I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Back home, Richard laid the two items out on the table.

He took the evil eye amulet first.

The blue eyes were almost blind from old age, but the ether still had a little bit left.

Richard held it in his hand, and the wisp of ethereal energy slowly flowed into the panel.

[Available Points] Start climbing from 2.02.

It was indeed a defective product. The stock of amulets was limited, and they ran out at 2.39.

Richard only put down the amulet after the wisp of ether he had completely broken.

Once this stuff is completely drained, the eye that "looked back" will probably really go blind.

Next up is the Naga Armlet.

This one is thoroughly marinated and the marinating process is quick.

However, the amount of ether itself is not much. If there were a vast amount of ether that could be seen by the naked eye, it would probably have been intercepted by the auction house long ago.

2.39...2.51...2.65...

When it reached 2.73, that wisp of ether also faded away.

Richard stopped, not squeezing it all out.

Available points: 2.73

Two defective products contributed a total of 0.71, which is not bad; it's better than nothing.

The progress bar for [Sleeping] at level 2 is already over 90% complete; the progress bar for [Eating] at level 2 is about the same.

These two items should be maxed out next week, allowing me to unlock the [Wild Sleep] and [Filter] traits.

[Perception] It has seen the most dramatic rise recently.

In the past six months, through my winter break internship, following that expert who shouldn't be misled, and unsealing the seal with Professor Mortimer, I have rapidly improved my perception simply by "seeing" and "hearing".

At this rate, I'm afraid I'll have to reach level two before I can even walk.

Richard estimated that by the time he started his summer training program in June, his [Perception] skill might reach level three.

Once we get to the capital, we need to find a way to acquire one or two more rare items.

If he had any extra points, he planned to expand his [Spirit Appearance] skill.

[Lingrong] Ten points of pure ether are the most stable source for nurturing the Sphinx lamp;

Once fully charged, it can serve as an emergency resource during fieldwork.

After using it for the past six months, he has come to realize the preciousness of these ten points of pure ether.

He doesn't plan to use this one point right now.

Expanding the [Spirit Appearance] slot will have to wait until all the skill upgrades are completed before it can be arranged, so its priority is relatively low.

Richard put the two strange objects into the drawer.

The aging eye of the Evil Eye Amulet and the sweating coiled serpent of the Naga Armlet can both become his research materials in the future.

Once my divination skills improve further, I might be able to reconstruct the original "eye for an eye" reflection structure from the amulet.

The sky outside the window darkened again, and a few raindrops pattered on the windowpane.

Richard blew out the gas lamp.

………………

On the third Saturday of May, Richard went to Dawn's house for the last time to give Tom a lesson.

When he arrived, Tom was already waiting in the study.

The boy sat at his desk, his back ramrod straight.

Two assignments were spread out on the table, the handwriting much neater than it had been six months ago.

"Look, sir." Tom pushed the notebook over, puffing out his chest.

"I've memorized all the verb conjugations for the third declension."

I memorized all three tenses: amo, amas, amat... all the way to amant.

Richard scanned the area thoroughly but found no mistakes.

After finishing his classes for the day, he began to explain his purpose.

"Tom, starting tomorrow, I may not be able to come to your classes anymore."

Tom looked up, his face full of confusion.

"...Why?"

"I'm going to the capital." Richard replied, "To go to university."

"So... after you finish university, will you come back?"

Richard did not answer.

The path my aunt took, from preparatory courses, undergraduate programs, and graduate programs at Imperial University to teaching assistants and lecturers, takes at least six years to graduate.

Further on, he still had an even longer, more endless road to walk behind the curtain.

Even if I return to Briston, I probably won't stay long.

"I don't know," he told the truth. "Maybe, maybe not."

Tom clutched the booklet tightly in his hand.

"Then...who will teach me Latin from now on?"

"Mrs. Dawn will hire another gentleman for you."

"I don't want any other gentleman," the boy said in a muffled voice.

"Other teachers just make me memorize the declension tables, and if I can't, they make me copy them down. But you..."

He lowered his head before finishing his sentence.

Richard looked at the twelve-year-old child.

Six months ago, Tom was a troublemaker who walked barefoot on the carpet, hid a slingshot behind his back, and drove away three tutors.

Six months later, he sat at his desk and, for the first time, tasted the bitterness of loss because of the teacher's departure.

After the last class, Dawn's family hosted a thank-you dinner for the teacher.

The table was very generously set.

Roasted lamb leg, cream soup, a whole glistening trout, and roasted potatoes sprinkled with thyme, made by Mrs. Dawn herself.

Mr. Dawn, who had been elusive for the past six months, was also there. The two exchanged a few pleasantries and that was it.

Tom sat down next to Richard and stopped making a fuss, quietly picking at the food on his plate.

Richard's "Eating" skill has reached level 2, and he can even enjoy the blandest food.

This table of exquisite dishes further whetted his appetite.

Mrs. Dawn watched him lick the plates one after another, and the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out.

"Being able to eat is a blessing." She gave Richard a large piece of trout.

"You've visibly gotten much stronger in the last six months. When you first came back, you were as skinny as a stick."

"The vegetables at your house are nourishing," Richard replied honestly.

Halfway through the meal, Tom suddenly held up his fork and asked:

"Sir, will you still be able to eat such good food in the capital?"

"The food in the capital is more elaborate."

Richard recalled the dinner party at Ashford's mansion.

"The names are getting longer and longer, like 'Provençal Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket with Parmesan Cheese Crisps' and such."

"That long?" Tom's eyes widened.

"The longer the name, the more expensive it is," Richard said seriously. "So expensive that you can't even pronounce its full name."

Mrs. Dawn burst out laughing.

After the meal, the servants cleared the table.

Mr. Dawn left Richard alone at the restaurant.

He was a burly middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard.

The man poured himself and Richard each a glass of port wine, then pushed one of the glasses toward Richard.

"Try it."

"This is a new arrival this year. You're still young, so just take a small sip as a token gesture."

Richard picked up his glass, took a small sip, and didn't drink much more.

"Tom, you little rascal." Mr. Dawn leaned back in his chair.

"My husband and I have gone through a lot of trouble. We've had three different husbands, and they all left us because they were angry. I was about to give up."

You've been here for only six months and you've brought him back to the right path; I really have to thank you for that.

"Tom is just clever."

Mr. Dawn waved his hand.

There are many smart children, but few teachers who can get them to sit down and listen.

He took a sip of his drink and got down to business.

"I heard from Charlotte that you're going to the capital for university preparatory courses this fall."

"Um."

"Respectable universities are all very expensive," Mr. Dawn said, looking at him.

"Tuition fees, accommodation, books, clothing... everything costs money in a place like the capital."

"With all due respect, I'm afraid your family is struggling financially."

Richard didn't respond; he didn't know where Mr. Dawn was leading him.

"I have a suggestion," Mr. Dawn said, setting down his glass.

"Our family is willing to sponsor your education, from preparatory courses to graduate school, and I will cover all expenses."

Richard's hand, which was holding the wine glass, stopped.

"Mr. Dawn, this..."

"Let me finish what I have to say first," Mr. Dawn said, raising his hand to gesture for silence.

"There's no such thing as free money in this world, and I won't hide anything from you. There will definitely be conditions for my assistance."

"What are the conditions?"

Mr. Dawn leaned forward.

"Besides running a freight business, I also work in the paper industry, Dawn Paper Industry," he introduced his business.

"I have a few friends working under me who all own factories and do business."

I would like to ask you to use your pen in the future to "say some good things" for us.

Richard listened silently.

"A well-written essay, a piece of writing that will be remembered."

"It's more effective than me spending a thousand pounds to log into Google."

I've read your article about dockworkers several times.

My friends who own factories also read it, and after reading it, they all felt a tightness in the back of their necks.

He pointed at Richard.

"That's skill. I'm willing to pay for your pen from now on."

The restaurant was quiet for a moment. Then the firewood in the fireplace crackled.

Richard weighed the suggestion in his mind.

The Dawn family is not short of money; sponsoring his education is just a drop in the ocean for them.

The price is the endless stream of "good things" he'll have to say in the future.

From a businessman's perspective, this deal is very worthwhile.

"What do you think of my suggestion?"

Richard put down his wine glass.

"Mr. Dawn, I appreciate your kindness. But I cannot accept this money."

Mr. Dawn's smile remained unchanged: "Why?"

"There are several reasons," Richard said, listing them one by one.

"Tom is a funny boy, Charlotte is cheerful, and you and your wife have been kind to me as well."

I've had a very comfortable time attending these classes for the past six months, and I don't want money to turn this friendship into a purely employment relationship.

Mr. Dawn didn't speak, but listened quietly.

"Besides, I don't need the money right now," Richard continued.

"I still have some of the prize money from the Cicero Cup, and I've also saved some from tutoring fees and royalties."

Although expenses in the capital are high, my maternal grandfather can help me out.

"Those are all minor matters; the most important thing is the third one."

"you say."

Richard looked into the other person's eyes:

"As you said, my article about handymen makes people feel stiff in the back of their necks."

Why does it make people tense? Because it doesn't speak for anyone, nor does it hide anything for anyone.

It laid out the whole story exactly as it was.

"Once a pen is bought..."

"It is no longer a 'signboard' or a 'target'."

It's just a tool, and tools are discarded once they're used up.

Richard recalled what Mrs. Dawn had told him a few days ago and picked it up on a whim.

"The lady told me last time..."

"When writing, you either stop completely or keep writing. Stopping in the middle is the most dangerous thing."

Richard spoke slowly, word by word:

"The reason my pen is still worth something is because it doesn't speak for anyone; it's an independent pen."

If it starts speaking up for people, then it's worthless.

Mr. Dawn stared at Richard for a long time, his eyes full of admiration.

"Great! What a wonderful 'independent pen'!"

Richard was somewhat surprised; he had expected Mr. Dawn to be at least a little disappointed and unhappy.

"You think I'd be angry?" Mr. Dawn shook his head with a smile.

"Kid, I have a good eye for people. I didn't expect you to agree when I brought this up."

"A man who can write that kind of article." Mr. Dawn raised his glass.

"If he were willing to speak well of others for money, he would never be able to write that kind of article."

"How about this?" Mr. Dawn said, looking at Richard.

"If I have any paper or connections that you might need."

"Just ask, I won't keep a record, I don't want any money. Consider it a gift from me to make you my friend."

Richard felt a warmth in his heart.

"That boy Tom," Mr. Dawn added.

"If you have time to go back to Briston in the future, I would like to ask you to give him some pointers."

This is considered a favor, not employment.

"Okay." Richard nodded solemnly.

Mr. Dawn leaned back in his chair.

"Alright, I'll have the driver take you home."