"Very good, Your Highness. Please straighten your arms. I want to confirm it again. Yes, yes, that's it …"
Thales was like a dead fish in a hot pot. He widened his eyes and raised his arms with creaking sounds as the royal tailor spoke.
"If it's a welcoming banquet, I'm not inclined to wear sleeves that are too dignified. Please straighten your back and stretch your legs. That's right. But Count Caso's request is very clear. You must have the 'composure of a royal family, and the new style of a prince' …"
Thales, who was immersed in the 'new style of a prince', was expressionless. He stiffened his waist numbly and felt that he had lost the last bit of hope that was worth fighting for in his life.
This was supposed to be his mathematics class. Look at Scholar Julio standing in front of the blackboard with an embarrassed expression. He did not know what to do with his hands. But obviously, as the date of the welcoming banquet approached, his' schedule 'became tighter, and his schedule became more and more full. Yet, matters of all sizes came rushing at him like moths flying into a flame, so much so that he had to take measurements for his formal attire for the banquet during the interval between his mathematics classes.
Or, in Thales' eyes, it was the 'Royal Rare Animal Pre-Exhibition' of the tailoring world.
"Six years ago, I didn't manage to make it to your appearance. In the end, you wore that outfit and stood in the Hall of Stars, causing you to be looked down upon by those arrogant dukes and counts. Sigh, my heart ached when I saw that. In the end, when I went back, all my peers congratulated me. Oh my, 'The prince's new style is great.' Tsk, it's hilarious. I had to explain for a long time that it wasn't a new work. It was just an old style that was used. I didn't manage to make it to the second prince's outfit, but who can blame me? After all, you were going to appear as the royal family's surprise, and it was very important to keep it a secret …"
Thales did not like the tailor's measurements.
It gave him the illusion that his every move was controlled, that he was under pressure, and that he was not free (as if he was not in that situation before). When his personal tailor was a certain greasy old man who liked to plant thick hair covers and thick hair oil on his head for a long period of time, the feeling was even more unforgettable and intense.
"But I can assure you, Your Highness, this time, with me around, you'll definitely be the main character of the banquet. You'll be even more stunning than Princess Saoirse's wedding … Err, sorry, I mean, you'll be even more eye-catching than Prince Herman's coming-of-age ceremony. That face of his back then … Hehe, aiyoyo, hehe … You have to know, that's not even the work I'm most proud of. The best would be the other royal wedding — Do you want to broaden your shoulders? Eh, that's right, it's great … "
The Master Tailor Damon elegantly put down a tape measure from a plate offered by an apprentice with both hands. Then, he picked up a hard ruler from the plate of another apprentice who was trembling from the sight of the prince. He practically wanted to wave it around like a baton to match his' idle chatter '.
"Oh, yes. Originally, I didn't really want to boast, but since Your Highness has condescended to ask (Thales dared to swear on Little Rascal's name that he did not ask), I'm embarrassed to avoid answering. Hmm, that's right. I was the one who designed and tailored their formal attire and customer service. Hehehe, actually, it's not something worth mentioning. My work is my work … After all, you know, my family has been tailoring clothes for the royal family since my great-grandfather's generation. "
"At that time, the Witch Queen, Vera, who was famous for being beautiful and picky, chose his work with just one glance out of so many tailors who were competing for the position … So, after all, my family has been around for so many years. Our reputation is tiring, and we're used to it. It's not a big deal. It's just that after our work was released, the tailors in the market always liked to copy our style. In just a few weeks, the entire kingdom would be using the same style … Hehe, sometimes, they would even copy one of our mistakes and treat it as a classic. What a joke … I'm not saying that we will make mistakes, Your Highness. It's just that I think there's a need to be humble. After all, after so many years, the Damon Family is still the royal tailor. We're the highest judge in the fashion design competition in the capital city. We rely on being humble and low-profile, making progress with an open mind, and being conscientious …"
Fortunately, someone saved him.
Vanguard Glover, who was watching from the side (Doyle was punished by Mallos to help the servants transport the lamp oil in the kitchen), said coldly, "If you can't finish taking measurements,
"The Zavac Family, who specializes in tailoring the clothes for the Sun Sword and Shield Family, said that they only need thirty seconds to take measurements."
Master Damon looked as if he was bitten by a giant dragon.
He jumped up from the side of the stool valiantly and almost reached Thales' shoulder. He scowled and glared at Thales amidst the oil and powder on his face.
"Hey, kid, let me tell you. If you don't believe me, you can take a piece of the Zavac Family's clothes. You can tell from the stitches that they are heretics in the world of sewing! They only have what they have today because of the dirty relationship between their ancestors and the Cotton Association … "
Zombie Glover obviously did not fall for this. He turned around and instructed another young guard.
"Ness, go and make an appointment with the Zavac Family immediately …"
"Alright, alright!"
Master Damon waved his hands fiercely and wrapped up his tools at lightning speed. He kicked the two apprentices up and turned his head around gracefully. He flashed Thales a greasy smile and gently clapped his palms in the air.
"Hey, Your Highness, don't worry. With your … your decent looks, when you wear my —"
He did not manage to finish his words, because Glover had already led the Royal Guards in the area and unceremoniously dragged Damon and the two apprentices, who were trembling with anxiety out of the room.
Thales then got down from the stool and exhaled dizzily at the ceiling.
He felt that the hope in life that had left him far away had crawled back shakily.
Scholar Julio coughed softly and drew Thales' attention back to him.
But of course, he would not be able to get back the half of the lesson that he had lost.
"You should be more polite." Thales' mathematics teacher stuck his head out in awe and sized up the gorgeous sample that Master Damon had deliberately 'forgotten' about.
"I heard that Master Damon's commission for one time is equivalent to eight months of my salary … Of course, I have no intention of asking for a raise … Hmm, temporarily, temporarily …"
Thales felt a little helpless.
"I'm guessing that a gorgeous outfit that can amaze the eyes of a banquet is much easier to be praised than a mathematical technique that calculates the errors of the Holy Pursuit Day every year?"
The young and promising Julio looked away from his envious, jealous, and hateful gaze. He said pitifully,
"I can only agree with that, unfortunately and regretfully."
Thales smiled and returned to his desk.
"Very good, Your Highness. It seems that you can understand and apply Vice Bishop Lishe's concept of the two-dimensional coordinate system very well … So, now, if you calculate two related variables, it should be much more intuitive …"
Scholar Julio returned to his teaching mode. He held the syllabus in one hand and chalk in the other. He was worried about how he could finish the day's content in half of the lesson.
"Yes."
Thales looked at the graphs and numbers on the paper and sighed.
"How astonishing. This mathematical knowledge was actually invented by a traditional and pious theologian hundreds of years ago."
Julio's eyes brightened.
"During the era of 'Jackal' Sumer the Third, 'Saint Lishe' was not just a theologian. His achievements in mathematics were in no way inferior to his knowledge of divinity and philosophical speculations.
"And the method you used just now to express the rate of change of numbers using the geometric coordinate system was something he came up with to solve the problem of crowd evacuation after the city's celebration. It was recorded in 'Arched Sea City's Collection of Enlightenment'."
Julio's smile was very excited. At the same time he introduced 'Saint Lishe', he was happy that the prince was actually interested in this unpopular knowledge that many nobles scoffed at.
"I see."
Thales could not help but sigh when he thought about the theology lesson a few days ago.
"Sunset Church, a religion that regards God as the supreme being, actually has such a talent. How interesting."
Julio nodded, but his expression immediately froze. He seemed to be hesitating about something.
"Your Highness, this might be a little presumptuous, b-but I know that you have begun your theology lesson …"
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"You know?"
Scholar Julio shrugged and lowered his voice.
"I think that you should, um, build a good relationship with the church. Sometimes, you might as well ignore some small conflicts of ideals. It can save you a lot of trouble …"
'This is a rare thing.'
Thales shifted his butt and leaned against the back of his chair. He was very interested.
"What do you mean?"
Scholar Bonar, who was in charge of the grammar lesson, had an old-fashioned style. He was slow and unhurried, but he often said shocking things that would make even a few Thales speechless. ("Your Highness, y-you're in such a hurry after class. Are you a-going to a-a-a-a-a-a-date?")
Gilbert, on the other hand, took up the responsibility of a political lesson in the history lesson. It was supposed to be a cramming lesson on "royal pretentiousness", but he was always unable to compete with the Foreign Affairs Minister's personal thoughts on key historical events. The lesson would be long gone, causing the progress of the lesson to be seriously delayed. ("Ah, Your Highness, wonderful times always pass too quickly. Why don't you add another lesson today?")
Lord Monton, on the other hand, was synonymous with sweating profusely and smiling awkwardly during Nature class. The goal of the lesson had long since changed from the grand and majestic "help the king open the eyes of the world and advise the king to see the world" to "Why don't you guess this question, Your Highness?".
As for Master Uhran's art lesson, Thales always fell into a deep, blurry, sweet, and satisfied sleep under his melodious music and brushes. Hence, he could be considered the kingdom's hero who saved the Duke of Star Lake from dying young due to lack of sleep.
However, the mathematics teacher, Julio?
Although he was a legitimate scholar, his clumsy speech was a stark contrast to his ingenious calculations. He was straightforward and simple, and his lack of worldly wisdom complemented each other. It always made Thales wonder how he managed to get such a lucrative job that brought him both fame and fortune. (Of course, Thales later learned that Julio's father-in-law was once an important figure in the Department of Finance. It was not difficult to explain why the latter could always produce clear financial statements.)
But if he were to say something like "I suggest that you build a good relationship with someone" during class … Thales would rather believe that the tailor's measurements just now had not ended.
Scholar Julio cast a few glances at the duke's desk. He looked a little unnatural.
"You know, there was a period of time when some knowledge and research were deemed illegal by the church, and mathematics was unfortunately one of them …"
Thales' interest grew stronger.
"Why?"
Julio sucked in a deep breath. "Because there are some things that, if we delve deeper into them, we will touch upon ancient taboos, and we will attract the displeasure of God."
'Ancient taboos.'
Thales thought for a while.
"And you believe in it?"
Julio shrugged innocently with a resigned expression.
"Of course not. But there must be a reason for everything that happened. For example, the knowledge of calculating the volume of liquid was once viewed as evil, and the owners of pharmacies were once forbidden from using measuring tools … "
As his speech became more fluent, Julio realized something, and his expression changed.
"I'm sorry, I'm not here to teach you history …"
"No, no, no, I'm very interested." Thales raised his palm politely.
"Please do not hesitate to answer my doubts."
Julio forced a smile, a little at a loss for what to do. Once he was certain that the prince was in a good mood, he spoke carefully.
"In short, a few hundred years ago, in the infamous Mbola Tragedy, the main cultist priest was a pharmacist. His exquisite knowledge in pharmaceutics was the key knowledge they needed when they performed the Living Sacrifice. There was also the geometry of carving runes …"
'Cultist priest.
Living Sacrifice.
Carving runes. '
Thales raised his eyebrows.
Julio coughed.
"Since then, pharmaceutics and geometry became infamous along with the legends of witches, demons, and evil gods."
"What does that have to do with my theology class?"
Julio was stunned for a moment before he remembered what he wanted to say.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me. I almost forgot the main topic …"
"In short, at that time, the church, including Sunset Goddess, was still, um, traditional. For a long time, the scholars did not have a good time, even in Dragon Kiss Academy."
If there was a competition of "speaking long sentences in a halting manner", Thales felt that his father's Masked Protector should be able to come out on top. But Yodel could not let his guard down, because if they were to compete in long sentences outside of his field, then Scholar Julio would definitely be a strong contender for the title of champion.
If they were to add "going off topic", then there was no need to ask, he would bet his entire fortune on Julio.
Thales glared at him.
"Until people like Vicar General Saint Lisieux, who had the status of the church and the ambition to expand their knowledge, safely carried out their research … It's all thanks to their foresight that you and I can be here." Scholar Julio stared at the numbers and symbols on the paper. His gaze was gentle and tender, as if he was looking at his lover.
"Studying these cute formulas while standing on the accumulated knowledge of our predecessors."
Julio sucked in a breath, and his expression became solemn again.
"So, Your Highness, there is no harm in being on good terms with the church, especially when they are at the peak of their power, even if it is not to your liking.
"This way, a lot of difficulties will be easily solved."
Thales stared at Julio with an unprecedented and thought-provoking gaze.
"What about you?"
Julio's eyes brightened. He raised his finger and waved it at Thales, as if he was presenting a treasure. Then, he pulled out a brass disciplinary chain from his chest.
"Look, I am a devout believer of Sunset Church, and I am also an honorary priest of Royal Light Academy's Theology Branch. I often go to the temple to pray, and when I return to the countryside, I often go to the church."
Julio's eyes were full of smugness and flaunting.
It seemed to be some kind of achievement.
"I study mathematics in the name of God!"
Thales snickered.
This made Scholar Julio's expression stiffen. He did not know whether to lift or put his hands down.
"Why?"
Thales coughed a few times to hide his laughter.
"Why did you tell me specifically?"
Julio put down the disciplinary chain and wiped his hands on his clothes. Then, he carefully pointed at Thales' table.
"You … have been holding that book for a few days.
You almost made a handprint on the cover. "
Thales looked down.
Pressed under his draft paper was the Sunset Apostles' Acts.
The Duke of Star Lake was stunned.
A few seconds later, Thales pressed his head and sighed in resignation.
How could he make such a low-level mistake?
Was it because he was under too much pressure after returning to Constellation?
If he were in Northland and in Heroic Spirit Palace, Thales would definitely be cautious enough to change a new book every day so that he would not be easily discovered.
Well, he could not say that.
After all, Nicholas's intelligence was not to be underestimated.
"You are a smart child, Your Highness." Julio was a little worried. "I mean, not many people can understand so many complicated mathematical problems at your age, not to mention that you just came back from the barbaric Northland. No offense."
"And people who have such thoughts are usually not satisfied with boring theological preaching and religious preaching. I know, I have experienced it, but …"
Julio pointed at the wrinkled cover of the ancient religious book.
"When you want to tear the book to vent your anger, don't let anyone see it."
Thales rubbed the handprint on the Apostles' Acts, which was clearly clearer than a few days ago. He was silent for a while.
"I just … read it too seriously."
"Erm, then you don't have to worry too much." This time, it was Julio's turn to worry about whether he was interfering too much with the prince's life.
He lowered his head and said sheepishly, "Fortunately, the current era is enlightened. In ancient times, doing this would not end well."
Thales snickered.
"Don't worry. At least, I'm neither too young nor too old. I can be considered a prince."
"Ha, more than four hundred years ago, 'Alien Star' Herman was also the eldest son and heir of 'Ascension King', but he was still killed because of blasphemy —"
Scholar Julio's words came to an abrupt halt.
Thales' smile froze.
The room became quiet.
A few seconds later, Julio realized what he had said. He stared at Thales in horror, then looked around in panic.
"I-I, Your Highness …"
Thales put on a stern face.
"Scholar Julio, have we solved this problem?"
"Oh, of course, of course, Your Grace, Your Highness … Why don't we end the lesson?" Julio looked like he was about to cry.
Thales was silent for a while before he raised his head and smiled.
"Alright."
Julio heaved a long sigh of relief. He picked up his teaching materials and tools and left in a fluster. He did not even remember that the Disciplinary Chain was still hanging outside his clothes.
"Um, Your Grace, about what I said today, um, Count Caso …"
Thales sighed softly.
"Gilbert won't know."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Julio left while trembling.
"Julio."
Julio's back trembled violently.
"Thank you as well," Thales said softly.
Perhaps he knew that he had said something he should not have, Scholar Julio, who was used to dragging class, was much more considerate than usual. He even ended class half an hour earlier.
During the history lesson in the afternoon, before Gilbert rushed over to talk about the political gains and losses of the King of Blades, Thales had a rare moment of free time.
Thales sat quietly in the study room. His gaze wandered over the cover of Sunset Apostles' Acts, but he could not get over Julio's words.
"Glover, close the door. I want to take a nap."
The 'zombie' at the door did not have any extra reaction. He did not ask about Thales' well-being, nor did he make a fuss. He just nodded quietly and closed the door behind him.
His voice came from outside the door, giving orders to the guards on duty.
Based on this alone, Vanguard Glover was indeed much more competent than Doyle.
Low-key and obedient.
Silent and cold.
Never doing anything unnecessary.
Thales thought gloomily.
He was probably the type that King Kessel trusted.
For some reason, when he thought of this, his heart tightened.
If he had to choose, Thales still felt that it would be easier to get along with people like Doyle.
'Why?'
Thales sighed.
He sized up the empty study room, put away the secret Apostles' Acts, stood up, and walked to the bookshelf behind him.
The duke skillfully pried open the mechanism on one of the baffles and pulled open the bookshelf.
He entered the secret room in the study room.
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