[Congratulations! Host has reached Level 1 in Etiquette.]
Wow... that answer was truly perfect.
Despite the notification, Sam felt a wave of misery. He had spent nearly two weeks and hadn't managed to level up anything except his Etiquette—and only to Level 1. Due to the system's penalty, he had been barred from receiving his rewards related to Clara for five days. To make matters worse, his rewards had been altered, forcing him to acquire the "Fire Queen's Technique," which felt utterly useless to him at the moment.
After hours of lecturing, Alissa finally finished. She leaned against the desk, looking at her audience, which had grown from three to five people. She bowed to them with a smile and exited the room.
Sam cracked his neck and stood up. He walked over to a mirror, tied his hair back, and put on a pair of circular glasses. In an instant, his appearance transformed; he looked remarkably more handsome. He had been wanting to try this look for a while but didn't want to stand up and distract Alissa during her lecture.
As Clara's session—a weekly class called "Magic Dynamics"—came to an end, Sam finally made his move. Following the schedule, the next session was mass combat training in the academy's open grounds.
All the students of Class 1-C were gathered in the arena. It was time for the Martial Arts class.
Sam retreated to a distant bench, isolated in a state of solitude. He was facing a void of idleness that seemed impossible to fill; he couldn't imagine enduring this every single day. So, quite simply, he headed toward the collection of strange training equipment nearby.
There were swords, spears, arrows, and gauntlets—almost everything.
He cast a gaze over the rows of gear, unsure if he was even allowed to touch them. His eyes settled on a pair of heavy-weighted boots and some weighted straps. He considered taking them to test his current speed under added weight.
As he drew closer to the weights and heavy boots, one of the instructors noticed him immediately.
"Hey, you there! Who are you? Are you a servant?"
Sam turned, fixing his gaze on a slender man dressed in impeccably tailored clothes, wearing trousers of an elegant Italian-style cut.
"Yes, I am a personal attendant here," Sam replied. "My mistress is currently in the session over there, and since I cannot draw closer to watch and there isn't a good vantage point, I was looking around. I apologize; I shall return to my place."
In his past life, Sam had learned a vital lesson from drama films: never mess with those in high positions. Even in his line of work, he always had to maintain boundaries with directors and producers. And this man appeared dignified—a professor, at the very least.
"Wait, wait... You don't look like the athletic type," the man said. "Why would a servant like you want to handle these things? Don't get me wrong—I'm not being biased—but you look like someone completely unfamiliar with these tools, and you might end up hurting yourself."
Sam immediately replied with the first thought that came to his mind: "Well, it's just boredom... I have no real desire to put myself in harm's way. Just forget I asked."
As Sam finally tried to walk away, the man spoke again. "Well, I didn't say you couldn't use them. They're simply spare or outdated equipment kept here. You could say they're just 'decor' in this vast arena. You may use them."
Sam felt a surge of genuine joy. Finally, he had found something to kill the time. He thanked the man, who walked away a short distance but then suddenly stopped, turning back to watch Sam intently.
This made Sam tense, but he didn't let it shake him. He simply proceeded with what he had intended to do: testing the boots, adding the weights, and taking a light run to get a feel for the extra load.
Sam practically scorched the track, completing a full lap. Although his pace was uneven and interrupted, it was enough to prove one thing: he could indeed force his Endurance stats to climb through pure, grueling effort.
[System Notification: Endurance has increased! 6 —> 8]
[Character Status Window]
Name: Sam Wells
Race: Ordinary Human (Male)
Age: 23
Profession: Servant (Smorgoth Duchy)
Height: 163 cm
Master(s): Clara Smorgoth (SSS+) / Sarah Smorgoth (SS+)
[Attributes]
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 55
Adaptability: 32
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 155
Free Points: 0
[Core Skills]
(Cooking): Locked (Does not meet Level 1 requirements)
(Etiquette): Level 1 (Beginner)
(Cleaning): Level 1 (Beginner)
(Tea Ceremony): Locked (Does not meet Level 1 requirements)
(Flattery/Sycophancy): Level 6 (Talented)
(Creativity): Level 10 (Talented)
[System Inventory]
Technique Book: The Optimal Servant (Original Limited Edition)
Mana Absorption Technique for Servants
Fire Queen's Mana Absorption Technique
His status had clearly evolved since his first day. Even though his stats couldn't even compare to the lowest-ranking student in this elite academy... they were starting to serve their purpose.
Mid-workout, a memory flashed through his mind... He had vowed to Monart that he would record everything, acting as a secret spy to funnel information. So far, he hadn't lifted a finger to fulfill that deal.
He decided to shift his focus for now. It was time to start calculating exactly what kind of "information" he would send back later to keep the charade going.
It seemed quite funny as he thought about it. But when he opened the Academy students' chat group, the messages were non-stop.
Even though it was a public chat, it contained nothing but strictly serious topics related to academic matters.
As for what Sam was looking for, he would likely find it in the specialized secret groups; however, he didn't need any of that.
He would review the matter at another time. He shifted his gaze to look at Clara, who was in the martial arts class.
Despite the distance, it wasn't a big deal for Sam. There was half an hour left until this session ended.
Just as he was about to return to completing his exercise...
"Excuse me... but who is your master?"
It was the same elegant man again, asking him after approaching once more.
"It is Clara... Clara Smorgoth."
Sam did not yet know what this man's intention was.
"But you are not Monart... are you substitute"
"Monart has been dismissed... so yes, I am his replacement."
The man was utterly astonished as he looked down at the short Sam standing before him.
"How are you his replacement? Is there some mistake, or did you end up here by accident?"
Sam waved his hand, sighing as he contemplated his miserable situation.
"Yes, yes, you could say that. I don't even know what brought me here in the first place. What I want to know is—who are you?"
While waiting for the man's response, Edmund suddenly appeared, looking radiant in his perfectly tailored academy uniform, looking every bit like a fashion model.
When Sam and Edmund noticed each other, Edmund smiled and greeted him.
"Look who we have here. Good morning, Sam. Why are you standing here all alone? Most of the attendants decided to leave a while ago; why are you still here?"
Sam's expression soured upon noticing Edmund. Although the red flags were clearly visible, one couldn't be entirely certain.
Edmund had shown nothing but friendliness since their meeting in the car yesterday. Sam didn't know when this "hero" would finally reveal his treachery.
"I am working, regardless," Sam replied. "I receive a salary, so I must stay until the end of the school day."
Edmund broke into a wide grin.
"I expect you were planning many things here but couldn't figure out where to start."
True... Sam had believed that once he entered the academy with Clara, his journey to control the academy's corners would begin.
Edmund noticed the elegant man standing with Sam, and a hint of surprise flashed across his features.
"Professor Jeff, what are you doing here?"
Jeff Landred was a research scholar in Soul Magic, known for preferring to spend his time alone. But it seemed the rumors were true.
"Professor Jeff, what do you think about coming with us to observe Lady Hero Marianne's class?"
This professor was an admirer of the famous retired hero, Antoinette Marianne. Honestly, she was beautiful in everyone's eyes.
In Edmund's mind, if he could make Professor Jeff impress Professor Marianne, the professor would owe him a favor.
Thus, he dragged Sam and Professor Jeff along with him to the martial arts class area. Edmund was there after finishing his classes early, primarily searching for Professor Jeff, but since Sam was there, he decided to take him along as well.
In the midst of this, Clara and some of the students noticed their approach from a distance. When they reached Professor Marianne, she instructed the class to ignore them.
Clara was the one least able to ignore them. Sam with Edmund was a disaster. The last time they met, Edmund was so enraged that he could have killed Sam, yet here they were, walking together as if nothing had happened at all.