"Help me, help me, help me... Kill me!!!"
"Ah!"
Saul jolted upright, gasping for breath.
"You’re awake, sir?" a boy quickly scrambled up from the floor and rushed to Saul’s side.
"George?" Saul recognized him as the boy who had slept on his right side in the dormitory.
In that communal sleeping hall, George was the only one who had shown Saul any semblance of kindness.
When Saul first arrived in this world, he only had scattered memories from the body’s original owner. It was George who had quietly whispered all kinds of useful information about the Wizard Tower to him.
But, fearing he’d be bullied too if caught talking to Saul, George had always kept his distance in front of others.
Now, George wore a fawning smile and held up a bowl of soup.
"Sir, are you hungry? Would you like me to serve you?"Saul pushed the soup away, "No need. I’m not hungry. What time is it? How long have I been unconscious?"
"You were out for about an hour. It’s around eight now… maybe a little past eight," George replied, turning to glance at the sandglass clock on the wall, squinting to read the time.
Saul followed his gaze and finally noticed the room he was in was a single-occupancy bedroom.
A wooden bed about five feet wide, two long desks, two high-back chairs, and a bookshelf that took up an entire wall (though it was completely empty) made up the entirety of the room’s furnishings.
On the wall hung a blue sandglass clock with time markers. The sand had just passed the 8 o’clock mark.
"This is… a wizard apprentice’s room? I passed the test?" A warm wave of relief surged from Saul’s chest and spread through his entire body.
Excitement, joy, and the feeling of having narrowly escaped death brought a goofy grin to his face.
"Hehehe..."
Seeing Saul smile, George quickly joined in, "Congratulations, sir!"
Realizing he’d lost his composure, Saul quickly reined in his expression and coughed twice.
"George, why are you here?"
George instantly dropped to his knees. "Sir, the butler told me to come care for you."
After Saul passed out, the butler had sent him to this vacant room on the sixth floor and had allowed George, who volunteered to look after him until he woke.
Saul fell into thought.
Since I’ve been placed in a wizard apprentice’s room, that should mean they’ve accepted me as one of them. But odds are, my magical aptitude is still very low. If I can’t find a way to improve it, I might stay a first-rank apprentice my whole life.
He’d fainted and managed to skip the magic aptitude test, but that also meant he had no idea what his true talent level was.
He’d have to find time to secretly test it himself.
The excitement of becoming an apprentice mixed with the anxiety about the difficult path ahead left Saul feeling conflicted.
After a moment, he exhaled, then noticed George was still kneeling there, eyes full of anticipation.
"Uh… George, you can get up."
"Sir!" George finally spoke up once Saul had returned to his senses. "Please allow me to be your personal servant!"
"Personal servant?" Saul had no memory of such a concept.
George cast a nervous glance at Saul’s left hand, the skeletal one, and quickly averted his eyes.
"Yes, sir. I’ve seen other wizard apprentices assign personal servants to handle their daily needs. If you take me in, I swear I’ll serve you loyally."
Seeing Saul hesitate, George crawled closer and lowered his voice.
"Sir, I could be your eyes and ears… I can watch Brown for you."
Brown? That boy who had been bullying him?
"Sir, I noticed Brown was summoned by someone twice after you got hurt and passed out. After that, he got even more arrogant. He’s even riled the others up against you. They’ve now made you solely responsible for cleaning the hallways at dawn, a job we used to rotate."
Saul’s pupils shrank.
So the boys weren’t just bullying him for fun, but someone had ordered it?
The skeletal hand hidden in his sleeve slowly clenched into a fist.
Someone wants me dead.
Seeing Saul’s expression change, George knew his intel had hit the mark and quickly added, "Sir, I can investigate who’s behind Brown!"
But Saul shook his head without much thought.
"No. Don’t do anything yet," he said after a short pause. "Just keep an eye on Brown’s daily actions, but don’t take any initiative. As for the personal servant thing… I’ll ask the butler once everything stabilizes."
George looked a little disappointed but quickly perked back up. He straightened his posture and declared, "Understood, sir! If you ever need me, just summon me. George will gladly lay down his life for you!"
He was just a twelve-year-old boy, full of earnest loyalty and fiery devotion.
Saul didn’t take such grandiose words seriously. He waved his hand to dismiss George, then asked, "Do you know what apprentices are supposed to do next?"
George looked puzzled and shook his head.
Makes sense. He’d only been called here recently and couldn’t be expected to know everything.
Not wanting George to attract too much attention, Saul sent him back first. Then, he began pacing the room, trying to find anything useful.
He’d passed out during the testing, so he probably missed a lot of important information.
The room was small, nothing compared to Kongsha’s room. Aside frothe m basic necessities, everything else was empty.
Under the desk, Saul found some blank scrolls and an ink-absorbing pen.
That meant they were allowed to study.
He hugged the two items to his chest and smiled again, lips pressed tight.
My days as a disposable servant are finally over.
I don’t have to wake up every morning wondering how I’ll die.
A bright future felt within reach.
He knew his innate talent wasn’t great but just being alive and accepted as a first-rank apprentice was a miracle.
"Even if I never advance, I’m happy to stay a beginner until I die of old age."
Knock knock!
Someone was at the door.
Saul adjusted his expression and hurried to open it.
The person outside looked familiar, she was one of the two who had tested just before him.
A freckled girl with braided hair, wearing a simple blue dress and carrying a stiff canvas shoulder bag.
"I saw your servant leave and figured you must be awake, so I came to say hello," she said with a completely flat expression. Her head bobbed slightly with each word. "My name is Keli. I live next door, room 603."
Coming to greet someone should have been a warm gesture, but her cold demeanor made it feel off.
"Hello, I’m Saul."
Keli eyed the scroll and pen in his arms and gave a small, approving nod.
"I came to find you for two reasons. First, you have high mental aptitude, while I have high magical aptitude. Talented people should walk together."
Saul’s mouth twitched slightly.
"Second, you’re the only one from the last batch who passed the test and survived."
Saul’s heart sank at her words.
So it was true that all those who failed the test… had died.
If you lack talent, even opportunity becomes a curse.
"I noticed your clothing is the same as the Tower servants’, so I figured you were one of the tested servants. For a servant to become an apprentice, your willpower must be quite strong."
Though Keli was giving him compliments, Saul couldn’t understand why they didn’t feel good at all.
"That’s all. Those are my reasons for wanting to get along with you."
Saul really wanted to ask, "Then why should I want to get along with you?"
But he held his tongue.
(End of Chapter)