Late October, Constantinople.
Recently, Vitus had focused most of his attention on the civil service examinations, trying to refine every detail and establish them as a permanent institution.
"Next year's examination subjects will remain unchanged: Greek, mathematics, and law. Make sure the libraries in every town have the relevant books. Ordinary commoners can read and study on their own. How much they learn will depend entirely on their own fortune."
He opened the register of results. In eighth place was a shepherd from Circassia named Edric.
"Edric? That name doesn't sound Circassian. Is he a descendant of the Varangian Guard?"
His interest piqued, Vitus summoned the top ten candidates and spoke with them individually, paying particular attention to Edric.
As a child, Edric had attended free lessons at a nearby church, studying on and off for five years.
After turning twelve, Edric had begun helping his family tend sheep. Perhaps shepherding was simply too dull; he occasionally copied books at the town library or borrowed them from the church. While out grazing the flock, he usually sat in the shade of a tree to read. Sometimes he used a twig to scribble on the ground, working through obscure mathematical formulas.
This September, Edric had passed the preliminary examination without difficulty. Only then had he realized a serious problem: the library's collection of legal texts was incomplete, and he had read only half the required books.
With no other choice, he had studied during the voyage, hurriedly covering the remaining material.
In the end, Edric had earned full marks in mathematics but lost many points in law, placing eighth overall.
After the interviews, Vitus kept these candidates in the central administration, assigning them tasks such as compiling histories, copying documents, and drafting edicts. Their posts belonged to the ninth rank.
After