After the meeting with the elf merchant family, I returned home in time for lunch. I put all the materials in my workshop underground before I go and wash myself off.

"So how is it?" Mother asks me.

"Oh, it tastes great like always." My mother puffed her cheeks.

"No dummy, I ask about your short adventure into the woods."

Silently, I eat while thinking about what to say. I cannot say that I saved an elf and went into the elf city. The Kingdom and the Dominion are at war right now and this will paint me as an elf sympathizer if my dealing will be known to the Kingdom. I know that mom will not get angry with me but this incident will paint her as a sympathizer regardless. I will just say half-truths then.

"I saved a merchant from goblins... And he agreed to help me sell our crops as well."

"Herm, a merchant down near Darkwood City and he also agreed to help us sell our crops?"

My mother's eyes stare deeply into my eyes.

"Y-yes so we can double our income through him. I have an idea on how to double our farm output also. That is why I got some books from the library, remember?"

"If you say so, but remember, if anything happens, rely on your mother too. Remember that."

She doesn't ask anything else after that sentence. She always tells me to rely on her as well. Ah, I think she knows what I am doing but she just keeps quiet about it.

"Of course, mother."

After the conversation, I quickly go to my workshop to set up my farm. The farm that is on the ground level, any crops that grow on it will go to the Kingdom and the newly build, the multiple-layer underground farm will be for the Dominion. The watering system has already been implemented for both farms and I need magic constructs to take care of, harvest and pack them.

"Bones from the wolfs and goblins. I can make a bipedal structure from them." I quickly assemble the construct and tested it. The construct rises up and walks around as I instruct. My instruction for this one will be to take care of the farm and I need to make 3 more of the same instruction. After that, I created each set of 4 for harvesting and packaging.

"The seeds have already been planted and I can now focus on other things."

I go upstairs and see my mother sitting at the table, reading a letter that seems just arrived today.

"What letter is it?" I asked my mother and see the royal seal on it. It must be from the Kingdom.

"It's... It's an invitation for all children to be tested... to go to the 1st Basileia Academy. You are one of them." My mother's worried face, I can see it as she tries to hide it.

"Isn't it great? You get to learn at the prestigious school in the capital."

The reason why even a farmboy gets an invitation to go to the Academy is that the Kingdom wants more soldiers to fight. The Kingdom only sent one major force once per year in this war of attrition with the Elven Dominion and in that force is full of teenagers from the Academy, forced to fight or manipulated to fight for the glory of the Kingdom.

"When do we need to go to the capital?"

Mother's reluctant to say the date. "It's-it's two weeks from now."

So soon. I just finished making the magic constructs and I now have to go to school? School sucks and honestly, I do not want to participate in a war that I did not start or will gain anything if I win. Damn, I need to compose myself and think.

"Do not worry, mom. I am sure it will be fine."

Her eyes become teary and she immediately hugged me. Her warm hug tightened as she felt that I will go far away.

"We need to prepare to go to the capital then, it takes 2 weeks to go there from here and maybe after the tests, we can go sightseeing the capital like a date?"

Mother laughs as I joke about going sightseeing in the capital.

And deep inside my heart, I need to do something about this test.

After dinner, I teleported to the library and spent all night reading through all the books inside. There must be something here that I can use.

"History about mankind, Heroes summoning, magic item manipulation, how to appraise?... wait a minute, manipulation... appraising skill? How does the kingdom test the children?"

I look at the previous year's test in the library. It must have some kind of archive for it.

"Aha, found it."

First, the children will be appraised using a magic item, an appraisal crystal orb. Then, an appraiser will look at the children to notice any discrepancies. After that, physical and magical tests will be done. The final test will be a written test. These seem simple enough. I need to 'cheat' these tests to make me fail.

...

..

.

2 weeks later, we are now arriving at the capital of the Kingdom. From our city to the capital takes around 2 weeks and today is the most important day for me. I need to fail the tests and not get my skills appraised.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Mother said that she will wait for me in the inn room that we just booked for 3 days and she will unpack her stuff. I put a miniature magic construct to look after her. It looks like a bird so it will not look so suspicious if it flies around. Mother wanted to go with me to the academy to watch me but I tell her to stay in the inn room as it will only take a few hours.

"We can go sightseeing in the evening so mom, you better rest up. I will go now so wait here." That is what I said before I go to to the academy.

Arriving at the academy gates, I see a lot of nobles and high-class families coming to send their children to this academy. Most of the parents feel conflicted, some are crying and some are proud to have their children serve their kingdom. Some of the children already wear the academy uniforms as if they are already being accepted by the academy and they have really proud looks on their faces. The rest of the children are coming from all walks of life within the kingdom's borders, ready to serve, rising up to become a high ranking or being forced, only their faces can tell what are their purpose but despite their background, they wear some nice clothes and look really awkward in them. Me? I already have my mission so I am going to skip going to school so that is why I only wear black hoodie and sweatpants which are the commoner's fashion in this kingdom. Regardless of the kingdom's view on hoodies and sweatpants, I love wearing them and they are not commoner fashion at all. One of the things that I do not understand in the Kingdom.

All the parents are sitting with their children in the hall as one of the headteachers in the academy comes up to the stage and opens his mouth.

"Thank you for waiting! We are really proud to have the parents, who are present here today, with their children to take the tests to join the academy where your children can strive to be the best of the best, here in the 1st Basileia Academy. Without further ado, let's begin the appraisal test."

There are 3 appraisal orbs in front of the hall, and all students are getting their names called out, one by one.

"Kyle Dawn, from the Arranaire."

I stand up and walk to the orb on the right where the head teacher is standing on the side. He stares at me, looking disgusted at my clothes.

"Wearing a commoner's outfit and standing in this academy. Pfft, you need to be educated from the bottom to the top. Ah, therefore I oppose the Kingdom's decision to let in the likes of you in the kingdom. You besmirch the floor of this academy simply by walking."

"An idiot with a loud mouth," I whispered to myself, holding my anger.

"What? Did you say something? Ah no matter, you will at least learn some basic manners in this academy."

Ignoring his blabbering mouth, I stand there and hold the orbs with my right hand, hoping that my plan works.

[Stats]

[Name: Kyle Dawn]

[Class Name: Farmer]

[Level 1]

[Attributes]

[None]

[World Skills]

[Farming: 5]

[Combat Skills]

[None]

The stats come up exactly as I forged them to be. The rune in the palm of my hand helped me mask the orb as the orb read your soul and magic through the touch so your stats can be forged if the rune on my hand is the only thing that touched it.

The headteacher is shocked to see my stats and pushes me away from the orb.

"Impossible, even a commoner has two or three skills that are usable in combat! Y-you are beyond useless!"

Ouch, that hurts even though it is not true at all. He then quickly asked for an appraisal to come to him to check if it is true or not.

"Let's check. Herm... " The appraisal then uses a glass that can see the person's magical ability.

"Herm... There's almost no magic or he has no magic at all? Weird and fascinating, almost nobody has such a little magic as you."

Oh no, did I make myself overly useless that it is fascinating?

"Herm.. Ah, the stats are true. No problem here. There's someone like this ten years ago and he died in his first battle as soon as he steps on the battlefield."

"Oh really? I have been working with gifted children my whole life and I have never seen such a useless person as this." The headteacher starts berating me again.

But no matter, only the physical and magical tests are left.

...

..

.

"Alright, now get your iron sword up and hit the target as strong as you can. You can use your skill as well." The swordmaster of the academy tells the children to attack the target to check their physical strength.

I then hit the target by simply tapping it on the shoulder. I also act that I cannot hold up the sword that long.

"Err, you are that kid, huh? I will tell you honestly. If you think you can join the academy? Don't. This is not the place where you do not have the skills or even the strength to join. Do not have hope."

Dumbfounded by the sudden heart-to-heart talk, I quickly said that to the swordmaster, "I love farming." like a simple idiot. I really need to work on my acting to be like an idiot.

"Haha, maybe you are destined to be one. Well on to the next test and you can go home right away, I guess. It's really seldom to see someone fail this miserably as you. I will give a note to the sorceress to tell her that you can skip the test and go home right away." He smiles as he takes out a piece of paper and writes it down. He then tells me to give this to the sorceress for the next test.

Well, I do not want to take any chances so I have to fail this miserably.

..

.

The sorceress in a blue gown looks at me as she read the piece of paper from the swordmaster that I just gave her.

"This one does not have any aptitude for magic or even physical, you can skip this one and focus on others instead. By the way, are you free this evening? Want to go out with me?"

The sorceress blushes as she read the last sentence. "Oh, this hunk of a man." She then realized that I am still there, she coughs and tells me to just go home. "I will deem you fail this test and you can go home now, I am sorry."

No need to be sorry because I wanted this. I have my own plans. If I want to pass these tests, I can do so with such flair that everyone here will deem me a hero but I do not want that spotlight. I still need to find my character as well and then investigate the demon lords as well. I guess step one is to strengthen myself and find as much gold as I can before embarking on my journey.

"A-ah, thank you and I hope your date this evening goes smoothly~"

With that, I am finally free from the clutches of the Kingdom, I think.