The room was smaller than I expected. There were shelves up to the ceiling, crammed with books. The smell of leather, paint and smoke from the fireplace filled the air. The heat from the fire created a dance of shadows that stretched down to my feet. The two noblemen watched me in silence for a moment.
I bowed with respect, measured, precise. Neither submissive nor arrogant. Like someone who understands the weight of their name - and carries that weight without bowing too much.
Only then did I recognize who they were. The deputy director of the Full Moon Academy and the governor of New Moon City - two men with more power than anyone I had ever seen up close outside of my family.
They were both sitting side by side at a simple table, with white cups in front of them. The same cup was offered to me by a silent servant, and I sat down in a polished leather armchair, rigid as the situation. I brought the cup to my eyes first. The liquid was as dark as ink, but the aroma was unexpectedly pleasant - a mild mixture of spices and something reminiscent of wood bark.
I took a sip. Hot. Bitter. But refined.
"Thank you for inviting me" I said as politely as I could muster, keeping my voice firm and my posture straight. They both watched me with uncomfortable attention. They assessed every detail - from the stitching on my suit to the way I held my cup.
I knew what they saw: a young man with broad shoulders, a determined look... and too much fire behind his eyes.
"You smell like a fire centipede" the governor said with a tone that bordered on provocation. "Looks like you pulled your uncle. Rillen was lucky, that bastard..."
I frowned, but said nothing. Let them talk.
"He's... a bit capable" muttered the vice-principal. "I've seen you grow up in this school. From a beggar boy, dirty, trying to hide from the cold... to someone centered. You're still a wretched womanizer, but at least your choices have improved. No wonder Victoria got her claws into you"
Victoria.
My fingers lightly squeezed the cup. He was throwing too many things on the table.
"The Violet Duchy is complicated. You must be ready" he added.
"Duchy?" I said, unable to disguise my astonishment. I really didn't know that.
"Yes" said the deputy director calmly. "They're from another country. Their branch here, in the Empire of Dawn, is barely more than a group of barons. But don't be fooled. Don't go near that little girl. We don't tolerate her actions here by chance. The Reven think they're in control... but even they don't know what they're feeding them"
My expression must have closed completely.
A ducat... that was beyond me. Beyond the game of alliances and rivalries I was used to. I had made plans. Tactics. But this...
"Anyway" the deputy principal said, with a lighter tone. "Don't get agitated. This isn't the duchy. They won't go that far with this dispute, not now that they've discovered your status"
He cast a meaningful glance at the governor, who just let out a long sigh. As if he was exhausted by the subject. Silently, he stood up and walked to the door. I heard the latch turn, the key clicks... and then it was just me and the old man in the room.
We both drank the rest of the drink in silence. The warmth of the liquid kept me alert, and even though my stomach was empty, I managed to keep my posture. My expression was serious, but I tried hard to look calm. Inside, my curiosity grew with every word the old man said.
"What did you think of my school?" he asked, still staring into the fire as if looking for answers within the flames.
It took me a moment before I answered. I wanted to choose my words carefully.
"You teach what's essential... what's necessary to keep everything as it is. The curriculum seems more like a manual to me. A way of preserving what has already been achieved, without risking the new"
He nodded slowly, as if he approved of the remark - or perhaps, as if he had expected it.
"A good definition" he said with a slight smile. "Your skills in calculus, botany and writing caught my attention. I imagine you're about to start fourth grade, right?"
"Yes" I replied with a slight nod.
"Good. It's time to move on. Gothen will be your next step" he said, finally facing me. "The oldest language, the source language of our continent. Brought by your ancestors, kept alive by a few. We will teach you"
His eyes shone with something between pride and expectation.
"I'm curious to see your performance. You've already mastered the modern language... and the ancient one. Now you'll have the chance to learn the ancient one"
As he said this, he ran his hand through his white hair. His eyes - deep, fixed on me - pierced through me with a clarity that sent shivers down my spine. It was as if he saw beyond what I understood in myself.
I swallowed, but I didn't flinch.
"I'll do my best" I replied.
He nodded.
"Good. Answer me a few questions"
I thought he was going to talk about politics, military strategies or magic. But, to my surprise, everything remained... academic. The questions that came were about advanced mathematics, botanical concepts, linguistic structures. The conversation went on for hours, illuminated only by the fire and the rhythmic sound of crackling wood.
In the end, my mental notes were overflowing. I had never met someone so intelligent. Not arrogant, not condescending - but someone who corrected me with precision and even a strange kindness. It was... inspiring.
When the spoke of appointing me to his university, I felt my heart race.
"My university is looking for people like you" he said, his voice firm but not arrogant. "I'm thinking of appointing you. But before I do, I have some tests. I want to see how you react outside the controlled environment of the classroom. What do you think about that?"
He looked me straight in the eye. And for a moment I realized that the question was genuine - not a game, not a trick.
I took a deep breath before answering.
"I'm interested. But... what's the price?"
He smiled. It wasn't a reassuring smile. It was the kind of smile that comes before a revelation, the kind that precedes an inevitable change. An omen.
"The price..." he began, his eyes returning to the fire for a moment "...is that people like us are too rare to be left as they are. It would be a waste"
I frowned, unsure whether that was a compliment or a warning.
"I don't understand"