It was 6 pm when Nathan arrived home from the grocery store. Without a moment to waste, he recharged the house's Divine Powers and started cooking dinner. Arielle and Ashley came home right before dinner was ready; and Patrick returned right after the girls.
Since Patrick had a night shift in the hospital on Saturday, he left as soon as he ate. After the children washed the dishes, they played and practiced swordsmanship in the backyard with Maya, Thomas and Chana.
"How was your search for a martial arts school?" Arielle asked Nathan as they sat down on a bench to take a break.
"There is now a grip strength test in Bluefield's admission exam," Nathan answered, "The teacher said I won't pass the test with my left hand. So, I'm not sure what to do now."
"Perhaps, you should ask Grandpa. He'd know," Arielle offered a solution, but Nathan's mood still hadn't improved.
"Don't worry about it; I'll protect you even if you can't fight," Arielle tried to cheer her brother up.
"Thanks, Arielle," Nathan smiled, picking up a playing sword and shield, and then said, "Let's see whether you're good enough to protect me then."
Being one year older, Nathan used to be stronger than Arielle. However, with his left arm weakened, Arielle could now fight on par with him.
"See?" Arielle smiled proudly after a match she won. Of course, it added to Nathan's melancholy, and he was now considering giving up martial arts.
"Great job!" Nathan encouraged Arielle with a hearty smile.
"Hey Nathan, wanna swing with me?" Chana exclaimed, tugging Nathan away from Arielle and toward the swings, where Thomas was busy pushing Ashley high into the air.
Around 10pm, Maya reminded everyone to take a shower and go to bed.
Later that night, Nathan still couldn't sleep. After Patrick came home, Nathan got up from his bed and asked Grandpa, "Would you like to talk?"
"Sure!" Patrick replied.
Nathan talked to Patrick about what Howard said regarding Bluefield College's admission exam for combat classes.
"That Master Howard is an upright and honest man. He must be a good Paladin," said Patrick. "Sorry, Nathan, I wasn't aware of the grip strength test when I asked you to explore martial arts schools. However, you still want to pursue martial arts, right?"
"I'm not sure," Nathan said sadly, having lost his passion in combat due to his injury and his recent loss to Arielle.
"But it's difficult to get into Bluefield College with only non-combat disciplines," Patrick's expression turned solemn and said, "The rumor is that you'll need to rank up a third discipline. And, to be honest, no one has ever managed to pull it off."
"Grandpa, you asked us to rank up as quickly as possible, but at what ranks would Bluefield College accept my application for the examination?"
The Craftsman's Guild, the Adventurer's Guild, the Knight Order, and the nobility made their rankings interchangeable when the Kingdom first established:
Apprentice = Porcelain = Squire = Not a noble
Associate = Copper = Knight Initiate = Not a noble
Bachelor = Bronze = Knight Bachelor = Baron
Master = Silver = Knight Commander = Viscount
Grandmaster = Gold = Knight Exemplar = Count
For example, Master Howard who Nathan met today was a Silver ranked Paladin. His combat prowess would be similar to a Knight Commander, like the Inquisition Knight, George.
Nathan's Current Status:
Age: 11
Occupation: Sixth Grader
GPA: 65
Academic Subjects:
- English Literature (60)
- Mathematics (80)
- History (70)
- Science (50)
Disciplines:
- Rune Craft: Apprentice (1 Star)
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
- Botanist: Porcelain (2 Stars)
Special Skills:
- Basic Inherited Skills:
- Appraisal
- Premonition (Hidden, Passive)
- Night Vision (Hidden)
- Advanced Inherited Skill:
- Hawkeye (Partially awakened)
An average person's grade and ranks:
GPA: 60
5th grade: 1 discipline at Apprentice/Porcelain 1 star
7th grade: 1 discipline at Apprentice/Porcelain 2 stars
9th grade: 1 discipline at Apprentice/Porcelain 3 stars
11th grade: 1 discipline at Associate/Copper 1 star
University Freshman: 1 discipline at Associate/Copper 2 stars
University Junior: 1 discipline at Associate/Copper 3 stars
University Graduate: 1 discipline at Bachelor/Silver 1 star
In short, everyone gains a star in one discipline every two years.
The average student at Bluefield College had the following grades and ranks, with one discipline being combat-related:
5th grade: 2 disciplines at Apprentice/Porcelain 1 star
7th grade: 2 disciplines at Apprentice/Porcelain 2 stars
9th grade: 2 disciplines at Apprentice/Porcelain 3 stars
11th grade: 2 disciplines at Associate/Copper 1 star
Therefore, each student gains one star per year. Consequently, the majority of Bluefield College students were nobles who had started their studies at a very young age, as catching up was extremely challenging. In addition to an average grade of 95, the above criteria served as the minimum admission requirements. Bluefield College did not offer Undergraduate Curricula. Most students from Bluefield College moved on to study in Silverlake University, which offered admissions into its Undergraduate Freshman classes and Junior classes.
The average student at Silverlake University had the following grades and ranks, with one discipline being combat-related:
Undergraduate Freshman: 2 disciplines at Associate/Copper 2 stars
Undergraduate Junior: 2 disciplines at Associate/Copper 3 stars
University Graduate: 2 disciplines at Bachelor/Bronze 1 star
In summary, to rank up three disciplines, Nathan required 50% more achievements than a typical top student in the elite school; or 300% more accomplishments than the average person; not to mention that he had to play catch-up. Even if he could achieve that, it was only the minimum admission requirement, it did not guarantee admission into the school. In reality, no one had ever been admitted into the school without a combat discipline.
Even so, Nathan was not fazed. His weakened left arm was an unchangeable reality. Patrick had already taught him that the past was unalterable, so Nathan focused on what he could control to forge a better future.
"I think it's time for me to give up on martial arts, I'll keep attending the rune crafting classes on Sunday. Grandpa, would you teach me the physician discipline?" Nathan asked pragmatically.
"Learning directly from Grandpa should be the most efficient," Nathan thought and considered his options. However, the physician discipline was not for any light-hearted person.
In the Kingdom, there was no annual quota limiting the number of students in the physician (or healer) discipline. As a result, the discipline's salary was not inflated, unlike in some other countries. Many who entered the discipline also had a religious background, which meant they were not in it for the money. Not only were the pay low and the hours long, Physicians often faced severe criticism when the patient could not make it, even when no mistakes were made. Not to mention, many people would go as far as threatening the physician's life in desperation to cure their love ones, even when those patients were on the brink of death.
Patrick studied the physician discipline in adulthood, after he had already gained the social skills and mental fortitude to deal with patients. However, Nathan was still young.
"Are you certain?" Patrick asked, his expression laced with concern, "the physician discipline is notoriously tough to rank up, and the working conditions are grueling."
"Yes, now that I can no longer fight properly, I want to be able to help if any of you get hurt," Nathan said.
"Even though I'll live to be three hundred years old?" Patrick said, smiling.
Nathan chuckled, "Yes, we might travel, and you might not be nearby. Also, I am worried about getting attacked during our harvesting quests as botanists."
"Don't worry, Nathan," Patrick said with a reassuring smile, "Botanists are generally safe; I've never heard of an attack in the past forty years, at least not in our region. You'll have the protection of bronze to silver-ranked adventurers, who are more than capable of keeping you safe. Just be sure to stay close to them," Patrick said.
Once Nathan nodded, Patrick continued, "For the physician discipline, you know where to find the textbook; if you have any questions, just let me know. Tell me once you've finished Chapter 3," Patrick said with a thoughtful expression, momentarily considering whether to put Nathan through the same rigorous quiz routine he had used with Harold. Nevertheless, Nathan had been extremely hardworking in the past few months. If anything, Patrick needed the boy to rest and play more.
"Okay Grandpa." Nathan said, with determination. Patrick got a feeling that his grandson would rank up faster than Harold. Yet, instead of feeling proud, Patrick's chest ached with a pang of sadness, knowing that a boy of Nathan's age should be vying for playtime, not working tirelessly.
"Don't sleep too late. Remember, you must sleep at least 8 hours a day," Patrick said in concern.
"Got it, Grandpa," Nathan answered.
Nathan's Packed Schedule:
- Weekday:
- 07:30 AM - 04:00 PM: Cram school
- 04:30 PM - 07:30 PM: Rune Crafting class (Master Shirley's School of Rune Crafting)
- 08:30 PM - 11:00 PM: Self-study (Medicine)
- Saturday:
- 06:30 AM - 06:00 PM: Botanist work with "Will" and "Rey"
- 06:00 PM - 10:30 PM: Family time (mostly spent with homework)
- Sunday:
- 06:30 AM - 06:00 PM: Work at the Hospital with Patrick and Harold
- 06:00 PM - 10:30 PM: Family time (mostly spent with homework)
Nathan's packed schedule consumed his every waking moment as the weeks blurred together. In a month, Nathan had already gotten used to his life style. During this time, Nathan thought about learning martial arts. However, even someone as strong as his father, a former knight and the top village guard, was killed and failed to protect his wife, his mother and his youngest child. Power, Nathan realized, was not about the sword or Divine Powers. He recalled how the Medical Knights at the village inn were bossed around by nobles. A sense of urgency now drove Nathan to secure admission into Bluefield College, not just for the prestige, but also to rise through the ranks of nobility, thereby gaining the influence to command the Knights and, most importantly, protect his family.
To become a powerful noble, admission to the Kingdom's most prestigious school was an absolute necessity!