NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 172: Reconciliation
Slowly, Ren Xiyang restored more of Prince Pollux’s spinal cord.
Next were the nerves that extended outwards from the spinal cord. This was followed by the nerves and other structures in Pollux’s groin.
He then moved to the scarring on Pollux’s back, breaking down the collagen arrangement and other cell structures associated with scarring, and replacing them slowly with the structure of their unscarred neighbours. In fact, working on skin was very complex, as there were hair sweat glands and sweat pores, oil glands, muscle, veins and arteries, and nerves all packed in a small area.
Bit by bit, Ren Xiyang moved his focus down Prince Pollux’s and Hadrian’s legs. Finally, Ren Xiyang worked on the soles of Prince Pollux’s feet.
Ren Xiyang did one final scan before pulling out his magic. He opened his eyes. “That’s it for today. How do you feel, Your Highness?”
“Fine,” Prince Pollux said. He rubbed his legs thoughtfully.
“And Hadrian?”
Hadrian blinked. Ayden’s magic had felt a little unsettling (and embarrassing) at times, but it wasn’t painful. “I’m well.”
“Good. I need to head back to the Academy, so I won’t be having dinner here,” Ren Xiyang said. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Is there anything you need?”
“Would you mind allocating me an office here?” Prince Pollux asked. “It would be more convenient to do certain work here, rather than at the embassy.”
“Sure,” Ren Xiyang said.
Ren Xiyang led them to find the head steward right away.
“Your Highness, we have these rooms that can be converted to offices,” Mr Conway said. He showed them several different rooms, including an open-office space. Prince Pollux eventually chose a room near Hadrian’s.
“We will arrange it to your liking,” Mr Conway said. “Please advise.”
Leaving them to sort things out among themselves, Ren Xiyang said goodbye. He went back to his office to collect some work to bring back.
Solicitor Carmine knocked on the door, holding some papers.
“My Lord, before you go, I want to present some preliminary information to you,” Solicitor Carmine said.
Ren Xiyang accepted the papers. He didn’t expect to see the words: List of well-known Sedaverian mages who did not attend the Imperial Magical Academy written at the top.
“Kel, Maria and I have been going through the historical literature, looking for past precedents,” Solicitor Carmine said. “In summary, attendance is not absolutely necessary. All past mages who were expelled from the academy were expelled due to committed crimes. However, there are several notable mages who never attended the academy at all due to various reasons. And there are also mages who had enrolled but then withdrew—”
Ren Xiyang’s heart skipped a beat. “You can withdraw?”
Solicitor Carmine nodded. “Yes. While the Rosewood fief is very close to the Capital, and you are not sickly, and nor is it a war time, it is without question that you are magically skilled and in control of your magic, and you are not a danger to society. Lack of academy attendance won’t affect your earlship title, nor your inclusion in the Imperial Council.”
“Thank you,” Ren Xiyang said. “You don’t need to research further. This is enough for now.”
Solicitor Carmine nodded. “Understood.”
Ren Xiyang put the papers into his briefcase and went back to the academy, deep in thought. What was the best long-term option?
Ren Xiyang had technically accepted going to the academy. Since Rian seemed to really want to attend, Ren Xiyang had come. He had been vaguely curious too, and he also understood that he was indeed a role model, a figure that others talked about for better or for worse.
And somehow, in the span of a week, Ren Xiyang had gotten used to his nightly routine with Rian. That part, Ren Xiyang didn’t mind at all.
Unfortunately, the school was more boring and energy-sapping than expected, and the teachers weren’t inspiring at all.
Ren Xiyang couldn’t solve his life problems in the short travel to the academy.
Rian was waiting for him at the greenhouse.
“Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang greeted.
“Earl Rosewood,” Rian said.
They looked at each other in silence, while the Royal Guards did their best to blend into the background.
The corner of Ren Xiyang’s lips curled up unconsciously when he remembered Rian’s ardent promise to make a private and secure telepathy spell.
Rian blinked at that sudden smile.
“Please help me water the plants in the field,” Ren Xiyang said, his face returning to an even expression.
Rian inclined his head. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
Part of the field that had received plant-growth magic was already bursting with life. Herbs and various salad greens had vibrant leaves, and the cherry tomato plants even had small fruit.
While Rian looked after the field, Ren Xiyang personally attended to his plants in the greenhouse.
Once they were done, they looked at each other, before turning towards the dormitory building. Ren Xiyang fell into step alongside Rian as they walked.
Ren Xiyang entered their quarters first, putting down his briefcase on his desk, before sitting down on the sofa.
“Have dinner delivered to our quarters,” Rian ordered one of the Royal Guards.
“Yes, Your Highness.” The Royal Guard headed off right away, while the others took up their positions.
Rian closed the door and cast a privacy spell across their quarters. He sat down on the sofa opposite Ren Xiyang.
“So…” Ren Xiyang started, before he realised he didn’t have a plan and hadn’t prepared an agenda. “You haven’t made that private telepathy spell, have you?”
“No.”
“We should schedule at time to work on it together.”
Rian nodded. He didn’t say more, though. He wanted Ren Xiyang to speak first.
“You’re right,” Ren Xiyang said.
Rian narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “What about?”
“I could at least attend the magic practice classes, and I will.”
However, Rian wasn’t as happy as Ren Xiyang had expected. “Xiyang, if you don’t want to go, then you don’t need to go. I can see that you don’t really want to go. I’ll help you withdraw from the academy. And the greenhouse and field are technically under my name, so you can still use them.”
Ren Xiyang hesitated, because withdrawing was indeed tempting. “Solicitor Carmine also talked to me earlier about this too. He said that it wouldn’t affect my title if I withdrew.”
Rian nodded. “He should be correct. If academy attendance was required for lordship titles, then you wouldn’t have been appointed Earl Rosewood three years ago. You can use direct magic manipulation as easy as breathing, and you oversee the Rosewood fief and estate. The academy will be unable to deny your withdrawal request.”
“However…I wouldn’t be able to stay here,” Ren Xiyang said. He gazed into Rian’s eyes. “I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with you.”
Rian’s chest tightened. “Xiyang…”
Ren Xiyang grimaced slightly. “I realised that I might have been too focused on work.”
“Your work is important.”
“I know. But you’re right, I had set up the Rosewood council and all the teams for a reason. I can’t solve all the problems in the Rosewood fief by the end of the year. I can’t solve all the problems by myself. It’s an ongoing process, and I need to trust the very people I hired more. Not to mention, you’re important too. Spending time with you is important as well. We won’t be ‘15’ again. So while I’m not sure what I’ll do in the long-term, I’ll try attending some more classes with you.”
“We have numerous projects, and attending classes means you’ll have to travel back and forth between the capital and the Rosewood fief, which is a waste of time,” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang’s lips twitched. “Are you trying to convince me to withdraw?”
“As you said, attending isn’t absolutely necessary.”
Ren Xiyang abruptly stood up.
Rian’s eyes widened when Ren Xiyang moved over and sat down next to him.
“If it’s not necessary, why do you still have to attend? I had thought about it. We could request the Dean to have the teachers conduct the end-of-year oral exams right away. If you took those exams, you’ll pass all of them. I’m the one who would fail, which would defeat the purpose of me requesting those exams,” Ren Xiyang said. “It’s a given that I’d fail magical history and political science. But I could even fail magical combat if the teachers ask me to recall specific spells…”
Rian’s lips twitched. “It’s true,” he acknowledged. It must be remembered that while Ren Xiyang was a direct-magic mage genius, he was also an academic-magic scum and almost never used spells. And the kinds of spells he did use and know, like the advanced privacy spells and complex written spells for the technologies, wouldn’t be on the exams.
“In which case, I would have to study anyway. However, it’s autumn now, which is an important time due to the autumn harvest, tax collection and census; and then it would be winter and its dangers to the people, perhaps not in the Rosewood fief, but beyond. Then there is spring, and although I might have less Rosewood Group work, I’m busy planting my own fields…” Ren Xiyang grimaced. “There’s no good time to take out two or three months to cram, and if I start in spring, I may as well get test at the usual time.”
“Then you can withdraw and avoid the exams altogether,” Rian said. “Though, I have confidence that you can pass some of the exams with less than a month’s study.”
“Alright, suppose I do request early exams. What are the logistics involved? To be equal and fair, other students should have the opportunity too. In that case, the logistics will be even more complicated, and there should be other students who’d pass, such as nobles who’ve had tutoring previously.”
“In my first life, I did have to study more,” Rian said. “I used to study late into the night.”
“Because you had to be the best. The passing requirement isn’t 100%, is it?”
“It isn’t.” Rian frowned, thinking about how much he had known before entering the academy in his first life. “In that case, this could lead to large class absences.”
“And it’ll be mostly commoner mages remaining and attending classes,” Ren Xiyang said. “Eventually, this might create a situation where there would be hardly any noble kids left at the academy— a situation I doubt the dean wants. And I’m not sure it’s a good idea either to have such a separation of noble and commoner mages.”
“Alternatively, those who pass could move up to the next class,” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang nodded. “Or there could be advanced classes, but that requires more staff and curriculum development. Testing everyone is not a trivial matter either.” To make it easier to talk to Rian, Ren Xiyang pulled his legs fully onto the sofa.
Rian leaned over and pulled Ren Xiyang’s legs over his lap.
Ren Xiyang: “…”
“Isn’t it more comfortable to stretch your legs?” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang didn’t deign to answer. But he didn’t move his legs either. “I could withdraw. Or I could request some kind of unique accommodation based on my circumstances. But that doesn’t change the fact that classes are full of students who already know some, if not all, of the content already. So, the things on my mind are: one, what I do in the short term; two, what I do in the long term; three, what changes we could bring to the academy, and four, how to improve the academy experience for commoner mages who have been disadvantaged.”
“Change to the academy won’t be easy. It has been operating even longer than the Azure family have been ruling,” Rian said.
“Is creating change a problem for either of us, your Highness?”
They looked at each other and both grinned.
Rian sighed, but it wasn’t unhappy. “Very well, I’ll think about these matters too. Will you attend tomorrow afternoon’s combat practice?”
“No, I’ve already scheduled afternoon tea with Alexius.”
Rian: “…”
“But I can do the last class the day after.”
Rian: … That would be the last class of the week.
Ren Xiyang got up. “Dinner is about to arrive,” he said. He went to the door and opened it just as two academy kitchen staff were approaching, pushing a trolley with plates of food covered in metal cloches.
“Where should we put the food, my lord?”
“On the coffee table.” Ren Xiyang led them in.
The staff put down the various plates and lifted the cloches, revealing the dishes beneath. After serving the drinks (milk—Ren Xiyang kept up his milk-drinking habit, and Rian copied him), the two staff left. One of the Royal Guards standing outside closed the door.
Tonight’s dinner included leek soup, grilled fish with a yellow saffron-infused sauce, buttery baby potatoes and roasted asparagus, and two berry fruit tarts.
There was silence in the room as they both started eating first.
“This was one of the things I was envisioning,” Rian suddenly said.
Ren Xiyang lifted his head.
“The academy was a way for us to spend time together. In my first life, I never had this level of closeness with any other person. While other children would have their friends whom they stuck together with, sitting in class together, having meals together, I didn’t have anyone like that. Each day, each class, I would be sitting a different group of students. And then, late at night, I would be studying, so that I would appear to effortlessly know the material thoroughly the next day.”
Ren Xiyang’s eyes deepened. “I see.”
“I wanted this opportunity to enjoy the academy without the same pressure I felt last time,” Rian said. He quirked up his lips. “This time, we’re the two good friends, with such a good friendship that others are jealous.”
Ren Xiyang quirked his lips back. “Hm.”
“Of course, there are other practical reasons why I wanted you to attend,” Rian said. “I don’t like it when others insult you, which would happen if you didn’t attend the academy.”
“You know I don’t really care about that.”
“But I do,” Rian said. “Reputation and the people’s trust and belief and loyalty are important. It improves internal stability and makes it easier to enact change. You may say you don’t care for reputation, but you have a very good reputation among the majority of the people in the Rosewood fief. They love and adore you, and so they’re more willing to follow your plans and accept the fief’s changes.”
Ren Xiyang’s ears felt a bit hot. “It’s not to that extent.”
Rian raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How about I come back with you to the Rosewood fief this weekend and ask the staff and residents myself?”
Ren Xiyang pressed his lips together, unwilling to answer. He could already imagine the enthusiasm of the Rosewood staff.
Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood are no longer fighting.
King Edric: Dammit!
Queen Mira: Told you so.
Rosewood cheer squad: Did someone mention us? 😍😍😍
Thank you to tkaa for the support!
Thank you to all the readers for all the many suggestions of what Ren Xiyang could do! Also, a special thank you to fjäril for bringing to my attention that simply withdrawing was also an option..….…
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