There was a small queue in front of the main gate, steely-eyed academy enforcers in blue and red frilled gambesons stood with their poleaxes at rest as dozens of carriages disgorged their cargo.
Behind them, staff members stood in slightly more ostentatious outfits, clipboards in hand as they greeted and processed the newly arriving students. Behind them stood rows of servants, who would collect the new arrivals' luggage before carrying it off somewhere.
Presumably to the student's assigned rooms, William thought.
Given the ratio of staff to arriving students, it didn't actually take all that long for his own turn to come around. After a brief inspection by the guards, he and his aunt were stepping out into the early morning sun, before turning to greet a rather stern looking woman with rounded spectacles.
Honestly, if one were to try and encapsulate the idea of a 'stern librarian', the dark elven woman that now stood across from him would pretty neatly fit the bill.
A sexy stern librarian, he couldn't help but think as he took in her dark skin, glasses, buttoned up white shirt and black pencil skirt.
"Ah, the Kraken Slayer," the woman said rather matter-of-factly as soon as she glanced up from her papers. "A pleasure. And to you as well, Dame Karla Ashfield."
Truth be told, William was a little wrong-footed by the surprising greeting. Though he still managed to aim a gimlet eye at his aunt as she snorted at the name.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms…" He trailed off leadingly.
"Instructor," the woman corrected without any heat. "Instructor Griffith. Though outside of these walls I am the Countess Joana Griffith of House Griffith."
A countess… that was an interesting rank for an instructor, given that her duties would keep her in the capitol and far from her responsibilities as a landholder.
Not that he was stupid enough to voice the obvious question.
"Well, Instructor Griffith, I must say I'm a little surprised to hear that my newfound moniker has spread so far so fast."
"Don't be. The only thing that spreads faster than scandals around here are stories of young men."
Well, yes, but for the most part he was more surprised that it had just plain… physically traveled this far. Had the crew of the Fair Gentleman somehow disembarked while he was traveling through the city?
"Is that the capitol or this academy, instructor?" he asked, trying to appear unruffled.
"Yes." The woman's voice was exceedingly dry.
Well, he was glad to see that this place's reputation as a viper pit was well earned.
"Dame Ashfield," the instructor turned her attention to his aunt. "I assume you have accompanied him thus far as his escort?"
"Aye, ma'am." His aunt inclined her head, as she was speaking to a social superior. "Though I'd have brought more than a bolt-bow if I'd known we'd run into a kraken."
"I imagine," the teacher said, scribbling something onto her paper. "Well, unless you have any final words to say, your duties end here. Though rest assured, I'll be escorting your law-son to his intake speech personally."
His aunt cocked her head. "An escort from an instructor? That wasn't a service being offered to any of the cadets before us."
Indeed, the cadets before them had been pointed in the direction of the main admin building, but no one had accompanied them there.
Not even one of the servants.
To some of the fresh cadets' belated confusion.
On that front, William imagined the next few weeks would likely be rather eye-opening for many of the young women now bemusedly walking towards the entrance hall across the way. He was certain the academy was long practiced at instilling independence and self-reliance into the lives of people that had thus far been entirely bereft of it.
At least, for the most part, William thought.
He doubted that would be a problem faced by the 'general intake' students, given that they'd mostly been peasants prior to the discovery of their magical potential.
No, they'll be facing an entirely different problem, he thought grimly as he recognized the not insignificant wrinkle his placement into general intake had created.
"Not normally," the dark elf continued. "But as I said, news of young men travels fast. The story of a cadet – let alone a man – killing a kraken single handedly with magic alone is already percolating through the rumour mill. To that end, I thought it wise to escort him to the auditorium so as to avoid him being cornered by curious young women prior to his introduction to his team."
"I didn't kill it," he muttered.
The woman didn't actually shrug, but her tone certainly conveyed the notion. "The truth of the matter is quite irrelevant at this point, I'm afraid. I imagine you'll have slain a trio of the beasts before the story is done making the rounds of the city."
At those words he aimed a gimlet eye at his aunt, who was actually looking a little guilty now. Her light teasing had somehow snowballed into a problem for him.
Though it's likely that would have happened regardless, he eventually reasoned. Well, I suppose I'll just have to make the most of it.
Instructor Griffith's tone turned commiserating as he gazed at his aunt. "Rest assured, the Ashfield matriarch's request for no special treatment on behalf of young William will be fulfilled. While this initial upset is unfortunate, her charitable contributions to our academy have ensured that we will do our level best to ensure that William leaves our Academy a resilient and dutiful young scion. Even if he might never serve."
Ah, well with those words William now knew how he'd somehow managed to join an intake intended for the national military without actually having to swear an oath of service.
Mother essentially bought out my service contract in advance, he thought. Likely with interest.
It was amusing to think that this was likely one of the few occasions in history that a bribe had been given to the academy to make sure a kid got worse treatment rather than better.
Though, given the way the woman across from him was being so matter-of-fact about it, it was also possible that it was less rare than he was thinking.
Especially if the noble in question hailed from the Sunland Marches.
"So with that in mind, if you have any final words for your charge, this will be the moment for them," the Instructor finally finished.
At her words, William glanced at his aunt, who snorted. "Not hardly. I got quite sick of him on the ride over."
He couldn't help but chuckle as she immediately belied words by wrapping him in a tight hug.
"Geeze you're getting big," she whispered into his chest. "I can remember when you barely reached up to my knee. Now you're practically towering over me. Be good, kid. Be nice to your fiancée too when you finally meet her. She's a dutiful girl and you might find you actually like her once you finally get to know her."
William doubted that. Because he had no intention of getting to know the woman he was 'destined' to be wed to.
His plans prohibited it.
"I'll try," he lied.
Something of which his aunt seemed to immediately pick up on, because she slugged him lightly in the arm. "I mean it. Being a little rogue was cute when you were about five, but everyone's got to grow up eventually. Use this as a chance to reinvent yourself a bit, eh?"