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"So, how was your first day in the sect? Still unable to accept the fact that you are in?"

Once I was done with testing my skills, there was no other thing left for me to do but returning back home… Or rather the temporary lodging that I would strive to change for something more comfortable, spacious and private as soon as possible.

But there was one thing that I already knew that I would come to regret in this life, or at least in its beginning stages.

A lack of water.

While the place where I was originally born on earth was as far from the seas or huge lakes as it was remotely possible within the country, moving out to a silent cabin by the vast river and lake system in the central plains of the country was always my dream. I could say that to a point, I even managed to turn it true, by buying a small summer house near the shore with a bit of its own coast attached, where my greatest pride and joy was stationed.

A small, sailboat. While some would prefer to call it a yacht, given how abandoning the engine was the absolute first thing I did after passing the sailing course, I never liked this word. It was too connected to the plain reality of sailing that modern times brought to the craft.

I never got any money or other benefits out of it. It was something I did purely for the sake of my hobby, opting to spend most of my free time in the middle of a lake with a beer in hand while manning the entire ship just by myself. This tough, unrelenting challenge about nature, about something that could squash me without any noticeable effort, made me fell exhilarated.

But seeing how the entire area of the sect was devoid of literally any bodies of water, outside of a small stream that appeared at the outskirts of the lowest possible plane, I knew that this hobby of mine, that this method of relaxation that I cherished… would be now gone from my life!

"Deim…"

Instead of answering the teacher's inquiry, I allowed my thoughts to influence my words. Noticing the curious gaze of the powerful female in front of me, I had no other choice but to put those sad thoughts aside and focus on reality.

"Well, we are here to train and grow into proper adults, aren't we? While some might take it for the high time of their life, I personally believe that we will never get another chance for our future to be so simple, so orderly. That's why I personally can't wait to use this opportunity to the maximum."

With two skills of mine being heavily crafting oriented, the perspective of joining some kind of workshop seemed like the easiest way of establishing myself in this place. Compared to striving for greatness in a power-based struggle, becoming a popular craftsman would grant me favours and sympathy of everyone who I would help.

This way, not only I could earn enough money both for my living costs and the bottomless cash pit of cultivation resources that I could bet would appear in the near future, but I could also secure my back from any conflicts for the first place in the pecking order!

"It's… rare to find someone capable of seeing through the crux of this place. I think I can already tell that working with you will be a pleasure."

Behind this seemingly simple and innocent message, another information was hidden. Given how the woman said it openly, I had some serious doubts whether Rubia understood it.

"Either way, I will be taking the girl away now. Once I make sure she's nicely accommodating to her now room, I will come to fetch you. If you are that eager to start growing, it would be unbecoming of me as a teacher if I failed to provide you with the option to do so."

Hearing those words managed to instantly make me even happier than I was before. Right now, I felt like a kid three days before the Christmas, perfectly conscious about the fact that no amount of begging and asking would pull the date of the Christmas gifts anywhere closer than it would normally be. But suddenly, I learned that I might have the chance to open my metaphorical presents right away?

That was enough to make even a grown-up man like me way too happy!

"Respectable teacher… Would you be as kind as to give me two moments before departing?"

Suddenly, Rubia opened her mouth and made use of it for the very first time since I blackmailed her if we were to discount the moment when she gave me her name. Contrary to how she sounded when she attempted to confront me back at the grass-field during the selections, her voice now sounded weak, as if she suddenly turned explicitly shy.

"Sure, if you have something quick to do, I can wait for a moment."

Nodding her head, the teacher put one of her amicable smiles on, gently allowing the girl to do whatever was what she desired and what she failed to accomplish during all this time that I spent in the training room.

"Hey… Hmm… Pavlo…"

And now the secret of her laziness was explained. It wasn't that she was too inactive to do something, it's just my own actions caused Rubia to be unable to solve one of her challenges. With the uneasy smile on her face and stunned look in the teacher's pupils, I could already tell that my bet from before was about to fully pay for itself.

"Thank you… For helping me to get to the academy, for not showing any hostility despite how aggressively I went at you back then… Not only I'm sorry for my actions before, but once again, thank you for helping me out."

Now that this young girl was basically lowering her head to me, it seemed as if some kind of barrier fell down my eyes. No longer I perceived her from the perspective of her background that would easily make her a cliche opponent to overcome, but now I could see her as just a normal girl that put a lot of effort to achieve something and could see it almost sleeping from her hands. But instead of looking for some kind of reward or benefit from her current mentality, I made a different decision. Even though my criminal officer senses screamed at the sheer idea of ignoring such an opportunity, I was no longer bound by the expectations that came with my former job.

I no longer had any need or benefit from exploiting others to their limits. While it allowed me to achieve a lot, it ultimately ended with quite a lonely and confined life of mine later on, with no person to share my doubts or ideas with. That's why, instead of asking for something in return from Rubia, or going as infantile to try to woo her in her weak mental state, I simply placed my palm on top of her head and rustled her hair a bit.

"Don't worry about it. I just hate how this world is filled with stupid misunderstandings that could be avoided with just a single act of civil courage."

Letting go of the girl's soft head to make sure my actions wouldn't be taken in the wrong way by this young lass, I nodded my head to the teacher, gesturing that we were finished.

Dealing with the girls aside, I still couldn't wait to get my hands on the chance to join some crafting group!