Having a powerful lord as a father figure, what's wrong with just wanting to draw cards?

"When you're out there gaining experience, you must always be vigilant, cautious, and suspicious. No one will give you anything for no reason. If someone is being overly helpful, they're probably up to no good. Always keep your eyes open..."

He then went on and on with a long list of instructions, which made the four of them chuckle wryly.

The so-called 'trial' is a test that every Bloomfield child must go through at the age of eleven.

They need to live alone in other territories or countries for a whole year, and then return before the Imperial Magic Academy starts, that is, before they turn twelve.

In this way, they will develop independent, self-reliant, and prudent character traits, which are more effective than any amount of lessons.

Bloomfield's ancestors knew long ago that no teacher can train a person better than society.

Of course, leaving them to wander alone would inevitably lead to some dangers, so they would usually be accompanied by a member of the Fomalhaut sect to protect them, and they would generally not take action except in cases of fatal danger.

When faced with a situation where even they are in danger, they will resolutely sacrifice themselves to give their young master a 100% chance of survival.

Historically, there are few records of children who went out to gain experience encountering misfortune, unless they really went out and died, in which case no one could save them.

If someone dies at the hands of someone with ulterior motives, through certain means, the murderer will have virtually no chance of escaping, and there is even a possibility that the mastermind will be found by following the clues. That would be tantamount to starting a war with Bloomfield.

In today's world, who would dare to confront this family head-on? Even the royal family wouldn't dare to easily turn against them, let alone anyone else.

After Carlos and Grace finished giving their instructions, it was time for their respective servants to attend to them.

Domi hugged Kelsey and Catherine one by one.

Kelsey was also very reluctant to see Domi leave home for a place thousands of miles away:

"Domi, you must take good care of yourself out there. Eat and drink as usual. If you encounter danger, run away first, so as not to capsize in a ditch..."

Catherine also hugged Domi for a long time:

"Be careful, we'll be waiting for you to come home."

"Ok!"

Finally, it was Connor Lewis's turn, their teacher who had taught them for four years.

These four children, whom he practically watched grow up, are now stepping onto a wider stage. How can one not sigh at how time flies and how fleeting life is?

"You've all reached the day of your graduation from my tutelage. Go forth, seize your youth, explore the world, and remember, in your spare time, that learning is endless..."

Several people were so moved that they almost shed tears.

Of all my years, graduation has always been the most heartbreaking time.

After the farewells were almost over, the young masters and ladies' attendants from the Northern Luo Shi Men clan made their appearance one by one.

The other servants were all members of the Fomalhaut Clan with above-average strength, especially Rosa, who was assigned an exceptionally strong servant because she was a girl.

But things are different here in Domi.

If the distribution is done in the conventional way, it will be impossible to know who will protect whom in the end, since Domi's strength has surpassed that of most ordinary members of the Beiluoshimen.

Altaïr racked his brains over this problem and finally assigned it to a very talented person.

He was a boy the same age as him.

According to Altaïr, this child has a talent for assassination and is exceptionally gifted. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Altaïr intends to train him to be the future successor of the Fomalhaut family. For now, he'll let Domi take care of him and broaden his horizons.

He had no name; Altaïr only gave him a code name—Forty-Seven.

Don't let his young age of 47 fool you; he has already mastered all the skills he needs to do, and he wouldn't have any problem even risking his life to protect Domi.

"Well... Forty-seven, let's go."

Hidden in a black cloak, he merely nodded slightly, seemingly not particularly interested in speaking.

Watching the four figures depart in the carriage, everyone felt a vague sense of loss, like the feeling of having a cabbage that they had raised for over ten years being eaten by a pig.

"Let's go, the children will come back sooner or later."

Carlos, supporting Greta's shoulder, walked into the castle, and Domi and the others' own trials officially began.

Seven days later…

The carriage stopped in a small town on the northern border of the empire. The carriage could only take Domi this far; beyond that, he would have to find his own way.

He and Forty-Seven stepped off the carriage, and a desolate scene greeted them.

Snow covered the wavy rooftops and the roads were also covered in snow, which no one was clearing. Even though it was midday, there were very few pedestrians on the road, and the few shops that were open had very few customers.

This is quite different from the northern landscape that Domi had imagined.

In anime, everything is like a snow-covered wonderland, a Christmas-themed experience every day. But in reality, it feels like meeting someone you met online...

He sighed, holding his lower back: "That's why fantasy and reality are so clearly distinct."

This small town is located in the northernmost part of the empire, bordering the Northern Republic, which is even further north.

The Lionheart Empire and the North are not exactly allies, at least they won't go to war, but some minor frictions are inevitable, such as border territorial disputes.

The two countries are separated by a cedar forest. Starting from here, crossing this cedar forest will lead to the territory of the Northern Republic, which is also Domi's destination.

Looking up at the sky and the time, it was nine o'clock in the morning. If nothing unexpected happened, they could cross the forest by this time the next day, provided they set off now.

"Let's go and see if there are any carriages heading to the same destination as us."

Forty-Seven didn't say anything, but just nodded slightly, wearing a hood and following behind Domi like a little follower.

His taciturn nature is quite in line with the image of a traditional assassin; not every serious assassin is as talkative as Altaïr…

After wandering around the desolate town, the two finally found a carriage at the north gate.

There just so happens that another group of adventurers is also heading north through the forest; if we go together, we can share a ride.

The opposing team has five members, as you can tell from their equipment. The team consists of a tank, a warrior, a mage, an assassin, and a healer, a fairly balanced team, except for the lack of an archer.

However, adventurers of my caliber do not need to lower themselves to join other adventurer teams and work like slaves.

That's right, this time Domi came out using the identity of 'Death Omen'.

Since I have the identity of an adventurer as a cover, I might as well use it.

He always wore the black and white smiling mask on his face.

The carriage clattered and clattered as it set off. Everyone sat in the open-plan carriage, with only a canopy overhead to shield them from the swirling snowflakes and the snow falling from the leaves.

"Mr. Death Omen... right?" The leader of what appeared to be the adventurer team spoke first, breaking the silence in the carriage: "Judging from your equipment, you must be a very strong archer, right?"

Domi has grown up quite a bit, and his original little bow is no longer suitable for him, so he took the worst longbow from the family treasury, which was said to be a gift from the king of some place.

Made of lightning-struck wood, the bow is decorated with only a few jewels, achieving high performance while remaining understated.

It is said that the arrows can carry electric arcs and fly much faster, which is perfect for Domi who wants to be low-key but also wants to be powerful.

Even though it's a modest luxury item, anyone with a discerning eye can tell it's extraordinary; otherwise, the captain wouldn't have been interested in Domi.

Domi, far from home, didn't wear a hat, only a mask to cover her face, so her long, gray ponytail was still showing. Paired with a simple black trench coat and a black cloak, she certainly stood out from the crowd.

"I dare not claim to be powerful; I merely possess some insignificant skills."

The team leader, serving as the mage, was dressed in a crimson robe that revealed his identity—a fire mage. He was a bald, middle-aged man with a thick, unassuming appearance, but he seemed quite kind.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Albert, my real name, and I'm the captain of this 'Long Range Turret' squad."

"It is fate that we meet. Mr. Death Omen and Mr. Forty-Seven, as you can see, our team currently has warriors, mages, assassins and priests, and we just happen to be missing an archer."

Why don't you two join us? With a fully equipped team like ours, even some of the most difficult missions will be a piece of cake!

"Hey Albert, he's only been dead for a short time and you're already looking for new archers? Isn't that a bit too heartless?" the swordsman in the group complained.

"But the dead cannot be brought back to life, and our ranks cannot be without archers..."

"Only in this way can we go further and live up to his expectations!"

"It seems your team has been together for quite some time now."

Judging from their conversation, Domi was certain that this group of people was not a hastily assembled adventurer team.

If it was a temporary group, Domi would be interested to see how the members develop in the future.

It's quite amusing to think about the various events that happened between them from the perspective of someone who is both an insider and an outsider.

Seemingly sensing the wicked humor emanating from Domi, Forty-Seven, sitting next to him, shivered.

“Yes,” Albert said, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Our last archer died... in a panicked escape, he accidentally fell off a cliff."

He was an excellent archer, got along well with everyone, and worked very well with them.

"While it sounds tempting, I have no intention of joining your team, Mr. Albert."

My companion and I are used to going our own way; too many people would just get in our way.

The swordsman shrugged: "They don't want to come with us."

In the group, the blonde assassin with a bun hairstyle raised her head for the first time.

She slowly opened her dozing eyes, revealing a pair of clear, amber-like pupils. She looked at Domi and Forty-Seven with suspicion.

Her intuition told her that the short man in the black cloak and hood was definitely a fellow professional, and she could tell from the small details of his movements.

If the two of them were to join, she might have to pay some attention; if they weren't, then it wouldn't concern her anymore. So she closed her eyes again and lowered her head.

However, one question kept lingering in her mind.

Why couldn't she even see through the masked man?

He was probably only ten years old, a kid who had just started out as an adventurer, but he was definitely not just a simple archer. He didn't even have calluses on his hands from years of practicing archery.

Oh well... anyway, we'll be strangers after this carpool, just passing acquaintances, and I guess we'll never see each other again.

"I see, haha... I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Albert was a very honest man, Domi thought.

He calculated the time, then said to his companions, "Let's all take a good rest for a while; we still have a long way to go to reach our destination..."

However, in the next second, almost at the same time, the assassin from Domi's and Albert's teams spoke up simultaneously:

"I advise you to cheer up!"

"There is a situation!"

Albert looked first at his own assassin, but before he could ask what was going on, the assassin climbed out of the carriage and onto the roof.

Next to Domi, Forty-Seven was also getting restless.