. The baron knew his relationships between Maggie and Celia, so he'd be able to handle this matter well. Angele took a deep breath and licked his lips. He then turned over to look at the water puddles. Maggie and Celia were carefully scooping water into the wooden barrels. The wind was blowing all over, making their hair flying about in the wind. Their clothes looked tighter because of the wind, thus emphasizing their sexy figures. Angele calmed down and even felt a bit better after looking at them.

"It's done," the baron walked towards Angele and nodded.

"Thank you, Father," Angele felt relieved.

"Don't make Philip mad. The only thing we need from him is the relationship that he has with the high-class nobles in the Marua Harbor," the baron said.

"Understood." Angele nodded and took a glance on the count's carriage.

Chapter 34: Clue (1)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

After filling up the barrels, Angele and his father returned to the carriage and persisted along their present route once again in a slow pace. Outside was still cloudy and darkness covered the interior of the carriage, too. Angele and the baron sat opposite to each other around the table.

"Angele, why do you care so much about those two girls? You can get anything you want when we arrive at Marua Harbor. There's no point in disappointing Philip especially now," the baron said with his eyebrows scrunched.

"I understand, Father. I know what's more important, don't worry," Angele smiled and nodded.

"Remember, you're the most important person to me. Don't get yourself into dangerous situations easily," the baron said, staring at his son for a brief period. Angele nodded in response. He knew that his father thought that arguing with the count over two girls wasn't worth it. This kind of situation was fine if his family had its former strength. But now that their family had considerably weakened, they needed a wall to lean on. Namely, the count.

However, as a being that formerly lived on Earth, Angele disliked just handing over his girls to someone else. The thought of doing such things would hurt his pride. Angele sat in his seat continuously listening to his father's ramblings. This conversation of their lasted for about half an hour.

"If you make up your mind to give up something, just make sure your sacrifice won't be in vain. Don't blow it," the baron ended the conversation with this statement. He left the carriage to verify the route they needed to pass through. This was something he had been doing every day since their trip began.

"Philip isn���t going to give up easily. Also, I can't do anything to him with these many people around. If anyone were to leak the information when we arrive at Marua Harbor, I'll be in deep trouble," Angele said with a solemn expression on his face. This time, he was alone in the carriage contemplating over a matter. Angele thought for a while, but he couldn't figure out a plan. He once again took out the emerald ring and stared at its gem. The emerald retained its color, yet its brilliance was already lost and had cracks all over its surface. Looking at the ring somehow calmed him down.

"Ah!" Suddenly, someone screamed from one of the carriages at the back.

"It's Maggie! That son of a bitch!" Angele jumped out of the carriages and got into the third carriage. He opened the door and saw Maggie's hand that had gotten injured by one of the plants in front of her and Celia. It seemed that they were organizing different plants, and Maggie's finger was punctured by a thorn.

"Young Master Angele?�� Maggie became surprised at Angele's abrupt appearance, which undoubtedly made people assume that something must've happened. Angele looked over the people inside the carriage. He felt relieved when he saw not a presence of Philip and his knights here.

"Well, I heard your scream, so I'm just checking if anything happened. Maggie seems fine, though. I'm returning to my carriage," Angele said and went outside without waiting for a chance of them to talk. He closed the door and walked toward the leading carriage quickly.

The speed of the caravan wasn't too fast, making it possible for Angele to easily outrun the carriages. While passing by Philip and his knights' carriage, he witnessed Philip looking outside the window carelessly. He nodded his head when he saw Angele passing by, seemingly unconcerned about the two girls any longer. Angele saw his actions, thus he smiled at him in response.

"Wait a second, Young Master Angele," someone with a deep voice said. Angele knew it was Philip, so he bowed to him after turning around.

"Count Philip, is there anything I can help you with?" Angele said as he slowed his walking pace to keep up with the carriage.

"The ring on your necklace caught my attention." Philip stared at the ring on Angele's neck.

"You know something about this ring?" Angele was in a hurry, so he forgot to place the ring underneath his clothes. Philip inadvertently saw it when Angele was passing by.

"It's just a ring that my father had given me, like a special memento." Angele quickly returned it underneath his clothes and said.

"Could you take a look for me if you know something about this? It could be something rare, I suppose," Angele thought for a second before handing the ring over to Philip. Philip scrunched his eyebrows, but he saw Angele smiling at him. He then nodded and grabbed the ring. Philip looked at the words engraved on the ring, and in an instant, his facial expression changed.

"Did you discover something?" Angele was looking at him, feeling elated that Philip probably knew something about it.

"Give me a price, I want this ring," Philip said with a light tone.

"Well, if you find it charming, just consider it my gift to you. Can you just introduce my family to the governor after we arrive at Marua Harbor?" Angele said with his smile retained. For some reason, Philip found Angele's smile ice-cold. But he didn't let his suspicion show on his face, still nodding in response.

"No problem at all. Thanks, Young Master Angele. You guys saved me. I'll make sure you live a better life there. Now if you'll excuse me…" Philip closed the window and lowered the curtain.

Angele stopped walking and looked at Philip's carriage. A plan was formulated.

***************

It was night. The caravan decided to camp under a hill, and so made an encirclement out of their carriages. Philip sat inside his own carriage, carefully looking at the ring.

"An enchanted ring! Yet, that dumbass just gave it away. Even one without energy could be traded for a hundred soldiers' equipment!" One of the knights beside him spoke in a tone brimming with excitement.

"It's a ring the Ramsoda College has. If you want to get into this college, you'll need a special recommendation from the Andes Alliance School… If I were to show this ring to the school, I'll get admitted right away." Philip excitedly nodded. He was looking at the ring as though it was a priceless treasure.

"If you can get admitted into the Alliance school, the marquis will treat you much better," another knight said, his happiness for him apparent.

The oil lamp brought light over the emerald on the ring. Green light reflected into the eyes of the three.

"Rings like this were trophies the school gave out before. I heard I could use it to get in without taking the exam. If this is one of those, the value will be extremely high!" Philip said with a light tone. He wasn't laughing, but the knights knew he was elated.

"That young guy is unlucky, knowing none of it. He treated it like an ordinary ring. Ha." One of the knights laughed.

"Well, he's just a low-class noble from the countryside and has no way to obtain such information. He probably doesn't even know of the Andes Alliance School, and you expect him to know about those trophies? And take it to the school?" Philip said after shaking his head.

HUA!

The door of the carriage was opened by someone.

"Andes Alliance School? Trophies?" Angele spoke in a gentle tone as he walked into the carriage with a smiling face. His black hunting suit blended into the shadows of the dark night; his brown hair rustled in the wind.

"You were spying on us?" The three became surprised, and Philip became furious.

"I'm not, ha. My hearing is just too keen, so your voices just lingered onto me. I didn't expect something so interesting though," Angele said as he continued to smile. The two knights looked at each other for a second and unsheathed the swords by their side at the same time.

BANG! BANG!

Angele drew his sword in but a second and moved around in the carriage as though he was dancing. His sword had blood smeared on it when he returned to his original position. The two knights started screaming as their hands were dismembered. They fell down to the ground after Angele managed to exploit the gaps in their armor.

"What are you doing?!" Philip yelled. He was trying to maintain a calm demeanor, however, his eyes betrayed such expectations as fear shone upon it.

"I am the son of Marquis Syrias, how dare you! I'm going to kill your whole family unless you kill everyone that'll know of this!" he continued.

"Angele! What are you doing!" The baron rushed into the carriage with a disappointed look. He saw the two knights screaming on the ground. Angele was about to explain, however, Philip threw his teapot that contained hot water inside toward them. Philip jumped out of the window, fleeing with a speed at the knight level.

"Huh!" Angele dodged the teapot and jumped off the carriage right away. He saw Philip mounting on a horse, clearly attempting to flee.

'Analyzing the distance, modifying the range…' Blue-colored information showed up in front of Angele. A red dot was marked on Philip's body.

'Analyzing necessary strength, modifying…'

'Completed.' Zero did a series of analysis and reported it to Angele.

Angele smiled and aimed his sword at the red dot. He threw it toward Philip at full strength, and the silver crossguard sword struck the right side of Philip's waist after spinning for a while. Philip screamed and fell off the horse.

Chapter 35: Clue (2)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

The baron jumped off the carriage, looked at Philip, and threw the two knights to the ground. What Angele had just done upset him. Everyone around became startled, and people stopped what they were doing to check on the situation.

"Young Master, Baron… What's going on?" Captain Mark walked toward them with a surprised look.

"Everyone! Come here!" Angele yelled instead of answering his query. He grabbed Philip by his arm and threw him near the two knights.

"You! You want to die?! My father is Marquis Syrias. He'll hunt down every single one of you if you kill me!" Philip was hysterically screaming out of fear. Angele laughed before taking out the ring out of Philip's pocket. He hid it in his palm so no one else could see it and placed it inside his own pouch.

Angele looked at the baron and saw the latter feeling unhappy. They stared at each other for a second and started laughing after.

"I assume you have a plan," the baron said with a deep voice.

"Yes, Father," Angele nodded and smiled.

People walked over and encircled the three. No one said a word. Killing a count was probably too heavy a burden for them.

Angele looked around and clapped his hands.

"Alright, we're all in the same boat here. The trip is tough, but it makes us stronger. Now, I have a good method for us to deepen our relationships." Angele looked around and said while clapping his hands. The baron who looked relaxed threw his iron dagger to his son.

"Mark!" Angele grabbed the dagger and called the captain.

"Yes!" Captain Mark swallowed hard and took the dagger Angele handed over to him.

"Each one of you will cut them once, don't aim at the vital points," Angele smiled and said. Mark looked at Angele and felt a chill on his back from his smile. He kept nodding, and after he lowered down his body, Mark gashed a deep wound on Philip.

"Ah! You! You! Damn!" Philip was screaming like crazy.

"My father will do me justice!" he continued.

"Next," Angele yelled with such calmness. Another guard took the dagger and… The three kept screaming and cursing on the ground. After 5 minutes, everyone including the women and teenagers had already cut them once.

"Good, we're a very tight team now," Angele clapped and smiled. Philip and his knights had wounds all over their bodies and were losing too much blood. They were not cursing anymore, and instead, they kept begging for their lives with weak voices.

"Burn them. We need to continue on our way," Angele said as he glanced at the caravan members, but people were afraid to look at him.

"I don't know why you decided to kill them, but the result is fine. Let's just forget about what happened today." The baron sighed and stood on the side.

"I messed up your plan, Father. I'm sorry," Angele lowered his head and apologized.

"You've got your reasons. However, our family is weak now and there are many high-class nobles in a large city like Marua. As I said before, make sure you think twice before acting," the baron put his arm on Angele's shoulder and said.

"Understood," Angele nodded. They started a fire and threw the three into it. The three screamed for a second from the scorching pain until they were burnt to death quickly. The armors of the knights had become red and smoldering hot from the fire.

"Let's go," the baron looked at the fire and left. No one spoke a word as they returned to their own carriages. They decided to keep moving during the night. The thing that had happened today was too scary and people needed the time keep it off their minds. Teenagers like Maggie and Celia used the dagger too; their faces still looked pale from fright.

People heard the howls of wolves from the place they just left.

"Timberwolves, they will eat up the bodies there. They don't even fear the fire," the baron opened the window to take a look and said. Angele nodded. He learned about the Timberwolves from one of the books in the special library, and they were very different from the ones on earth. Timberwolf here usually lived alone and was the size of a buffalo. It had black fur and had no fear of fire.

"We left their carriage there, would that be fine?" Angele asked.

"Don't worry, so many Rudin nobles were killed in the plain. People would think it was the bandits' work, and we even left some money in the carriage. Bandits passing by will rob it clean, and they'll become the main targets of whoever attempts to search for Philip," the baron said. It was as though he had a lot of experience about such situations.

"We'll be safe after we cross the border in half a month," he continued. Angele looked outside the window. It was already dark, only the moon that hung in the sky and the grass on the ground near the carriage could be seen.

"Father, have you ever heard of the Andes Alliance School?" Angele suddenly asked.

"How do you know about it? Barely anyone knows of it," the baron said with a surprised expression.

"I heard it from the count," Angele said.

"Well, for him, it could be possible," the baron said before he drank some water from his water canteen.

"Andes Alliance School is the best school in the whole Andes. Its duty is to train elites in the country, only taking a small number of students in each year. People who graduated from the school all become influential people of the country. They all become high-class nobles. This school is vastly different from ordinary noble schools as it has high standards for admission. Also, it doesn't matter if you're a farmer or a noble. As long as you're talented, you'll get the chance. I thought of sending you to that school, but your body wasn't capable of accepting the Life Energy Seed…" the baron said with faint despondency on his face.

"Well, I found a ring not so long ago, and Philip said the ring could help me get into that school with exam exemption," Angele laughed and took out the ring. The baron was surprised and grabbed it to examine it.

"If it's true, this will be our family's only hope," the baron said with a tone that seemed a bit excited.

"I think it's true. The problem is, we need to find the location of the school and the way it tests its students," Angele said.

"Philip saw the ring and tried to take it from me. I thought he was going to kill us all after we arrive at the Marua Harbor just to make sure I wouldn't disrupt his plan," Angele made his own conjecture.

"That is very possible, especially since those high-class nobles are quite likely to do something like that. However, I think you showed the ring to him on purpose, right? Or were you trying to figure out how much it worth? Wait, did you do it for the girls? Angele, I really can't guess what you're thinking," the baron said.

"A bit of each. I'll make sure to think twice before acting in the future," Angele lowered his head and said. The baron actually knew him well.

��I've decided. When we arrive at Marua, I'll ask your aunt to find the information about the Andes Alliance School. If you get accepted as a student…." the baron didn't finish his sentence. He just began smiling.

***************************

Ten days later, the caravan entered the border of Andes.

Outside the Anser Plain were many hills around and thriving trees. There were also many different plants and animals. Angele could sometimes see some abandoned iron mines, and he started seeing other caravans traveling toward Marua. Most of them were merchants while some were Rudin nobles that were trying to join their relatives in Marua.

Angele kept analyzing different species and stored their information in the chip. Though his attributes wouldn't increase any longer, the information could still be useful in the future if he could get into the school. With the help of the chip, he would be learning much faster than others and he would never forget anything he saw. Studying wouldn't pose a problem to him. After all, what he only needed was the sources. Others probably had to go through many mistakes to find out the truth, but Angele only needed the chip to rule out all the false information. He would be able to find the easiest way to comprehend the materials.

"If I can get into that school, I'll probably be able to find the Ramsoda College mentioned on the ring. That college is connected to the wizards for sure." Angele was getting excited. Recently, he kept looking at the ring at least several times in a small span of time. He, however, was a bit disappointed that Philip didn't carry anything like that with him. It seemed that enchanted items were very rare, so Angele wondered how Dice managed to get one. Angele was curious, and he really wanted to know who Dice really was.

Chapter 36: School (1)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

Angele felt relaxed ever since they crossed the border. It didn't take long for them to reach Marua Harbor. Outside of its main city were merchants of great numbers gathered around. It seemed as though this faith of merchants had created small markets that encircled Marua. Many people walked around to and fro, showing that the markets were all bustling in activities.

It was about 3 pm in the afternoon when Angele's caravan arrived. The sky was cloudy and beneath it were carriages that were slowly moving through the bustling markets. They were together with a large merchant caravan that dealt with sea salt business. About two days ago, they joined with them. The baron paid 50 gold coins to the leader of the merchant caravan, so they could enter the city easily with the help of the merchants.

The baron was sitting in the leading carriage and gazing upon the huge city. He was met with gray city walls of towering height, and from his angle, it seemed as though it were endless. The entrance ahead of him was wide open that he could clearly see people busily partaking in their own activities inside. Some carriages were heading out of the city with heavy goods on their carts at the back while some were conversing with the guards to gain passage into the city. The guards were fully geared. Black iron armors covered and protected them. Lances were each held in their hands.

"This is Marua City?" Angele asked. He got out of the carriage and sat beside his father.

"Yes, we can head to the outer city once we pass through here. With the help of the merchant caravan, we can get in easily such that they don't to screen us individually anymore," the baron smiled upon saying this.

"If we didn't join the merchants, it would've taken us a long time just to get in. Although we ourselves have entry passes, the screening process would've been a pain," he continued.

Angele nodded before he glanced around. All the carriages he saw were quite similar to theirs. The guards took off their gears and stored them in the supply cart. When they arrived at the entrance, a fat young man got off from the red wooden carriage at the forefront. The man wore a black coat, and rather than looking like a businessman, he seemed more like a chef.

The man conversed with the guards for several seconds while maintaining a smiling face, after which he put a small pouch in one of the guards' hand. The guard then laughed and waved his hands to signal a legitimate entry. However, Angele noticed the guards taking a glance for a while on their caravan. They probably knew of their identities, but they couldn't be bothered with it.

The caravan entered the city swiftly. What they witnessed was the sight of a clean and tidy street, which had a minuscule amount of litters on the ground. Both sides of the street were filled with vendors selling countless different merchandise such as salt, seafood, and even some people were buying second-hand goods. Pearls were also being sold while some had strange animals that Angele had never seen before as merchandise. Occasionally, he could see some people haggling with the store owners.

Angele's caravan was moving in the middle of the street. A few of them looked at the streets with curious gazes. Some of the officers of the harbor were slowly going around the stalls and stores, collecting management fees. For a few times, several carts that carried massive amounts of salt passed by Angele's carriage.

They continued along for about half an hour and went past several streets before reaching an intersection. Alongside a gray stone building, a plump middle-aged noblewoman was standing with three workers.

"My lovely sister Maria, long time no see. It feels great to see you doing well," he yelled.

"Dear brother, I'm happy to meet you too." The woman smiled gently and they hugged each other. The baron then asked Angele to step outside.

"This is Angele, my second son. He was born after you got married. I think you've never seen each other before," the baron said as he patted Angele's shoulder. Maria looked at Angele for a while as though she was checking him all over.

"Good kid, I hope you can get along with my son Buster, your cousin." Maria smiled and said.

"Thanks, Aunt Maria," Angele lowered his head and replied politely.

"Alright, I have prepared a party for you guys at the manor. Also, the Rose Garden has been emptied for you, so you can move in anytime you want. But brother, I thought you'd bring a lot more people than this. Where's old Wade?" Maria nodded and asked.

"We'll talk about this later, let's get back first," the baron said with a deep voice, sadness hinted in his tone.

"Sure, let's get back. Anger, lead the way for the baron." Maria stopped for a second then nodded after.

"Yes, Ma'am," one of the workers answered. Angele didn't follow his father to the leading carriage. Instead, he got on the second one. He knew his father hadn't seen his sister for years, so they must have a lot to say to each other. Maggie, Celia, their relatives, the pharmacist, and Captain Mark all looked a bit worried. However, their anxiousness dissipated after seeing Angele getting on their carriage.

"Young Master Angele, what work can we do at the harbor? I know nothing besides killing…" Mark said.

"Don't worry; you've been with my father since long ago. He'll make sure you get a job you want," Angele smiled.

Maggie and Celia were sitting by his side with nervous expressions. They were now in a new environment. The baron needed to rebuild his base here. After he obtained what he wanted, he would only care about Angele while the others, especially the ones with mediocre talent, wouldn't be cared for anymore. Also, the baron had lost his territory and source of income. Because of that, they could no longer live the life they used to have, a reasonable outlook for the people as they started becoming worried for their future.

Angele sat in the carriage, thinking of ways to calm their unease. Suddenly, the carriages slowed down.

"Angele, get off the carriage," the baron yelled from outside. Angele was confused, but he still got off the carriage. He saw Aunt Maria and his father standing at the side, both looking excited.

"What happened, Father, Aunt Maria?" Angele asked. The carriages stopped by the side while others who were in the carriages started unloading the supplies. Angele walked toward the two.

"You father told me you want to enter the school. I think it's good for you, and your father supports this decision as well. You're lucky this time. Marua Harbor School is taking in new students. You can register as long as you reach the requirements," Maria said with a smiling face.

"Marua Harbor School?" Angele had never heard of it before. He looked at his father.

"That school has a long history, and teach nearly everything such as fighting skills, field experiences, music, literature, dancing, and painting. Also, they're qualified to recommend a number of students to the Andes Alliance School each year," the baron smiled as he walked close to Angele.

"If you want to learn about the Alliance School and how to get admitted into it, this step is necessary!" he whispered by Angele's ear.

"It's going to expensive, isn't it?" Angele asked.

"100 gold coins for the registration and additional expenses for the courses you want to enroll. However, it's nothing compared to all the things you can learn," the baron said.

Angele felt slightly relieved because they looted the treasures of the bandits they had encountered along the way and also Count Philip's possessions. They obtained about 200 gold coins from the bandits and 1000 gold coins from Philip, so Angele was actually pretty rich at present.

"Today is the last day of registration. You'll surely be admitted if you go to the registration area now," Maria explained.

"Your father told me you want to go to Andes Alliance School. If you achieve good grades at the harbor school, you'll be recommended to the Alliance School after," she continued.

"Aunt, please ask someone to lead me there. I'll go register now!" Angele said.

"Sir Siva is there working at the registration office. Not so long ago, his son wanted Bowater to do something for him. I'll let him know that I sent you there," Maria said after nodding her head. Bowater was her husband and also Angele's uncle. He was an officer at the harbor's inspector department.

"Thank you, Aunt!" Angele felt elated upon knowing this, thus politely giving her his sincere thanks.

"However, it's a boarding school. You'll need to bring your own things there such as your clothes," Maria said.

"Got it, I'll get on it right away," Angele said. Maria then asked a worker named Anderson to lead the way for Angele. Before leaving, the baron patted Angele's shoulder hard. He didn't say anything, but Angele could see the hope in his eyes. Maggie and Celia got off the carriage to wish Angele good luck. Angele kissed them in front of everyone to show that they were under his wing before leaving with Anderson.

Angele felt he was caught in a hurry, but the opportunity was right there. He knew his body had long reached the limits and knew what he needed to accomplish in the school.

Chapter 37: School (2)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

By the west of Marua City, there laid upon mountains of great numbers. Valleys that were naturally formed between these mountains made up a two-lane road network used in transportation. These white carriages' paths looked endless, ultimately leading into the forest after several twists and turns. It was a cloudy afternoon. Many carriages were traveling on the road; some entered the forest while some exited. Owners of different carriages being politely greeted by whom they were acquainted with was a common scene and courtesy along the way.

An average-looking teenager with short brown hair was sitting in a white carriage, gazing at the carriages passing by. Many carriages had those luxurious insignias, yet Angele barely knew any of those. Clean, silky white shirt and a small gray linen coat; long blue pants and a pair of tight black boots were being worn by him. He looked just like any other noble child from the countryside and seemed as though he attempted to be fashionable yet knew nothing in that regard.

A bald coachman wearing gray worker clothes made from linen was sitting by the teenager. These two were Angele and Anderson, respectively, who were heading to the registration office in the school. Anderson started explaining the situation in the harbor school as the carriage moved forward at a swift pace.

"Young Master Angele, the madam asked me to tell you this. Please only take the necessary courses in school since the price of some courses might be too high for you at present…" Anderson didn't finish his sentence, but Angele knew what he meant.

"I understand. To get admitted into the harbor school, the only thing needed is money?" Angele asked.

"Never heard of anyone getting rejected after paying enough. I think so," Anderson licked his lips and answered.

Showing a tacit understanding of the situation, Angele nodded. The harbor school was most likely similar to those private schools on Earth where you need to pay a certain amount to get admitted. However, unlike on Earth, the quality of education in this world varied. For Angele, his sentiment was of needing not to waste time in the castle any longer, at least. He could actually learn something, and with the chip's assistance were many things that he could now do.

"Also, the registration fee isn't very high. Even children of merchants are studying in it, too. Some people couldn't afford the fee, thus they chose to pay the students to teach them instead. It's a cheaper alternative and moreover, such things are common in the school. You can consider doing the same if you don't have enough money to spare," Anderson kindly said.

"Thank you, I'll think about it," Angele smiled, no longer talking after. He was aware of the fact that just paying those students with money wouldn't be enough. He probably needed to be extremely polite to them while begging them for knowledge. This was something Angele wouldn't do. This would save him some money; however, he had the chip. He could do the things normal people couldn't.

The carriage entered the deep forest in a short span. Ahead of them was a 10-meter wide, large iron door waiting at the end of the road. Beside the entrance were towering walls going straight toward the mountains endlessly. Outside the door was a vast empty ground where several small carriages were parked. Several typical and ostentatious carriages easily distinguishable with just the insignias on them were there. From time to time, people wearing luxurious clothes went out through the door and got into the carriages. Teenagers ranging from 12 to 16 years old and of differing statures got out of the carriages, most likely here to register as well. It seemed the school didn't have age restrictions.

After parking the carriage, Angele followed after Anderson as they entered through the door. Just like any other students, Angele had the same spark of curiosity in him, proven by his actions as his eyes kept darting around. The first scene he witnessed was a grassy land and many white buildings that were about 5-6 floors tall. A stone path directed them toward one of the white buildings ahead.

Besides the path, there were copper statues that each had words engraved on it. Angele looked at one of the statues and saw words engraved. It read, 'Count Albert Parrington donated 20000 gold coins to the school on Year 1307. Angele became speechless because he thought those statues were created for successful entities that had greatly contributed to the school's reputation. He checked several others wherein he saw that they had donated at least 10000 gold coins to the school. By then he had already stopped looking and instead followed Anderson to the first floor of the white building.

A middle-aged man with a goatee was sitting in the middle of a hall that was decorated with glamorous furnishings as though there was a party. He was jotting down the names of students who came to register with a quill pen. Angele moved behind the 20 to 30 people who were lined up in front of him. Meanwhile, Anderson took the recommendation letter to Sir Siva, which caused people around Angele to have contemptuous looks and distance from him.

It didn't take long for Anderson to bring a blonde curly-haired man to Angele. The man took Angele straight to a room at the side of the hall.

Angele paid the fee in but a short moment and obtained the certification that would prove his identity. It was colored white and was made out of leather. Written on it were his student number, grade, room number, and his personal information. A red seal that represented the clearance of his payment had been stamped at the bottom of the paper. Anderson left right after he assisted Angele in the registration.

Angele headed to a building to the left according to the explanation on the paper. This building was the dorm. Many rooms were still open, but the hallway was crowded with students walking to and fro, looking for their own rooms. It was a lively scene that reminded Angele of the post knights in the castle. Most of the students here were vastly different, of course, as they wore luxurious clothes. People here also talked in a slow and gentle manner, which made Angele think they were a bit phony.

Also, Angele wasn't actually a noble here because he was from Rudin Empire, a dying country. His father had left his hometown and came to Andes because he decided to give up on his status there. Angele was a mere student now, yet Andes didn't set restrictions on the color of the clothes. He could still wear colorful clothes, even white clothes. On the contrary, he would've been in deep trouble if he had done so back in Rudin.

Each room could only fit one student because the school knew that noble children wouldn't like to share a room with others. The bedroom only had one bed, a desk, and a chair. Everything was made out of brown wood, and no paint was applied. Angele could smell the fragrance of wood in the air. He decided to settle down his possessions and change his clothes.

"New schedule is out!" A boy yelled outside the room.

"It was just posted outside the 5th building. The price is 5 gold coins!" he continued.

"We need to pay at least 100 gold coins; otherwise, we won't get our money's worth!" Another person said.

"The price is set by Master Banner. If you have any question, go talk to him. I'm merely a messenger," the boy said. By then, the students in the building were stirred, becoming noisy.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Someone knocked on the door of Angele's room. He opened it right away. A black-haired boy wearing a red-yellow noble suit was standing outside.

"You're new here? You heard the price?" This black-haired boy who also had freckles all over his face asked. Angele nodded his head.

"Good, it's the price set by Master Banner. If you want to teach the poor students for money, that's the number of coins you can ask for. You must follow the rules, understood?" he continued, and Angele nodded again.

"Sure," Angele said. After all, he wasn't planning on earning money by doing this anyway.

"Good," the boy looked satisfied.

"Not bad for a newcomer. Remember to pay the fee stated on the back of the schedule," the boy said before leaving. Angele closed the door and thought of something. He took the paper and turned it over. The schedule was very long, each price was written beside each course. It was slightly blurry, probably not handwritten. Angele wouldn't have known of the schedule if it weren't for the boy who had informed him.

The price and course were as follows:

Music – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Drawing – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Dancing – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Equestrianism – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Free Combat Training – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 30 gold coins.

History of The Alliance – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 10 gold coins.

War Strategies – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 50 gold coins.

Sword Skills – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Katana Skills – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

Dual-wielding Heavy Weapon Skills – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 30 gold coins.

Archery – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 50 gold coins.

Language – 2 classes, 1 hour in total. 20 gold coins.

The total number of classes necessary was about 10. The time schedule of the classes would be decided before the start of the courses. Payments were mandatory to be paid on the same day.

Angele scrunched his eyebrows. It would take him about 100 gold coins to finish one course. This was already costly to him. Though he brought only two high gold cards, it was still a lot. One high gold card could be exchanged with 1000 gold coins, which would be handed out by the school. Angele could convert it to gold coins whenever he wanted at the service department of the school.

Chapter 38: Adolf (1)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

Two thousand gold coins were already a lot to Angele since it could even completely fill a big, heavy bag. When he was still in the Rio Territory, he could buy plenty of things with that amount of money. But in Marua, he needed even more.

'Aunt Maria was right,' Angele thought. He read the course list once again. However, as he didn't find anything useful to him, he could only scrunch his eyebrows. Only the words at the bottom caught his attention:

"The recommendation exam will be held by the end of September. Students who pass three of their courses will be qualified."

"Pass three of them?" Angele muttered while re-reading over the selections he had.

"I'll take sword skills, archery, and language then. I'm good at those. The chip will help me get through the language course easily." Angele finally made his decision and put the sheet back into his pouch after.

People outside the room were still noisy. Angele could hear some of them laughing as they talked. He donned his favorite black hunting suit and checked the things he had brought. Angele put them aside before leaving the room. There were many students around, each forming their own groups. They were either gossiping about certain teachers or about some well-known students. Some were merely talking about the new jewelry and clothes that had just been imported into the city.

Angele walked across the hall, feeling alienated in the atmosphere around him.

'This place is so peaceful. I guess I'll need some time to get used to it. I fought too many battles back then at the plains.' Angele thought. He didn't plan on staying at this place for too long. After all, there was no point in interacting with the children of high-class nobles or merchants.

Angele walked out of the dorm and looked at the schedule that was pinned on the wall by his side. He took a note of the locations and timetables of the courses he wanted. He then walked straight toward the study area at the back. He could see that all the school buildings were indeed white. Angele headed into the most crowded area — the dining hall. He saw white bread, wine, fish soups, and pan-fried mussels there. He quickly finished his lunch and returned back to his room to get some rest.

The second morning, Angele woke up early. He changed his clothes and quickly finished washing his face and brushing his teeth. Many students hadn't woken up yet, which was the reason why the dorm was eerily quiet. Angele walked around the hall and saw several students coming from up ahead. They didn't wear luxurious suits, signifying that they most likely originated from small merchant families. It was likely that they were the most hardworking students in the school. Angele studied hard as well, but only a few nobles would try hard like him.

Angele walked out of the dorm. It was still a bit dark and the area was empty. He could barely see any people. The morning breeze blowing over him was still chilly, and chirping of birds could be heard.

'My first class is Language, and it's taught by Master Adolf. Location is at Building 19 Room 304,' Angele stored the information in the chip earlier, so he quickly found the location after seeing the black mark on the building.

It was a three-story building located at the rear end of the school. There were only five rooms on each floor. Outside the building was a board standing there. The words written on it were Rudin and two other languages Angele couldn't recognize. These words meant 'Language'. These words were written in an art form, similar to that of Chinese calligraphy on Earth.

The building was surrounded by wooden fences and between them was an empty ground. A young girl sitting by a red wooden desk that had a label 'Fee and Registration' was yawning. Angele looked around, only to find that he seemed to be the only one around.

"You're here for the Language course?" she asked while yawning. She who was dressed in red saw Angele standing outside the fences.

"Yea, can I register now?" Angele walked in and took out his high gold card.

"Yep, you're a new student? You don't know me?" she asked.

"I was just admitted yesterday," Angele nodded honestly. He handed over his card to her, and the girl wrote down his card number and personal information. She also wrote '-20 gold coins' beside it before returning the card to Angele.

"Haven't seen formal students waking up so early in a while. I'm the daughter of your language teacher, Adolf Runsol. You can call me Sophia. You can go inside now, my father is already in the room," the girl said as she looked at Angele.

Angele couldn't find any chance to speak. It was likely that she didn't want to talk to him too much. He nodded and walked into the small building.

The building was white, yet there was a hint of it being grayish. The stairs were located at the right-hand side of the building. By the end of the passage, there was a half-opened door with a label '304' that indicated Room 304. Angele walked in and saw a white-haired old man reading a book. The old man heard the footsteps and looked over Angele's direction. He didn't say anything, only staring at Angele for a while.

'A scholar with a specific daily routine, I suppose,' Angele thought. He sat down in the front row, waiting for the course to begin. After half an hour, students started pouring in from outside, but they still looked drowsy. When there were about 13 students, the old man closed his book and stood up.

"I'm Adolf, invited by the school to teach Language. You may or may not know about me, but let's just pretend we don't know each other. I'll earn some cash by teaching you while you kids pay to stay in this class. That's it. Any questions?" the old man said, his tone serious and stubborn.

"We know Master Adolf's rule. Please start the class," one of the girls sitting in the front row said. Her skin seemed a bit too pale white for a human being.

"Well, let's get started," Adolf went straight to the point, not wasting any time.

"I'll be teaching the universal language from one of Andes's neighbors, Polen Empire. I'll also be teaching the language of Holy Anmag Empire. Especially the second one, it's very useful and important. We use it in many different areas such as Marua, the capital, and many more cities," Adolf said.

'Zero, analyze all language-related information,' Angele ordered while looking at Adolf.

'Mission established. Analysis beginning…' Zero said. There were only about 10 students there, but Adolf was treating his job seriously. He talked about the basic structure of the two languages and the history of their developments. He also taught about the basic components of the words. Angele felt as if the time in the two classes flowed very quickly.

"Two days later, I have an applied course. To attend or not is your choice," Adolf said in a serious tone before leaving the room with books in his hand.

After Language, Angele attended the sword skills and archery courses. The two courses had everything Angele expected. The content was way too easy for him, but it was a chance for him to practice. He attended a class once, but then realized there was no point for him to attend again. The teachings were less useful compared to the ones he had found in the castle. The skills they taught weren't practical. They looked cool, but it wouldn't help Angele survive in a real battle. The sword skills of his father and Knight Audis were much better than the ones taught here.

'Well, at least the teachers are knights. However, they're just average.' Angele knew knights were still elites here. They were ones that students couldn't meet all day. With the help of the chip, Angele found the strongest person in this school. He was dumbfounded because the strongest was a teacher who had about the level of a mid-knight. There were not even many post knights here. Barely any people had experiences in actual combat. Most students were akin to flowers in a greenhouse living happy lives. They liked funny stories, fashion, and beautiful sword dances, but they were not interested in participating in a real war.

'This is the place rich kids want. Pay for some certificates and make themselves look better. No wonder why money is the only thing I needed to get admitted here,' Angele concluded. In the next ten days, Angele didn't do anything other than studying, eating, and sleeping. He had already mastered the two languages Adolf had taught. It took 6 classes for him to achieve this, and it cost him 60 gold coins. He was well-behaved in class and could answer the questions asked by the teacher. Adolf thought he was pretty good and smart.

"That's it for today. Come to my desk if you have any questions," Adolf said. Only 6 students were still inside the classroom. Angele was at the front row where he sat quietly. He was considered as the most hardworking student in the class. He raised his hand after hearing the words Adolf said.

"Master, I got a question. I wonder if you could teach me some other language besides those two?" Angele asked. He knew Adolf had mastered more than ten languages. He was, after all, the most renowned polyglot in Marua. People highly respected him in the academic world.

"Other languages? Angele, were the two I taught not enough for you?" Adolf said while scrunching his eyebrows.

"Well…" Angele was about to continue speaking, but several other students started asking questions. Adolf was instantly surrounded by several students. They just kept asking basic questions. Obviously, they were fawning on Adolf. Angele shook his head, only sitting there as he waited for them to finish.

Adolf's patience was running out, but he finished conversing with the students nonetheless. He saw Angele still waiting inside the classroom.

"What else do you want to know, Angele?" Adolf felt goodwill toward Angele, so he remembered his name.

"You haven't mastered the two languages I taught, yet. Don't be greedy," he continued.

"Master, may I ask what the language requirement is for the Andes Alliance School?" Angele asked after he stood up.

"Language requirement? You want to get into the alliance school? What do you want to do there? That's just a place for people who are wealthier than most," Adolf said while staring at Angele.

'Warning! Warning! Target is using an unknown magnetic field to scan your mind.' Zero suddenly warned before Angele could answer.

Chapter 39: Adolf (2)

Translator: Leo Editor: DarkGem/Frappe

'Unknown magnetic field?' Angele was both surprised and excited. He heard Adolf questioning him. He was feeling elated, but he tried to stay calm.

"Master Adolf, I'm just interested in the legendary power the Wizards have and I want to get into a better school. I think my research would progress faster," Angele quickly and honestly answered.

"Wizard?" Adolf stopped for a second and thought for a while.

"It is… very nostalgic…" He sighed with a sad look on his face. Adolf looked at Angele for a while with a face as though he had mixed feelings about the situation. Angele was nearly becoming scared.

"I think you're honest because you're telling the truth. Follow me." Adolf broke the silence and slowly left the classroom. Angele followed him from behind. Outside the door, Adolf's daughter who was wearing a tight red one piece, Sophia, was looking at Angele with mixed feelings as well. She didn't say anything. It seemed that she didn't overhear their conversation.

Adolf walked down the building with Angele and his daughter. Outside was a large red carriage that could easily fit three people awaiting them. The insignia looked like the Scales.

"Get on the carriage," Adolf said while pointing at it.

"Yes, master." Angele politely got inside the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Angele sat opposite to Adolf and Sophia. The coachman started driving the carriage, moving forward quickly. No one talked, but Angele noticed that Adolf was thinking about something. The carriage left the school and moved to the downtown area of Marua. They arrived at a block full of large houses and stopped in front of a red-white house. They had left the school at morning and by the time they had arrived, it was already noon.

Adolf still didn't say anything as he led Angele and Sophia into the house. They went to the study on the second floor and while they did so, several workers greeted them.

"Sit down." Adolf sat on a sofa by the desk. Angele looked around and saw two shelves full of books on the side. The book covers were all made of red leather and the words written on it were hard to read. It was highly likely that Master Adolf wrote it. On the desk was a golden oil lamp, a white quill pen, and a bottle of black ink. There was also a round silver seal above an opened letter.

"Ony, bring this young guest of mine a glass of Marconi. Also, you know what Sophia and I want," Adolf loudly said. Sophia was sitting beside her father with a face that seemed unconcerned about Adolf's decision. A chubby middle-aged woman brought 3 glasses of drink to them and closed the door quietly.

Angele smelled the fragrance of the drink in front of him. It looked like dark chocolate, yet it smelled like a lemon mixed with orange. It was nice and warm.

"Tell me about your decision. I mean, why are you looking for the Wizards?" Adolf asked.

"I think you know that the path to the Wizards' world is too difficult to find, and you need perseverance for it. You can't imagine the amount of effort you need," he continued in a deep tone.

"Master Adolf, to be honest with you, my body isn't capable of accepting Life Energy Seed. There���s no way for me to become a grand knight. However, I witnessed the power of a wizard, and I found it incredible. I want to find out if the wizards could help me get stronger in a different way," Angele unhesitatingly said. He had his own plans, so he decided to tell Adolf everything he knew. It wasn't, after all, a big secret in any case.

"You witnessed the power of a wizard? There are still wizards around here?" Adolf was taken aback and even Sophia was curiously looking at Angele.

"No, I didn't see a real wizard in front of me. I saw someone using an energy from a cracked enchanted item," Angele said.

"That person must be a wizard then! Only a wizard is capable of wielding enchanted items," Adolf nodded.

"You're very honest. However, the talent requirement in becoming a wizard is far greater than of a grand knight's. Are you sure you have such talent?" Adolf asked.

"I wouldn't know until I try," Angele smiled.

"I think I should at least try. If I don't, then I will never know if I'm gifted or not," Angele said. He had successfully utilized the power of the ring, so he felt confident about it.

"Very good," Adolf started laughing.

"You're just like me. When I was young, I never gave up," Adolf continued.

"Wait, you're a…" Angele became excited.

"No, I'm not a wizard. I'm just an ordinary person who admires them." Adolf sighed, then he became silent.

"Sorry, I'm tired. I need to take some rest. Come by here next time," Adolf said.

"Thanks for inviting me here. I'm leaving now." Angele still had something to say, but he decided to leave.

"Sophia, see him off." Adolf stood up and grabbed a book from the shelf.

"It's a book of Erathia's language. You can read it first. Come here tomorrow and I'll teach you the language privately. If I see any potential from you, I'll consider recommending you to the alliance school," Adolf said.

"Thank you, Master Adolf!" Angele was jubilant upon seeing Adolf handing the book to him.

"Yea." Adolf waved his hands and ceased talking. Angele walked out of the study with Sophia and they went down the stairs. Angele got inside the carriage when they left the house.

"Father has expectations on you and he'll know if you're lying. I respect his decision, but I hope you don't disappoint him," Sophia said in a serious manner.

"I understand." Angele nodded politely.

**************

Half a year later…

Adolf's house.

"If we can replace the word 'Kafka' with 'single wheel', it will be impossible when using the grammar of Anmag language," Adolf said while looking at a paper. He scrunched his eyebrows and pointed to the paper using his finger while making an encircling gesture around the word.

"And here, the word choice is poor. It should be replaced with the Rudin word 'ignite'," he continued. Angele was sitting there quietly while listening to Adolf's advice. After the passing of half a year, the two became really close. Angele used the chip to help him study the languages and the results were great. He learned much faster than others. Actually, he had already mastered the first two languages in the first week, but he didn't want too much attention, so he spent half a year to make it look like he was just progressing fast. He had mastered three different languages in half a year wherein this made Adolf think he was a genius.

Adolf was testing Angele's familiarity with different languages now, so he combined different languages into sentences to make sure that Angele understood each of them.

"You're right. I didn't notice that." Angele said as he lowered his head. Actually, he made these mistakes on purpose.

"You still need to improve, but… you passed the tests for the three languages." Adolf put down the paper before he smiled. Angele seemed relieved, but he already knew the results beforehand. Adolf carefully looked at Angele, and he even felt proud of him.

"Angele, you studied with me for more than half a year now?" he asked.

"Yes, Master," Angele said.

"I think you know who I really am?" Adolf smiled.

"As the assistant director of the security department, I did some research on you," he continued. Angele nodded, though he didn't say anything. He knew Adolf being an influential personage, but that wasn't his purpose. Adolf looked at Angele, unable to see even the slightest change in Angele's facial expression after hearing about his position. Adolf felt happy at the fact that his power and influence didn't affect how Angele treated him.

"Well, that's not important anyway. You and I have a larger target," Adolf said.

Angele knew that Adolf was about to show him something, which was exactly the opportunity he was looking for. Adolf stood up and handed him a book. Angele took the book and looked at its title, "Journey of Heart by Buckwill Henry".

"Master, what is this?" Angele asked.

"This is the biography of the great thinker, Master Buckwill Henry," Adolf said, and he smiled. He liked Angele because the latter had mastered three different languages within half a year. Adolf thought that Angele was gifted. Therefore, he thought that he must put great effort in studying languages.

"But no one knew that not only was Master Buckwill a great thinker, he was also a mysterious person," he continued.

"He's a wizard?" Angele guessed. The thought of it got him excited.

"You're right. Take it back and read it. Let me know if you have any questions." Adolf nodded with a satisfied look on his face.

"Thank you, Master!" Angele said. He knew that he was going to learn something of significance from the book.

"People from Andes Alliance School will come to recruit after half a month. Prepare for it," Adolf said.

"Yes. Now if you would excuse me." Angele stood up, holding the book in his hands. He knew Adolf wouldn't give him any meaningless thing, but he didn't expect being given a book written by a real wizard.

"I'm too old for this now. It's your time to shine." Adolf nodded while laughing.

"Yes, Master!" Angele nodded.