"By the way, does anyone here know how marquess looks like?" one of the professors inquired while running toward the gate as several cars halted in front of them. They were just ten steps away from the gate, while the director had already caught up with them with his speed and was even outrunning them.
The question arose from the fact that no one had seen Marquess Avendial before, given that the laws of the free cities weren't applied to the Kingdom of Thaloris or the Royal Kingdom, making it impossible for just anyone to enter those countries without valid proof.
Therefore, no media permissions were granted for anyone to capture images or for reporters to write articles about what was happening in the Aristocracy.
It was as if all three countries had separate architectures, and the laws were too strict for any citizen to enter Thaloris or the Royal Kingdom without permission.
Moreover, it was impossible for Avendial Croceaus to visit free cities. Consequently, no media had ever published his photos because they were unable to capture his image.
"I know it!" Professor Rihane said as they all finally halted near the gate. She sprinted toward the car at the front, already recognizing the presence of silver and white hair visible through the car window, belonging to none other than Avendial Croceaus.
Naturally, while undergoing training with the Sertsul family, the programs were separated after one year of previous teachings. In those teachings, all the classes were solely focused on making women aware of their strengths.
For women who had no knowledge or talent, the first month involved learning how to use their bodies as weapons against others, followed by psychological manipulation, acting, and similar subjects.
A total of twelve classes were taught over the course of a year; each topic took one month.
At the end of the year, all the women received a probability list of their most fitting fields of expertise, which included categories of occupations such as seduction and quick decision-making.
Having a list mentioning occupations involving the sale of their bodies could easily be considered disgraceful. However, for a woman who was a rape victim or one who had experienced domestic violence with no support, this was often the only option available to them.
Even within those categories, there were subcategories where students were assessed based on their physical appearance and other tests conducted over an additional six months, providing them with exact occupation choices and scholarships to pursue those professions, including opportunities for graduation and work-from-home jobs, as well as those of courtesans.
The opportunities depended entirely on the student's capabilities, with those lacking talent, social skills, language proficiency, or even the mental capacity to understand things often being given the least favorable options. Nonetheless, most women were able to secure good lives.
In this context, Rihane was placed in the subcategory of mind tactics and geopolitical understandings. After a year, coupled with six months of focused study, she was able to gain insight into how the Royal Kingdom and the Aristocracy functioned.
She learned that each noble with a pure bloodline possessed signature physical traits, such as the main blood of the Sertsul family having golden eyes and black hair, while the Croceaus family, on the other hand, was characterized by silver-white hair and blue eyes.
Nonetheless, Aecilia felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing that Rihane had figured out she was the one who had recommended her, reassuring Aecilia that she hadn't chosen the wrong person.
'Where to find her,' Avendial, standing in front of the academy while observing a few of the students glancing in his direction, saw the expanse filled with several buildings and departments. This made him realize that it would be a hassle to search for a single person here.
Before turning toward Aecilia, he heard the conversation between those two women and then glanced toward the director and three other men who were bowing until now.
Naturally, he didn't recall seeing any of their faces, making him realize that either they had not survived the tower's first floor or must have never gotten a chance to meet him.
Hearing about the recommendation from that woman's mouth, he approached her before standing beside her while resting his hands in his pockets, inquiring of Aecilia, "What recommendation?"
Avendial's minor goal was also to collect talented individuals before the tower's arrival. Though of course, his priority was set on awakened individuals instead of normal ones. However, seeing how Aecilia herself had recommended this woman as military strategist, he became curious.
"I had recommended her as military strategist to Royal Kingdom due to her performance, Marquess," Aecilia casually relayed the information, standing and stealing a glance at Avendial and Rihane, noticing how Rihane's body slightly betrayed a hint of anxiety as she looked up at them.
"...Military?" Avendial had already heard her being recommended as military strategist, but to be truthful, in the present world where everything was peaceful, there wasn't any need for such a profession; it was just a position by name. But the value of this position would astronomically increase when the tower arrives.
Then the first floor was a battleground in itself, making Avendial glance toward Rihane. While though he hadn't ever seen her in a previous life, he decided for now to take her in.
"I will pay you ten times what the Royal Family offers. Join the Croceaus estate," Avendial, noticing how the CEOs and their assistants were also standing nearby while in conversation with the director and professor, directly offered a big deal in front of everyone to Rihane with two intents.
First was simply to secure her talent, and second, if she isn't of any help to him in the future, he could easily sell her back to the royal family at an extravagant price.
Given how this news of him hiring her on the spot with such a big offer would soon reach them through various people, the Royals would view his offer as an investment and automatically consider this woman to have potential talent.
So it wasn't a loss for him to offer her such an amount since he could simply sell her back for more profit.
"I would like to reject." Rihane lifted her hand and outright rejected.
"...."