They don't want me to try anymore.

Just moments before Richard and his men disappeared into the alley.

A maid came to buy melons—no, I mean bread.

She was shocked to see the mess on the ground.

This is the shop that His Highness said has the most authentic pear jam flavor, we can't let it go out of business like this!

She rushed into the store, found the couple, and asked, "Have you run into any trouble?"

Seeing that they were regulars, the two lowered their guard and told him what had just happened.

"We did run into a bit of trouble, but it's all resolved. Thank you for your help. By the way, are you looking to buy bread? We have some clean ones in the kitchen..."

"No, I'm more interested in 'stories' than bread right now..."

Recalling her lord's penchant for collecting all sorts of rumors, the maid immediately took out paper and pen from her bosom and said to the puzzled couple, "Could you tell me about Mr. Mark and those customers who just taught the hooligans a lesson?"

"This……"

"Auntie, I'm not a spy for the police, and I guarantee the reward will be very generous!"

That night.

Richard and his party arrived in the western district of the city, where the nobles and wealthy of Idaril lived, and checked into Connaught's mansion.

In this era, countries have initially established a mature diplomatic system, and envoys and embassies abroad have become commonplace.

Although Connaught was small, it managed to put together such a set of tools.

But Richard was still taken aback when he actually entered the mansion.

The pristine white marble walls, crystal chandeliers, and the oil paintings and coral decorations in the corridors... this place is even more luxurious than his royal palace!

The ambassador stationed here is even more outrageous.

He appeared polite and courteous, bringing his wife to welcome Richard and his party, but his wife brazenly treated the low-ranking Connaught officials in the embassy like servants!

When the welcoming banquet ended and everyone went to the bedroom, Richard finally got the answer from the clerk.

"So, although the ambassador is still a Connaught, his wife is the daughter of an Imperial Earl, and their children are all Imperial citizens?"

Hmm, what, the chairman of the O Alliance?

Richard's brow twitched; he realized this wasn't just any ordinary official with family members living abroad; it absolutely had to be dealt with...

“Your Highness, I understand your concerns, but he is the most suitable person we can find, someone who can move freely within the imperial high society. It's not that His Majesty doesn't want to use more loyal people, but…”

But if the more loyal people come here, they'll be treated like country bumpkins, right?

After listening to the clerk's advice, Richard realized that he had no real power to use.

His understanding of the difficulty of saving his motherland deepened once again.

However, the ambassador's extravagance also has its advantages.

The next morning, he prepared an expensive suit and carriage, which, according to him, was the latest trend in the empire.

For reasons of international image, Richard accepted the gift.

They arrived at their destination in the brand-new carriage.

St. Goethe is located outside the city. Its main structure was converted from an abandoned military fortress on a small hill. Scattered nearby are several exquisitely built high-rise buildings and an auditorium. Combined with forests and a small lake, and enclosed by a wall, this is the entire picture of the academy.

Richard and his companions did not attract much attention, as most of the new students today were also from wealthy and noble families; at least the scribe saw the coats of arms of several dukes, and their carriages were inconspicuous here.

Of course, it wasn't that we didn't pay any attention at all...

"The new family crest looks unfamiliar. Where is it from?"

"It seems to be a place called Connaught."

"Huh? Which country is that? I've never heard of it before!"

"That student is quite old; it seems his talent is only average."

"How many people in remote areas can be truly talented?"

"His accent is so strange, just like someone from the countryside."

"But he's so handsome..."

Blah blah blah, it's all this kind of whispering.

"Richard..."

Zoe felt a little nervous and took Richard's hand.

"Relax, being timid will only make them go further."

Richard was mentally prepared for this scene and maintained his composure, continuing to walk forward with the little girl in his arms.

Soon, Katyusha and her entourage were asked to wait outside, and the clerk returned to the city to speak with the people from the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only the brother and sister and the other new students were left, and they were led into the auditorium by teachers dressed in robes of various colors.

Then came the usual speech from the leader, mostly about the school's glorious traditions and the empire's extraordinary history—Richard wasn't an imperial citizen, so he wasn't too interested in those things.

But then things changed...

The long-bearded teacher then spoke loudly:

"In order to encourage everyone to make unremitting efforts, the college has adopted a class division system for all types of vocational education."

"Next, you will take the placement test in order!"

How difficult was the Chapter 10 exam? I'd say it was very easy!

That's a classic scene.

However, many schools in my past life also liked to use this approach...

Richard scratched his head and continued listening to the teacher.

"The exam format is a one-on-one challenge, and the opponent is a teaching assistant from our school. Of course, they will suppress their own strength."

"You will first choose two from the three difficulty levels: high, medium, and low. Then, you will take on the challenge twice in a row according to the difficulty level. Once you win, you can enter the corresponding class."

"If you win and perform exceptionally well, you will receive an additional freshman bonus, regardless of the difficulty level."

"If you have used up both chances and still fail to win at any difficulty level, you will be automatically assigned to a lower difficulty class and will not receive any reward."

"The battleground is the training ground behind the auditorium. Interested students are welcome to observe."

After listening, Richard subconsciously felt that this whole thing was a bit too complicated.

Why not test students' limits one-on-one?

Then he saw that the top-ranked students had made their choices.

Some confident in their abilities chose the high and medium difficulty levels, but failed both times and were relegated to the low class without receiving any rewards.

Those with weaker skills only chose the low and medium difficulty levels. They won with the low difficulty level, and although they still had to go to the lower class in the end, they at least received a reward.

The reward was five magic crystals and a small bottle of potion to aid meditation; it was clear that the quality was quite high.

Seeing this, the other students began to whisper among themselves again.

"I feel like I can try a higher difficulty level, but I definitely won't do well and won't get any rewards..."

"How about we choose a medium or low difficulty level to guarantee a minimum reward? It'll be good to get two rewards."

Richard then realized what was happening.

This placement test not only assesses ability and talent, but also explores the students' personalities.

Even with the same strength, differences in personality—whether reckless or cautious, daring or conservative—can lead to different outcomes.

That's a bit interesting.

One by one, the students went up, some embarrassing themselves and others showing off in front of everyone. Soon it was Connaught's turn.

Zoe tugged at Richard's sleeve, hesitating slightly:

"Richard, I want to try something more difficult..."

"Don't be afraid, just do what you think is right."

Richard felt that since the school wanted to explore the students' personalities, it would be better to be open and honest rather than hiding anything, and there was no need to be timid.

Moreover, although Connaught is small, it's not so small that it can't afford the rewards for low-difficulty challenges. Even if all the challenges are failed, the missed rewards can be made up for with money out of pocket.

Therefore, the brother and sister both chose the high and medium difficulty levels.

At that moment, the person ahead of them had just failed on the high difficulty level and instead received the reward on the guaranteed low difficulty level.

When he turned around and saw the brother and sister's risky choice, a mocking look appeared in his eyes.

Not only him, but others around him couldn't help but whisper among themselves:

"Haven't you seen the previous failures? How dare you choose like this..."

"If they win, wouldn't it make us look incompetent?"

"In the end, they're just a royal family from a place I've never even heard of. They don't even have a lisp when they speak, so they're no different from country bumpkins."

"He's doomed to lose!"

"...After he lost, I comforted him. Will he fall in love with me?"