Chapter 108: After preparations
When the morning came, the headmaster, like the winds she had arrived with, had gone back with the serene gusts.
The atmosphere of the city became quiet once again, and when the guests of the Sungrades were leaving their city, the emperor had already announced his decision to the rest of the world.
"He was gone, they said..."
"There was this strange..."
"The princess and the knight..."
There were murmurs all around the city. The castle was the hothouse of various gossips already.
Rumors were circulating throughout the city and outside, making the empire more talkative.
Following the grand celebration at Sungrades’ many things transpired over the last few nights.
The crimes in the empire were drastically decreased, the economy was stabilizing, the empire started getting back on its feet.
The emperor was back and he was healthy now. And from the looks of it, for whatever reason, he looked rejuvenated to the people present at the Sungrade party.
According to them, the emperor was blessed by the heavens and now had a longer lifespan. If that was true, then he might also have the qualities to succeed the empire for a much longer period.
The test that the prince and the princess had received from him was not simple, but it wasn’t something that those in his position should find too challenging.
"Did you get everything that you need?"
"Yes."
"Everything? The potions and the-."
"I got everything."
While the empire was talking about the imperial family, as well as how all the Sungrades were wearing those dresses during the party, the family itself was doing something difficult.
"You’re leaving tomorrow. You should still check once again."
The five Sungrade ladies were in the room of the boy who, while wasn’t their own, was still theirs.
They may have made many mistakes but he was moving forward with them instead of holding permanent grudges.
He was a good boy who knew what to do with what he had, and at the very least, that was admirable.
But beyond that, there were simply too many things that made him special.
They were going to miss his surprises, they were going to miss the kind of change he brings, and they were going to miss the way they envied him all the time.
Alex was not here, and she was not upset about him leaving. She was preparing herself for the past few days to say her goodbye to him, and the ladies knew how it was not going to be easy for her.
Still, this was simply what he wanted.
He had earned his freedom. Even without Art, he would have completed all the tasks of the elders and gone out of the house one way or another.
He was not so young that he needed others to point out every right step in his life. If anything, he was walking a path that none of them could understand the gravity of.
And, the mothers had accepted that much.
Thus, they were doing everything they could to make sure his departure was as smooth as possible.
"Do you have your ID permits?"
"Yes. As Lady Mililian suggested, I have three of them. Lexie has one and we gave one to Rainin just in case."
He was taking Rainin and Lexie with him. It was clear to the family that he was going straight to Stanox for the entrance test that will be held soon.
They knew he’d do good there. So, they left him at that.
"Did you get some money though? Should I get a few golden dragons too?"
"There’s no need for that, Lady Emilia. I have enough money and gems."
He knew just what kind of place Stanox was so he had saved up everything he needed. He had been preparing to leave for much longer than they knew anyways.
"Oh, I don’t think we got the household whistle we requested a while back."
As prepared as he was, he had not obtained a very important thing.
"Oh..."
There were many beasts in this world and a few unique birds represented a certain family.
Much like how the Serulians had their unique crows, the Sungrades had the Amber Falcons.
These household beasts were part of a special information network that any of the official Sungrade members could use with the help of a unique item.
The common form for these items were whistles that produced a certain kind of voice. And the ones who called these creatures could use them like how one uses the borrowed essence cards of the beasts.
However, there are times when these unique callers are of a different form.
"You already have the loop so you wouldn’t need a flute. You see, the ring has many functions aside from the two that belong to the ring itself."
Lady Markeet explained to him how each of the family heirlooms gave the holder of the items the unique authority to use all of the [Household familiars].
On top of that, it was a dedicated ID that was unique to the owner of the item registered in the common information network of the world that Stanox maintained.
Along with that, the ring contained features that Sam was supposed to find out on his own. That was also the reason the ladies never told him much about it.
But now that he was leaving them, it was better for him to know at least the important things that he can do with that simple-looking ring.
"Oh..." The feature of the ring Lady Markeet described which surprised him the most was its unique function to connect with the current patriarch of the family, his father.
It was an essential function that can only be used by draining a great bit of one’s energy, but in times of dire need, this would prove out to be of great use.
"Alright."
He understood the importance of this heirloom and smiled, then, he listened to the nagging of all of his ’ladies’ with the same smile on his face.
He would miss them.
He knew that much.
But then again, he would have to go and do what he was supposed to.
"Thank you, all of you."
When he sent the ladies off, he gave them a bitter smile. And even before that smile, the ladies knew something.
"She will be upset."
"Are you sure you’ll be alright though?"
They were mothers, after all. Of course they’d know.
"I’ll be fine. So..." He smiled at them with a unique warmth this time. "Please, look after her."
-Clank.
The door closed.
And as morning came, what was left behind, in this room where the youngest boy of the Sungrades lived, was simply a bloomed Hyperumbric Lily... as well as a letter dedicated to the youngest of the Sungrade ladies.