Being targeted by demon schools wasn't good for Jinyo just starting combat paths. Plus Unknown possibly lurking around waiting for revenge moments. Trade monopoly contracts made with William gave Jinyo stable income but didn't get expected benefits. Various unfavorable things were like tests for him to overcome.

  Jinyo stepped on walkways. Creaking wood sounds followed footstep weight rhythms. Went into mansion depths that once were family treasure storage rooms. Peach blossom-shaped keys rotated unlocking internal mechanisms. Ton-weight iron doors pushed open with slight force. Musty moldy smells in pitch-dark rooms. Had pink lights shining at room centers. On sword display shelves, one sword sparkled colors. Magical auras through time. Family treasures praised as national treasures.

  Jinyo reached grabbing it to hold. Slender small swords were lightweight, easy swinging. Designed for agile thrusting and slashing until barely visible. Ancient swords developed advancing with current high technology. Family symbols once prosperous in history that only family leaders possessed.

  National treasures. One of supreme swords. Poet's Aria.

  [Poet's Aria Sword: Attack Power 400, Durability 300, Mental Damage 200, Flower Element +50%, Reduce planar usage +20%, Strength +20, Intelligence +20, Charm +40, Response +20, Bonus damage from sword techniques Song of a Hundred Flowers +55%, Increase Enchanted status chances +20%, Increase mental damage +30%

  When releasing Divine Punishment +200 attack power, Mental damage +500, Flower Element +150%, Song of a Hundred Flowers +100%, Enchanted status +40% (Conditions): Level 40, Knight Stage, planar Quality 400, Charm 400, Willpower 400]

  Jinyo stored swords into white scabbards. Still too early for him to draw swords' true power, but if facing Unknown again, swords made from rare minerals called Ether were weapons killing them, and he wouldn't let any Unknown destroy his life again. That night, Jinyo returned sleeping in mansion bedrooms since midnight. When morning arrived, bathed and dressed in suits. He organized attire most formally.

  Jinyo had Naho rent cars since yesterday. He was traveling to exam sites located far from home, nearly one hundred kilometers.

  "Brother Yo, I'm going too." Ryse ran clinging to Jinyo's shirt hems about to get in cars. Innocent eyes hoping she'd be taken along.

  "There's nothing interesting there."

  "I want to go."

  "Why? Fighting with Gretel?"

  "Gretel only reads books. Won't play games with me."

  "Mm, sorry. But I can't take you."

  "Why?"

  "Because I'll take Ryse tomorrow. Tomorrow must be fun days for sure. Does Ryse want boring days or fun days?"

  "Fun days."

  "Right? Going fun days must be better." Jinyo smiled at girls with gentle smiles. Jinyo alone couldn't divide focus caring for Ryse. This exam was very important because if missing this opportunity, must wait another month. Feet pressed accelerators, making cars dash onto roads. Left Ryse gripping fences watching Jinyo distancing. Girls bowed heads sulkily. Seemed unhappy being left. Had lingering hurt feelings. But already promised tomorrow would be taken along.

  Jinyo wasn't skilled car drivers. He spared three hours advance before reaching exam sites. It was training centers with areas wide as airports. Thousands of people from four cities in provinces gathered here. They carried pocketfuls of expectations joining teacher professions. In worlds where hunter professions earned abundantly, another popular profession was scholars and teachers.

  Scholars researched new things. Teachers taught knowledge to new generations, and nothing better than teaching techniques to new hunters. The more famous schools or academies, wealthy people were ready stuffing large money for descendants studying with famous teachers. Jinyo went submitting documents to officers and received exam admission cards. People sat reviewing books until final minutes filling walkways. He found quiet seats, picking [Plant Science] manuals to review.

  Tense atmospheres as if counting down to execution grounds. Whoever made sounds got more attention than anyone. Jinyo wasn't good at socializing and didn't like standing out. He just wanted enjoying times with best focus. Until he heard someone talking walking closer.

  "Can you believe it? Instead of hiring famous skilled teachers, why did you have to stubbornly come finding teachers for Lucy here too? People here are just inexperienced newcomers. How can they match our little Lucy?" Boastful arrogant voices. Familiar like Jinyo heard before. He didn't want turning to see what voice sources looked like. He didn't want times he immersed in focus swept away.

  "Lucy doesn't want being pressured by famous teachers. Coming finding enthusiastic new teachers with skills would be better. After Lucy recovers from excitement symptoms, can find famous teachers teaching later."

  "Don't need finding other distant people. We still have Noktis teaching, right?" That arrogant voice seemed turning talking to someone else nearby.

  "Right, hiring me settles matters. Because I'm confident myself being good teachers too." Men named Noktis volunteered.

  "Wait until you get highest exam scores before me, then I'll consider. Even if acquaintances, if not good enough teaching Lucy, I'm not interested. My younger sister's future is too important to gamble with people like you."

  "Gosh, come on, don't act like distant strangers. Noktis has skills. Got good scores during capital exams too. These countryside teachers have no ability competing anyway." That arrogant voice wasn't afraid creating enemies with everyone at exam sites. Voice sources walked closer to Jinyo every moment, and he hoped voice owners would walk past not noticing him. But seemed unlucky it wasn't like that.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Oh." Arrogant voice owners stopped before chairs Jinyo sat.

  "You! Botanists coming as math teachers." Arrogant voices targeted Jinyo. He looked up seeing voice owners' faces, remembered immediately. This man's name was Joden. Sons of benefactor teachers giving Jinyo jobs. Tutoring school owners squeezing Jinyo to resign from work. Jinyo didn't think between us would orbit meeting this soon. No feelings except coldness not wanting involvement anymore.

  "Hello."

  "Heard you're looking for work, right? Seeing past friendship once dedicating to Father's schools, I'll hire you again. How about it? Not bad, right?" Joden spoke inviting. Both gazes and tones confident Jinyo must have no way refusing. His tutoring schools were very famous in Erich Chester city where any teachers wanted working here; parents trusted sending descendants studying. Jobless Jinyo anyway must grab prey swiftly. But Joden had to be mistaken.

  "No thanks."

  "Hm? Why? Botanists no one hiring like you just having jobs is already lucky. Oh, or think you'll pass teacher professional license exams? Haha, dreaming sweetly a bit. Trash without cultivation power like you teaching anyone? Don't make me laugh to death would be better." Words like not filtering thoughts slipped from Joden's mouth nonstop. It targeted Jinyo who remained calm-faced. This man days ago looked down on him abundantly saying botanists but crossed lines teaching mathematics. Though not majors graduated directly, Jinyo had confidence in his skills and teaching.

  "Stop dreaming and return teaching at schools. Salary matters negotiable."

  "Thank you for inviting, but I have my own goals."

  "Your goals are passing professional license exams? Stop daydreaming would be better. I'll agree giving salaries equal to what Father paid. Or if not enough, I have year-end bonuses too." Joden didn't give up until Jinyo was confused why this man wanted him returning to work that much. If not because teacher mercy and Jinyo's desperate straits, no way going working as special tutors. His goals were being botanists or returning to fight again. Being math teachers never was Jinyo's intention from the start.

  He was having futures and endless possibilities. Though paths full of obstacles, that's fine. Jinyo swore to himself wouldn't become servants for anyone looking down on. Especially with profession career lines he loved.

  "Sorry, but you're disturbing our reading." Jinyo's tone was cold. Many gazes stabbed at Joden. Hatred and dissatisfaction like thousands of needles targeting Joden especially. Joden's face flushed crimson looking at Jinyo with angry gazes. If gazes changed to knives, would've pierced Jinyo's guts countless times. Dared refusing him before hundreds. Made him embarrassed before important friends.

  Don't think it'll end easily.

  "I bothered offering good choices to you but you refused. Let me tell you, no educational institutions in Erich Chester will welcome you! Even if you pass professional license exams, no one dares hiring you anyway!"

  "Hey, Joden." Noktis came grabbing shoulders, seeing Joden starting losing nuts too much already.

  "Joden." Another friend looking prestigious raised hands covering foreheads. He was coming helping stopping before matters escalated more. Jinyo hearing words from Joden's mouth didn't feel frightened. But deep inside only had regrets.

  "Teachers in heaven must be crying for sure."

  "What?"

  "Teachers must give all students equal opportunities. Have merciful generous hearts. Just me refusing once, you intended destroying my profession future. People like you have no qualifications being masters teachers. That tutoring school can exist without me. But if owners like you have such attitudes, sooner or later it must lose names someday."

  "Shut up, you incapable person! Not real teachers, forcing teaching students. If not Father's mercy, who'd hire failures like you? Just wait. I'll use all connections trampling you underground. How dare countryside bumpkins like you raise voices at me?"

  "Though I have no professional licenses, I'm still better teachers than you. I'm not afraid of you. You're just dogs passing barking howling on my life paths. On days I succeed, you'll be left behind. Not even in my biographies."

  "You bastard!"

  "Joden, don't cause trouble would be better. Here are exam sites." Sven spoke firmly. When young men beside started having dissatisfied tones, Joden started calming emotions. He flicked feet walking away from Jinyo, not wanting looking back at faces. If he continued stubbornly, would be lowering his own dignity. Noktis followed behind him, but Sven still stopped before Jinyo.

  "You too. Just bowing heads refusing onwards wouldn't need creating enemies unnecessarily. Not clever at all."

  "I know. At first, I intended doing that. But hearts couldn't stand it." Jinyo clenched fists tight. That man squeezing him to resign was still tolerable. But declaring destroying education industry futures made him unacceptable. It was like trampling paths he tried throughout. When people with such attitudes took over tutoring schools, Jinyo didn't want accepting.

  Sven walked disappearing following Noktis and Joden. Left Jinyo with turbulent emotions calming focus on technique manuals.

  "Hey you, awesome!" Men beside gave Jinyo thumbs up.

  "!??" Jinyo didn't understand but raised thumbs up back at him.

  Ended up standing out!

  Jinyo learned from friends sitting beside that Sven Noktis were young masters from famous families in neighboring cities. Joden and Noktis were among exam takers for teacher professional licenses for teaching combat techniques. Joden planned opening academies as businesses alongside tutoring schools. Because income from combat technique academies better than tutoring schools. More respectable. Had chances closer to high society in big cities.

  Tutoring schools created scholars. Academies created warriors. Joden's ambitions wanting covering Erich Chester city education industries were very scary. Had people wanting working with him but many opposing him. He studied and trained in capitals, making him look down on teachers growing from countryside.

  Other teachers still had to save Joden's face but Jinyo didn't. He planned opening academies himself. Didn't need bowing heads begging anyone accepting him working. Jinyo also had human dignity. When exam times started, exam takers gradually entered sitting at positions. Small computers projected hundreds of multiple-choice exam questions.

  Multiple-choice exams tested how much teachers knew rules regulations. Jinyo clicked answering without pressures at all. He read books many hours daily in advance, barely sleeping for these times. He wasn't men liking standing out. But humble modesty results were being looked down on by others. Jinyo wanted being brothers younger sisters were proud of. Fathers children must respect. And charming men. People not letting anyone easily pressing heads again.

  Joden's insults changed his attitudes. Jinyo intended scoring highest possible.

  Hundreds of multiple-choice questions got checked in less than an hour.

  Then computers displayed sword technique movement motions.

  [State mistakes this swordsman made and correction methods]

  "..." Essay exams were things testing teacher potential. Teachers must see flaws and guide correct paths to students. Teacher professional license difficulties weren't in hundreds of multiple choices but in just a few essays. Things that even reading manuals across months years wouldn't help. Hundreds of thousands had to return home empty-handed because of these essay exams.

  Jinyo watched on-screen movements repeatedly. Typed flaws including guiding correct training methods. He didn't utilize Eye of the Sage. Eye of the Sage specified flaws and granted perfect guidance, true. But exams like this had fixed answer patterns. Answers from Eye of the Sage, though correct, unlikely getting good scores. Jinyo must answer questions how examiners liked.

  Funny, because Joden should only know Jinyo was jobless botanists coming teaching mathematics to father's tutoring schools. He probably never checked histories that Jinyo graduated with PhDs since age 24. Plus was doctors graduated from foreign universities. Superior to Joden who graduated from capital universities.