"Crown Prin-- I mean, Young Master. We are now near the Imperial Academy."
I'm currently riding a carriage set to arrive at the Imperial Academy's entrance and you might've noticed that I am called Young Master instead of Crown Prince. Why? It all happened five days ago...
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In the throne room of Imperial Palace.
"Astral, you are already 6 years old. It should be time for you to enter the Imperial Academy." My father said to me while he was sitting on the throne.
"Yes father. But I do have a request that I wish to be granted." I said respectfully as I was half-kneeling.
"What is it? As long as it is within my power and doesn't put the empire in a bad position, then I will grant it." He said clearly intrigued by the first favor that I asked ever since I was born.
"I wish for my identity to be concealed. I feel like it would only interfere in my studies." I looked in my father's eye and saw confusion.
"Astral, are you not proud of your father? your family? the empire? Or is this the start of your rebellious phase already? and then you will start to reject being a prince! after that you will leave us and your mother to grow old alone... Now I get why my friends say that being a father is hard." My father said and sighed with a sad look on his face.
Guess my father just read a novel about an empire's prince escaping his responsibilities. He always manages to relate things from novels that he's reading.
Then just out of nowhere, a rock pebble hit my father's face.
"WHO DARED TO HIT THIS EMPEROR'S FACE, COME ON OUT!" My father's face was distorted with anger and fury. Whoever did it must be shivering in fear right now... but something doesn't feel right.
"I hit you with a rock! What? Are you gonna do something about it?!" A familiar high-pitched voice rang out in the Imperial Palace.
My mother walked in the hall just like a queen. Well, she's an empress so...
"haha... Honey, we were just talking about Astral's admission in the Imperial Academy. Why did you have to throw a rock in my face. Also, I wasn't shouting earlier. There's something wrong with my vocal chords that sometimes it SHOUTS unexPECTEDLY like THIS. haha... ha..." my father explained awkwardly.
"Hmmph! Enough with the lame excuses. What were you saying earlier about my Astral being in rebellious phase?! He just wants inner peace when he goes to the academy and we should help him have that as a parent. What if Astral doesn't get any friends because the other kids would be too guarded in their actions? We should let him live as how he wants it to be. When we were young, you were always complaining about not having freedom and people giving you special treatment because you were the crowned prince. Are you going to do to your son what your father did to you?" My mother was seriously scolding my father with a serious voice. The serious voice that she used whenever she's going to hit my father.
And if this continues, my admission to the Imperial Academy and my Identity being hidden might get delayed more. So I have decided to interfere.
"Mother, I am sure my father understands and doesn't need a beating right now. Does he?" I said then looked at my father.
He quickly nodded for about 3 times while sweating nervously.
"I'm gonna make sure that Astral's identity will be hidden and it will be my first priority so please... don't hit me honey okay?"
"Who said I'm going to hit you? I'm not a violent person." My mother rolled her eyes towards my father then looked at me.
"My son, since you are now going to live in the dorms of the academy for the following 10 years, make sure you guard our genes well. There are many who would exploit a young boy's adventurous and curious personality just to have our family's power and riches. As much as I want to have a grandson, I want it to be planned."
Is it okay for her to discuss things like this to a kid? I just nodded and put a confused look to show that I didn't understand what she was saying because I'm still a 6-year old "kid".
Hmmmh. Wait. Did she just say "Following 10 years"?
"Mom, did you say 10 years?" I asked with an expression of disbelief clear on my face.
"Uh huh. Don't worry, every school year you'll have a total of 5-month vacation so technically you only have to spend less than 6 years in the dormitories. If you even ace your studies, you can apply for acceleration programs that can shorten your stay in the school. You can skip grades for 5 times." My mother explained elaborately.
"By the way, I'll make it so that only the principal knows of your identity. I don't want any professors giving you preferential treatment just because they want to be connected to the future emperor. Lastly, I want at least a B+ grade on every subject. Of course, if you exceed my expectations, I'll grant you rewards like secret spells only available in our family, artifacts, or even a vacation on different kingdoms of our empire."
I nodded. Wow. So if I can ace my studies, not only would I shorten and graduate on school early, I can receive things that can help me become stronger.
"Okay mother. I'll make sure to ace all my subjects."
Mother looked at me, satisfied with my answer.
"Oh, and your first year starts 5 days later so prepare yourself mentally and physically!"
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So now I am here, enrolling in the imperial academy as the "empire's scholar". A title given to a promising commoner that has the potential to hold one of the highest positions in the empire. According to the history books that I read, there's only 5 that can hold this title every generation. With this title, nobles and other people in high positions will give me a moderate amount of respect and many will treat me as an equal, unlike with the title of the "Crown Prince".
"Young master, we have now arrived at the gate of the academy. Only students and academy staffs can enter so I will have to trouble young sire to enter by himself."
So, it really is strict. Luckily, I've memorized the whole rules and regulations manual that was given to me by my father. I went down the chariot and what welcomed me was a golden majestic gate that is on par with our imperial palace's. I wonder if cliche things will happen to me on the first day...