Alan didn’t shift his gaze from the glowing artifact, wringing his hands the entire time. With the blood present in the center, the disc rose into the air and split into eight sections. A line of light originated from the blood and connected to each piece. The first part gained a glow that intensified over time. After a few moments, the rune present on its surface stabilized and shone with a bright golden light. The same thing happened with the following section.

Any other time, Alan would’ve been interested in figuring out the inner workings of the bizarre process. His technologically advanced previous world didn’t have anything remotely close to the method happening in front of him. While humans built both societies, the way they chose to progress drastically differed.

Books and knowledge were one of the few things that excited him in both lives, but his situation didn’t give him the luxury to explore the world’s truths. The outcome of the strange event determined his future.

His gaze shifted between the artifact and Russel’s face, measuring his reaction. He stayed calm when two segments lit up but frowned after the third one brightened. With the activation of the fourth one, his jaw dropped.

Alan immediately panicked. He knows something’s wrong. I have to escape before he notices me. Maur is waiting outside, but I can use my authority to have the restraints removed and leave before Russel informs him. I don’t think the instructor will ignore me if I’m persistent enough. I am the Duke’s son …… for now. The thought depressed him to no end. Being part of such a happy family wasn’t an opportunity that would come over and over again. He lost it the moment he blew his cover.

He shuffled towards the door, trying not to alert Russel, and cursed Maur and the restraints the entire way. I’ll have to think of a way to escape the city. If I knew this would happen, I would’ve read some geography books. I don’t have any money, nor do I know the lay of the land. Surviving on my own is going to be difficult. Alan paused, wondering if he should wait and see how the situation turns out. He discarded the thought before long. No! I killed the Duke’s son. They’ll never forgive me. Escaping is the best option. It’s a good thing I am in the outer zone. The city gates are close, but I’ll have to get past the guards. I don’t think they’ll allow a five-year-old kid to freely walk out.

Finalizing his plan, Alan placed his hand on the doorknob.

“What ….. are you doing?”

He whipped around, facing a confused Russel. Alan froze in position, and a long silence ensued as they stared at each other.

Russel broke it and hesitantly asked, “Do you need to go somewhere, Lord Alan?”

The doubt and confusion present in his voice made Alan’s heart beat with hope. The knight wasn't suspicious of his actions, only confused. His throat dry, he replied in a hoarse voice. “I ….. wanted to inform my father about the news.”

It was as lousy as excuses went, but Russel readily accepted it. It was one of the perks of being a kid. No one faulted them if they spouted nonsense.

Relief spread through his body when he understood that he misunderstood the situation and blew it out of proportion. His paranoia and insecurities were making him view everything in a negative way. If he knew what the artifact did or asked Russel about it, he could’ve avoided the embarrassing episode.

In response to his thoughts, pop-ups appeared in front of him.

You activated Inspect

Item: ??? (???)

Steel [55%] ???

You activated Identify

Item: ??? (???)

???

Comments: Increase the level of the skill or improve your knowledge of items and crafting to get more details.

He stared at the notifications with mounting fury. Are you kidding me? Apart from distracting me with your useless notifications, you aren’t useful for anything else are you, you stupid piece of junk? I’m pretty sure you are the reason for my troubles! Get out of my face and leave me alone!

Russel’s voice came as a welcome distraction. “I’m sure the Duke will be happy knowing you are a variant. I’m not surprised Maur asked me to test you. During the past month, your training speed should’ve been spectacular. Why don’t you go back and join your friends? I’ll inform him after testing everyone.”

Alan wordlessly nodded and went outside.

Adrianna excitedly approached him. “How did it go?”

Kora followed her, but the other students didn’t approach him. They acted uninterested, but Alan saw through their act. Everyone eagerly waited for his answer.

“You’ll see.”

Jod snorted. “Don’t think you’re some kind of a big deal and act like our future depends on your answer. Everyone was being curious, that’s all.”

Ever since the first fight, Jod hated him. He opposed Alan in every situation and repeatedly created problems for him.

Ignoring the jibe, Alan explained his reason to the disappointed Adrianna. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. Rather, it’s because I don’t know how to explain it. You’ll only understand it if you see it.”

Her expression cleared up, and she waited her turn.

Alan pondered over the term variant, wondering what it meant. Did it mean he trained faster or was there some other meaning? Since Kora and Adrianna matched his improvement speed, they should also be variants.

He sat against a pillar and made himself comfortable. The single test he went through took two minutes. The others had to go through six of them, and testing one hundred students would take a lot of time. There was no point in standing the entire time.

To his surprise, the girl came out of the room within thirty seconds. It wasn't just her, the others finished their tests within a minute.

It took two hours for everyone to be tested, after which Maur gathered them. "You can ask any questions you might have. After that, I hope you’ll be ready with your decision."

A skinny kid hesitantly raised his hand. "Um sir, w-what is the difference between joining the military and serving the R-Ross family."

"Good question. After serving in the military for a few years, you can retire and become an adventurer or a merchant or whatever it is that you want to be," Maur said. "Serving the Ross family doesn't come with retirement. Unless you become a grand knight, you’ll keep serving them. Don't think of it as slavery. It’s like swearing a knight’s oath. The Ross family won't interfere with your personal life. They’ll protect your family, within reason of course, and provide you with resources. You can have access to top-notch medicines, potions, and items.

“One thing you have to remember is the missions are generally more dangerous compared to what you’ll face when you’re in the army.”

The trainees asked a variety of questions, from whether they would get bungalows in the inner city to the option of becoming a Ross family member. When the questions started turning ridiculous, Maur stopped them. "I’m not going to answer any more questions. You’ll have ten minutes to decide if you want to join."

The students excitedly start discussing among themselves.

“Are you going to join?” Adrianna asked.

Alan shrugged in response while Kora opted to stay silent.

She wasn’t bothered by their attitude. “Did you get the classes you want? I got exactly what I wanted: archer.”

“Infantry,” Kora said.

“I always knew I was going be a knight, so it isn’t really surprising.”

“What about the specialization? I want to be a tracker.” Adrianna stared at Alan. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to be a paladin. What about you, Kora?”

“Weapon Specialist.”

Maur interrupted their discussion, "Your ten minutes are up. How many of you decided to stay?"

Apart from Kora and two others, everyone else agreed.

“What are you doing?” Adrianna whispered. “You won’t get opportunities like this a second time.”

For the commoners, getting stronger required many years of hard work. Potions and items were crucial for increasing their strength, but most trainees couldn’t afford them. So, they jumped at the chance to serve the Ross family. To them, the terms weren't the least bit restrictive.

Kora ignored her and stared at the instructor.

Maur ignored the ones who weren’t willing and addressed the others. "You can come here and sign the contracts."

"Can we join the group without signing it? We are willing to pay for all of the resources," one of the three unwilling individuals said. The other person looked uninterested in the conversation.

"I know why you people joined this group. Money isn't the problem here, so my answer is no. You can't join the group. You can leave now." Maur pointed his hand towards the exit.

The kid glared at Maur before turning around and leaving. The other person followed him, leaving Kora awkwardly standing away from the others.

“Do you need a special invitation?” Maur asked when she didn’t budge.

Kora hesitated. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Maur posed a very simple question. “Why?”

She grit her teeth. "I want to negotiate the terms of the contract."

Everyone stopped talking and stared at her in surprise.