NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49
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After getting clean, I went to meet Dad and told him about the written and practical exams. After a while of talking, a maid knocked on the door and informed us that the Earl would not be able to join us for dinner, so we made our own plans, Dad brought me to the city to do some sightseeing and asked the locals for recommended eating spots, because no matter the years Dad spent being a noble, hearty rustic cooking always had a special place in his heart, and after trying the beef stew and freshly baked bread from a highly recommended tavern, I had to agree.
After dinner, we did more sightseeing and even visited a night market. Before it got too dark, we took a carriage back to the Earl’s keep and went to bed.
The next day, Dad and I were invited to breakfast with Earl Beaufort. Waiting at the table were Earl Beaufort and his wife, and also Albert Cox the Royal Invigilator.
The Earl waved us in and servants guided us to our seats, “Good morning, come, take a seat, I am sure you are excited about the results of your tests yesterday, but we can get to that after breakfast and some tea.”
After breakfast, small talk, and morning tea, the Earl brought the conversation to Luke’s results and handed the time over to Albert to let everyone know the results. Albert unfurled a scroll and read out, “Luke Ironcrest, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have passed the written and practical tests with distinction. So without further ado. With the power invested in me by the authority of the crown as a Royal Invigilator, you, Luke Ironcrest, are exempt from attending lower education and will start your higher education at the start of this school year in a few weeks.”
There was a small round of applause from those present, pats on the back from Dad and the Earl, followed by more offers of engagement with one of the Earl’s granddaughters, and the offers became more aggressive when the Earl’s wife, Margaret Beaufort, started extolling the beauty and virtues of their granddaughters.
Dad and I were only saved by Earl Beaufort, when he noticed we were well and truly cornered by his wife’s insistence. The Earl changed the subject while giving us an apologetic smile and his wife got the hint and backed off.
***
After breakfast, we escaped the gaze of the Earl’s wife who was looking at me like a betting man inspects a racehorse. I can almost feel her eyes boring into the back of my head as we left the room.
But once we left the room, me and Dad were free to do more sightseeing to kill time until the banquet. And that's exactly what we did until the night of the banquet.
Before we left for the banquet, which I was not really looking forward to, I was faced with the torture of social expectations in the form of clothes. To be more specific, button-up collar clothes, I hate them, I hate the stuffy feeling of them… the only times I had to wear them were at weddings and job interviews, and now, even in another world, I cannot escape their grasp.
I ended up in a navy blue formal garb with filigree stitchings and the Ironcrest family crest on my left chest.
The Ironcrest’s family crest which was given to Dad by the king, is a stylized mountain in the background with a downward-pointing sword superimposed over the mountain, the sword denotes the Ironcrests belong to a knight or martial house. Mage houses have a staff superimposed. And if a house produces reputable spellswords, who excel in martial and magical abilities, for 2 generations, the house that produces them will have earned the crossed sword and staff superimposed over their family crest. This is very prestigious, and many families try to attain this honor.
The clothes look nice but I still dislike the button-up collar… but I will bear with it for tonight. I wonder who even packed this in my luggage in the first place.
I later met Dad in the hallway and we made our way to the banquet. When we arrived, we were let into the reception area there were already many people milling around and socializing as waiters went around with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
When I turned to Dad, I saw him looking around until he locked eyes in a direction and brought me along. Naturally, he gravitated toward the more martial and militaristic nobles that he recognized.
He introduced me to some of his noble buddies and then asked me to go mingle with the other kids while the adults talked.
The first thing I did was go to the bar and get myself a drink, fruit juice, and hold the ice, I can cool it down myself just by holding it.
After taking a few sips, I turn around to scope the layout of the room to see how I should approach this whole mingling and socializing nonsense, don’t get me wrong, I am not some kind of antisocial person, I just don’t want to get involved in kiddy drama, especially noble kiddy drama.
As I look around at the many kids my age talking with each other in their cliques, I notice 3 distinct types of people, 1st are the noble kids who like me, are wearing fancy clothes with their house crest proudly displayed on their garb.
Next are kids in fancy clothes but without any house crest, and they are busy schmoozing with the noble kids, I can safely assume that these are merchant kids.
The last group of kids was off in a corner of the room avoiding the noble kids, they were all wearing the Royal Academy uniform, and after looking at their faces, I recognized a few of the faces in that group, they were the commoner kids who pass the exams and got their scholarships.
I sighed as I got up from my seat to do what is expected of someone of my station, I am most likely not going to like it, but I will at least need to introduce myself to the noble kids first before I go and try to hang out with the commoner kids.
I just hope they are not as spoilt as I think most noble kids are.
My sister turned out fine, it should not be that bad for the rest of these kids… could it?