The carriage rolled to a stop inside the city, the now intimately familiar hoofbeats of the Northern Warhorses running across grassy forests and more recently, cobblestone roads finally coming to a standstill as the disciplined horses were brought to a stop.

  The Imperial Academy’s gates had given way to the college campus and to Lucan’s surprise, which really wasn’t warranted, there were more buildings there besides the four towers there. Everything from residential tenements to more general practice grounds and even restaurants were available on the campus grounds and Lucan’s housing too had been arranged for in one of those tenements.

  As far as the academy was concerned, Noble and Commoner students would study in the same halls, be subject to the same curriculum, be graded on the same scale and held to the same standard of rules. But as far as accommodation was concerned, they had opted to separate Noble Quarters from Commoner ones and Lucan suspected that past events might have a role to play in that administrative division.

  Either way, he had arrived at a Noble Quarter called ‘The Belvedere’ and his room number would be assigned to him shortly.

  “It appears our journey has arrived at its natural conclusion, Lucan,” Janis declared.

  “Will you not be staying in the academy?” Lucan asked a question that he considered to be a valid one, especially since Janis was an alumni of the academy.

  “The Imperial Academy isn’t fond of personal guards remaining on campus for a second longer than needed, I’m afraid,” Janis replied. “Our duty is to you, young lord. If you were to get into a dispute with another Noble, we would be duty bound to intervene even if the formation spell is capable of protecting you. And our intervention would impact House Velmoria’s reputation negatively at best and cause a political incident at worst.”

  “Oh,” Lucan muttered. He hadn’t considered that if the Knights saw him in harm’s way, they would have to draw their blades even if the threat to him was a near impossible one. And if they did, that would be terrible for Lucan— a scuffle between kids was one thing and a political incident was another. The latter would get him expelled and being expelled meant that he lost his protection from the duchess and potentially, even his position as the rightful heir.

  “Well then, I suppose this is farewell,” Lucan said, surprisingly feeling a little dejected that the knights had to leave immediately. Janis Caravine had pretty much just confirmed that the Caravine Family really was neutral when it came to the silent war that was brewing between him and the duchess, or he could just create that political incident himself and claim that the heir of House Velmoria had ordered him to do it.

  Janis nodded, his expression earnest as he spoke, “It has been an honor, Lucan,” He said, his tone calm as he offered Lucan the Imperial Token that had granted them access into Thesali.

  Janis pushed open the carriage door for him.

  Lucan crouched out of the opening, before finding the supporting step and then finding ground.

  “Come on, Mira,” Lucan called out to his best friend.

  “Yes, Young Lord,” Mira answered, her tone receding to one of subservience in front of a public audience.

  There’s no avoiding that, I guess, Lucan thought.

  “Greetings,” An older gentleman who was dressed in a fitted formal black coat with silver buttons running down the center and a crest that depicted a long blade crossed with a wand, the scene set within a crown, had spoken to him. Given the maids and manservants that were standing behind him in a neat line, Lucan identified him as a butler.

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  It was not the man’s trimmed gray hair, gemstone green eyes or his well-maintained physique that caught Lucan’s attention, but rather, the glowing monocle that was resting on his right eyesocket.

  The butler’s gaze was fixed on the Imperial Token in Lucan’s hands, with a few seconds passing by them in silence before he nodded to himself.

  “Young Lord Lucan Velmoria,” He addressed, his tone neither servile nor overbearing, with just a touch of respect added to it. “It is my honor to welcome you to our humble abode. I am Alastair Vexani, Head Butler of the Belvedere.”

  The maids and maidservants behind him offered Lucan a short bow, but the butler did not bend. This was the demeanor expected of those that served the noble family or the king directly, so Lucan wasn’t taken aback.

  “Esme here will lead your maidservant to the service quarters, where she will be issued her Imperial Token and familiarized with the infrastructure and facilities of the academy,” Alastair explained.

  A female maidservant with ordinary brown hair walked over to Mira and softly offered her brief instructions, to which she nodded.

  The duo left and Lucan fought the urge to trace Mira’s silhouette across the academy. If he was going to swim in a sea of sharks, he had to stick to Silvas Anderle’s philosophy in combat if he wished to survive.

  No matter how shit scared he was of this unfamiliar world, no matter how overwhelming and how fricking nervous it made him and no matter how worried he was about mira getting harassed, he could not show it.

  No matter what happened on the battlefield, a Knight could not show weakness unless it was feigned or used to further one’s own advantage.

  “As for your luggage, since your knights have almost finished unloading it, he will take it to a holding area until your room number is confirmed.”

  A little surprised at that statement, Lucan turned his gaze to the back of the carriage, where the last box was being unloaded by a knight Lucan recognized—- the youngest of all knights present, the one who’d almost gotten gored to death by an Ironhide Boar.

  Once the final suitcase had been unloaded, the knights’ task had been accomplished.

  Lucan noticed that Daven Caravine was approaching him and he turned fully to face him.

  He came to a stop within long blade reach and offered Lucan a short bow, before speaking, “Young Lord, we have ensured your safe arrival at the Imperial Academy. Do you have any further orders for us?”

  “Thank you, Daven,” Lucan replied earnestly. “And no, you have fulfilled your duty splendidly.”

  “Then are we to return to the Velmoria Estate?” He asked again, seemingly seeking confirmation.

  “Yes,” Lucan Confirmed.

  “May the Northern snow always obscure your trail,” Daven declared boisterously, thumping his fist against his chestplate.

  “May the Northern trails never let you go hungry,” Lucan replied, thumping his own chest in return.

  “And may the Northern Wall stand eternal!” Lucan, Daven and every knight bellowed at once, their chorus so loud that they might as well be declaring war on the academy.

  Fuck my life, Lucan inwardly thought. If they didn’t know who the guy with the House Velmoria crest was before, they sure as shit do now. Daven Caravine, I'm going to kill you one day.

  Daven nodded, turning around without another word and mounting his horse. A minute later, the contingent of knights were on their way out of the academy, their gazes not turning back a single time.

  Always forward.

  “Please, follow me,” Alastair offered and the line of maidservants and manservants parted to give way to him.

  The door was pushed open and Lucan Velmoria stepped inside, after Alastair the head butler.

  About two dozen noble scions dressed in luxurious clothing and ostentatious jewellry with wands strapped to their waists, who were in the midst of socializing in groups across the room, with a buffet of small cakes, cookies and all manner of sweets along with hot beverages laid out on long tables—- all of their gazes turned to the new entrant.

  None of them were older than Lucan, at least not by more than a year or two at best, but that didn’t matter because literally all of them were staring at him.

  EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

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