"First, you need to take a shower," Peter said.

Leo stared at him, unsure how to respond. Peter began to walk towards another door hidden behind the closets.

"Come with me."

Leo began to follow. There were a lot of closets in the next room, and there were six doors at the end of the room.

"Go into one of them and take a shower; all of the things you need are in there, and I also put some new clothes for you in closet number four; put them on when you are done."

Peter then left. Leo paused for a moment before walking to one of the doors. Inside, there was a soup and a shower with a bronze-like pipeline. There was only a single water faucet. Leo turned the water faucet, and warm water began to flow on him.

'He's certainly honest, and I have no idea how much six gold coins are worth. Aside from that, he stated that I'm going to work in the library; that's ideal; I should read as much as I can while I'm there."

When Leo came out from the shower, he saw a clean towel, a normal white shirt, and black pants. He dried himself with the towel and put on the new cloth before going in front of the mirror to examine himself.

"Not bad; my hair is a little long; maybe I should go to a barber."

His hair was partially covering his eyes. He reached into his hair, straightening it slightly. He went outside once he was satisfied with his appearance. Peter was standing nearby.

"You look good."

"Thank you very much, What's next, Mr. Peter?"

"Let me show you around."

They exited the room and returned to the corridor. Peter began explaining while they were walking.

“Okay, the first door on the left leads to another entrance for the association. We often use this door because the main entrance gets crowded. Feel free to use it too. When you’re in the light alley, avoid the main door; there’s a small door on the right side that connects to the yard. You can use that when you get your identification card.

The staff will come through here and change in the room we were just in, and your locker number is four.

Now, the next door on the right is the library, which we’ll visit shortly. But first, let’s check out the rest of the place. The next door on the left leads to the living room, which also serves as the kitchen.”

They entered after Peter opened the door.

"O Leo, Peter?!"

"Hey Li, I'm showing Leo around here."

The room was divided into two sections: the living room, which had one sofa and three chairs with a table in the middle, and a bedroom. Leo took a look at the table. On the table, there were cards and an ashtray.

'It's really a living room.'

The second section was the kitchen, which had a few cabinets, a sink, a stove, and a strange-looking device that Liamond was using, which Leo assumed was some kind of coffee maker.

Liamond poured a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa while they were looking around. He turned to face Leo and Peter.

"Want to play a hand of cards?"

"No, we still need some places to be."

They then returned to the corridor.

"Ok, that was the living room; next door is the great hall."

Peter opened the door to the final room, which was ten times the size of Leo's house. There was a set of furniture next to the left wall; the middle of the hall was almost empty; there was some training equipment, such as a wooden sword and shield; and there was some other stuff about which Leo had no idea. There was a door on the other side of the hall. There were three people in the room. Two men and one woman were there, Leo recognized one of them; it was frank.

"Let me introduce you, Leo. Mr. Albert Cardaye is our rank E+ warrior slash paladin, Ms. Wina Ewer is our rank E mage, and Mr. Frank Rove is our rank E- paladin, Everyone, this is our new colleague, Leo Mantine."

Albert, who held the highest rank among them, stepped forward. Leo was unable to even reach his shoulder. He was the same height as Frank.

"Nice to meet you, Leo." He extended his hand.

Leo extended his hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Leo is going to work in the library; he got the highest score," said Peter.

"Is that true? Then I recommend, you become a mage." Wina, the purple-haired woman with yellow eyes, stated. She had a small nose and pouty lips as well.

'She is also not my type, but she is beautiful overall.' Leo pondered.

"What exactly do you mean by 'then'? Do you think we Paladins and warriors are stupid?" .

"Well, it looks like you’re smarter than I thought; you clearly understand what I meant," Wina replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Hey…" Albert started. Frank, watching the commotion unfold, stepped in, trying to mediate the situation. Meanwhile, Leo turned to face Peter, a mix of concern and exasperation on his face.

"Don't worry, they're always like this," Peter said with a resigned smile. "All right, let’s head to the library. See you later, guys."

As Wina and Albert continued their debate, they turned around only to find that Leo and Peter had already slipped away.

"Let’s go to the library," Peter suggested, leading the way down the corridor.

Peter pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the library door. When they entered, Leo began to look around. This room was as large as the Great Hall. There was a large window on the end of it that let the sun light in, creating a well-lit study area in the center of the room, where the chairs and tables were. There were bookshelves all around the hall, and they were all full of books.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

'There are over a thousand books here.'

A chair and table facing the window were on the other side of the hall. It was the office of the library manager.

"Okay, this is where you work; there are many things for you to do here, such as cleaning the shelves and reorganizing the books, Tomorrow, Mr. Haider will explain it to you."

"Mr Haider?"

"He is your college, Mr. Samuel Haider. Let's return to the management room for the time being."

When they returned to the first room, Peter pulled a crystal from one of the closets, its surface gleaming in the light.

"Let's test your stats now," he announced, holding it up.

"What do you mean by stats?" Leo asked, furrowing his brow.

"For your identification card," Peter explained. "First, I need to get your mana score. After that, you’ll go to Ms. Faleria Rave, who will assess your physical condition. Just so you know, she’s our trainer."

He placed the crystal carefully on the table. "Okay, now put your hand on this crystal."

Leo nodded and placed his hand on the cool surface. A moment later, the crystal began to glow, pulsing softly with light.

"Okay, good," Peter said, watching intently.

Once Leo removed his hand, Peter picked up the crystal and examined it closely. A number shimmered in a faint color on its surface.

"Ninety-eight. Not bad at all," he remarked, a note of approval in his voice. Leo felt a rush of pride at the score, wondering what it meant.

He returned the crystal to the closet and began writing. After a while, he returns his gaze to Leo.

"Now let me explain to you how ranking systems work."

Leo concentrated.

"The ranking system is from G to S, and from G to E; It begins with G and progresses to F, F plus, E minus, E, and E plus."

He then brought a notebook and a pen, which he gave to Leo.

"Take note, ok, where was I? Yes, rank G and F are based solely on your mana and physical condition. In rank G, you are a soldier if your mana is between fifty and one hundred and your physical state is between forty and eighty; in rank F, you are a fighter if your mana is between one hundred and one hundred fifty and your physical state is between eighty and one hundred thirty. To advance to rank E, you must first decide whether you want to be a mage, a warrior, an enchanter, an alchemist, or a paladin. you can also choose up to three, which make your work harder.”

"What about after E?"

"After E, it becomes a little harder; for rank D, the sum of your mana and physical state must be at least five hundred; you also need to have enough base knowledge of everything, expertise in the field you choose in rank E, and also more than two skills or spells."

"What are skills and spells?"

"Do not rush; you will learn all of this soon, but we still have more important things to do, Let us now discuss your daily tasks."

Although Leo was curious a lot, he decided not to ask further questions.

"Ok…"

"From Saturday to Thursday, you come here six days a week. You'll be training with Faleria from nine to twelve."

"Training?" Leo was not surprised.

"Of course, you should learn how to fight; even if you're going to be a librarian forever, you should learn the fundamentals of fighting, From twelve to four o'clock, you will be in the library, where Mr. Haider will tell you what to do. You must now see Faleria about your physical state. She's in the room at the back of the yard."

Leo went to the door and pushed it open. He turned around before leaving.

"Mr. Peter, what rank is Liamond?!"

“He is a rank D Priest”

“D…?!”

"Yeah, he is a genius; he is only twenty-four years old and already a rank D."

"Is it that hard to rank up?"

"Of course, for example, Albert is E plus, but he is 34."

He then proudly raised his head.

"By the way, I am rank E plus too, an enchanter."

“How old are you?”

“I am 33” Peter said proudly.

‘You are only one year younger than Albert.‘ Leo decided not to express what he was thinking aloud.

“What about Ms. Rave?”

Peter's expression changed to fear.

"Faleria?… She is a B-rank Paladin."

"B?!" Leo said, surprised.

"Yes…"

He paused for a moment, then whispered, as if he was afraid someone would hear him.

"No matter what you do, never say anything about her age, And when you're finished, come back here."

Leo swallowed hard, pivoting to exit the room before pushing open the door leading to the expansive yard. The sprawling grounds stretched before him, culminating in a sizable structure at the far end. Leo strode along the path, flanked by verdant trees and blooming flowers that formed a picturesque walkway. Reaching the building, he found its entrance—a sliding door—already ajar. Stepping inside, Leo was greeted by an interior reminiscent of the traditional Japanese training rooms depicted in countless anime. In the center of the room, a woman knelt with her eyes closed in serene meditation.

'Is she doing yoga or something?'

Leo waited on the sidelines. He couldn't stop himself from staring at Faleria while he waited. She possessed long black hair, a muscular body, a small nose, and stunning lips.

"You always stare while you are waiting?"

Leo jumped up.

"I am sorry."

Faleria blinked her eyes open. Her eyes were large and black.

"Don't worry, all men are the same."

Leo was embarrassed.

She rose to her full height, nearly matching Captain Edmond’s imposing stature. Her figure was athletic, with lean muscles visible under her smooth skin. She wore a sleeveless white dress that clung to her form, showcasing her toned arms and shoulders. Leo struggled to keep his eyes from lingering too long.

Faleria glanced at him with a direct, almost clinical gaze. “Alright, kid, strip down.”

Leo blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“You’re here for a physical assessment, aren’t you? I need to see what I’m working with. So, clothes off.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Leo tugged his shirt over his head, feeling a wave of self-consciousness. He spotted a hanger on the wall and draped the shirt over it, his movements stiff and awkward.

“Pants too,” she instructed, barely glancing up as she readied some equipment on a nearby table.

After a hesitant pause, he unbuckled his belt and stepped out of his pants, hanging them beside his shirt. His heart pounded as he stood in his underwear, feeling more exposed than ever.

“Let’s get started.” Faleria moved closer, her eyes methodically scanning him from head to toe. She reached out, her hands lightly probing his arms and shoulders, checking the firmness of his muscles.

“Hmm. You’re underweight,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “Muscle development is poor.” She continued her examination, her brow furrowed in concentration as she traced her hands over his torso and legs.

Leo’s face burned with embarrassment. ‘How long is this going to take?’ he wondered, desperately trying to focus on anything other than the situation he was in.

He remembered Peter’s advice: Don’t mention her age, no matter what. But standing this close, he couldn’t help but think she looked no older than her mid-twenties, her skin smooth and unlined.

“Okay, kid,” she said suddenly, breaking his thoughts, “now hit me.”

“What?” Leo stared at her, sure he’d misheard.

"Do you like the word 'what'?; I said, punch me in the stomach, and with all of your power" Faleria said solemnly.

Leo understands that delaying will be dangerous. He struck her as hard as he could with a pose he learned in his previous life's self-defense class. Faleria didn't move an inch, but Leo's hand began to hurt.

"Was that all your power?"

"Yes!?"

"Despite your good posture, you are truly weak. We have a lot of training ahead of us."

She then took a piece of paper and began writing.

"Bring it back to Peter, and don't forget your cloth."

Leo went to the hanger and began putting on his clothes. When he was finished, he looked at Faleria and asked, hesitantly.

“Excuse me, Ms. Rave, can you tell me what my status is?” Leo asked cautiously.

Faleria looked up from her notes. “Has Peter already explained the ranking system to you? Your physical condition score is a fifteen.”

Leo’s stomach sank. Not even a G rank? He clenched his fists, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Right. Thank you,” he muttered, turning to leave.

“Hey, kid, hold on,” Faleria called after him.

He stopped and glanced back at her, curious and a little wary.

“Make sure you’re eating properly—meat, vegetables, the whole deal. Your body needs it. You’ve received half your payment already, haven’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Use it wisely. If you don’t start building yourself up, you’re going to break during training.”

Break? Leo’s eyes widened, but he nodded, swallowing his apprehension. “I’ll take care of it,” he said, forcing a small smile before heading out.

When Leo went back to peter, he recounted everything, from the humiliating physical exam to Faleria’s blunt advice. Peter listened carefully, after Leo was done, he start to laugh.

"Hahahah… , as expected from Faleria, and your score is fifteen; you are weak even for a nearly fifteen-year-old kid.”

Leo scowled.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, but don't worry, you still have three months, and your identification card will be ready tomorrow."

"What's the next step?"

Peter took a deep breath and answered when he was calm.

"Next, you need to go to Elegant."