The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing
Chapter 40 Lister Ansu's Wisdom Far Surpasses My Own

Someone's grandchild has screwed me over.

This was An Su's first reaction upon getting the newspaper.

But soon, he slowly came to realize: Could it be that someone was impersonating Kavensis?

Regrettably, An Su wasn't the only one slowly sniffing out the scheme.

Who was the first to come out, who was the second, who was the third.

Understanding this order would clarify everything.

Country folk from the borderlands do have a keen intuition.

Arthur took a while to react, but his intelligent brain finally had an epiphany, looking at An Su with quite a resentful expression;

In response, Lister stared at Arthur with the same look of resentment—and An Su glanced at Lister with a bit of distaste: You'd even bully a pregnant husband?

"What a despicable guy, using the same tactic as me."—they thought to themselves.

The three of them eyed each other, watching back and forth for a while, the air as if it had frozen. The warm sunlight outside streamed into the room, and the shadow of the tree on the balcony shifted with the light.

"How about this," An Su broke the silence, "we call it even between us?"

"Only your name hasn't been impersonated,"

Lister pushed up his glasses, his gaze glinting coldly, "Call what even?"

"Kavensis and I share a life-and-death bond."

An Su replied unfazed, "Using his name is essentially the same as using mine."

Life-and-death bond, I'm born, you die.

An Su is born, Kavensis dies, so it is a life-and-death bond.

"Still, it doesn't cancel out."

Arthur stared at An Su.

His handsome face was full of constipation, and the carefree, unrestrained smile also couldn't be maintained. Just thinking about what awaited him when he got home made him shiver all over.

They had lost only their reputation—An Su hadn't even lost that, while he himself was about to lose his life!

"You took the money, didn't you, you took the money yesterday, Brother Su."

Arthur's gaze at An Su was full of resentment, "Didn't we agree that you were going to help me pass the exam?"

He would never trust a fellow countryman again.

What does taking the money mean—the way these barbarians from another world speak is so crude, it wasn't money, but a progress fund.

"So, you're sure you failed?" An Su asked.

"I did complete the multiple-choice questions." Arthur responded.

That definitely meant he had failed.

"What about you?" An Su then turned his gaze to Lister.

"Hmph," Lister elegantly pushed up his glasses, his voice confident and graceful,

"The goddess will favor me."

This guy is a goner too.

An Su made a conclusion about these two in his heart.

He paused, and began to think.

According to the original story's plot, Arthur was a goner as well.

With the written exam accounting for thirty percent of the grade, to pass, the scores in the next two tests had to be very high: and with Arthur's talent all allocated to knighthood, his performance in the next two exams was a disaster in the making.

But after all, Arthur was a key character, and in accordance with the popular narrative style of downfall before rising, this was the downfall phase: After failing the exam, Arthur was cast out from his home, but fortune came from misfortune, and a year later, at his lowest, he encountered an opportunity, eventually achieving a turnaround.

So, if he, the saint, passed, the opportunity wouldn't fall on Arthur anymore.

It would be his.

An Su's face revealed a contemplative look as he first glanced at Arthur, only to see the lad was all muscle, tall and strong, naturally gifted in martial arts, his body brimming with the power of valor.

He glanced at Lister and saw that this fellow remained calm and elegant, with incredibly thick skin, refusing to admit that he had failed the examination to this very moment. One could say he was persistently shameless.

Most importantly, neither of them were of high moral standing.

These two sleeping dragons and young phoenixes... could be of help in tomorrow's examination for me.

No, more than just helpful!

Gradually, a preliminary idea formed in An Su's mind, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but reveal a radiant smile—he found this quite interesting.

"What are your exam numbers?" An Su asked.

"I am number 59," Arthur had no clue why An Su was asking this.

"This one is number 60," someone declared.

An Su was 61... it looked like the three of them from the frontier had been grouped together.

Did the examiner intend to vanquish them all at once?

"I have a method," An Su said calmly, a smile on his lips, "that can help us all pass the Church's test."

I will be the last one to appear...

If the plan goes well, I might not even need to take the exam.

Arthur jerked his head up, looking at An Su like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline, filled with eagerness and anticipation, yet he quickly shook his head and said suspiciously,

"Brother An Su, you wouldn't set me up, would you?"

"I never set up anyone," An Su replied kindly, the azure in his eyes reflecting the pure white light.

All three of them had deceptive appearances: Arthur had a casual and free-spirited image, like a sunny and confident noble son, while Lister looked cool and graceful, like a learned and talented scholar gentleman.

As for An Su, he seemed delicate and clean, tilting his head slightly as his gray-white hair fell along with the sunshine from the window, like the innocent big boy next door.

Arthur decided to trust his fellow countryman one more time,

"Alright, if Brother An Su can really save me this time,"

he said as if making up his mind, "I, Arthur Sunny, swear on the goddess, I will truly acknowledge Brother An Su as the leader!"

"What about you?" An Su turned his head towards Lister.

"I shan't agree," Lister replied coolly; he was a restrained and proud noble, "I won't recognize a noble who fails to meet the standards of 'realization' and 'will'."

Lister was a noble of high status, and he did not permit himself to indulge in lowly deeds—deeds unworthy of his proud spirit.

Like, for instance, reading and reviewing books.

"My plan,"

An Su paused, his elbows resting on the desk, his slender fingers interlaced and supporting his chin, "requires 'realization' and 'will' to complete the trial."

"Do you have that realization?"

Sunlight streamed in, split into shadows by the window mullions, dividing light and dark across both sides of the desk.

Lister could clearly sense a change in An Su's aura: the open and cheerful big boy from before had disappeared, and a frightening atmosphere began to emanate from him.

"Gentlemen, are you willing to listen to my plan?"

Lister always felt that whatever An Su was about to say would be terrifying.

Ten minutes later.

Lister's gaze towards An Su had completely changed—he clearly felt that this man before him was far superior in taste and breeding, and that refined gentlemanly spirit deeply touched Lister.

Just as An Su had said,

—Only the most noble spirit, the most unyielding determination, and the most elegant and proud soul, could accomplish this grand plan.

Who else if not me?

"Brother An Su, I pledge my support to you," Lister said seriously to An Su, "For the great cause, I am ready."

"Big Boss An Su," Arthur said with his hands clasped in a fist salute, "same for me."