"Why are you here?" Titus stood opposite me in clear annoyance.
"Can't I come in to order some food?" He asked me while eating his hot level 10 food I just cooked for him.
"No, you would usually get your agents to do that for you. The only reason you would come here is for something important. What is it?" I asked as I moved away from him to not be dazed by the bright light from eating high-level food.
"Let me finish this first." I nodded as I went back to lie down on my desk, while slowly drifting to sleep.
The sleep didn't last long as I was soon woken up by Titus.
"What's happening this time?" I asked him as I tried to stifle a yawn.
"As you know due to the plague and the time it took to recover from it most academies are closing late."
I nodded as I was aware of how all school dates have been extended into students' summer holiday to catch up with the missed work.
Usually, the academic year starts on mid-September and ends on mid-May. And the time in between was given as holiday for students.
However, due to the 'plague', all schools had to shut down from March till the end of April. To cover for the lost time the schools replaced the lost time by teaching during the holidays and shortening the holidays this year. So instead of finishing on the usual time of mid-May students finished on mid-July with their usual annual exams.
I was sure if there were a group of people who held the most hatred towards the person who caused the plague it would be the students. At first, all of them were affected by the plague and had to suffer. Then when they came back to their school they had to find out their 4 months summer holiday has been shortened to 2 months.
I am pretty sure their grievance would be countless times more than what the royal court held towards me.
"So what? How is it our business whether they finish early or not?" I asked back curious at what new problems the emperor could now dump on me.
"You see the magi academy always held their annual graduation exams 1 month after the start of summer holidays, mid-June. However, since classes were still going on during that time this year they had to postpone their exams till mid-August."
I nodded as I understood where this was going. Before the start of the competition, the graduation exam of magi academy in the capital was directed and hosted by the emperor every year. However, since the start of the competition, it was the heirs' job to host and direct the graduation exam each year, along with sponsoring the prize for the top ranks.
Jack and James have been hosting and directing the exams each year separately for the past 5 years since the start of the competition.
It was decided that James the crown prince was to do it this year as per the rota between the 2 heirs, as this is the 6th year since the start of the competition.
In spite of this, I entered the competition abruptly which meant it would be my turn next year.
So from Titus' unusual visit, I can conclude the court to probably have pressured Dexter and co, into accepting this years responsibility on my behalf, so suddenly.
Giving me less time to prepare for an adequate exam along with getting a satisfying reward for the participants, thus straining my reputation among the students in the empire.
Before Titus could carry on explaining what I just deduced I raised my hands to interrupt him. "When is the exam?"
Annoyed at being interrupted mid-way through his grand explanation he grunted "In 1 week."
Then he carried on "Prepare a report of how you want to carry out the exam by tomorrow. I know it's too abrupt, but Dexter said you could manage it somehow by tomorrow with that head of yours.
Remember not to screw this up. Most higher-ups in the magi association hate you already due to the antics you pulled out a few months ago inside the courtroom along with suspecting you to be the reason for the plague.
It's a chance to present yourself to the future of magi society and build relations with some talents in the academy and slowly bring them to our side."
I smiled as I thought about the future of those apparently talented mages.
"What's with that smile of yours? What are you planning? Brat if you are planning to fail all of them or screw them all up during the exam then I am going to butcher you. You think failing everyone will make them like you.
Majority of the upper echelon of magi association already hates you, don't bring that hatred down to the lower echelons.
Along with that there are heirs of many nobles, merchants and mercenaries taking the exam. Screw this up and you screw our relationship with all of them up." Titus advised me in visible frustration as he knew whenever the same smile crept up on my face trouble ensures.
"Relax. I know what I am doing." I assured him as I had thought of just the right format of test for this graduation exam this year.
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"So that's the general situation. Since you took the day off on that day, do you want to take part in the test since you still seem to be a student from the magi academy? But do note, you won't be given any special privilege just because you are my follower." I asked Ellis as I looked at his guilt-ridden face that tried to hide everything he was holding back.
Without waiting a second to think he shook his head. "Thank you for the opportunity your highness, but I had decided to take the day off to rest my mind."
"That's fine. Remember you can still change your mind till right before the start of exams." I told him as I left his room and went back to the kitchen for the awaiting customers/agents.
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"I hope you know what you are doing." Dexter said as he finished reading the report I had on how I wanted the exam to go on.
"I do. I want you to do something for me when I am away for the exam." I requested to him as I drank the glass of water.
"As long as it's not too excessive of a request." Dexter replied curiously.
"Observe Ellis." I stated the simple job I wanted him to do.
"You think this whole thing was staged just so they could meet again?" Dexter asked in worry.
I shook my head "That might just be their secondary objective, diverting all of our attention to exam so they could meet. I am pretty sure their primary reason for forcing me to host the exam is something else."
I thought back to how Ellis had reacted to Albert a few days ago.
While Ellis was being treated in the medical ward of Dexter, Albert had approached him with all their findings on the man who sold him and his mother to the Springwood family.
Ellis at first was very apprehensive and nervous because by the time he woke up from the severe beating he took from Isabella he noticed that the recording device he hid in his shirt had disappeared. He was worried that he had lost them on the way here.
Nonetheless, all that pent-up worry and nervousness faded away when Albert informed him that they received the recording. In return Albert gave him a file containing all the details about the person who sold them off to Phil.
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"This is not what you promised me?" I threw the paper down as I looked at the old man in anger that I had tried so hard to restrain, from my bed. This man had given me hope that night and today he comes in to tell me that they couldn't find much about that person other than him being a male carrying a giant sword on his back.
"You think the information that we wanted from you was adequate? We wanted you to follow him inside the Grey zone with the recording device, yet you came out just when we came to the crucial point.
You are lucky that we even decided to reward you with this piece of information for your worthless piece of information. In all honesty this was a loss for us, yet you imply that we scammed you." The old man replied calmly with a subtle hint of threat in his voice.
After a few moments I calmed down, as I understood their point of view. "The only thing you told me was to follow his highness inside the grey zone and I did it. According to the contract we had I partially fulfilled my part and you only partially fulfilled yours, so we are even.
So now get lost and never let me see your face again. And tell whoever that send you that I won't work for you guys anymore." I finally said it. Now I can for the first time in a while follow his highness without any guilt or regret in my heart.
I plan to come clean to his highness as soon as I see him. I don't want to carry this heavy burden around my heart while betraying the person who saved and gave me hope twice.
"Hahaha, You think it that easy?" After a few moments of laughter, the old man questioned me while smirking.
"You seriously have no idea about the damage and pain you caused do you?"
What is he on about? What damage and pain?
Probably seeing my confused look, he carried on "Let me show you a photo we took." He said as he pressed onto a button on a small cube which popped up a widescreen that showed me a picture of what could be barely described as a living person anymore.