Taking his first step and immediately being seen through, Hudson couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

  Indeed, the world was full of sharp-eyed people. Fortunately, he realized it early—otherwise, he would have suffered greatly in the future.

  Perhaps mistaking Hudson's prolonged silence for discouragement, Baron Redman offered some comfort: "Don't be disheartened. For someone your age, reaching this level is quite impressive.

  In truth, no matter how brilliant a performance, it can't deceive those who are truly observant. Most of the time, people simply choose to py along.

  There's nothing wrong with wanting to use this incident to build your reputation, but stepping on Lesuer so harshly was too much. After all, he is still your brother."

  For any father, sibling rivalry was a cruel thing.

  Though Baron Redman had punished Lesuer severely, it was out of frustration, not malice. Deep down, he still cared for his son.

  After a pause, Hudson hesitated and asked, "But Father, didn’t you say that a proper noble must always strive to maximize benefits?

  Lesuer not only has poor character but is also hopelessly foolish. Allowing such a person into noble circles would only bring shame to the family. I’m merely making the best use of a bad situation."

  Being kind to an enemy was being cruel to oneself. Though the hatred belonged to the original host, since Hudson had inherited his identity, he had to inherit that hatred as well.

  Outright destruction was too much, and Baron Redman would never agree to it. So, Hudson decided to cut off Lesuer’s future instead.

  With this incident, Lesuer's prospects were already tarnished. It would be difficult for him to regain his footing in noble society.

  By further cementing his disgrace, Hudson ensured that Lesuer’s reputation remained in ruins. No noble wanted to associate with someone dishonored, especially one without a title or merit of their own.

  Unless Lesuer was some hidden prodigy, rising to the pinnacle of the continent, his fate was already sealed. But that was nearly impossible. The limited household resources were divided among many siblings, and even a genius could be squandered over time. Lesuer, however, was no genius to begin with.

  Perhaps feeling provoked, Baron Redman stared at Hudson for a long moment before finally saying, "Hudson, your perspective is far too extreme. These are not thoughts someone your age should have.

  There’s nothing wrong with being pragmatic, but you must learn to control that pragmatism. You cannot lose yourself in it.

  In the world of nobility, there is no right or wrong—only gains and losses. But there are many clever people in this world, and often, excessive cleverness leads to downfall. You must learn patience and how to conceal your sharpness.

  Alright, you may leave now. Go read the books in the library first, then come back to reflect on this matter."

  With that, Baron Redman turned and left, leaving a bewildered Hudson standing there, unsure whether to ugh or cry.

  His earlier words had merely been a calcuted act, a way to reinforce his position. The scheme against Lesuer was simply taking advantage of an opportunity.

  Given their already strained retionship, if he didn't retaliate after such an incident, it would surely raise suspicions. After all, he was only a sixteen-year-old boy.

  "Patience" and "hiding sharpness"? Of course, he knew that. If not for the fear of drawing too much attention due to drastic changes in behavior, he would have stayed low-key forever.

  Ambition must be built on a foundation of strength. Having lived two lives, Hudson hadn’t gained many advantages, but he had learned adaptability.

  Without a golden finger (cheat ability) to rely on, he was just an ordinary person with some extra memories. In this dog-eat-dog world, how could he afford to be reckless?

  If not for the fact that the original host was an academic failure who hated reading, he would have already visited the library. Baron Redman’s order provided the perfect excuse.

  Following the vague memories in his mind, Hudson entered the "library," only to be quickly disappointed. The imagined mountains of books were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were only carefully preserved parchment scrolls.

  For a moment, Hudson even considered the idea of making paper to get rich. However, this impractical thought was quickly dismissed.

  Not only was the paper-making process complex and beyond his limited knowledge, but more importantly, his position as a noble required him to consider things from the perspective of the nobility.

  The invention of paper would lower the cost of spreading knowledge, benefiting cultural dissemination. But was that something the noble css needed?

  The answer was clearly: No.

  Parchment, with its high production costs and inefficiency in spreading knowledge, had its drawbacks. But from another perspective, these were also its advantages.

  For the nobility, knowledge was best kept monopolized. The higher the cost of spreading knowledge, the easier it was to maintain that monopoly and, in turn, their rule.

  As a beneficiary of this system, betraying his own css was out of the question. No amount of money was worth risking his life over.

  Picking up a scroll on the general history of the continent, Hudson began reading with interest. Unfortunately, much of the content was vague and glossed over, with many details based on hearsay.

  There was no helping it. Though the Coslow family had a thousand-year history, they were still a minor noble house with no ability to gather comprehensive information about the entire continent.

  Hudson believed the primary reason the family had survived this long was their fertility. Just look at Baron Redman—the Coslow family had always been exceptionally gifted in procreation.

  Thanks to this family tradition, aside from the eldest son inheriting the family estate, the other sons were sent out into the world upon adulthood with a set of knight’s equipment and a few attendants to make their own way.

  This harsh survival model was the best way to temper individuals. Though many family members fell along the way, a few lucky ones managed to rise through military achievements or noble marriages, earning titles of their own.

  Over generations, the number of minor nobles bearing the Coslow family name had grown significantly, making them one of the most populous families in the empire.

  Greater numbers didn’t necessarily mean greater strength, but they certainly improved survival chances. Even if one branch died out, others would quickly fill the gap, preventing the tragedy of losing territory due to a ck of heirs.

  Following this model, the Coslow family could slowly expand their influence. Even without producing any particurly outstanding individuals, they would eventually rise to prominence.

  Of course, this was assuming their fertility rate remained high. In a world frequently ravaged by war, no one knew whether tomorrow or disaster would come first. A single war could wipe out a thousand years of accumuted progress.