One knight hurriedly opened the door, and a girl appeared from inside. She was slightly shorter than Alex, with long white hair, white eyes, and a fair complexion. Behind her came Malrec Veilcaster, who had long black hair, white eyes, and a fair complexion, though he was thin.
When Malrec saw Drakethorne, he mocked, "Tch, finally the rat has come out of the bin." He looked at Alex. Alex tilted his head in confusion, trying to understand what was said. Malrec might have thought the boy in front of him was naive and foolish. However, he had already heard about Alex's situation from his brother.
Shane's eyes flashed with anger. He immediately appeared in front of Malrec, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air.
Malrec's defense was instantly broken. He was still a sage rank and no match for a paragon rank. He gritted his teeth and taunted Shane. "What? Do you want to kill me? Go ahead." He met Shane's gaze without a trace of fear.
Malrec's older brother, the current grand duke of the Veilcaster family, stepped out of the carriage. He sighed at the scene and said, "Forgive him, Shane."
The girl who had exited the carriage earlier looked toward Shane and pleaded, "Forgive my uncle. He is always like this. He never knows when to hold his tongue."
Malrec glanced at his niece, who was glaring at him with anger, and decided to keep quiet. Shane finally released him and stepped back to rejoin his family.
Cassian Veilcaster, Malrec's older brother, smiled at his old friend. They clasped hands and hugged each other. Cassian said, "It has been a while since we met, my friend. It seems you have forgotten me."
Shane smiled as he let go of the hug and said, "But you also have not contacted me. You could have done so if you truly missed me." Cassian smiled at his friend's casual taunt and dismissed it with a wave.
They had been this way since their academy days, and their friendship had grown stronger over the years.
He looked at his daughter and said, "My youngest daughter, Thalia Veilcaster, will be taking this year's entrance exam."
Shane and Sera smiled at her, while Ariana, who had already moved beside her mother and was holding her hand, looked suspiciously at Thalia. Alex, unaware of what the others were thinking, simply observed them and gave Thalia only a brief glance. He found it difficult to meet her eyes, as there was something about them that made him uncomfortable.
Thalia gave a slight nod to them. She had met everyone before, except for Alex, who had never met any of them, although he had technically met Malrec, but since he had been a newborn at the time, he didn't remember it.
Cassian thought to himself, "I thought he was intelligent based on what Shane told me, but why does he seem so silent?" He did not voice his thoughts, but he observed Alex closely. Cassian could not quite find the right words, but he sensed that Shane's son might be mute and did not want to belittle his friend.
They slowly made their way toward the academy gate. Sera tightened her grip on Ariana, afraid her daughter might run off or get lost in the crowd.
The crowd buzzed with sound and excitement. People and children packed the area, all sharing the same dream of changing their lives for the better.
Alex walked alone beside his father, staying close to his parents as he observed the faces around him. It felt surreal to see so many people at once. Even in Valentine City, the capital of the Drakethorne Grand Duchy, he had not seen such a crowd during his first outing. Here, it was completely different. There was barely any space, and people pushed forward to move faster.
Thankfully, no one approached them. Most people, just as on the streets he had seen before, made way for them. Alex looked up at his father, whose face remained focused and neutral. His father glanced back at him and smiled.
They continued walking, accompanied by Cassian Veilcaster, his daughter, and his younger brother.
The girl kept stealing glances at him, which made him feel awkward. He wanted to speak but inwardly cursed himself for wearing earplugs and not knowing what they had been talking about earlier. He assumed she was the daughter of one of the two men beside her, and he felt they were strong like his father since their imposing presence matched his father's.
As they neared the gate entrance, Alex saw many students lined up. Two desks stood at the two small gate entrances that were attached to the main gate, and staff checked something before allowing students to pass. Parents were kept back, and only examinees were permitted to enter.
At one desk, Alex noticed that most people wore simple or slightly expensive clothing. The other desk was nearly empty, with only the occasional person in expensive attire passing through quickly without waiting in line like at the first desk.
He looked upward at his father and raised his right hand slightly to ask which desk, pointing at both desks and showing his palm open and his eyebrow raised.
Shane laughed at his son's gestures and pointed toward the empty desk. Alex nodded in response.
Cassian, watching the boy, made a mental note never to ask Shane about his mute son. Shane had never mentioned that his son was mute, and Cassian understood there must be parental love and concern behind keeping it hidden. He had never suspected the child was mute before, though he had heard tales from Shane about Alex's inability to level up and had been asked for advice. Cassian had never heard of such a case and could not offer any help.
Shane had explicitly told him not to reveal this fact to anyone. He glanced at his younger brother Malrec, who walked beside him with a haunting look and chin held high. Although Malrec seemed indifferent to the outside world, he cared deeply for his family, and Shane had shared this with him as well, thinking maybe he knew the solution, but he also heard it for the first time. His daughter walked beside him, holding his hand and staring at Alex, but would look away whenever Alex or Ariana glanced at her.
Just as they were a few inches from the desk, a group of knights blocked their way.
Two figures walked slowly toward the desk, and knights surrounded them, making a wall. They deliberately took slow, small steps, as if mocking those waiting and forcing them to stand there longer.
One stood tall, with a regal and thin frame, short black hair, and a pale complexion, about the same height as Shane. The other was Alex's height, with short black hair and a regal build.
They looked at Alex and the others, their smiles turning into mocking smirks as they approached the desk. The man seated at the desk immediately stood up and bowed to them.
- - -
Hello, author here. If you are enjoying the story and want to read what happens next, then please join my Patreon. There, you can find multiple tiers and choose the one that best suits you. I need your support to keep on writing.
On Patreon, you can read upto 10 Chapters ahead of here.
Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/imissmysun
Discord link: https://discord.gg/WrsCjgR7z7