Nascent Soul Rebirth: Starting as a Wizard

Barton stood up, dusted himself off, and grabbed the longsword leaning against the table.

"I still need to report to the Viscount about the situation in the west. I'm off. Take it easy with your training, don't ruin your health!"

After saying that, he left the cafeteria like a gust of wind.

Solo picked up the still-warm nameplate from the table; it felt heavy in his hand.

He watched Patton's disappearing figure, a complex bitter smile on his face, yet a slight warmth rose in his heart.

Unexpectedly, in this strictly hierarchical noble mansion and military camp, where human relationships were indifferent...

I was surprised to receive such care that wasn't driven by self-interest.

This did indeed solve a minor problem for him—as his inner energy gradually developed and his cultivation got on track.

His need for high-energy foods is increasing day by day, and he is indeed spending more and more time eating every day.

In the long run, this will inevitably attract attention or criticism.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Solo is organizing the transportation of grain and the evacuation of villagers in the village as the leader of the grain escort team.

At this moment, under the organization of the guards, the villagers and militiamen are loading the last few bags of grain and their scattered belongings onto the cart.

Prepare to evacuate this increasingly dangerous area.

Solo remained in his tent, his gaze fixed on the homemade map marked with dozens of locations.

About two months ago, Viscount François Alina, the legitimate wife of the Viscount, returned from her parents' home.

Shortly after his return, Solo was invited to a tea party by Lady Elina.

Solo was thinking to himself that whatever they asked him for was probably not good news, but he went anyway.

The small living room was warm and cozy, with the pine wood in the fireplace crackling and emitting a faint resinous aroma.

Mrs. Alina sat in a high-backed chair with velvet cushions.

She wore a dark green long dress, with a small jade pendant around her neck.

While not exceptionally beautiful, she possessed a gentle and refined air, befitting someone who had lived a life of comfort and privilege.

She politely invited Solo to sit down and personally poured him a cup of fragrant black tea.

The conversation began in a cautious and polite manner.

Lady Elina spoke gently, mentioning that she had heard that Solo was highly regarded by Knight Patton.

As his nominal "adoptive mother," she should show him more care and concern.

They then chatted about trivial matters within the manor and the changing seasons.

Solo maintained a perfectly measured level of respect and aloofness on his face, but his mind was perfectly clear:

The other party only showed him some courtesy because of Patton's reputation, which is why they treated him, their "adopted son," with such respect.

The status of a formal knight is indeed a weighty stepping stone in such noble families.

Mrs. Alina then introduced her two children.

The eldest son, Karl, was seventeen years old and already quite tall, wearing a well-tailored dark blue knitted cotton coat.

His face was stern, and his eyes held a sense of detachment, as if he were immersed in a world of knowledge.

Alina introduced Karl with no small amount of pride, saying that he possessed a fifth-level qualification and was already a junior apprentice with a bright future ahead of him.

Carl merely nodded slightly to Solo, said a curt "Nice to meet you," and then turned his attention back to the heavy, hardcover book in his hands.

The cover features gold lettering that reads: "Introduction to Intermediate Apprenticeship - Elementary Model Construction".

The other was Emma, ​​about a month younger than Solo, wearing a light yellow dress and with her long chestnut hair braided into an exquisite style.

She clearly had little interest in Solo, this suddenly appearing "brother," only showing interest when her mother prompted her.

He gave a soft "hmm" sound through his nose.

His gaze never left the book "The Bright Moon Meditation Method" on his lap, and his fingertips unconsciously traced the complex meditation runes on the pages.

Mrs. Alina smiled and smoothed things over:

"Solo, please don't be offended. Emma's aptitude is stuck at the upper-second level, and she hasn't been able to break through to the third level for a long time. She's been troubled by this lately, and her temper has gotten a bit worse."

She took a sip of her black tea and continued:

"Karl is going to study at the Emerald Academy in the future, and it will probably be more than ten or twenty years before he returns."

"Solo, since you are Emma's brother, Emma will always need to rely on you, her elder brother, in this world."

Solo's heart stirred slightly, but he remained outwardly calm, subtly revealing his curiosity and longing for the "Emerald Academy".

Mrs. Alina seemed to have anticipated his interest, gently setting down her teacup, the porcelain making a soft, crisp sound as it struck the wooden tabletop.

Her eyes darted around slightly, and her voice lowered:

"The Emerald Academy... it's not exactly a peaceful and tranquil place for learning; it's a place where noble wizards study profound mysteries."

Moreover, the great third-level archmage—the Emerald Duke—is in charge…”

She paused here, a barely perceptible shadow of gloom and fear flashing across her face.

"I had a cousin on my mother's side, who was your uncle. He was rated as a fourth-class aptitude and entered the academy with great prestige."

I was already married at that time, and my knowledge was not comprehensive.

I only heard that he failed to meet the academy's "training expectations" because he failed to advance to the advanced apprenticeship before the age of thirty-five.

Ultimately, they were forced to sign a long-term contract with extremely harsh conditions, which was almost tantamount to selling themselves into servitude.

The academy sold the person directly to an unknown, distant land, the money supposedly to compensate the Jade Duke for the "costs of training" over the years.

As Alina spoke, her eyes actually reddened slightly, and she picked up an embroidered handkerchief and pressed it to the corner of her eyes.

Her posture was sorrowful and genuine, like that of a delicate noblewoman who was truly lamenting the fate of her loved ones.

Carl, listening intently, frowned and offered words of comfort, his tone tinged with youthful arrogance and a hint of impatience with his mother's weakness:

"Mother, why bother with all this? It will only make us a laughingstock. I have a fifth-grade aptitude, and my path to advancement will certainly be much smoother than my uncle's."

At this point, Karl muttered something under his breath.

"...Besides, I have my cousin too, what's there to be afraid of?"

Solo understood.

The way this Jade Academy behaved was so similar to the cultivation world he knew from his previous life.

There, in order to obtain a glimpse of immortality, countless cultivators were willing to sign blood contracts that amounted to near enslavement.

All for a few spirit stones, a barren spiritual vein cave, or a rudimentary introductory cultivation technique.

In his previous life, he struggled for ten years in the martial arts world of Xuanjing, handling countless shady and dangerous matters for the court's powerful and influential, and facing life and death several times.

Finally, he obtained the fundamental Qi-refining technique that changed his destiny, allowing him to step into the world of cultivation.

He also noted a key point.

35 years old, this is an interesting age.

Perhaps, just as cultivators must attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before their vital energy declines at age 60, this is a "foundation establishment deadline" for wizards.

"My poor Emma, ​​she keeps complaining about wanting to go there, she doesn't understand her mother's worries at all."

Mrs. Alina continued to wipe away her tears, looking at her daughter with sorrowful eyes.

Emma bit her lip, her face showing struggle and resentment, but she ultimately said nothing.

Solo interjected at the opportune moment, his tone calm yet carrying a certain certainty of stating a fact:

"Please don't worry, Madam. Even if Emma wants to go, it may not be possible right now."

Emma is only a little over six months away from turning sixteen. How could she possibly overcome the insurmountable barrier of third-class aptitude?

Upon hearing this, Lady Alina burst into laughter through her tears and nodded repeatedly in agreement.