Chapter 9

So-called work was just a misunderstanding.

The coachman drove the elegant carriage to the entrance of the Russell family's house. Colin got off the carriage, turned around, and waved to Bill, "Goodbye, Bill."

"Goodbye, Colin." Bill also waved to Colin. The coachman closed the carriage door, sat on the carriage, and whipped the reins, driving the carriage away.

After watching the carriage leave, Colin opened the door and went inside. He first went to the living room and tore up the note that said he would stay out overnight.

Thinking about it, Colin felt his face turn red. If he hadn't turned and left, he might have spent the night in the countess's bed, under the pretense of work.

"But what should I do? How should I get my initial funds?" Colin climbed the stairs, leaped onto the bed, and lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The next day.

The weather on Sunday was still beautiful, with a clear blue sky. Colin went out to inquire and learned some things.

A complete set of basic alchemy tools would cost ten gold coins.

A complete set of ingredients for a basic strength potion would cost two gold coins.

According to the "Basic Strength Potion Making (Loose)" on his status, he would need to prepare 5 to 10 sets of ingredients, which would cost at least twenty gold coins.

Smith, who worked at the Ministry of Finance, earned only one gold coin a month. Linda, as a governess, earned only eighteen silver coins a month.

One gold coin could be exchanged for twenty silver coins.

This meant that the two working members of the Russell family, Linda and Smith, would need to work continuously for a year without eating or drinking to save up enough for Colin's initial funds.

Monday.

The weather became even hotter, with steam rising from the ground, and the air seemed to distort. Colin took off his coat, wearing only a shirt, and carried his backpack and training greatsword to go to school.

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

"Got it, sis." Colin responded listlessly. "Give me twenty gold coins, and I'll be running at full speed. But..."

After arriving at his class, Colin greeted Bill as usual, then put his backpack in the desk and placed the training greatsword.

In the morning, they had cultural classes, which covered literature, history, and etiquette. These were not difficult for Colin, who had 5 points in intelligence. This 5-point intelligence was the passing line for studying alchemy, showing how rare it was.

However, Colin lacked the talent for oil painting and other subjects.

In the afternoon, they had training classes, and the first class was the practice of the Ror Military Swordsmanship.

This "Ror Military Swordsmanship" consists of eight moves, said to have been created by a knight named Ror. It is the basic swordsmanship for two-handed greatswords.

A legitimate knight of the empire's first choice of weapon is a two-handed greatsword.

This type of weapon is heavy, sturdy, and highly lethal, suitable for close combat.

Despite the "Ror Military Swordsmanship (Loose)" on Colin's status, his skill level was similar to his classmates, as they were all second-year students.

On the open playground, the ground was parched under the scorching sun, and dust rose as the students trained.

Colin took off his shirt, revealing a lean and muscular upper body. He held a ten-pound training greatsword in both hands and practiced swordsmanship meticulously. Sweat gathered on his body, eventually flowing down to wet his pants.

On the other side, Miss Anna stood under the blazing sun with her arms crossed. She wore a black tight short-sleeved T-shirt that accentuated her impressive figure. Her lower body was clad in a matching black leather skirt, held by a silver belt, and her straight, round, tanned legs exuded a sense of strength.

Miss Anna's gaze was fixed on Colin, her brows slightly furrowed. As the homeroom teacher and a powerful knight, she was well aware of the strength of her students.

The last time, students with bloodlines took bloodline potions, and those without took strength potions. Almost no one failed, and their strength improved significantly, but Colin showed almost no improvement.

"Did he fail?" Miss Anna relaxed her brows. Although such cases were rare, they did happen. She just felt a bit sorry.

She had been paying attention to Colin for a long time. This student was very smart and trained diligently. Although his talent was not great, with effort and seriousness, he might still achieve something in the future, but it was a pity that he failed the bloodline potion...

Not only the homeroom teacher noticed, but a few classmates did as well.

"That guy failed the bloodline potion." Brian was very strong, like a bull. In terms of swordsmanship and physical attributes, he was among the top in the class. He turned to look at Colin, a slight sneer on his lips.

He remembered Colin's words, feeling as if his heart had been pierced by an arrow, twitching violently.

In terms of bloodline strength, physical attributes, and swordsmanship, he was superior to Colin. But just because he didn't have a surname, he wasn't a noble.

Even if their family was wealthy, they couldn't compare to the nobility in status.

Nobles, hah, nobles.

"Charlie." Brian turned to a classmate beside him.

"Brian?" Charlie turned to look at Brian, puzzled. He had an ordinary face, even a bit ugly, but his body was exceptionally tall and imposing.

Charlie and Brian belonged to the same circle, both being children of wealthy merchants. In terms of strength, he was in the middle to lower ranks of the fifth class, about the same as Colin.

At the Knight Academy, students could choose opponents for sparring during training classes, but the chosen opponent could refuse.

Before taking the bloodline potion, Charlie and Colin were about equal in strength. Since Brian and Colin had a poor relationship, he often asked Charlie to challenge Colin.

Colin never refused, and they had their wins and losses.

"I've been observing this guy for some time. His strength and speed haven't changed much. He failed the bloodline potion. Go challenge him and expose his failure, making him a laughingstock." Brian whispered to Charlie with a cold smile.

"The success rate of the bloodline potion is ninety percent, and this guy failed?" Charlie was stunned but believed Brian's judgment. He rubbed his right rib and sneered, "The last time we sparred, I got hit here and it still hurts. It's a good time to settle the score."

The training greatswords at the school were not sharpened, but the students, being powerful apprentice knights, could still cause significant pain when struck.