Donna still had not notified Ang to come by these past few days. It seemed that her grandfather, Master Louis, had yet to return. Meanwhile, the academy held a grand graduation ceremony for the students who had completed the Latvia mission. Ang attended at their invitation, though his feelings were complicated. During the ceremony, the academy dean delivered an impassioned speech praising the mission's complete success. Listening from below the stage, however, Ang felt disdain for the dean's boasting. He knew perfectly well that, at first, no teacher in the academy had been willing to lead a team to Latvia. In the end, they had no choice but to send him, a "newcomer."
Even so, Ang felt a faint sense of gratitude deep down. It was precisely because of this mission that he had received so much training and grown so much. Thinking of that, his attitude toward the dean softened slightly. He felt that the academy's decision had not been entirely without merit, and he even felt a trace of appreciation.
The atmosphere of the ceremony gradually grew livelier as the graduates came forward one after another to clink glasses with Ang, thanking him for his leadership and protection during the mission. Ang responded to each of them with calm ease. They were drinking Maple Syrup Wine, which was not particularly strong and carried a light sweetness with every sip. Caught up in everyone's enthusiasm, Ang refused no one and drank several cups in succession, soon feeling slightly tipsy. The attendant responsible for serving the drinks watched the graduates anxiously from the side, wryly lamenting inwardly. Before the graduation ceremony, he had been instructed not to let the students drink too much of the precious Maple Syrup Wine, since it had been personally bestowed by the duke.
Ang noticed