At James’ words, Oliver turned around and, sure enough, he saw a familiar face—Isabella!

But this wasn’t the same poor girl he remembered. Now, she was dressed in a fine fur coat, a beautiful feathered felt hat perched atop her head, looking every bit the noblewoman.

With the elegant attire, her face seemed even more delicate and charming.

Still, it appeared that she wasn’t entirely comfortable in such surroundings. She seemed a bit nervous, glancing around uneasily.

The sight of those farmers being brutally punished for failing to pay their taxes tugged at her heartstrings.

“Don’t worry, Bella. The guards will handle those small disturbances. Once these matters are settled, I’ll take you to Master’s magical fortress…” A tall, poised female tax officer beside Isabella held her hand and smiled reassuringly.

It seemed that Isabella hadn’t just become a noble—she was also rubbing elbows with some powerful magicians.

Oliver pondered this, but before he could think further, Isabella noticed him. Her gem-like blue eyes lit up instantly.

The young girl stood up excitedly and waved at him.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Oliver.

This was something Oliver hadn’t anticipated. Whispers spread like wildfire. How could a noblewoman know a poor boy like him? And their relationship seems so familiar?

The sharp gaze of the female tax officer also turned toward Oliver.

James, who was standing beside Oliver, felt uneasy under the officer’s piercing stare. He took a few steps back, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Though young in appearance, this tax officer seemed to wield not just a high position, but formidable power.

Oliver could sense an overwhelming magical presence emanating from her.

His innate sense of danger was also screaming at him—this woman was dangerous!

It was the same feeling he’d had when he encountered powerful magical beasts in the forest.

“Bella, is this the good friend you mentioned?” the tax officer asked, quickly averting her gaze. She smiled coolly, not seeming to regard Oliver as any noteworthy threat.

“Yes, yes,” Isabella responded brightly, “I don’t have many friends, but Oliver is one of them.”

“I remember you telling me that this guy couldn’t even afford a meal. Paying taxes must be difficult for him, huh?” The tax officer’s words carried a veiled meaning.

Isabella’s expression shifted instantly.

She had just witnessed the miserable fates of those who couldn’t pay their taxes.

“Seraphina, dear, can we help him, please?” Isabella’s voice took on a pleading tone as she pulled at the tax officer’s hand.

Seraphina affectionately patted her head. “Of course, my dear Bella, but you must understand—look at us. A single word from us could decide their fate.”

“People like him aren’t worthy of being your friends.”

“You are no longer the old Isabella. Don’t let the past hold you back. I can help him, but from today onward, this lowly… ordinary peasant will no longer be part of your life.”

Seraphina, dear…

A flash of sorrow passed through Isabella’s bright eyes.

Why did her father, Seraphina, and even those around her, always say things like that?

Just not long ago, she too had been a mere peasant.

Seraphina gently led Isabella away.

Isabella looked back at Oliver, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Before they left, the tax officer, Seraphina, whispered something to the guards collecting taxes.

The guard glanced at Oliver and nodded.

Oliver’s heart skipped a beat. He worried he might face some trouble.

But, to his surprise, the situation unfolded quite differently.

When it was his turn to pay taxes, Oliver reached into his pouch to take out the silver coins he had prepared, only for the guard to wave his hand.

“You can go. Your taxes for this year are waived.”

Oliver stood dumbfounded, while the other guards around him impatiently shoved him aside.

“Isabella… Is this because you’re worried I won’t be able to pay, so you’ve helped me again?” he muttered to himself, somewhat frustrated.

I can pay my own taxes!

Though saving 70 silver coins was certainly a good thing, the growing debt he felt towards her weighed heavily on him.

James, who had been watching from the side, was practically jumping with excitement.

“Oliver, your luck is insane! You got out of paying taxes? That’s like getting 70 silver coins for free!”

He was so thrilled, it was as if the exemption had happened to him.

“I get it now. It’s definitely Alstan who helped you. But why would she help you?” James gave Oliver a sly look, a mix of envy and jealousy. “Man, you’ve got a noblewoman on your side!”

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Oliver shot him a glance, not bothering to respond.

He knew very well that his relationship with Isabella wasn’t that close yet.

And that sharp, dangerous look from the tax officer had left a lasting impression on him.

Clearly, this powerful noblewoman didn’t have any fondness for him.

If he tried to get too close to Isabella now, it wouldn’t be long before a body was floating down the river in this little town.

But James didn’t see any of this. Right now, he felt as though he was seeing Oliver in a new light.

Lately, Oliver had been showing remarkable potential at the academy—strong, quick to learn magic, and already showing impressive power.

Now he seemed to be building ties with a noblewoman.

His future was looking limitless.

Meanwhile, James, who had once dreamed of rising above the rest, now seemed quite ordinary by comparison.

Inside, he was burning with jealousy and admiration for Oliver.

But this envy also fueled his determination. He silently vowed to work harder.

I have to work harder than Oliver. I can’t let him get too far ahead of me!

The tax collection was a big event in the town and took three full days to finish.

When it was over, life returned to normal.

On this day, as usual, Oliver arrived at the tavern with a haul of game. The moment he entered, the tavern’s drinkers began teasing him.

“Isn’t that Stark? I heard you’ve got yourself a noblewoman for a lover. What are you still hunting for?”

Laughter filled the tavern.

Oliver ignored them and simply placed his game on the counter.

The tavern owner, Gavin, shot a stern look at the laughing men, but then smiled and said, “The gap between nobility and commoners is like a mountain. If any of those noble folks overheard you, they’d be slapping you across the face!”

Gavin didn’t believe for a second that Oliver had any real connection with a noble.

In Riverhaven Kingdom, nobility and commoners weren’t allowed to marry. If Oliver had really become a lover to some noblewoman, it might not be a blessing.

For someone like Oliver, just being a hunter was a good life.

If he got too ambitious and started pursuing a noblewoman, he might lose more than his life.

After leaving the tavern, Oliver made his way back to Oakridge Academy.

It had been several days since his last visit, and he figured it was about time he checked in.

Besides, he had some questions about spellcasting that he needed to ask Senior Hector.

However, when he arrived at the academy, he was surprised to see that James was being tutored by a different senior, one he didn’t recognize.

It wasn’t Hector.

It turned out that Hector had taken a leave of absence to travel to Glensorne City.

He was there to take the Mage Tower’s trial and officially become a mage!

Not long ago, Hector had awakened his magical core, and the number of spells he could master had greatly increased. He believed he was ready to receive his mage’s certification, so he had gone to Glensorne for the test.

Apparently, Senior William was accompanying him as well.

William was going to Glensorne to search for magical potions, aiming to activate his War core and officially become a knight.

Oliver couldn’t help but think back to the red slime he had sold William. It must have contributed to the growth of his magical power.

At the academy, their lessons were now overseen by Senior Cullen Griffin, a noble student. But Oliver quickly noticed that this new tutor’s attitude was dismissive and impatient, a stark contrast to Hector’s supportive nature.

Previously, Hector would patiently correct their pronunciation and explain how to guide their magic.

But Senior Griffin?

He didn’t offer any explanations unless directly asked, and even then, his answers were short and indifferent.

Before entering the academy, James had worried about being looked down on by the nobles.

But after spending time with Hector and William, he’d realized they were decent people and had hoped his fears were unfounded.

Now, however, he could feel the haughty attitude of the nobility through Senior Griffin’s behavior.

It wasn’t just Oliver and James under Griffin’s tutelage—there were several other noble students as well.

One of them caught Oliver’s attention.

It was Lord Avery’s son.

Oliver froze for a moment. He recognized the young man immediately.

It was Aiden Avery, the son of the very lord who had once tried to buy Oliver and turn him into a slave, along with his lackey, Walter.

Aiden was quiet, but there was something unsettling about his pale face and cold, piercing gaze.

He exuded an eerie, detached aura.

Aiden had noticed Oliver and James too, but he didn’t seem to care much.

he looked down on them.

The sons of peasants thinking they could become mages?

He’d wait until they tried to activate their magical cores and see how expensive magic potions were. The nobility had access to resources they could never obtain.

As they chatted among themselves, they suddenly heard an excited laugh from behind.

"So this is the Mage Academy! I’ve finally arrived!"

The voice sounded familiar to Oliver.

He turned around and was stunned to see none other than Deniel, the old hunter from town. The same hunter who had caught a slime just like Oliver, but a water-type slime, which he had sold for a hundred silver coins.

Deniel had come to the academy?

"Ha! You’re here to learn magic too?" James asked in surprise, his eyes wide. Deniel wasn’t exactly young anymore—he was already nearing his thirties.

"Why shouldn’t I? If you can come, why can’t I?" Deniel shot back with a grin.

The town was small, and everyone knew each other. James and Deniel had a history of not getting along, even having fought once. But lately, they’d been seen drinking together at the tavern. They weren’t exactly friends, but it was clear they had a mutual understanding.

Deniel hadn’t originally planned to learn magic.

That day, when he had caught the slime, everyone had praised him.

But when Oliver’s slime had sold for a higher price, all the attention shifted to him, and Deniel had felt somewhat frustrated.

Then, after hearing that Oliver was learning magic and had connections to a noble lady, Deniel’s pride had been stung, and he decided to join the academy himself.

But things hadn’t gone well for Deniel. On his first day, when he arrived at the academy, Senior Hector was absent, and Senior Griffin was filling in.

The noble tutor didn’t care much for them commoners.

Deniel was treated with disdain, and despite trying his best to learn, he had spent the entire morning fumbling through incantations on his own, with Griffin not lifting a finger to correct him.

There was no guidance on how to channel his magic.

That one hundred silver coin tuition fee felt like a waste.

Learning magic was tough, and Deniel was both frustrated and angry.

But he didn’t dare take his frustration out on Griffin, who obviously came from a noble background. His resentment boiled inside him, but he kept it to himself.

Oliver and James quickly offered to help Deniel.

While Deniel was more suited to wind magic, Oliver was well-versed in the seven basic elements and could easily teach him the fundamentals.

"Thank you so much, Stark! I don’t know what I would’ve done without you!" Deniel said gratefully.

Just then, a carriage stopped in front of Lord Avery’s mansion.

Walter, the steward, stepped out first.

Behind him, his servants swiftly opened the cage at the back of the carriage and began unloading a group of ragged, shackled slaves.

These were the slaves Walter had gathered from various villages around the town, using threats and bribery. He had managed to acquire over thirty of them.

After meeting with Lord Avery, Walter returned to his quarters in the manor to rest.

But shortly afterward, one of his servants came to him with news about Oliver.

The servant, Albert, had been with Walter during the time they tried to enslave Oliver.

Though Walter hadn’t paid much attention to Oliver recently, Albert had remembered the peasant boy very clearly.

After all, Oliver had gained quite a bit of attention in the town lately, especially with his rising fame.

Albert had once worked with the thug Grik to harm Oliver, and he feared that if Oliver ever became a mage, or even just an apprentice, it would be a disaster for him.

"Oh? So this starving peasant turned into a skilled hunter and is now attending the Mage Academy?" Walter said, intrigued by the news.

"You’re worried about him becoming a mage’s apprentice and seeking revenge?" Walter saw right through Albert’s concerns and laughed.

"You overestimate a peasant’s son. Becoming a mage’s apprentice isn’t easy."

"Every year, hundreds of peasants try to learn magic, not just in our town but throughout all of Glensorne. But only a handful ever become apprentices—maybe less than twenty."

"Don’t worry. Let’s wait two more months. If they don’t meet the academy’s requirements and learn enough spells, they’ll be kicked out."

"And if that happens, it won’t be too late to deal with that boy."

Walter wanted to act sooner, to eliminate Oliver and add another slave to his collection. But he also knew that the Mage Academy was filled with nobles. Many of them were people he couldn’t afford to offend.

If he tried to harm Oliver now, things could backfire, and he would lose favor with the very people who could help him. It was better to wait and see.