Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Secret
"It... it’s nothing, son. Sorry for disturbing your sleep." Arnulf said awkwardly while trying to hide the scroll still held in Baron Eustach’s hand.
However, Oliver had already noticed it.
"What’s that scroll, Baron?" Oliver asked curiously.
"This is an invitation for you to the Royal Academy of Cyden! Isn’t it incredible? You’re the very first person from this barony to ever receive an invitation to that prestigious academy!" Baron Eustach declared excitedly while standing proudly.
"What?! Are you serious?" Oliver exclaimed in shock before immediately rushing forward, grabbing the scroll, and reading its contents himself.
"This... this is really happening!" Oliver muttered in disbelief while repeatedly rereading the contents of the scroll.
---
Dear Mr. Oliver Overheart,
[Invitation to the 500th Selection Ceremony of the Royal Academy of Cyden]
Every year, our prestigious academy conducts a grand selection ceremony to choose talented individuals from across the Kingdom of Cyden.
Those who successfully pass the selection shall undergo academic training within our academy under the guidance of highly talented and influential professors and lecturers dedicated to nurturing the next generation of Master Tamers.
Therefore, we hereby cordially invite Mr. Oliver Overheart to attend the selection ceremony held within the Hall of Castillon at the Royal Academy of Cyden, one month from now.
We sincerely hope that you will attend and fulfill your destiny.
"Forged by Knowledge, Destined for Greatness."
Royal Academy of Cyden
---
Oliver’s hands trembled slightly while holding the scroll.
The Royal Academy of Cyden, one of the greatest academy within the entire kingdom. And now, an invitation from that academy was truly resting within his own hands.
He never expected this invitation to come right at the moment when he was in a dilemma about which academy he wanted to enroll in.
"Father, Mom. I want to go to this academy! I want to attend the selection!" Oliver said excitedly.
"No! You will not go to this academy. You can go to others, but not this one." Irmine suddenly said strictly.
"What? Why, Mom? This is the best academy in our kingdom, and they personally invited me. I don’t want to miss this opportunity
" Oliver said, confused by his mother’s reaction.
"Yes, Irmine. Oliver is right. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. There may never be another golden chance like this again." Eustach said seriously.
"I’m sorry, Baron. I do not mean to be rude, but please do not interfere with my family matters." Irmine said firmly while looking directly at Eustach.
Eustach immediately raised both of his hands and decided to step back. The power of a mother was universal, and no one wanted to interfere in family matters like this.
"But Mom, you still haven’t answered me yet. Why won’t you let me go?" Oliver continued pressing for answers.
"Oliver... there is a reason your mother doesn’t want you to go
" Arnulf tried to calm the situation.
"And what is that reason?"
"You don’t need to know. Whatever the reason is, you will not go to this academy. It is for your own good as well." Irmine said firmly.
Oliver looked at his parents with an unsatisfied expression. Then, without another word, he quickly rushed toward the door and ran out of the house.
"Oliver!" Arnulf shouted worriedly.
"Don’t worry, father. I’ll watch over him." Flora suddenly said as she came down from the stairs before walking outside to follow Oliver.
"Kiokk! Who is that beautiful woman?!" Eustach exclaimed in shock after seeing Flora’s breathtaking appearance.
However, at that moment, no one had the time to answer him. Irmine suddenly held her chest before weakly collapsing onto the chair while holding her head.
She looked extremely stressed. She had already known that this moment would eventually come, but she still was not ready for it.
Arnulf quickly approached Irmine and tried to calm her down, while Eustach quietly excused himself.
"What is happening with this family?" Eustach muttered while shaking his head. He entered his carriage before leaving.
---
The moon was reflected beautifully upon the surface of the river.
Plip! Plip! Plip!
Suddenly, the moon’s reflection disappeared as a stone glided across the water, bouncing three times before finally sinking beneath the surface.
Oliver picked up another stone before throwing it as hard as he could again. This time, it bounced five times.
All of his monsters were currently around him. Husk was perching atop a large stone in the middle of the river. Nyx was hovering above the water while trying to catch glowing fireflies. Meanwhile, Queen was weaving webs across the surrounding trees before resting comfortably there.
The moonlight illuminated the entire lake area, making the scenery look calm and serene.
"You look very angry, Olive. It’s very rare to see you like this." Flora said while leaning against a nearby tree and playing with the flower in her hand.
She kept plucking the petals one by one. Once all the petals were gone, she made the flower bloom fully again before repeating the same process.
"I’m not angry. I’m just... frustrated. I don’t know what exactly they’re thinking. When I planned to apply for other academies, they seemed very happy and supportive. But when this invitation came, they reacted completely differently."
Plip!
Oliver threw another stone. This time, the stone did not bounce at all and immediately sank into the water.
"I think I have a rough idea why they don’t want to let you go. But it’s only a guess." Flora said softly while continuing to pluck the flower petals one by one.
"What? You know something, Flora? What is it?" Oliver immediately demanded an answer.
"Oii, Flora. Do you really want to tell him?" Husk suddenly asked.
"So you already know too, huh, Husk? But you just stayed quiet this whole time?" Flora smiled while glancing toward him.
"I don’t want to interfere in something that isn’t my business. And you shouldn’t either." Husk replied.
"What are you two talking about?!" Oliver asked in confusion while looking back and forth between Flora and Husk.
"I will tell him now, Husk. It is also for his own good. Sooner or later, he will definitely find out anyway." Flora said before throwing the flower away and slowly walking toward Oliver.
"Olive... actually..." Flora finally revealed the truth to him.
A truth that made Oliver’s eyes widen instantly and his heart pound violently inside his chest.
A truth that made him question everything.
