The Heisenling Mountains are exceptionally cold in winter. The wind and snow blowing from the Beiman Mountains are like a bucket of white paint that paints the dirty Heisenling Collegiate white.
In a dilapidated wooden house with drafts on all sides on the outskirts of Hesse Territory, Richard wrapped himself tightly in a single layer of clothes and curled up in the hay to reduce heat loss.
"Shh... It's so cold. So pretentious... As a time traveler, I'm really living a shameless life."
A month ago, Richard came into this world because of a traffic accident and became the son of Old Richard, a farmer under the rule of Baron Hesse.
Old Richard was a drunkard. Under the care of his drunkard father, Richard suffered from hunger and beatings every day.
What's even more tragic is that due to long-term malnutrition, Richard's frail body couldn't even resist.
Fortunately, the drunkard is dead now.
But the bad news was that the drunkard had exchanged all the family's valuables for cheap liquor, and Richard had eaten up the last grain of food in the house a day ago.
Cold, hungry, and with the injuries from a drunkard who froze to death in the snow three days ago, Richard huddled in the haystack, feeling like he was about to ascend to heaven.
"I can't sleep, I absolutely can't sleep! You are a time traveler with a golden finger, how can you fall down in a place like this!" Richard forced himself to keep his eyes open and kept encouraging himself in his heart.
Yes, the time-traveling Richard actually does have a golden finger.
When he traveled through time and space to become little Richard, he discovered that there was a furnace deep in his soul.
But Richard never knew what this furnace could do.
But no matter what its function was, it gave Richard a glimmer of hope at this time.
For a drowning person, a straw is a ray of hope.
Knock, knock, knock!
In a trance, Richard seemed to hear a knock on the door.
Who would visit in such a cold weather?
Bang!
Seeing no response, the person outside kicked the door open.
"Old Richard, are you still alive?"
Richard suddenly regained consciousness and struggled to stand up from the hay.
He recognized the voice. The person who came in was the territory's affairs officer, Mr. Ellison, the chief steward of the Hesse Territory.
"Sir, my father froze to death two days ago, but I'm still alive. Leave whatever you need to me."
The territory's affairs officer is an important figure, and he would never come to a farmer's house in person for no reason.
This is an opportunity!
"Oh, you are Little Richard, right?"
Mr. Ellison looked at Richard with a frown, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and covered his nose with it.
But it's not his fault, because Richard looks really bad now.
His long hair, which had not been taken care of for a long time, hung in clumps on his head, his face was dirty, his clothes were covered with dirt, and his wounds had turned black and rotten due to lack of treatment.
Compared to Richard, the tramps were handsome, neat and tidy.
"I am little Richard, sir." Richard forced himself to do a half bow.
It was said that Mr. Ellison was a man of great courtesy, and that he would never tire of enjoining proper etiquette upon even the dumbest peasant.
Now Richard hoped the rumor was true.
Looking at Richard bowing, a hint of surprise flashed in the officer's eyes.
Having dealt with the untouchables for many years, he was no longer surprised by their impoliteness. Although he often corrected their etiquette, he had actually become numb to the issue.
The minds of the untouchables are naturally unable to remember the etiquette of the nobility.
But the fact that the child in front of him was still able to salute when he was about to freeze to death undoubtedly touched his heart.
A nobleman could not lose his manners even in death, and he saw a trace of aristocratic spirit in Richard.
"Good boy, it's good that you're still alive. Come with me and do whatever I ask you to do later." Mr. Ellison said gently.
"Yes, sir."
Walking out of the wooden house, thick clouds covered the entire sky, like a curtain blocking the cheapest source of heat for the poor - the sun.
A cold wind blew and Richard shivered with cold.
Richard was only wearing a single layer of clothing, and in the face of the cold wind, that little clothing was almost the same as having nothing at all.
"Damn it, guard! Take your clothes off! Quickly!"
Seeing Richard's look, Mr. Ellison frowned, turned around and ordered the soldiers following him to take off their cotton coats.
The soldier who received the order froze in his face. It was unreasonable to ask him to take off his clothes for a smelly pariah in such cold weather.
"Sir, if one is missing, then so be it. The territory is so large, and who knows how many children the wizard has." The soldier who was given the order muttered.
"Shut up! Don't use your little cleverness to guess the wisdom of the wizard!"
When Mr. Ellison heard the soldier mention wizards, his face changed suddenly and he immediately scolded the soldier.
"If I hear you say that again, you'll be hanged! Take off your clothes right now and put them on the child!"
But it may be said unintentionally, but it may be listened to intentionally.
Richard, who was standing aside, was shocked when he heard the word "wizard".
wizard!
There is magic in this world!
Richard had inquired about the supernatural news when he came to this world, but the Hesse Territory was remote and his identity was very low. After inquiring, he found nothing except rural ghost stories.
But now it seems that supernatural powers should exist in this world.
Richard put on the cotton coat, which carried the soldier's body temperature and made him feel much more comfortable instantly.
The soldier's outspokenness certainly destroyed the good mood the officer had gotten from Richard. He spoke loudly to Richard with a gloomy face.
"Put on your clothes and get moving! The wizard is impatient and we all have to die!"
Following the officer into the carriage, Richard soon arrived at the Baron's castle in the center of the territory.
The castle hall was dim, with torches stuck on the wall and the stove in the center of the hall providing light for the entire hall.
In the center of the hall, hundreds of children, rich and poor, gathered together, quietly waiting for the wizard deep in the hall to speak.
"Master Wizard, Master Baron, all the children between the ages of twelve and fifteen in the territory are here."
The officer reported to the back of the hall, and in the back of the hall, a figure in a black robe and a tricorn hat slowly stood up.
"Hehehe! You guys in Heisen Territory have too few children, Delis."
Beside him, Richard saw the fat Baron of Hesse with a flattering look on his face, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Yes, sir. The harvests have not been very good in the past two years, and many untouchables have starved to death."
"That won't do." The black-robed wizard patted Baron Hesse, causing the baron to shudder.
"The academy needs children of the right age to enroll. If I don't have enough children, the academy will punish me."
"But I don't want to be punished."
"So if I come to Hesse Territory next time and you still have so few children...
Just wait to become a maggot and eat shit in the toilet for the rest of your life!"
The wizard's tone became heavier and heavier, and in the end, his words, which sounded almost like the roar of a wild beast, made the entire hall fall silent.
"Very good." The black-robed wizard turned to look at the children in the hall, "The hall has become quiet now."
"Now, you all line up and come to me one by one for the test.
Don't make me say this a second time."
After hearing the wizard's words, the children in the hall immediately lined up.
They may not know how powerful wizards are, but after looking at Baron Hesse's pale face even without powder, any child knows what to do next.
Richard was standing in the middle of the group of children, right at the bend of the line, with a view that allowed him to see the black-robed wizard deep in the hall.
Richard saw the wizard take out a crystal ball from under his black robe, and then asked the child to put his hand on it. Then the crystal ball lit up slightly, and the wizard announced the test results.
"Spiritual strength nine points, unqualified, next one."
"Spiritual strength eight points, unqualified."
"Spiritual strength seven points, unqualified."
"Ten points of mental strength, push the line. Stand behind me."
"Spiritual strength is nine points, not qualified."
…
The test went quickly and soon it was Richard's turn.
"Unqualified, next one."
The child in front of Richard walked aside, and Richard walked up to the wizard nervously.
As he got closer, Richard finally saw the face hidden by the shadow of the cocked hat.
Unexpectedly, the wizard's appearance was not scary. He had gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a pair of monocles in front of his deep eye sockets.
Overall, the face even looks kind.
But for some reason, Richard's body began to tremble unconsciously when he stood in front of him.
It felt like prey meeting a predator!
"Put your hand on the crystal ball."
"Yes, Master Wizard."
Richard nervously placed his hand on the crystal ball and silently waited for his fate.
Whether to freeze to death in the broken house or follow the wizard depends on this one move.
Light gradually appeared in the crystal ball, and something like an electric current flowed from the crystal ball along his arm into Richard's body.
This force circulated through Richard's body and eventually entered Richard's brain.
At the same time, the furnace deep within Richard's soul seemed to be awakened by power.
A message came from the furnace.
[Miracle Furnace is now open]
At the same time, the black-robed wizard also announced Richard's test results.
"Spiritual strength 15 points, passed!"