Chapter 53: Recruit
Paxton led them into the corridor again, talking nonstop about the Academy's achievements. Raven only paid minimal attention—his focus locked on assessing each classroom as they arrived near them.
They stopped before the first fifth-year classroom. Through the glass, Raven saw more than a hundred students in blue uniforms.
Paxton opened the door. Silence fell instantly.
The lady professor sitting lazily near the desk shot up.
"Good morning, Professor Jane," Paxton greeted warmly.
Jane blinked at Raven, confusion shifting to recognition.
"Thomas?" she asked.
Raven nodded politely.
"He is Lord Thomas now," Paxton added jokingly. "He wants to recruit some of our graduates. Headmaster instructed me to guide him through the fifth-year classes."
[Wow, look at this guy. If the Holmes Family hadn't fallen, would he dare joke using your name?] Zera scoffed.
Raven ignored the comment, though the thought stung a little. Even the Headmaster treated him as a commoner after the fall of his house.
Yet the Sepoy Mercenaries respected him instantly.
The world had its own hierarchy.
Paxton stepped forward and raised his voice.
"Today, we have a special guest. Thomas Holmes of the Holmes House is here to speak with some of you about a rare opportunity."
Raven stepped forward, instantly drawing the attention of every student in the room. His gaze swept over them—curiosity in some eyes, nervousness in others, ambition simmering quietly in the back rows.
"Good morning," Raven began, his voice carrying clearly across the hall.
"I am here today to recruit a few of you for a long-term position. However, I must say this upfront—my house is in decline due to several unfortunate events. If that worries you, you're free to decline."
A murmur rippled through the classroom.
A girl in the first row raised her hand. She had long blonde hair and bright, determined eyes.
"What are the eligibility requirements, sir? And can girls participate in your selection test?"
Raven adjusted his monocle, and her information surfaced immediately:
Ariel, 14. Human. Title: Hyperactive. Rank: Apprentice Walker (3rd Circle). Traits: Etiquette, Design Knowledge, Culinary Knowledge, Household Management. Past History: Graduated from Eastmine Elementary. Affinity: Nature – Intermediate.
Rejected.
"I can only select twenty people out of all 4,800 graduates," Raven said. "So the selection will be simple. Each of you will come forward, shake my hand, and I'll pick based on that."
Another wave of whispers rolled through the room.
"Silence!" Professor Jane barked. She grabbed a notebook.
"I'll call names. Form a line. First—Aaron!"
A short blond boy hurried down the aisle, nervousness obvious on his face. Raven shook his hand and checked his status at a glance.
Intermediate affinity. Rejected.
One by one, the students filed forward. Raven examined each quietly, giving nothing away.
Only one caught his eye.
Edgar. Commoner. Son of a bakery owner. Fire affinity: High.
Raven wrote his name in a small notebook.
"That will be all for this class," Raven said calmly. "I'll send the selected list to the Headmaster's office. He will summon you and explain the terms."
Paxton led him to the next room, then the next. The pattern repeated—handshakes, quick assessments, and quiet rejections. By the end of the day, Raven had evaluated every fifth-year student.
Thirty-two high-rank affinities. Eleven nobles or knights.
[I would like at least one 'Extraordinary' level affinity holder. But your luck seems to run out.]
One in a million chance. Besides, I already found a Genius in this city, Raven replied, thinking of Rebecca as he scanned the list written in rune script.
His chosen students:
[Edger – Fire
Augustus – Shadow
Memphis – Wind, Fire
Jeffery – Space
Fiona – Archery, Wind
Brynn – Water
Pierce – Sword, Earth
Kyle – Earth
Lorelai – Spear, Wind
Lian – Fire, Sword
Albert – Light, Spear
Jamie – Lightning
Miley – Ice
Alexis – Fire
Westin – Darkness
Scot – Sword, Shadow
Sam – Wind, Fate
Drake – Light
Leonard – Ice
Skyler – Earth, Sword]
'High elemental affinities. With the Mind of Insight potion, I can refine their combat and weapon skills.'
"Emanuel, write these names," Raven ordered.
Emanuel copied them down while walking. Raven checked the list once more before they entered Headmaster Ares's office.
Ares glanced up from his paperwork.
"Have you finalized your selection?"
Raven offered the notebook. "These twenty."
Ares opened the academy's record ledger and began flipping through pages.
"Class E1… Edger…" His expression tightened.
"Below average swordsmanship. Progress stagnated at the Second Circle. Tactical scores are abysmal. Nearly died to a goblin during last year's field training. If he graduates, he'll barely qualify for guard duty. Why him?"
Raven simply folded his arms and remained silent.
Ares turned another page. Then another. His eyebrows only lowered further.
By the end, he closed the book with a thud.
"What kind of selection is this? Half of these students are below average! Do you want me to choose for you instead? Because clearly you—"
Raven cleared his throat lightly.
"Ahem. I didn't pick randomly, Headmaster. And to my eyes, these twenty are far better than those top-ranking students."
"…I heard you lost memories. Seems you lost your mind as well." Ares rubbed his forehead.
"Fine. Tell me what you are offering them. I'll speak to their parents myself."
"Contract of twenty years," Raven said. "Three gold coins monthly. They will be allowed to train in the Holmes Family's Uncommon Knight Technique and Uncommon Spirit Technique. If they reach Radiant Knight within the contract, it extends to eighty years with a salary of ten gold monthly. If they reach Expert Knight, the contract extends to one hundred fifty years with twenty gold monthly."
Ares froze.
"You're saying… the Holmes Household possesses an Uncommon Spirit Technique?"
The room fell silent.
Radiant Knights could live up to two hundred fifty years. Expert Knights lived up to five hundred. With a high-level spirit technique, their growth potential changed drastically.
Yet to Ares, all Raven's recruits looked untalented, unremarkable—students who would normally never advance far due to their affinity limitations.
Raven nodded.
"My family preserved it for generations. Only descendants were allowed to practice. As the current head of the Holmes Family, I'm choosing to break that rule."
"Unbelievable," Ares muttered. "If your family had such a technique, why didn't they adopt talented children to raise their rank?"
"Even our team leader wondered the same," Marcellus added.
"If they had nurtured talented kids," he said, voice low, "they could've produced an Expert Walker."
Raven shook his head.
"Would an Expert Rank Walker obey a common noble? A single selfish genius could break the contract, take the techniques, and leave. Worst case…" He hesitated.
Marcellus completed the thought unintentionally.
"…they might destroy the family to erase witnesses."
A heavy silence fell.
Even Raven didn't expect that line of thinking—but the more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed.
Perhaps Azmar Town wasn't destroyed by demons after all… Perhaps someone else wiped it out—and the Falcon faction hunting me has ties to it.
Ares released a slow breath.
"So you plan to share your Knight and Spirit Techniques with these recruits."
He stared down at the list again, this time with a strange respect.
"What lucky children. Even without raw talent, they'll reach Radiant Knight in ten or twenty years."
"If they train diligently, they may even reach Expert Rank in their old age," Marcellus added, though bitterness edged his tone.
"And at my age… the chance is almost gone."
Raven continued, "They will also receive personal training sessions from the Sepoy Mercenaries."
Ares nodded firmly now, fully convinced.
"Once graduation ends, I'll summon their parents. They'll sign the contracts at your mansion. But remember—register them as a mercenary team first. If not, complications will arise."
Raven thanked him and left the office.
The walk back to the Holmes Mansion felt lighter. Another piece of his future army had been secured.
Another step closer to reclaiming Azmar Town.
Raven closed the bedroom door behind him and stepped into the Memory Library. Shelves rose like towering pillars, each filled with neatly arranged books that hummed with dormant knowledge. The air smelled of old parchment and quiet.
"Zera," he said. "What conditions do I need to reach Radiant Warlock?"
Blue petals drifted into existence beside him, swirling until they formed the shape of a woman. An elf in a flowing floral gown emerged from the bloom, eyes calm and ancient.
[To become a Radiant Warlock, three conditions must be met. First—complete comprehension of all spell models. With Instant Memorize and Mind Eye, your speed is far higher than most.]
Raven frowned. "I can only hold Mind Eye for a few seconds."
After that brief surge of clarity, the circlet always demanded time—five whole minutes of element gathering before he could use it again.
[The more you understand the model, the longer the usage time. When you fully comprehend it, Mind Eye becomes passive.]
"Passive?" His breath caught for a moment.
Five times faster… maybe even more.
Zera continued, her tone light but firm.
[Second—create a Spirit Technique in the Astral Realm and strengthen the bond between your soul, body, and consciousness. Your soul form might still be unstable.]
"Unstable?" Raven raised an eyebrow.
Zera nodded.
[Let me ask you this: how does one increase spirit power?]
"By meditating with a spirit technique," Raven replied.
She shook her head.
[Spirit power doesn't appear because you sit still. It exists everywhere in the Astral Realm, drifting like clouds. Wherever life exists, spirit power exists.]
He blinked, not fully understanding.
Zera noticed and elaborated.
[When a soul feels joy or excitement, it releases positive essence into the surroundings. That is Spirit Power. Spirit Techniques let your soul enter the Astral Realm and pull these essences into yourself. Stronger techniques gather more—but overuse restrains the soul.]
"Oh… so that's why mortals can't handle anything above Uncommon Rank." Realization flickered across Raven's face.
Another thought followed immediately.
"But then… how does the System absorb spirit power?"
[The System devours the Will left in bloodline essences and converts it into Spirit Essence. But most wills are heavy with negative emotions. Almost nothing dies happily.]
Raven's jaw tightened.
"So that's why you kept telling me to increase my spirit power the normal way."
[Yes. Collect too much negative essence and your split personality will grow stronger. If you rely too much on the System… one day, he'll take your place.]
Zera paused, then added:
[Increase your spirit power with Spirit Techniques first. Only after reaching your safe limit should you let the System absorb bloodline essences.]
Raven released a slow breath.
"Then the third condition?"
[Affinity rank. You need Low Rank affinity to fully comprehend a spell model. Your Luck affinity is still at Nil. But since you'll experience Runeth's memories directly—especially his journey as a Historian—you'll raise it naturally. You've already learned Wonder Sense. Now feel it, again and again.]
Raven nodded and headed toward the shelves containing Runeth's memories. He pulled out the thick book labeled Historian.
The world dimmed.
Three weeks slipped away like sand between fingers.
11th November, Year 1420 — Rune Era.
During those twenty-one days, progress etched itself deep.
Raven's spear came first.
Casper's Frozen Lance replayed in his mind again and again. In the Mind Space, frost spiraled from his spearpoint as he thrust, twisted, stabbed—each movement sharpening the next. By the end of the third week, the technique synchronized with his muscles perfectly.
Progress: 99%.
One last step to reach Intermediate Spearmanship.
Luck affinity followed next.
Wonder Sense pulsed faintly inside him—like threads of probability brushing his fingertips. Ten days of reliving Runeth's life elevated his Luck to Low Rank.
Then came the spell models.
Raven sank into the Mind Space for eleven straight days, dissecting the Mind Eye diagram rune by rune. Each detail was slippery, shifting like a web of glowing threads that refused to stay still.
On the eleventh day, the System chimed:
[Mind Eye Comprehension: 4.3%]
[Maintenance Time: 12 seconds]
Raven rubbed his eyes. "At this rate… maybe a year or two until Radiant Wizard."
Zera's cold voice echoed.
[At your current speed, you need two hundred days just for Mind Eye. And ten other models remain. Realistically? A decade or two.]
"What? Two hundred days? I used Mind Eye and Instant Memorize nonstop!"
[That's why you'll need only a decade. Without your skills, with Low affinities? A century wouldn't be strange.]
Raven groaned. "What if I brew Intermediate Affinity potions?"
[Your success rate is barely one or two percent. Master Beginner potions first. Then attempt Adept Rank.]
"I have to wait years…" Bitterness crept across his face.
[That's why I made you an Alchemist. And you're forgetting something.]
Raven froze.
"…Mind of Insight. I didn't use it at all."
All his potions were already sent to auction.
He sighed. I'll have to wait for Jacob and Selene… and improve my practical experience.
He had theory equal to an Adept Alchemist—but not the hands-on practice.
Concocting Mind of Insight a hundred times increased my success rate by ten percent. I need more runs.
But before all that—
The Holmes Family problem comes first.
A knock at the door snapped him out of thought.
"Sir Jacob and Lady Selene have returned, My Lord!" Emanuel called.
Raven stood immediately, left the bedroom, and crossed the hallway toward the main hall.