The Corruption moving under my skin brought me to the brink of panic. I was used to the pain of the Corruption tentacles constricting under my skin. This sensation was new, and it felt wrong in a different way. The Corruption wasn’t growing. It was changing. The thought of the Lich and the Wendigo appeared in front of my eyes. I felt nauseous.

I entered the small changing room by the side of the courtyard, and as soon as Captain Kiln closed the door, I started unbuttoning my shirt. It wasn’t the same painful sensation I felt when the Corruption reacted to my mana, but it wasn’t a good sensation either. The last few buttons shot out as I violently opened my shirt.

“You’ll need more than a couple of card games for this to happen, you kno–” Captain Kiln started saying but was cut short by the sight of the black patch of Corruption on my chest.

A white light shone through my skin, and the Corruption violently burned away. The dark tentacles that reached my left hip and my right shoulder retreated. It was a painful yet relieving sensation, like pulling a rotten tooth. An instant later, the light disappeared, leaving most of the patch of Corruption undisturbed.

Ignoring Captain Kiln, I closed my eyes and dived inside my mana pool. The place was still a mess. The powerful rays from the Fountain slipped through the cracks of the torn-apart walls, but it looked better, as if my mana pool was slowly healing. I needed to return to the orphanage to tell Elincia. However, Captain Kiln blocked the only exit.

“By the everloving System, Rob!” Captain Kiln exclaimed as she examined my bare chest with an expert eye. She grabbed my face and pulled my eyelids down to check my eyeballs. Then, she made me open my mouth and even checked inside my ears. “Are you feeling as if there was another presence inside your mind?”

I stepped back, away from the woman’s probing hands.

“I’m not turning into a corrupted monster,” I said.

Most probably.

“Take off all your clothes. I’m not letting you know until I know you are not mutating into something else.” Captain Kiln said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t look at me like that. I assure you, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.”

I complied, trying to convince myself that this was a mere visit to the doctor. A level 51 Knight doctor that could force me to strip if necessary. I doubted I could stop her even at my full power. My offensive capabilities were twenty levels higher than my current level. However, after seeing Sir Janus fight, I was sure my defenses wouldn’t stand a second against a high-level warrior. Taking my pants off didn’t seem to be enough to please the woman.

Captain Kiln raised an eyebrow.

“How did you get that much Corruption?” She asked as she examined my scalp.

There was no reason to lie.

“I fought a Lich,” I replied.

Captain Kiln’s eyes shot wide open.

I felt guilty for not telling her earlier. As the Monster Surge never hit Farcrest and the danger of invading undead disappeared, I had postponed my visit to the Great Hall. Telling Captain Kiln that a Lich was out there in the Farlands lost importance compared to protecting the orphanage from more imminent threats.

I tell Captain Kiln a summary of our adventure into the Farlands. The woman just nodded and asked a few questions from time to time. I incorporated only the most essential information into the story to avoid dragging our reunion. Firana was still somewhere out in the courtyard waiting for me.

“It’s hard to believe. A Scholar defeating a Lich?” Captain Kiln finally said.

“Don't even tell me. I don’t know how I’m still alive,” I replied.

Captain Kiln scratched her chin in a pensive expression. She occasionally cast pitiful glances towards the black patch on my chest. I know what she was thinking. In this world, Corruption rendered people useless. The ailment carried a heavy stigma.

“There’s very little we know about Corruption. I didn’t even know it could heal so fast. This could be an important discovery.” Captain Kiln said. “What did you do before it started healing?”

I quickly opened my Character Sheet, and my eyes fell upon my shiny new titles. A sudden idea popped into my mind. What if the Corruption disappeared because the System overwrote a patch of runes inside my mana pool?

“I gained a new Scholar title. I think it triggered because Firana overcame a great challenge.” I said.

“You should put your students through great challenges then.” Captain Kiln said.

It was only logical. However, I didn’t want to use my kids as instruments toward my personal goals. Holst viewed the kids as tools for his Class progression, which had proven detrimental to them. I shook my head. Our priority was clear. Challenges will come, but our goal will always be to nurture the kids.

“One last thing, Rob. For the love of the System, don’t let any System Zealot look at it. They aren’t particularly fond of Corruption.” Captain Kiln looked at my naked chest one last time. “Regarding the Lich… I’ll tell Chieftain Alton to open an eye in case they stumble upon any undead. You can dress up.”

Before I could put my pants on, the door slammed open. An imposing figure blocked the doorway. I met a pair of eyes I hadn’t seen since my first time in the Great Hall. Marquis Tauron of Farcrest raised his eyebrows as I quickly covered my chest with my shirt.

“Izabeka, finish that quick. The damned crowned prince is on his way already. Everything has to be perfect. We can’t miss this opportunity.” The man said with a somber tone before turning around and disappearing through the courtyard without giving me a second glance.

Captain Kiln sighed, and I knew I had done well staying away from court intrigue.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Another time, Rob. Prepare your kids. The tournament will be announced soon.” Captain Kiln said, leaving me alone in the room. With the doorway unblocked the Marquis's entourage gave me a good ogling before turning around.

I looked at the Corruption patch on my chest one last time before putting my shirt on. It had shrunk. Things were looking bright. Not a second after putting on my jacket, Firana crossed the doorway with the dented brigandine under her arm. She left the armor on the desk and sat smiling on the bare bed planks.

“Captain Kiln hits like a golem,” Firana said, rubbing her ribs.

“You did great,” I replied.

“That means I’m your favorite student?”

“If you start doing your chores every day, I’ll consider it.”

I looked at my new Title, [Making the Difference], and a warm sensation filled my chest. Even if my rational mind knew we had made significant advancements at the orphanage, at times, it was hard to maintain a positive attitude with all the pending work ahead. [Favorite Teacher] was at ninety-seven stacks. I wondered if reaching a hundred would give me an extra boost.

I helped Firana get out of the gambeson, and a moment later, she was back in her usual attire. We had accomplished our mission in the Great Hall. I rubbed my hands and smiled. We were a step closer to keeping the orphanage and the kids safe. The prospect of the future didn’t scare me anymore. I felt enthusiastic instead.

“Let’s go home, Firana,” I said.

We crossed the courtyard towards the gate when a familiar robbed figure stood before us.

“Master Clarke! It seems destiny has brought us together again, which is curious, considering I was thinking of you lately.” Luzian Abei, the old court Scholar, greeted me with his arms open. Luckily, he didn’t expect me to hug him.

“Master Abei, the pleasure is mine as always. May I inquire what prompted you to turn your attention to me?” I politely replied. Now more than ever, I needed all the allies I could gather.

“I am the eldest Scholar in this remote city, and it’s hard to find assistance when doubts siege me. I wondered if I could ask for your judgment for a brief moment.” Abei said with a slight bow. “The little miss is also invited, of course.”

“I’ll do my best, although there is plenty I’m still ignorant about,” I bowed back.

Firana watched our theatrical exchange with amusement.

“You can go back to the manor, Firana. These Scholar’s things might be a bit boring.” I said, but the girl vigorously shook her head.

“I’ll go with you.”

Abei led the way into the Great Hall and towards the Scholar’s Tower. Although Firana and I were armed with rapiers, no guard dared to stop us. Abei's position inside the rungs of Farcrest’s ladder seemed close to the top. I enjoyed the decorated corridors, wondering if the manor had ever come close to such a level of opulence before entering its dark days. Only Elincia knew. We climbed the spiral stairs and stopped near the top to spy through a window hole. The casual use of drones had made me insensitive to sky shots until now. Firana clung to me as we watched the rooftops and the ant-size people walking down the streets.

When we reached the top of the tower, Abei pulled out a key from his sleeve and opened the door.

“I don’t want Scribes spying on my research right now,” Abei said with a mysterious voice. “Please, make yourself at home.”

I couldn’t help but watch in awe at Abei’s ‘study’. It wasn’t a study at all. The room was a full-fledged library with thousands and thousands of ancient tomes covering every wall and ceiling-high scroll racks filled to the brim with old texts. There were study tables under wide and tall windows that let the light pour in as cascades of silver, alchemy stations with a varied assortment of tools, solar system models that I couldn’t recognize, great maps painted on leather hanging from the walls, and several shelves with tools I couldn’t name. Firana was as surprised as I was.

“I’ll take your astonishment as a compliment. Luckily for me, the last three Marquises had been men of science and progress. I have been building this hideout of knowledge for the last fifty years even though the Scholars from the Imperial Library frown at gathering such knowledge so near the Farlands.” Abei explained as his voice became more and more passionate. “In any case, have you chosen a Class yet, little miss?”

Firana took a second to realize the old man was addressing her.

“I’m still months away from my fifteenth birthday.” She replied.

“Anything that caught your attention?”

“I don’t know. Scholars are very cool,” Firana said, looking in the opposite direction I was standing.

“We are very ‘cool’, indeed.” Abei agreed as he guided us to the biggest table in the library.

In the middle of the table rested the System Shrine Fragment, the great blue orb they had used to project my Character Sheet for the whole court to see. Just as I remembered, it remained opaque, trapped inside a nest of bronze wire. I made a mental note to ask Abei how they crafted the wire.

“I’m sorry if I have been inconsiderate. I brought you here without asking first about your research, Master Clarke,” Abei slapped his wrinkled forehead.

My research? Then I remembered I had told the old man that I was researching the social dynamics of the orc tribes.

“It’s too soon to conclude anything. But it seems that the orcs can become subjects of the System but decide not to. They seem to despise the Corruption even more than they desire the boons of the System.” I quickly said.

Abei nodded, meditative.

“Not a completely foolish way of thinking. In the best case, Corruption renders a man useless. At the worst, it turns him into a monster. There’s still too little we know about Corruption, maybe for the best.” Abei nodded.

“What about your research, Master Abei?” I asked, funneling the conversation back to the critical matter. As much as I was interested in Abei’s library, I wanted to return to the manor and celebrate our most recent victory with Elincia and the kids.

“It’s a translation problem. As you are a man of the world, I thought you might be familiar with this foreign language.” Abei leaned over his research station and handed me an old notebook.

I opened the first page and recognized the ball pen handwriting.

“How did you get your hands in this diary?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.

“It belonged to a Scholar who arrived at Farcrest over a decade ago. Samuel Byrne. Good friends with Lowell, the orphanage’s founder.” Abei explained as he walked towards the System Shrine Fragment. “We found the System Shrine Fragment in the depths of a cave system in the Farlands. With time, my interest had shifted from the skies to more earthly matters, and now I’m trying to make sense of the existence of this strange relic.”

“Investigating the System itself?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not illegal, although I’ll ask you not to talk about it in front of the System Zealots… they are very zealous about their secrets, pun intended,” Abei said.

It seemed that being lame came along with the Scholar Class.

“The diary contains certain information about the crystal, or so I hope. Fourteen years had passed since I saw Byrne for the last time, and the little I learned about his language is long forgotten.” Abei cleared his throat.

“Let me see what I can do with my [Language Mastery],” I replied, taking a chair and sitting near the window. After reading the diary's contents, I would decide if telling Abei was an option.

“Marvelous!” Abei chirped. “In the meantime, I'll give the little missy a tour through the library so you can work in peace. There’s ink and paper over there if you need it.”

Firana pointed toward the solar system models, several desks away, and I buried my nose into the notebook.