Extra 4. Back to school (2)
"Frederick! Get along well with your classmates at school! And listen to your teachers!"
"Got it! Mom! Go back and have some rest!"
Twelve-year-old Frederick dragged his suitcase onto the train to the capital.
He was going to the capital's top college, the Ecole Militaire de Nantes, which originally had a "Royal" in its name but has now removed it.
A child from a commoner family like him was able to enter this academy with a very low acceptance rate thanks to two things: the recommendation and funding of his noble master, and his own extraordinary magical talent.
He ranked first in the entrance exam for this academy that most children from aristocratic families had fought hard to get into. He also ranked first in both the written and practical exams.
He was supposed to be the chief admissions officer for this class and give a speech on behalf of all the freshmen at the opening ceremony.
However, after he had prepared his speech for several days, he was informed the day before he was leaving for school that someone was exempt from the entrance examination and would take his place, standing in front of all the freshmen and giving a speech.
When he saw the man's name, he understood everything, and then he crumpled up the letter and his prepared speech and threw them all into the trash can.
Because he was a special scholarship student, his tuition and room and board fees for several semesters were waived, but his teacher helped pay for the train ticket to the capital.
He came to the Nantes Military and Political College. He did not have much emotion about being admitted to this college. According to his ability and talent, he should study here.
He looked at the students and parents who were jumping for joy at the door. He dragged his luggage alone, handled the admission procedures, found his dormitory, and began to pack his luggage.
The dormitory was for two people and was spacious, larger than all the space in their home combined. When he put his luggage away, he saw that the room across from him had been tidied up.
He sneered, thinking that the child of some noble family must have asked the servants to take care of everything.
He didn't care too much, but quickly packed his luggage and bed, and came to the auditorium with the entrance ceremony.
After several renovations and expansions, this academy, which originally had an ancient history, became even more splendid. The auditorium alone was larger than the living room of his master's mansion. The electric chandeliers hung brightly above his head. It was clearly daytime, but it was brighter inside than outside.
Frederick came to the front row in order.
The auditorium gradually filled up.
Frederick had nothing to do except listen to the annoying noise around him.
In fact, he should be standing backstage preparing to speak.
"I heard those two guys will be here today!!!"
"What? You heard it too!"
"Nonsense! The little prince is about to start school, how could they not show up?"
"Aaaaaaaah!!! Then I'm not going to meet them! Living heroes!"
"I enrolled in this school just for that great wizard. I heard that he also studied in this school when he was young!"
"I'm doing this for the former king! He was the strongest knight who led all of humanity to victory!"
"Goddess, if I saw those two in person, would I faint on the spot?"
"Didn't you see so many seniors and staff outside, all of them came to see those two people?"
"It really took all my luck to get into this school!"
"I will pray to the goddess every day before eating! I hope they can really come!"
"I envy the little prince so much for being adopted by those two."
"Isn't it said that he has a special ability, and it is thanks to him that we can completely drive out the demons?"
"But isn't he also a demon?"
"What demon tribe? They are human children, mixed-blood children."
"I have only heard of him, the dragon-like child, who has been treasured in the palace."
"Then if someone asked him where he used to live, wouldn't he answer that he lived in the palace? Hahahaha."
"Tsk."
Frederick put his fists on his knees, tutted inaudibly, and turned his head away.
The noisy chattering of children behind him fell silent for a moment.
After all, they are all future knights and wizards.
But they didn't care too much and continued chatting enthusiastically.
Frederick took a deep breath, used his cold eyes to block the freshman who wanted to come over to chat with him, and sat in his seat with his back straight.
This situation continued until the preparatory process for the opening ceremony was completed, and it reached its climax with the appearance of those three people.
The auditorium was like a drop of water dropped into boiling oil, boiling with anger.
Many people couldn't help but stand up.
Only by being firmly suppressed by the teachers can basic order be maintained.
Frederick kept his butt stuck to his seat without moving. He looked around with his clear eyes and found that he was the only one in the auditorium who was indifferent to those three people.
No, it should be said that there is deep-seated anger and disgust.
While the little prince was speaking, he quietly used his magic to detect it.
The demon who temporarily took his place was an ordinary child without any magic power.
Apart from the pair of dragon horns on his head and the golden dragon tail behind him, it seems that only his face is particularly outstanding.
That is an existence that is completely opposite to myself.
He was totally unaware, and veins bulged from the fist on his knee.
Frederick stared at him for a long time, and when he finally looked away, his eyes met the former king's.
There was no smile on his face.
Frederick was startled and quickly lowered his head.
The arduous opening ceremony lasted for an unknown amount of time. When the principal announced the start of school and allowed everyone to leave, Frederick was the first to walk out of the auditorium, going against the excited crowd.
He rushed to a remote corner near the dormitory and broke a tree with one kick.
He looked at it for a while, then used growth magic to reconnect the trunk and kicked it again to break it.
This process was repeated many times, and except for the fallen leaves on the ground, the tree remained intact.
He looked at the increasing number of people around him and could only sit depressedly on a chair near the pool.
"Why? Why? It's so disgusting!"
Frederick couldn't help muttering, and he picked up a handful of weeds at his feet and began to weave a crown of grass.
After a while, a voice came from beside him.
"I see other kids are so happy, why are you sulking here?"
Frederick, thinking there was no one around, started and looked over.
Brown curly hair spilled out from his hat, and a beard of the same color spread all the way to his temples. In broad daylight, an old man wearing black sunglasses, suspenders, and a cane sat beside him and chuckled, "I'm waiting for someone here, and I heard what you were saying? It should have been a good day, is there something wrong? Tell me if you can."
Under normal circumstances, Frederick would definitely ignore this suspicious stranger, but this is a college, and there are identity checks before entering, so it is unlikely that dangerous people would be allowed in.
Plus, he really has been holding it in for a long time.
Frederick held the straw crown in his palm and said softly, "I was supposed to stand on that platform and speak, but because I am not the prince, I was kicked off."
The uncle was silent for a while and didn't say anything.
Frederick said, "Uncle, do you know? I got first place in the written test, the knight's practical test, and the wizard's magic test. I got more than 20 points more than the second place. I got close to full marks in every subject. Even though I am a commoner with no status, I still entered this school with the best grades."
The uncle laughed and said sincerely, "That's amazing."
Frederick tore off the extra leaves. "But he, Edinly Cune, is a man without any magic power, just because he is the prince, the son of the previous king, the adopted son. Shouldn't I be angry for being treated like this?"
The uncle did not answer this question.
Frederick knew this was a normal reaction.
How can ordinary people dare to talk about the right and wrong of these people in public?
Frederick thought about his past.
He was born in the late stage of the war when the demons invaded the Western Continent. When he was born, his father died on the battlefield.
His father did not die honorably in battle.
He was just an insignificant messenger who died of overwork from running around everywhere. He died quietly in the barracks. There was no time to rescue him and he was buried on the spot.
The day he was born was the day his father died, and it was also the day the little prince was picked up by the great wizard. This is his current official birthday.
It seemed as if fate had played a joke on him that was not fun at all.
Their family originally lived in the Eastern Territory, but because of the demonic disaster, his pregnant mother fled to the West. Not long after he was born in the refugee settlement, he received the news of his father's death.
Not long after that, the demons were driven out.
The mother was unable to return to their hometown. All her relatives and friends died in the disaster. Her brother also died on the battlefield. She was left with only her children.
She settled down in the West, looked for work everywhere, and finally became a maid in a noble family, and was finally able to survive.
She was a simple woman. Despite the pain she had suffered in life, she managed to survive and raised a child. She was grateful for everything, especially for His Majesty the King, who had brought peace and prosperity to the country.
But her child, Frederick, hated both heroes from the bottom of his heart.
His mother would celebrate his birthday, but she would also celebrate his father's death anniversary.
The moment he discovered this, he began to hate his birthday.
Just like other children, he grew up listening to the stories of these two people since he was old enough to understand.
But when other children played and praised heroes, he asked: "Why didn't they save my father?"
Then those kids stopped being friends with him.
Frederick was not sad about this, nor did he need such a friend.
He discovered that he had magical powers when he was nine years old. He learned to use simple magic without any teacher.
After buying a new book of spells, he continued to study on his own for a while.
However, the small village where he lived did not have the conditions for learning, and there was no one to teach him.
Until he met his Master.
Generally speaking, for fear of offending the nobles, his mother would not let him go to the mansion of the nobles she served, but after working for a period of time, she said that the noble was a kind old man, so she also let him come to the mansion to help, probably hoping to find a job as a housekeeper for him in the future.
Working at the Viscount's mansion was a very high-paying job at the time.
He didn't think it was wrong.
But by chance, he saw the Viscount using magic, and he couldn't help but try to imitate it. The magic was successful, but it was discovered by the Viscount.
However, the Viscount did not punish him. After testing his magic power, he accepted him as his disciple.
Lord Viscount Mo Lian is a swordsman. He said, "It's rare to see a child like you who has such high talents in both aspects. You can become a more powerful swordsman than me."
Frederick had a completely new life, he had dreams and a future.
Under the guidance of Viscount Mo Lian, he thoroughly trained his body and learned magic. Although he did not study for a long time, his talent was enough to make up for it.
"Do you know how old our king was when he became a fifth-level knight?"
"have no idea."
"Fifteen."
"He is the pride of our time. You are only twelve years old now, and you are already a fourth-level knight and a fourth-level wizard. Go to the academy, and you can go further."
So he was sent here.
He grew up hearing stories of kings and immortal wizards.
In the past, he would just casually ask about his father.
Now, he had other questions.
If he was not born in this era, but in his father's era, with his talent, could he also make some contribution to the war?
Is it possible to become famous at a young age?
"What if I were the emperor's child? What if I was born in that era?" Frederick muttered to himself, repeating the question, not even realizing he had said it out loud.
It is said that heroes emerge in troubled times. If heroes are born in peacetime, they will mostly be useless. It is no wonder that he thinks so.
The uncle asked him gently, "Why?"
"If he is not the emperor's child, don't tell me that he had a hard life. No matter how dull a swan cub is, it is still a swan cub. He is the emperor's child after all. Otherwise, how could he directly participate in and influence the political situation? How could he directly become a commander? And the immortal wizard, he was the Duke's favorite child from the beginning."
His talent is no less than those heroes.
But in this era, no matter how talented a knight is, he will have no place to use his skills. Times have changed.
After seeing his dream, he quickly understood his situation.
In this peaceful and prosperous era, no matter how talented he is, he may just be a powerful knight or wizard.
The legend lies ahead.
Alex Chunie and Inger Nyeka will be hard to surpass in this century and even in the next.
His talent doesn't mean he doesn't work hard. He believes that he has been training harder than anyone else since he started and has never slacked off for a single day.
But there are some things that cannot be changed no matter how hard you try, such as your original family background and the social era.
He has lived a difficult life since childhood.
"My family is very poor. The wash basin in the Viscount's house is bigger than mine. If I hadn't received support from my master, oh, my master is a noble, Viscount, I wouldn't be able to come here to study. I was able to become a swordsman because my master discovered me. Otherwise, no matter how powerful my talent is, I might just stay in that small village for the rest of my life and never have a chance to make a name for myself."
So, it's perfectly normal for him to be jealous of those kids who have everything since birth.
Although he was an orphan on the battlefield, he was lucky enough to be picked up by two heroes and adopted. He was raised in luxury in the palace since he was a child. He had a large group of exclusive teachers and was taught by two of the most powerful wizards and knights in the world. Even though he had no magic power, he was able to enter the knight class and speak in front of everyone as a representative of the freshmen. Although he was a half-demon and half-human, he was liked by everyone because of his beautiful looks. He has since gained a large group of friends. He also has a good personality, is innocent and cheerful, and is not as gloomy as him.
An existence that is completely opposite to him in every aspect.
It's natural that he would hate him.
Faced with reality, he was unwilling to give in. His ambitions had nowhere to go and he couldn't even express them. His grand aspirations were strangled before they even sprouted, leaving him helpless.
Instead, it would be better if he was not given such an amazing talent and he could be content with a mediocre life.
Frederick stopped talking.
The uncle was silent for a long time after listening to him.
But he still spoke: "I listen to you, and I think you are a very lucky man."
"That's true. I'm grateful that I have such a strong mother and such a good teacher, but not everyone is as lucky as I am."
The uncle changed the subject and asked, "Son, have you ever experienced war?"
Frederick: “……..No.”
By the time he was old enough to understand, the war had been completely won and now was an era of peace.
The uncle added: "I've experienced this."
Frederick turned and looked at him.
I couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses, but there was a smile on his lips.
"It's actually a good thing to have such troubles."
Frederick: ".......I am not afraid of war. My father died in the army."
The uncle said, "Your father is very brave. But you are not."
"........" Frederick was powerless to refute.
"I know a man who is terrified of war, very terrified, and hates war to the core. But he is always on the front lines in every war, and he has made huge sacrifices."
"......." Frederick could only listen.
"People only see the superficial glory of those who have won honors in wars. As you said, your father died in the barracks. Do you want him to bravely participate in the war and die, or stay at home with you as you grow up?"
Frederick clenched his fists again, and his nose suddenly felt sore.
"The people I know who participated in the war and survived were awakened by nightmares for a long time. They couldn't fall asleep on a soft bed because they slept on hard beds in the barracks. They couldn't eat soft and sweet food because most of what they ate was dry military rations. On the battlefield, they had to roll in the mud several times a day, and later even venom, their skin was tanned by the sun, they were burned, their hands and feet were broken, they got sick and vomited and had diarrhea... When they returned to their clean homes, they didn't even know how to live a normal life or how to work."
"It's not a bad thing to be not brave. It's already very difficult for a person to survive."
Frederick really didn't know what to say this time, and his face turned pale.
Because he had seen war heroes returning in triumph, but he had never seen wounded soldiers being carried into the barracks.
The uncle did not say this to him in a blaming tone, but just told him slowly, as if he was telling a story: "If I were to discuss war with you, you could probably list a lot of famous battles, war heroes, and their inspiring victories, but you have never experienced war yourself. You have never held the head of a comrade in your arms, watched him take his last breath, stared at you, and asked you for help." (1)
Frederick froze as if struck by an electric current.
The uncle's tone was so genuine, probably because he was the one who had experienced all of this personally, and he would never have the confidence to face such a person.
The uncle sighed and said, "The people you know now, the page you lightly turned in the history books, is their turbulent life. The people who disappeared in the war, and the sufferings of most of those who stayed behind, are just a tiny part of the huge narrative of history. The war was only a few years ago, and people always forget so quickly."
Frederick was still young, and he still had a childish stubbornness. He said, "If there was someone as powerful as the former king, there wouldn't be so many deaths..."
The uncle said gently, "All the sacrifices were made to achieve the present peace. Don't resent this era. So many people have built peace with their blood and tears. Your father's sacrifice was definitely not in vain. Do you know that?"
Frederick felt as if he had been slapped in the face. He was ashamed and angry and said, "'Great sacrifice' and 'hero'? What do these words mean? They are all dead. It sounds so nice, but it would be better to give their families actual compensation... At least our family didn't get a penny. He died meaninglessly in the barracks without any military merits. My mother lost the person she loved most and had to work hard to raise me. Who will sympathize with us?!"
The uncle was stunned this time, "No compensation?"
"Yes! We went to the Soldiers' Family Resettlement and Compensation Agency hundreds of times. There were so many procedures and documents. Most of our family's belongings were lost during the escape. My father has lost contact with my mother since he went to the battlefield. The only thing we received from him was his nameplate. We were always bombed back. Those agencies were for those "heroes" with outstanding military exploits, not for the families of us lowly little soldiers!"
Frederick spoke loudly for the first time today and apologized at the end: "I'm sorry, uncle, it's not your fault. I know there are many retired soldiers who haven't even received retirement benefits and are struggling to make a living. I hope you're not like that, otherwise I really will!"
The uncle wanted to say something when a man came towards them.
A man wearing a thin black shirt, tall and thin, and sunglasses, glanced at Frederick and said to the uncle sitting there, "You're here? I've been looking for you everywhere. Let's go."
The uncle seemed to have waited for the person he was waiting for. He stood up and said with a smile, "Have you finished everything you need to do?"
"Well, they asked me to stay and reminisce. They were all former teachers and it was hard to refuse them." The man pouted, "And that kid kept clinging to me and crying. I don't know why he's still so clingy at this age. It's all because of you spoiling him. I hope he doesn't cause any trouble. I don't want to be called back to the academy by him in the middle of my trip."
"Hahahaha, after all, you have to live alone for a while. He has never been away from us for so long."
The uncle looked at Frederick, took out a card from his pocket, wrote on it with a pen, turned it over and handed it to him, "I remember what you just said, you and your mother take this and go there again, it should work this time. Thank you for your advice."
"...." Frederick held the card in his palm without having time to read it.
The uncle stood up and followed his companions. He finally waved to him and said, "Enjoy your college life!"
Frederick stared at their receding backs in a daze.
"A child you know?"
"We just met."
"What?"
"Do you want to know? I'll tell you later when we get in the car. I have to write a letter."
"So I'll keep it a secret for now, right?"
"Hahahaha, don't worry, we still have plenty of time."
Frederick frowned and turned over the card in his hand. It was a business card of the Soldiers' Family Resettlement and Compensation Agency, but the uncle just now signed his name on it.
[Alex Chuni]
Frederick even forgot to breathe at that moment.
That------
The man next to him was undoubtedly Inger Nieka.
After learning this fact, his teeth were chattering.
Not long after, Frederick and his mother went to the GI resettlement compensation agency again. After showing their business cards, their general manager came down directly to negotiate with them.
This person was different from the one they had seen before.
I think everyone in the entire organization has been replaced with new ones.
Eventually, they received the compensation they deserved for many years, and his father's name was registered on the register.
The staff kindly guided them through all the procedures and things they should know.
So it was done very quickly.
Later they learned that the supervisory department had begun to investigate the resettlement and compensation institutions for soldiers, cleaned up and rectified institutions in many locations, and began to sort out the remaining problems.
Many families of soldiers who died in battle and retired soldiers received the compensation they deserved.
Frederick returned to school after his vacation.
"Hey! Ed Yingli!"
"Hmm? Frey? You called me?"
"Yes, I want to challenge you."
Ed Yigli's eyes lit up: "Great! They are either afraid of hurting me, or they can't beat me, so they won't fight with me."
"Don't cry when I beat you."
"You are! I have never lost a sparring match with people of the same age!"
"Oh, I'll let you experience what it feels like to fail."
(1) Adapted from the movie script of "The Soul Catcher"
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