bookpub Chapter 316:
Chapter 316:
Chapter 316:
TL: Etude
Kevin, burdened with a large pile of scrolls, made his way up the stairs awkwardly. His vision obscured by the scrolls, he carefully felt for each step with his feet, climbing slowly.
After reaching the top of the stairs, he walked along the corridor to a door at the end.
“Teacher, I’ve brought the scrolls for you.”
A robust voice of an old man came from inside: “Oh, Kevin, you’ve worked hard.”
“I’ll open the door for you,” another voice chimed in, belonging to senior student Mond.
The door opened, revealing Mond’s shiny forehead. “Come in, put them over here.”
Kevin, still holding the scrolls, carefully placed them on the table Mond had pointed to.
“Teacher, senior, is there anything else?”
David Aldridge, the teacher, stroked his long, white beard with a smile, saying, “No, nothing else. Just sit here and rest for a bit. You’ll accompany Mond and I on an outing later.”
“Yes, Teacher.” Kevin’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the mention of going out. He felt no need for rest and was ready to leave immediately. However, suspecting that his teacher and senior might not be ready yet, he happily stood by the window. Mond soon ushered him to sit in a nearby chair.
Kevin had been in the Gabella Empire for some time now and felt that every day since leaving Northwest Bay had been filled with wonders.T/his chapter is updat/ed by
After leaving his parents in the salt village, Mond had taken him westward, passing through the northeastern territories of the Kingdom of Ordo, traversing the Nerodan Corridor, then heading south along the Sunset Mountain Range into the Gabella Empire.
Leaving the Nerodan Valley, Kevin was initially very worried. This was the edge of the great plains, and he feared being captured by orcs and turned into food — a common scare tactic used by adults in his village to discipline unruly children. Growing up in Northwest Bay, everyone feared the fierce reputation of the orcs.
Mond laughed off his concerns, “Don’t worry, orcs, although different in appearance from humans, are civilized and don’t eat people. They do raid human territories, but they don’t rob merchants or travelers passing through their lands. The plains are resource-scarce, and scaring away traders would be counterproductive.”
Aldridge, stroking his long beard, picked up a wooden staff and stepped out, followed closely by Mond and Kevin.
They boarded the carriage, and the coachman gently flicked the reins, moving at a steady pace. The roads around the Scholar’s Tower, paved with smooth stone slabs, made the ride comfortable.
After a while, curious, Kevin asked in Gabella’s language, “Teacher, where are we going?” He tried to practice the language whenever he could.
Aldridge looked at Kevin approvingly, pleased with his student’s clear pronunciation. He thought of the little princess from Ordo, another of his students with a natural flair for languages.
The old scholar cheerfully replied, “We’re going to the palace to discuss some matters with His Majesty.”
Kevin was astonished: “The palace? The Emperor?”
Before coming to Gabella, the highest-ranking person he had ever seen was Count Paul Grayman of Alda. Now, he was suddenly going to meet the Emperor of an Empire.
Kevin knew that a count, though a noble of considerable rank, was below a marquis, who in turn was below a duke, and above them were grand dukes, with kings at the top. The Emperor of Gabella, theoretically, was even a half step above a king — the title of king was secular, while emperor carried a sacred connotation.
The person he was about to meet was worlds apart from his former lord.
“Teacher, I... I...” Kevin stammered, feeling uneasy.
“Hahaha, don’t be nervous. I’ll take you there often, you’ll get used to it... Oh, we’re almost there.”
Aldridge reassured him, as casual as if visiting a neighbor.
And so, Kevin, with a heart full of apprehension, rode towards the heavily guarded gates of the imperial palace.
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