CG Chapter 62: Scholar Infant
*Whoosh*
Leaves scattered and grass bent under the force of a giant white wolf racing through diverse terrains, its every movement stirring up powerful gusts of wind.
Lunar traveled with Tom through the harsh, dry lands of Daybreak and the cold, freezing plains of Vennturia. Now, they were approaching the city of knowledge in Sollaria.
Upon checking the map, Tom noticed that they were miles away from the city. Feeling that his body had become stiff from the long journey, he decided to put his speed to the test against Lunar.
"Stop." With a single command of his, The wolf quickly stopped before looking at the man who sat on top of it.
"It seems that you've been quite relaxed until now. How about we stretch our muscles a bit? Are you up for a race?" Tom smiled mischievously at the wolf.
With an intelligence compared to that of a young child, Lunar seemed to understand Tom's challenge. It howled at Tom's provocations, and its pupils began to dilate.
The two stood side by side as Tom announced, "One, two, three, Go."
If there were any bystanders near them, they would have seen two figures flashing in front of them before disappearing.
The wolf leaped across the land. Its body's position moved closer to the ground as it began to leap ferociously.
As they raced towards the city, Tom and Lunar dashed with exhilarating speed, their forms blurring against the background.
Lunar's powerful strides drove him forward, his white fur gleaming in the sunlight as he streaked across the terrain.
Tom raced alongside the wolf, exerting his muscles to match Lunar's full speed. He felt the rush of wind against his face, and his heart began to pound, filling his body with energy.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Tom's speed was no match to that of the beast; he was quickly overtaken by Lunar as it stood in front of him.
It looked at Tom with pride as it showed off its speed.
However, Tom didn't give it much thought as he smiled back before calling for the wolf to come over to continue their journey.
…
Grand walls stretched as far as the eye could see. They were inscribed with profound poetry that matched the grandness of the walls, their eloquence leaving any person who could read at a loss.
These were the walls that every seeker of wisdom wanted to see, the holy ground of scholars, the city of knowledge, Eidein.
Reaching Eidein, Tom quickly found a stable for Lunar; some might be surprised at how fast they accepted a giant wolf, but after looking at the various mounts that the stable held, they would understand that a wolf would fit right in.
The stable naturally held horses. However, there were also ostriches and even black cheetahs.
After entering the city, Tom noticed large carriages moving in and out that carried the symbol of the kingdom's government emblem.
These carriages formed the most important department of the kingdom—the cleaning department. They were responsible for transporting the thousands of gallons of waste that the city produced each day.
Without them, everything would come to a halt, and the city of knowledge would become the city of shit.
"Sir, sir." A small child around the age of five called out for Tom, who was lost in thought.
Tom turned his head toward the child as he waited for him to talk.
Noticing this, the child gathered his courage as he spoke, "Are you interested in a scholar infant to guide you through the city? I know this place like I know my name."
Not wanting to waste time looking for the places he needed to go, Tom quickly agreed to the offer.
"Sure, but before that, could you please explain what a scholar infant is?"
The child jumped a few times in happiness, seeing that Tom agreed, before answering, "Eidein, categorize scholars into four levels: scholar infant, scholar apprentice, scholar master, and finally, they would reach the highest level, which is scholar grandmaster."
Tom asked doubtfully, "Aren't these just the ranks of knights except for the additional level?"
"You're correct, sir; these levels originated from the knight system; however, what this system focuses on is knowledge and not power. The higher your knowledge and wisdom is, the higher your level will be."
"Oh, I see. Now let me check if you're as skilled as you say. I need to find the best glasses workshop around here."
Although Tom didn't care much for his appearance, he understood its importance. Instead of maintaining an aloof demeanor and wearing his eye patch, he decided to create glasses that would conceal his eye color without attracting undue attention.
…
Once he reached the shop, Tom didn't talk to the owner; he simply tossed a few coins at him before securing the workshop for himself for two hours.
Using his vast knowledge, Tom crafted gold glasses with dark lenses to conceal the color of his blue eye.
On the workshop stairs, a child waited eagerly for his customer's return.
Meeting Tom was like a heavenly chance to Oliver that would come once in a blue moon. In Eidein, there was fierce competition between the young scholar infants who wanted to act as guides.
Most scholar infants would take this as their first job unless they came from a noble or merchant family.
If they were lucky, they might even have the opportunity to accompany the person they guided into one of the city's many libraries and read a book or two. This could help them acquire enough knowledge to pass the test for a Scholar apprentice.
After all, even in the city of knowledge, nothing was free. This was especially true for the most valuable resource a man can have.
The workshop opened its doors, and a red-haired young man wearing glasses came out. With his eye patch replaced for the glasses, Tom exuded a scholarly aura that made him fit right in.