The examinations were a major event in the Kingdom of Bagnia. The fifth junior civil service examination began in Votradnoi that day, yet Chris paid it little attention.
The reason was simple. Compared with the examination, a far more important person had arrived in Votradnoi... Count Dirac Siso.
Dirac Siso raised his head to look at the castle's bronze gates. The once-glorious royal coat of arms, a sword-and-halberd emblem entwined with ears of wheat, still adorned them, but oxidation had mottled it until only a vague outline remained.
"My lord, the Prince is waiting for you in his study."
Guard Captain Bruno stepped aside and raised a hand to usher the count inside.
As Dirac instinctively unfastened his scarlet cloak, he also removed the sword at his waist and made to hand it to an attendant.
"No, my lord. The Prince gave instructions that you may wear your sword when meeting him."
Dirac raised a hand to decline the courtesy, insisted on placing his gilded sword in the attendant's hands, then strode into the palace's main castle with his head held high.
Apart from their previous encounter on the battlefield, this was Dirac's first meeting with Prince Chris in a formal setting. Even if he was entitled to special treatment, the shrewd old Count Siso had no desire to exercise the privileges Prince Chris had granted him.
At least, not yet.
First impressions mattered. Dirac and Prince Chris had gotten along very well in their correspondence, and he did not want to spoil the favorable impression the prince had of him.
Upon entering the palace's main castle, Dirac found that its interior was much brighter than its exterior suggested.
The wall lamps on either side of the corridor had been replaced with new glass oil lamps, brightly illuminating the