Just like the Blacksmithing Class, the Pill Creation class did not take place in the auditorium. The students were notified earlier on to gather before the teleportation tower.

The instructor was once again an unfamiliar face. A short and round man who looked like he is in his mid-fifties, though as practitioners, one can’t tell without having special methods. After all, there are people over a millennium old, but still trying to pick up cute girls…

“Hi class, I’m San Du Hou…”

When he introduced himself, Kairos’ group instantly perk their ears up.

“Where have I heard this name before?”

“Was it last year?”

“… or you may know me as the Head of Logistics,” the instructor finished.

“OH! It’s the last of the trio head instructors!”

“Looks like they are really demoted…,” Kairos sighed. He had this guess when he first saw Yi De during the Combat Classes, following that is Er Tian during Blacksmithing, and now even San Du Hou.

The instructor did not seem to recognise who they are until he saw the names of the five at the top of the class list.

“Ah, these famous kids are in my class? Hmmm, let’s see let’s see… exempted from attendance taking… yes, I remembered being told that. Medical leave for Tommy…. Hmm, when is this boy coming back? I hope he is recovering well, at least.

Okay, it looks like the four of them are here at least. Let’s begin roll call.”

Without mentioning their names – since they are exempted anyway - the instructor ensured that everyone is present and not late. The punishment for not being on time is harsh. A direct zero for whatever grade today’s class entails.

It cannot be helped, after all, being late on a battlefield might mean the death of fellow soldiers. As a military academy, the consequence for tarrying is severe, and even more so for those who did not turn up. They will be punished according to missing-in-action regulations during wartime.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that special treatment that the five boys roused plenty of dissatisfaction from the others, but, any complaints were suppressed by the Principal.

Now that Kairos had soured the relationship with Gai, he had half-expected their advantage to be taken away, however, the current circumstances proved that nothing had changed.

“Looks like the Fifth Prince is smarter than I supposed. Maybe he had realised that taking away what he gifted will make he appear petty, especially for something inconsequential like coming and going to class as we like?”

Granted, without meeting Prince Duncedord even once, it is difficult to say, but since they can continue to enjoy the privileges, there are no reason to hesitate.

Others may claim one should not take benefits without doing any work, but Kairos disagree.

Life is never fair, and it could not be fair, and he knows that well. The world is built upon people taking advantage of people. Those that profit hire those that profit less in the name of mutual gain, but in truth, it is only a pretty lie. If what was earned by a business is split equally by those that put in work, then the boss should be taking much less while workers should be getting in the same ratio as what they put in.

Surely, one may argue that leadership can make or break a company, true as it sounds, but Kairos have experienced that as much as his inputs and decisions are important, it loses all meaning if there are no one fighting by his side. In the end, thinking of a good direction and ushering his team towards it is easy with his abilities.

Therefore, he prioritises what are before his eyes, and that includes the special rights to skip or come late to class. A small benefit that neither affects the academy nor the empire, yet its advantages cannot be understated for his group. Whatever repayment that the Fifth Prince wish to exact from them in the future, he welcomes it to come and have a go.

After taking roll call, San Du Hou promptly led his class into the teleportation tower. This time, their destination is in one of the three medical gorges owned by the Steel Rose Family.

When they arrived, they saw two large pillars, one on either side of the entrance to the gorge. Both were covered from top to bottom with complex-looking inscription engravings.

In front of the pillars were two large lion head statues with ferocious visage faced the students. They are the famous guardian statues that will activate when intruders are detected.

When activated, while the pillars form a barrier to bar entrance, the two lion statues will awake and kill their enemies.

Seeing how well-protected this place is, only made Kairos look forward to the spirit herbs within the gorge.

San Du Hou gathered his class once more to brief them on today’s exercise, “Your task today is a test on how much you had learned so far in picking out herbs. It will be separated into three parts.”

After a brief pause, the instructor continued, “The first phase, you will be given some pills which have to identify its components. Once you found the spirit herbs it is made from the second phase is to look for them in their natural growing spots within the gorge.

In the third and final phase, you need to extract the plant parts properly. Be very careful, because whatever you harvest today will be your ingredient for pill making in the next lesson.”

“Say, what?” Jim whispered urgently. The five of them had not learned anything at all. True, they had missed a lesson or two… but throwing them right into a test, isn’t that too unfair?

“Heh heh… Look at how scared you are. You need to prepare beforehand as I did,” Edward said boastfully.

“No way, you must’ve crammed for this this morning…,” Alan frowned. Like Jim, he did not study either.

“Definitely not. I am just more diligent.”

The archer almost broke his elbow trying to pat himself on the back, but at this time a crystal—like voice cut into their conversation, “Hi Ed.~”

A smile broke out on his face, and his expression became almost demure.

A short moment later, the owner of the voice, a beautiful girl that shone like the sun, walked over surrounded by a small group of friends.

The guys around her stared daggers at the archer without reserve. Unfortunately, all their “visual attacks” bounced off the dumbstruck boy. With his head in another dimension, even if the sky fell on him, he wouldn’t have noticed.

“Ho Luci…ette…,” the archer stuttered a little while later. It was impressive how he managed to stammer so badly without biting off his tongue.

“Remember I told you to call me Luci?” the girl pouted, with her arms planted on her sides.

“Lu…,” Edward began but chocked half-way and started coughing.

The faces of the girl’s admirers turned black like a thunderstorm and they gave him an expression saying, “Don’t you dare!” or, “Kid, do you want to die!? I’ll help you right now!”

Unfortunately, in his tunnel-vision there are no one else in this place except her.

“…Lu… Luu… Luci,” he finished after feeling like his heart had almost stopped. Calling each other using nicknames? With a goddess like her? That… that’s too unbelievable… too thrilling…! He has finally grown into a splendid adult. Now he can die as a real man!

“That’s good! Hehe. Don’t forget it next time, okay? Ah, did you remember to revise for this as I told you?”

“I… I… Yes!”

“And you didn’t tell us?!!” Kairos, Alan, and Jim shouted at the same time.

Betrayed! They had been betrayed by their brother for a girl!

“No…noo… I…”

Luciette quickly understood what happened with a glance: The three boys had not studied for this class at all. After all, she is an heir of a famous war strategists producing clan, being able to tell this much was expected.

“Don’t blame Ed., he must have been distracted by that nasty Blue Blood group…”

“Impossible,” Kairos shook his head confidently.

“That’s too unlikely,” Jim made a face at Edward.

“Positive that he was distracted by something else…,” Alan added.

“Don’t call her, something!” Edward suddenly yelled, pointing at Luciette, then his hand started shivering as he realised what he had said.

“Ah… no… I…,” he quickly retracted his arm and started looking around uneasily.

Luciette’s admirers started smirking.

“Hah! You’ve gone and done yourself in. Now she will despise you!”

“Betraying your own friends. Lady Luciette hates people like that, the most!”

“Good! That saved us the effort.”

“We’ve started following her first, and had spent countless hours trying to make her happy. You think you can just waltz over and cut in front of us? Dream on, and serve you right!”

“We know her much better than you, kid. And, even we don’t dare to let her know our feelings. Let’s see how our goddess will tear you apart now, haha!”

Those boys that stuck to her had admired her every smile and nuances from a distance. But, at the same time, they felt dismayed that she seemed purely enjoying their friendship and nothing else.

Because of this, there were rumours among the girls that she was taking advantage of the boys with her looks, but when some girls who also admired her also struck a conversation, they quickly found out that she is naturally friendly to everyone.

She was so approachable that all the rumours soon disappeared and her followers become one of the largest group in the year. Even those that had joined another group adored her.

But, one rumour was not dispelled.

And, that is, the White Snow clan is exceptionally doting on Luciette. Any boy that tried to take advantage of her Will.Not.Be.Spared!

However, in response to Edward’s words, her fans became thunderstruck. Luciette actually blushed when she heard of the archer’s confession.

No matter what the others think, she is still an inexperienced young girl whose only experience of love is what her parents had shown her. Her idea of romance is limited to those books she secretly read at night when her parents, and grandparents were asleep.

When she realised that Edward had just quietly revealed that he was indeed distracted by her, she gave a loud ‘uuwaaaa’ cry, then turned tail and ran.

In the middle of escaping, she did not forget to help Edward out, and with stuttering tongue she declared anxiously, “I… I… bumped into Ed. by coincidence, so I invited him to study with me… It, it... probably means he didn’t have the time to tell you. Wah!!...”

Sadly, she stopped after running around aimlessly in a few seconds. Despite wishing to go back home, in reality the furtherest she could retreat to was only the other side of class.

Watching her trying to hide herself, Edward’s friends stared at him with accusatory glares. The boy must’ve been reminiscing their study date and forgot to tell the rest.

In Edward’s defence, it wasn’t that he did not want to let them know. Truly, the number of things that happened recently were far too intense and packed one after another that they hardly have time.

He had met Luciette briefly before the Blacksmithing class when she pointed out what are the possible pills they will be tested on.

At that time, Kairos was away with Relestia meeting with Lord Yue.

It was during that period that they had to fend off the attacks from the Blue Blood and because of they were studying together, Luciette helped out the Snowdrifts quite a bit.

After that when they were swarmed by the cave trolls in the mining tunnels, Edward had already forgotten about this exam.

“Edtrayer!” Alan said childishly, combining Edward’s new nickname with ‘betrayer’.

“Edtraitor,” Jim added in.

“Edbandoned,” Kairos pointed at Luciette who is now avoiding him.

Edward felt terrible. Luciette’s friends are giving him the death stare, his friends thought he had chosen a girl over them, and now Luciette might no longer talk to him.

Don’t worry Ed. Ed.~ She tried to help you before she left, you still have hope. Hehe~

“Really?!”

Of course, Aisa is a girl too~ Trust me.

This is the first time Aisa had directly held a conversation with him. Usually, she would just send her voice into his head without a way to reply. But, Edward almost fainted.

Her deduction that gave him a glimmer of hope came from the fact that Luciette and Aisa are both females but thinking through it, the only thing similar is their gender. How could an ancient Primordial Dragon understand a 13 year old human girl?