Sebastian and Luke stepped into the guarded establishment, immediately feeling the weight of the soldiers' stares. Each gaze was cold, calculating, and filled with the kind of hardness that could only come from years of bloody battle.

It was clear that these men were not ordinary.

“Don’t shrink back,” Sebastian muttered under his breath, his voice a steady anchor amidst the rising tide of Luke’s anxiety.

Luke swallowed hard. He hadn’t even realized his head had dipped until Sebastian’s words snapped him back. The cold sweat on his back was growing, and the oppressive auras of the soldiers made him feel as though the air was thick with tension.

But he raised his head, eyes locking onto Sebastian’s broad back. He focused on nothing else, keeping his gaze steady, even as every fiber of his being did not want to be here.

They were directed to the lobby, where a disinterested soldier lounged behind the counter. He didn’t even bother to lift his head as they approached.

“I’m here to sign my son up for the Military Academy,” Sebastian said, leaning against the counter as if the entire matter was of little importance.

Luke blinked, barely managing to keep his surprise off his face.

‘Son?’ He replayed the word in his head.

But then, a flash of understanding hit him—they had taken the same last name when creating their new identities.

‘So that’s the plan…’

The soldier’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the statement, but he still didn’t lift his head.

“Identification, please,” he said, voice gruff but bored.

Sebastian handed over the documents, and the soldier lazily took them, skimming through with barely contained indifference. When he finally looked up, his gaze shifted from Sebastian’s clothes to Luke’s frail frame. His eyes narrowed, and a sigh escaped his lips as he handed the papers back.

“Your son is far too fragile to be a soldier,” he said flatly, his words dripping with dismissal. “Feed him some more and come back in a few years, after he’s gained some size.”

Luke felt a mix of embarrassment and anger bubbling up inside him.

‘Fragile?’ He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to look down at himself, knowing full well that this body was far from imposing.

But the sting of the soldier’s words cut deep.

‘Is this what it means to be discriminated against?’ Luke thought bitterly, the weight of this new reality pressing down on him. In his previous life, he hadn’t exactly been strong, but he’d never been looked down upon so openly.

Before Luke could process further, Sebastian spoke up, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. “Oh, he won’t be enrolling as a soldier.”

The soldier raised an eyebrow, finally giving them his full attention. “Huh? But you’re mere commoners. How can you expect your son to pass the officer’s exam?”

The question lingered in the air as both men locked eyes in a silent battle of wills. Sebastian shrugged, his expression unreadable, but Luke sensed something unspoken between them—though he couldn’t be sure.

A moment later, Sebastian reached into his coat pocket, retrieving something that glinted under the faint candlelight. With a smooth motion, he placed it into the soldier’s hand.

A gleam flickered in the soldier’s eyes before he swiftly pocketed what Luke could only assume was a bribe. “Perhaps we could get a little time to prepare for the exam?”

“Ahem… come with me,” the soldier said, his tone suddenly much friendlier.

He stood, practically leaping from his seat, and led them through the hallway. His demeanor shifted from indifferent to accommodating in an instant.

Luke swallowed hard.

He and Sebastian had discussed this during their journey to Clayton City. The officer’s academy entrance exam mainly tested general knowledge and the kingdom’s history, with a small section on battlefield tactics—though nothing too advanced.

Sebastian had tutored him throughout the three-day trip, but Luke’s knowledge was lacking. That was why they had hoped for some time to study beforehand.

The problem? The only place with books was the Military Academy, and as commoners, they had no access. That thought gnawed at him, making his stomach twist with unease.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The soldier stopped at the end of the hall and pushed open a large wooden door. “After you,” he grunted, gesturing them inside.

Luke stepped in—and immediately froze.

Books. Shelves upon shelves of them lined the walls, crammed with neatly stacked tomes. For a brief, irrational moment, his heart leaped.

‘Books. Actual books… Thank god.’

“You have three hours to study,” the soldier stated flatly, snapping Luke out of his daze. “Any cheating will be punished by public flogging.” His tone carried an edge of amusement, as if he didn’t expect them to succeed without resorting to it.

“I’ll come get you when time’s up.”

The door clicked shut behind them.

“Sebas—” Luke started, only for Sebastian to clamp a firm hand over his mouth, silencing him.

“Call me father,” Sebastian whispered sharply, eyes scanning the room. “We can’t blow our cover.”

Luke’s eyes widened. He nodded, a sudden spike of fear creeping into his chest. What was the punishment for falsifying documents? His mind filled in the blanks, none of them pleasant.

“F-Father…” Luke said hesitantly, testing the word.

‘Wow, that’s weird.’

“Yes, son…” Sebastian replied stiffly.

Both of them cringed.

‘Creepy...’ Luke winced internally but forced himself to focus on the more pressing matter at hand.

Sebastian moved toward the nearest shelf, scanning the spines. “We don’t have much time. I taught you everything I know about history, but you’ll need more if you want to pass.” His voice was urgent.

Luke nodded, turning his attention to the towering bookshelves. At a glance, there had to be close to a thousand books in this room.

Three hours.

He doubted he could even get through one in that time.

Luke’s fingers trembled slightly as he pulled the first tome from the shelf. He opened it, feeling the rough parchment beneath his fingertips. But before he could consciously process the words, his eyes began scanning the page—too quickly.

In the blink of an eye, he’d absorbed the contents of two pages. He hadn’t just read them—he understood everything.

“No way…”

A slow grin spread across his face, a quiet laugh slipping past his lips. “Ha… Hahaha!”

Scholarly Pursuit. His unique skill wasn’t just for show—it was a game-changer. His heart pounded as he flipped to the next page, then the next, devouring the knowledge like a starving man at a feast.

Without hesitation, he tossed the first book aside and grabbed another. His eyes raced across the pages at an unnatural speed, information flooding his mind.

‘The Marx Kingdom borders the Qin Empire to the east…’

Geography, military history, political factions—every detail lodged itself in his memory, neatly categorized and summarized.

‘More… I need more.’

Luke began furiously flipping through the books, his grin widening with every surge of new information. He finished one in seconds, discarding it like an empty wrapper before grabbing another.

So absorbed was he in his reading frenzy that he failed to notice the horrified expression on Sebastian’s face as the butler watched books carelessly hit the floor.

One after another, Luke devoured entire tomes, his fingers moving like a madman’s, his thoughts accelerating beyond anything he had ever experienced. The sensation was intoxicating—a trance-like state of pure learning.

If he had spared a glance at Sebastian, who was scrambling to retrieve the discarded books with a pained expression, he might have reconsidered his treatment of them.

But he was lost in his own world.

“Hehehe…” A low chuckle escaped him, growing darker with each passing second. His fingers danced across the pages, barely able to keep up with his mind’s frenzied processing.

The speed—the sheer power—was exhilarating. Addictive.

‘This is incredible!’

His thoughts wove facts and strategies together like puzzle pieces clicking into place, forming a deeper understanding of the world.

Then, just for a moment, he lifted his gaze—only to find Sebastian staring at him, his eye twitching violently.

“W-What are you doing?” the butler asked, his voice filled with something close to horror.

“Huh? I’m reading, of course…” Luke replied absently, already turning back to the book in his hands.

His rampage continued. His hands trembled, but he didn’t stop. Information flooded his mind, stored and summarized, ready to be used. The world outside these pages barely existed.

Sebastian, meanwhile, was scrambling behind him, desperately trying to gather the discarded books before they suffered any further abuse.

When the last book hit the floor, Luke wobbled, barely able to stand, until Sebastian’s firm grip steadied him.

“Luke!” Sebastian shouted, his concerned expression on his face.

The ceiling began to spin above him followed shortly after by a wave of dizziness.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian’s voice was low, filled with concern.

It was only after a few moments that things began to calm down. He nodded, feeling a throbbing headache begin to settle in the back of his head.

‘Nearly a thousand books… its too much.’

He had gotten too carried away.

The door creaked open, and the soldier from earlier stepped in. His eyes flickered from the frail boy to the father supporting him.

He sighed. “The exam starts now. Will you still be taking it?”

Luke nodded weakly, though he wasn’t sure if he could even walk straight, let alone focus on an exam. The soldier rolled his eyes, muttering something to himself out of earshot.

“Come with me.”

Luke tried to walk, but his legs wobbled beneath him. He felt helpless like a newborn deer, trying to control his unsteady gait.

Sebastian gripped his arm firmly, essentially carrying him as they followed the soldier down the hall.

‘Now I really feel like a toddler,’ Luke thought with an inward groan.

Between being dragged all over the city and now this, he was beginning to question his own competence.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at a small classroom. A large desk dominated the front of the room, and a single smaller desk sat alone in the center, awaiting its victim.

“This is the boy?” A gruff voice demanded.

Luke glanced up to see another soldier, his armor slightly different from the others. The man’s gray hair and steely eyes glinted in the dim light, and his lip curled in disdain as he sized Luke up.

“Yes, Lieutenant Crowe,” the soldier from earlier replied, his tone suddenly filled with respect. Judging by his actions, it was clear that this man outranked him.

“Ugh, what a waste of time,” the Lieutenant grumbled, his gaze lingering on Luke’s body. It seemed one glance was all it took for him to dismiss Luke entirely.

Luke’s lips twitched, indignation rising in his heart. But armed with the knowledge of over a thousand books, his competitive spirit prevailed.

A defiant grin crept onto his face.

“What are you waiting for? Take a seat and begin your test,” the Lieutenant barked, waving his hand dismissively.

Luke nodded, sending Sebastian a quick and reassuring glance before slowly making his way to the desk.