Chapter 92
Attendance at the graduation ceremony of the Royal Capital Academy is generally not mandatory for students.
However, there are very few activities within the academy. Large-scale events are often linked to trials and competitions. Naturally, the students are very enthusiastic about such a large event that doesn't require competition or challenging various monsters.
However, the students attending the graduation ceremony had mixed feelings.
Although the Royal Capital Academy is large, apart from the areas for sightseeing, there is basically no empty space. The youngest of the graduating students in Sylvan's year is probably Sylvan himself, while the oldest has been at the Royal Capital Academy for seven years and is old enough to stay on as a teacher after graduation.
This top-tier academy on the continent of Icarus is practically another society, a society where the vast majority of people are nobles.
However, there are some differences. No matter how powerful the students are, they are still absolutely subordinate to the deans. Even the most distinguished students must respect the deans.
We're not cavemen; we're all from families. If you can't even respect others, what's the difference between you and savages? Not to mention the dean, even the teachers rarely get offended by students.
The entrance exam for the Royal Capital Academy is enough to stop a bunch of brainless people.
They appear glamorous in public, but what they are like in private is hard to say. However, overall, the students of Wangdu Academy are of a very high standard.
The annual graduation ceremony is highly anticipated. The graduating students are all at the age of starting their own families and careers. Although it is called a graduation ceremony, the scene is more like a large banquet, with people clinking glasses, trying to get close to each other, having good family ties, sharing the same views on politics, having had good relationships with each other in the Royal Academy, and a group of relatives with connections.
Sylvain and Veris arrived early, but instead of going directly to the ceremony square, they headed towards the Agate Building where the deans were gathered.
Today, other students can have a day off, but they cannot leave the Royal Capital Academy. They can make their own arrangements or go to watch the ceremony. All the deans have to attend, so there's no time for classes. It's better to give these students a day off.
Inside the Agate Building, the deans were all busy with their own tasks.
Those who were prepared in advance were already sitting on the sidelines chatting, while those who weren't prepared were starting to panic.
"My jeweled sash! Who took it from me!" Copperfield wailed in the room where the Dean's robes were kept.
"Don't worry, Copperfield! We won't laugh at you for not fastening your belt!" someone shouted from outside, drawing a burst of laughter.
The dean's formal attire consisted of an overcoat and some decorations, which could be easily slipped on. Copperfield ran out wearing the oversized overcoat, asked Felix for a rope, and casually tied it around his waist.
That's right, his belt is also gone.
Copperfield suspected someone had stolen his things and suspiciously looked at the others sitting to the side.
“The sash of the magic academy and the dean’s sash look quite similar.” Finney calmly took a sip of water.
Copperfield turned and went to find Soldas.
He rushed outside, only to bump into two people coming this way.
The two people were talking and didn't seem to notice him.
Copperfield's body acted before his brain; he turned around and came back.
The person sitting inside asked him, "Weren't you going to see the dean? Why are you back?"
"The Holy Son is here, I'd better run out the back door!" Copperfield ran towards the right-hand back door without hesitation.
With just one sentence, the deans who were drinking tea and eating almost choked. They quickly got up to tidy up their things. Finney cast a cleaning spell, and the debris and trash on the ground disappeared instantly.
Just then, a few people walked in through the back door on the left. Dean Soldas, holding a sash, looked inside and asked in surprise, "Huh? Where's Copperfield? Wasn't he just here?"
“He went to find you,” Riveren, who was closer to the left back door, told him.
"What?" Just as Soldas finished speaking, a voice came from the front door, and Sylvain walked in.
The room fell silent instantly. The deans sat upright, and almost everyone present was a believer. They should have stood up to greet the Holy Son of the Church, but this was the Royal Capital Academy.
More importantly, the Pope also issued an order that within the academy, the deans and teachers need not bow to His Holiness the Holy Son.
But the order was directed at the others, and Archbishops like Rivelen, Fekris, and Finney would certainly have to greet His Holiness the Holy Son, since they were working under Sylvain while serving at the Royal Academy.
The Holy Son won't make things difficult for them, but a certain Pope might not.
Alas, His Holiness the Holy Son is now a paragon of virtue, as for the Pope... let's not even talk about him!
Back when the Holy Son was studying at the Royal Academy, he usually followed Copperfield's subordinates. Although he surpassed Copperfield in less than three months, cough cough, let's not talk about that for now. The Pope was far away in some unknown corner, harassing Copperfield every day.
—Won't anyone bully my Sylvain?
—Copperfield, why don't you go with him?
—What should I do if those nobles give Sylvain the cold shoulder?
—I know there are a few stubborn teachers at the magic academy, so please don't assign Sylvain to one of them!
—Copperfield, why didn't you write me a report today?
Soldas watched helplessly as his good friend Copperfield seemed to age ten years in just three months. Why only three months? Because after three months, Copperfield realized he had nothing left to teach Sylvain. He was filled with mixed emotions.
Such a genius! No wonder he's the Pope's student. I haven't seen such an outstanding magician in three hundred years.
The Pope's ability to act unreasonably is quite torturous. If he knew they really considered him Sylvain's teacher, who knows how he would turn on him.
Sylvain was unaware of their thoughts, and even if he knew, he wouldn't feel anything; perhaps he would even be secretly pleased.
He came here to retrieve his graduation records.
Everyone's graduation files were sealed away, except for a few senior students who had already secured teaching positions at the university; the rest were Sylvain's files. Each person also had to submit a graduation summary, in duplicate: one copy for their advisor and one sealed in their graduation file.
Sylvain didn't submit his graduation summary, so it can't be sealed—let His Holiness the Pope seal it himself!
Soldas looked serious. He had just left not only to tidy his clothes, but also to retrieve Sylvain's graduation file.
The vice president next to him quickly took it and gave it to Sylvain.
He even asked, "Will the Holy Son also be attending today's ceremony?"
Soldas glared at him.
Sylvain took the light box and nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, Dean Frost."
The room fell silent again, then a panting, exasperated voice broke the stillness: "Damn it! Soldars! Give me back my sash!"
Soldas, who was standing not far from the right-hand back door, immediately ran over, raised the sash, and swung it hard. The jeweled sash hit Copperfield on the head as he rushed in, causing Copperfield to cry out in pain.
He pulled off his sash, while Soldas stood to the side, looking completely indifferent.
When he turned his head again, he saw that everyone in the room was looking at him, including the Holy Son Sylvain.
Copperfield: "..."
Sylvain kindly reminded him, pointing to his forehead: "Copperfield, your forehead is swollen."
Someone is trying not to laugh.
Copperfield dared not speak out in anger, and could only silently cast a healing spell on himself.
Sylvain got his things, turned around and left. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Veris waiting for him on the small rooftop at the corner not far away.
What's glaring is that there are other people there too.
A young man, his face flushed with embarrassment, struck up a conversation with Veris.
Sylvain's face instantly turned cold. He strode over and heard the man's stammering words as he approached. He sneered inwardly.
His figure was conspicuous, and the young student spotted him immediately. Veris also turned around, a hint of impatience still lingering in his eyes.
Upon seeing Sylvain, his impatience vanished instantly, and he smiled, a smile completely different from his previous indifference.
Sylvan walked over, and Veris, without even glancing at the young student, approached him and took the light box from his hand: "Why is it so light? I'll lock it for you after you finish writing." The graduation records of the Royal Academy are sealed with a special spell, a spell invented by Veris himself.
The young man took his hand, his fingers slipping between his own, and whispered, "I haven't participated in any research activities, so I don't have much data."
The two walked away side by side, passing the small rooftop. Sylvain glanced sideways, his cold look reflecting the young student's pale face.
Once they were out of sight, Veris explained, "He must have been a student who came to report on his progress. He came over to talk to me, and I asked him whose student he was. Before he could say, you arrived."
Taking your anger out on others is not advisable, but you can scare them a little.
Veris didn't take it to heart, glanced at Sylvain's file box, and then used spatial magic to stuff it inside.
Soldas probably assumed Sylvain wouldn't attend the ceremony, so he prepared in advance. He only picked up this thing from the Agate Building after the ceremony.
Sylvain pursed his lips, glanced at Veris again, and suddenly felt regret. He should have let Veris appear as a mentor and stroll around the ceremony; who knows how many people would have noticed Veris...
The expression on his face was so obvious that Veris could tell what he was thinking. She couldn't help but laugh at him: "When I said we were going to go public with our relationship, you remembered what other people thought. But when I came with you, you didn't think of that at all."
Sylvain: "..."
Veris patted the back of his hand: "It's just a short trip over there. Lortheran is coming today too."
This time it was Sylvain's turn to be stunned: "What's he doing here?"
“Generally, the King can attend the graduation ceremony, but Charles’ health wasn’t very good at the time. Although the Royal Academy was safe, there was no guarantee that other problems wouldn’t arise on the way. Considering the King’s safety, Charles stopped attending the graduation ceremony about seven or eight years ago,” Veris explained.
“Now that Lortheran is in power, he’ll definitely come to join in the fun. Back when the Royal Academy was first built, he was carried along just to make it happen, jokingly saying he wanted to absorb the life force of these young people.” A hint of nostalgia flashed in Veris’s eyes.
As they talked, the ceremony square was not far away. Unlike the large square from that day, this ceremony square was located inside the Royal Capital Academy, between the Magic Academy and the Beast Taming Academy.
There were already quite a few people there. Once the ceremony officially began, everyone went inside the auditorium to take their seats.
Of course, the area where a group of people had gathered was also particularly eye-catching.
Veris and Sylvain came from the Agate Building and could see the fenced-off side. For a moment, the two fell silent.
Although the king's entourage was reduced several times, the scene of the king's lieutenants lining both sides to form a path was all too familiar. A group of young people stood there enthusiastically. They had never seen the new king's face before, and if they could make the king remember them in this short time... the cheers grew even louder.
Lortheran wore a smile, a crown on his head, and a magnificent robe. His young and handsome face was striking. Anyone who had dealt with royalty could see the resemblance between Lortheran and the royals. He appeared calm, but it was easy to see that his every move was completely unaccustomed to his surroundings, as he nodded to the left and right.
The accompanying secretary, who served King Charles and later His Majesty Lord Lortheran IX, was not young either, and to be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen such a scene.
His Majesty the VIII was known for his composure and low-key demeanor, while His Majesty the IX was the complete opposite.
Like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, it headed towards the auditorium, all dressed in its finest attire.
Veris: "He has so much energy."
Sylvain: "..."
Veris said seriously, "If we get caught, I will absolutely deny knowing him."
Once Lortheran's large entourage had disappeared from the Great Hall, the students who had been surrounding him dispersed in twos and threes, discussing the King's true appearance or actions, looking as if they hadn't had enough.
There was a lake near the square, and Veris and Sylvain stood there without getting involved.
But there were quite a few people here, and the two handsome and well-dressed young men standing together immediately attracted attention, whether openly or secretly.
However, most of the people in the square were students graduating like Sylvain. The students on the lake side were mostly students on holiday from school who had come to the ceremony square to join in the fun. They would have special seats when the ceremony started; the auditorium had three floors, and their seats were on the second and third floors.
Among them were students who had just enrolled this year. They didn't know Sylvain very well. They had only met him once in the main square. Those with good memories might remember him, but the students who were frightened by the events in the secret realm had long forgotten him and wished they could never remember that day again.
Few of the students a year older than them knew Sylvain.
But although few, it doesn't mean none. For example—
Arnold brought his friends along to join in the fun.
Their positions were somewhat delicate. Veris had his back to them, and Sylvain looked up and saw the group. His dark green eyes flashed, and he moved closer to Veris.
Veris was used to being stared at. He was feeding the fish with a small bowl. There were many ornamental fish in the lake of the Royal Academy.
I don't know if it's another trait of his, but the fish especially like to gravitate towards him.
Veris deliberately threw the fish food far away. The fish hesitated between eating the food and gathering around this naturally friendly human, swaying their heads and bodies back and forth. In the end, the fish food was eaten by the fish that swam over.
When Sylvain approached, he didn't react and said without looking up, "I don't remember there being this many fish in this lake."
“Two years ago, the dean decided to raise a new batch of fish in the lake,” Sylvain said.
"Hmm? What about the old one?"
"..."
Veris turned to look at him, and as soon as he turned his head away, the two almost kissed. He hesitated for only half a second before kissing the young man on the cheek.
Sylvain's voice immediately lowered: "The Dean and Copperfield became obsessed with fishing during that time. They would come here to fish at night, but they didn't catch anything. In a fit of anger, they cooked them all and roasted them, saying they would give them to the students as a treat."
Veris turned his head back and looked at the fathead fish huddled together below, and couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think this batch is the same one that was introduced the year before last."
"Um."
Not far away, Arnold and his companions, who witnessed all of this, had different expressions on their faces.
Arnold's expression was one of pure shock and as if he had discovered a new continent.
Astor scratched the back of his head. He was from the area near the Fourth District, which was much more developed than the farms in Amberley in some ways, so he wasn't surprised. He just wondered if the Pope would interfere in their relationship.
Allen awkwardly looked away, trying to pretend he hadn't seen anything.
Murphy stared at Sylvain with a sinister look, lost in thought.
Carlo's face turned deathly pale... He recognized who the person whose figure was mostly obscured by the Holy Son was.
Even just a profile view, white hair past the waist, those pale yet flawless lines... it's that person.
Countless people admire him, countless people worship him as a god, and he likes Sylvain so much that he accompanied people to the graduation ceremony, behaving intimately, and willingly stepping down from the altar.
After the people over there finished feeding the fish, the bowl was engulfed by a glimmer of light and quickly disappeared without a trace.
The ceremony was about to begin. The white-haired youth turned around, his gaze sweeping across the room for a moment without lingering. He smiled and spoke to Sylvain, and the two walked toward the main hall.
Did he see them? Carlo was certain that he couldn't possibly have missed them, but the truth was cruel: they had seen them, yet they hadn't stopped for a moment.
Perhaps only that holy son in the world could catch his eye.
Arnold invited them to the Great Hall, saying that there wouldn't be any good seats if they arrived late.
Carlo glanced at Murphy and sneered inwardly. Although Murphy was that person's student, he had never even seen the person's face, had he?
Murphy didn't notice Carlo's gaze; after all, Arnold was between them. He seemed distracted, his eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty. Could the person behaving so intimately with the Holy Son be Veris?
Unfortunately, Carlo could at least see a glimpse of his profile from his position, while Murphy couldn't even see his profile.
However, he could see massive magical elements surrounding the two people, and he wasn't sure if they were attracted by Sylvain or by someone else.
The two were distracted. Once inside the auditorium, they followed their classmates upstairs.
Many deans were already seated on the stage, whispering among themselves.
The second floor was already quite full, mostly freshmen. Arnold excitedly ran over and snagged the last remaining good seat.
While there are no mandatory seating arrangements on the first floor, the seating is still divided according to the college. Looking down from the second floor, you can clearly find the senior students from each college.
Everything was new to them.
However, Arnold's attention was quickly drawn to someone else. He stared blankly at Lortheran, who stood on a carpeted platform in a magnificent robe.
Lortheran was talking to Garcia. Although His Highness was not the dean of the Royal Academy, he was nominally an instructor. Moreover, as both the archbishop of the Papacy and the prince of the kingdom, he was qualified to attend the graduation ceremony.
Garcia smiled politely.
If you look closely, you can see that his polite smile also carries a hint of timidity.
His Majesty the King's seat was, of course, right in the center, with the Dean of the Royal Academy, Soldas, to his left, while the seat to his right was empty.
That's supposedly the Pope's seat.
Perhaps it was because Arnold's gaze was too intense, or perhaps Lortheran himself was extremely sensitive to all kinds of gazes, but as he was talking to Garcia, he suddenly looked up and gazed at the second-floor stands, where he saw a blond boy and smiled.
Garcia followed his gaze, squinted to make out the details, and recognized Arnold.
"You know him?"
Garcia asked.
Lortheran nodded, but said nothing. Garcia recalled the embarrassing scene at the restaurant and his expression stiffened slightly.
On the second floor, not far from Arnold and his group, a young man sat upright. He had some freckles on his face and a slightly cold expression.
He didn't look at the first floor because the second floor was semi-circular, and from his position, he could easily see Arnold's side.
But the next second, he made eye contact with someone.
Astor.
He recognized the boy as his former roommate—even though the boy had moved out on the first day, Astor still waved happily.
Now, Arnold also looked over.
The two men's eyes met, and Arnold was slightly taken aback... For some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity with that person.
Earl Lamb hadn't expected the big guy to be so outgoing. He gritted his teeth and nodded at them with difficulty, but he couldn't even manage a smile. He awkwardly turned his head away and looked at the audience.
Upon closer inspection, they saw Lortheran sitting comfortably.
Even though they were far apart, and even though the other person was dressed in fine clothes and jewels, Earl Lamb was stunned. He stared at the young king on the platform in disbelief, his lips trembling slightly.
The royal family turmoil is quite significant, but it has nothing to do with Earl Lamb. His grandfather was a hero of the previous generation, and after him, the royal family will reclaim his title, so no one is targeting him.
The Earl of Lamb met the newly enthroned king for the first time. Before that, he had heard that the king's origins were illegitimate, but that he was decisive, efficient, and had great courage and methods.
He wasn't interested in that.
but--
The boy's face was deathly pale. He gripped the fabric on his knees tightly, his breathing labored.
Looking over there just now, he vaguely saw what his father looked like when he was young. Upon closer inspection, the person did indeed resemble his father's portrait somewhat, but not exactly the same.
But a strong intuition told him that the king was his father!
His father, who had died of illness long ago and should have been resting in the ground, was transformed into a king and gained the support of Prince Garcia, the ruler of the royal family.
Earl Lamb knew that he was not related to his father by blood. His grandfather, Earl Lamb, had told him this long ago, and that someone else should have enjoyed all the glory of Earl Lamb.
The child was left on a farm at the foot of the Amberley Mountains, where he suffered the bitter cold.
Young Earl Lamb looked defiantly at his grandfather: "Then why did Father make me his child?"
The old count stared at him intently, then sighed, gently stroking his soft hair, and said, "This is a mess, child. Now the matter is settled, and you will be the future count."
"Then why did you tell me all this? You could have kept it from me your whole life. Are you trying to make me feel guilty now? For that child who was left behind!"
The old count was not angry about this, but just tilted his head and thought for a long time, so long that the young count Lamb got tired of standing and had to sit down next to the old count's legs, looking very dejected.
He had long noticed that he didn't look like his father, but he didn't understand why his grandfather would say such a thing to him. If he could choose his birth, he would also prefer to reunite with his family rather than be a cuckoo who usurped someone else's place!
Much later, the old count sighed and said, "My child, I cannot tell you too much of the truth, but there are some things you must know."
"Avoid contact with royalty and avoid associating with too many people."
"The existence of a hero is not a good sign. I don't know what will happen to me after I die, but I must tell you that you will always be the heir of the Earl of Lamb's mansion."
Earl Lamb was held on the old earl's lap. The old earl pulled him into his arms and said, "Your father is not my child either. We are not related by blood. But my love for you is no less than that for my own grandfather. Child, just stay confused like this."
"My father has been sick for several days..."
The old count's eyes turned slightly cold. "He's going to die, child."
Earl Lamb's voice became hoarse, and his eyes welled up with tears.
“This is his mission, you don’t need to be sad,” the old count said, wiping away the tears from the young face with an aged hand. “If one day you meet your father’s child, you can befriend him, or you can pretend you know nothing, but you must never have any conflict with him.”
The child sobbed, "Why?"
"Those who oppose the hero... never have a good ending, it's like a curse."
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Author's Note: When Count Lamb was alive, it was probably during the reign of Garcia's father.
I was supposed to finish writing this in the afternoon, but my healthy lifestyle melted away like cream :(
See you tomorrow! [Sprinkling flowers]
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