civilwarnovels Chapter 145 Heraldic Seats
Chapter 145 Heraldic Seats
Chapter 145 Heraldic Seats
Lola must drink milk every day; she smells like milk all over now.
Even now, sitting opposite Annie, he is still drinking.
However, Lola didn't seem to like the taste of milk very much; you could tell from her contorted and conflicted face.
Therefore, Anne somewhat regretted it, wondering if telling Lola the secret to growing taller was the right decision.
Anne was only nine days older than Lola. They were both fifteen years old. Anne was already a full-fledged adult, but Lola could still be considered a girl.
Anne endures the pain of growing up every month, but Lola's sheets remain snow-white.
So Lola still has the potential to grow taller, but she won't have much time left. Anne hopes Lola can catch up.
Despite these wishes, Anne genuinely thought that Lola's short stature was actually quite cute.
But if Lola herself doesn't like it, there's nothing that can be done.
Anne had heard Lola's description and knew the predicament Lola was currently facing.
She paused for a moment and asked:
"Among those three, is there anyone dangerous?"
After recalling the events, Lola said, "They all seem to possess extraordinary martial arts skills. If I were to fight them, the situation would definitely be dangerous."
"Would they attack you on purpose?"
"Not at the moment."
"But what if your response doesn't meet their expectations?"
This time, Lola remained silent for a long time: "I don't know, maybe. There's this guy with a thick beard who seems to have a very bad temper."
"Hmm—impulsive guys are unpredictable; he might be a bad thing for you."
As Lola's personal herald, Anne must eliminate any obstacles for Lola.
"In that case, we have to find a way to meet their expectations."
Lola stared at Anne without saying a word, but as the older sister, Anne could naturally read her younger sister's expression. Lola was asking, "How can I satisfy you?"
Anne said, "Since they want to see me, then they must be allowed to see me. And didn't they also say that they would travel a great distance to see me in person?"
Lola nodded.
"From your description, they seem to think I'm a mature and reliable gentleman?"
"Um·--·
"That's troublesome," Anne raised an eyebrow. "Once they see me, their expectations will be shattered instantly, and then..."
"I might be the one in danger."
"Then don't let them see you!" Lola suddenly said excitedly.
"That's what I think too. I don't have any special powers whatsoever."
Anne shrugged.
"Even if they let me go, they'll think you're playing them for a fool, and they might go back to Nailport to take revenge on you."
You've also made it clear that you'll be operating in Namau for a long time, so even for that reason, I can't possibly meet with them.
Lola nodded in agreement, while Anne couldn't help but purse her lips in embarrassment.
The current situation is that seeing them is not an option, and not seeing them is also not an option; being single-minded has completely blocked both ends.
But there is a solution. The key question is how to meet their needs without seeing them.
"Since I can't see them," Annie muttered to herself, "where can I find a 'behind-the-scenes man' who meets their expectations—..."
Lola seemed to hear her, and she shook her head. "There's no such person."
"No!" Anne suddenly looked up and stared directly at Lola. "Lola, there really is someone who fits the bill!"
"?"
Anne propped herself up on the table and stood up: "Mysterious, powerful, wise, composed, humble—but even these words combined aren't enough to fully describe him! Lola, the people you're dealing with are utterly insignificant compared to him. Send them to see him, and he'll handle them with ease!"
Lola tilted her head: "Who are you talking about?"
Annie smiled:
.......
Afterwards, Anne reluctantly said goodbye to Lola.
Now, the intervals between Lola's visits to her have suddenly become longer. The last time Lola came to Emblem City was almost three months ago.
However, according to Lola, she has now officially begun studying witchcraft, probably because she has become busy with her studies.
So even though she sometimes misses her sister, Annie no longer dares to say things like "Come visit me more often."
Lola is not talkative, but surprisingly serious.
But even now, the wound on Lola's shoulder has not completely healed.
Annie felt heartbroken and guilty, but there was nothing she could do.
All she could do was try her best to help her sister and not cause Lola any trouble.
Therefore, Anne must also intensify her training as an heraldic apprentice; only in this way can she avoid holding Laura back.
Since becoming Joseph's formal disciple, Anne has grown at an astonishing rate in terms of knowledge and ability under his personal tutelage.
Anne couldn't help but admire Joseph, thinking he was truly an excellent mentor.
Of course, Joseph only provided extra tutoring; Anne still couldn't miss the regular courses arranged by the academy.
And Annie will inevitably have to meet those so-called "classmates".
In the self-study classroom, the apprentices all sat together in twos and threes, or in pairs.
Only Anne could only find a secluded corner to be alone.
It's been almost a year since Annie came to the Herald Academy, but she still hasn't made a single friend.
They all ostracized Anne because she was a woman, and Anne refused to associate with these prejudiced fools.
Being alone is fine; at least Annie can enjoy some peace and quiet.
However, those foolish apprentices were unwilling to let Anne go so easily.
Whenever Anne is in the same room with these people, she is bound to hear their insults and slander.
Without exception, Annie achieved first place in every exam arranged by the college.
They could find no fault with Anne's academic performance, and apart from calling her a useless bookworm, they could find no other points to attack her. They could only resort to spreading rumors to smear Anne with baseless accusations.
The same was true at this moment; from the moment Anne opened the book, she heard discussions about herself.
They called her a whore, a prostitute.
Right now, a short-haired man sitting in front of Annie suddenly turned around, half-clenched his fist at Annie, and then slid it up and down. This humiliation made Annie's vision cloud over, as if the pomegranate red in her eyes had burst and leaked, seeping into her pupils.
She wished she could transform into a murderer and tear all these people to pieces to vent her anger.
But she didn't have the ability to do so, and if she tried to argue back, it would only play into their hands.
Even though Anne was eloquent, she couldn't out-talk dozens or even hundreds of people. They were worried that Anne would ignore the rumors and insults.
Therefore, Anne had no choice but to endure it. Just then, the surrounding chatter suddenly subsided, and the classroom became completely silent.
The red light in Annie's eyes slowly faded, and she raised her head, wanting to see what had happened.
It turned out that a teacher had walked in.
A sudden gasp rippled through the classroom: "Professor Sanders?! What are you doing here?!"
The visitor was none other than Anne's mentor, Joseph Sanders.
The ten instructors of the Herald Academy are undoubtedly idols whom the herald apprentices deeply admire.
Joseph, the "strict" one, was the most outstanding among them and was often the subject of discussion among the apprentices.
However, no matter which mentor it is, it's not something a first-year apprentice can just see whenever they want.
This happened to be the classroom for first-year apprentices, and their curiosity about Joseph's sudden arrival was a perfectly normal reaction.
But the “strict” Joseph was always strict and had no intention of responding to the questions of these ignorant young men.
He stood at the front of the classroom, glanced around, then suddenly fixed his gaze on Annie, and shouted:
"Annie, come with me!"
Upon hearing this, Anne nodded, then immediately packed her things and went to Joseph's side.
Just then, the guy who had made the lewd gesture towards Annie suddenly stood up and questioned her:
"Professor Sanders, what did you call this woman to do? What is your relationship with her?"
Judging from his posture, you can tell that this person is worried about missing out on a chance to gain an advantage.
Joseph glared at the man: "Do I need to report to you what I'm doing?"
Then, he prepared to leave with Annie.
Perhaps because her previous emotions hadn't completely dissipated, Annie's expression remained somewhat solemn.
The aged Joseph seemed to sense this, and Anne saw him squinting at her.
For some reason, Joseph suddenly turned wary of the person he had just seen:
"Annie is my formal disciple."
Upon hearing this, a gasp of surprise rippled through the classroom.
The man immediately looked dumbfounded.
After a moment of confusion, he stammered as he asked:
"But...but we're only first-year apprentices. We usually don't formally begin our studies under a mentor until the fifth or sixth year!"
"That's the difference between you two. You're just mediocre, while Annie is a genius."
Joseph raised his chin and swept his disdainful gaze across all the apprentices present.
"Geniuses are always one step ahead."
After saying that, Joseph left the classroom with Anne without lingering.
Anne, head held high, strode away amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.
Only after she was completely out of the sight of those "mediocre people" did Annie finally smile.
She knew that Joseph said that on purpose.
However, Joseph doesn't seem to intend to bring it up, so Anne won't try to shatter Joseph's stern image.
Even so, Anne didn't really feel Joseph's strictness. Perhaps he was just not strict with Anne.
Who knows?
Anne also realized something else.
She took two steps forward and asked Joseph:
"Is it something important?"
"Hmm?" Joseph looked at Anne.
“You usually send someone to let me know, but you never contact me on your own initiative,” Anne said. “So I guess there must be something urgent.”
Joseph smiled: "Introductory-level analysis, but it's passable. Yes, it was an unexpected situation."
"Unexpected situation?"
“Yes, someone has come to visit me. It’s your fellow disciple,” Joseph said. “I need you to come with me to see him.”
Joseph only mentioned one disciple to Anne, so she immediately guessed who it was.
Together they went to the north tower of the Teachers' Tower and headed towards Joseph's office.
When Anne arrived at the door, she saw a man wearing a magnificent and exquisite heraldic cloak.
The robe has a base color of bright gold, the fabric is likely silk, the buttons are made of peridot, and the cuffs are sewn with auspicious cloud patterns in gold thread.
Anne recognized the emblem on the front of the burqa at a glance.
That's the coat of arms of the royal Sinclair family, the Platinum Code.
Without needing any introduction, Annie guessed who this person was.
Jonas Farr, Head of Heraldry of the Court of Arms.
As Joseph and Anne approached, the man immediately curtsied.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, teacher. It seems you've really gotten old."
Anne noticed the displeasure that flashed across Joseph's face: "Where did you see that I look old?"
"Isn't that right?"
Jonas smiled, and his thick, finely trimmed, upward-curling mustache parted to the sides.
"We set off from the Hall of Armor at the same time, but I arrived more than ten minutes earlier."
Joseph snorted coldly: "If I had gone straight back to Cube Tower, I would have already finished a case before you arrived."
“I have no doubt about that, teacher,” Jonas said, turning to Anne. “So this lady is your excuse for being late?”
"There are no ladies at the Heraldry Academy," Joseph said. "Only teachers and apprentices."
“Of course,” Jonas spread one hand, “but apprentices and ladies are not mutually exclusive, and I’ve heard from other mentors that you recently took on a prized student. I suppose this is her.”
"Indeed, it was only recently received," Joseph said calmly.
Jonas placed her right hand on her chest and bowed slightly.
"Nice to meet you. Should I call you junior sister? I am Jonas Farr, a good-for-nothing herald."
Anne glanced at Joseph furtively, but Joseph didn't react, so Anne replied:
"I am Anne Booker."
"Mr. Joseph is a bit strict," Joseph smiled, "but he's very protective of his students, you'll see."
Anne nodded gently; she had just experienced it once.
"They say people are fickle and easily bored. Look, junior sister, it's really true," Jonas shrugged. "With a newcomer like you by my side, the teacher's attitude towards me, an old friend, has suddenly become much colder."
Anne didn't know how to respond, but fortunately Joseph spoke up in time:
"So, is there something you need from me?"
"Hehe, teacher, you specially brought Annie along, didn't you anticipate my visit? Well, never mind," Jonas raised an eyebrow. "Teacher, it's still early, why don't we go inside and talk?"
Joseph then opened the door and led Anne and Jonas inside.
Upon entering the room, Joseph went straight to his desk, while Anne stood beside him.
Jonas closed the door behind him, then bowed respectfully to Joseph:
"I am very sorry, teacher. Now that I have returned to the Herald Academy, I should have come to visit you as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I am here on official business. As the chief herald of the royal family, I will certainly receive a formal reception. Therefore, I hope you will understand."
"So, before we even discussed business, you came to see me. Are you really alright?" Joseph asked. "Were you acting for public or private reasons?"
"It's a mix of public and private," Jonas said. "Privately, I'm here to visit my mentor and rekindle our teacher-student relationship."
"And what about the father?" Joseph squinted.
"The main business has already been explained to all the mentors," Jonas said, "and it's still about the Sea of Despair, of course."
"So what is the royal family's attitude?" Joseph asked.
"What attitude does the current royal family have left?"
Jonas moved a chair over and sat down next to Joseph.
"Or there are all sorts of attitudes. The royal family has now become a cesspool, smelly and unpleasant, yet it's a mixed bag of emotions."
"Since the royal family has no stance, what are you doing here, especially since you, a chief officer of heraldry, have come in person?"
"Smelling the stench for too long is no different from inhaling poison gas. I can't wait to come out and get some fresh air."
As Jonas spoke, she made a slit with her right thumb and forefinger.
"Moreover, there is another small official matter, which is also something I care about more."
Silence fell over the room as Joseph and Jonas, master and apprentice, looked at each other without saying a word.
Anne was certain that they were thinking the same thing at that moment.
However, Joseph didn't seem to be in a hurry. He took a deep breath, causing the phlegm in his lungs to make a noise, and continued his previous topic:
"So what is your current stance on the Goddess Island issue?"
"Of course we have to fight."
Jonas said,
"How could the kingdom be willing to miss out on such a huge pie as the New World? In terms of shipbuilding technology, the people of the Far East are far superior to us. Therefore, they were the first to arrive in the New World and established the first outpost of the Eastern people, New Gate City."
"The kingdom's technology is relatively backward. Even now, the probability of our ships being lost halfway is still over 30%. Now, a new group of pirates has appeared, making our progress extremely difficult. Therefore, we must wipe out that pirate gang."
"But even if it is destroyed, the kingdom's progress is still lagging behind the Far East continent," Joseph said. "The technological gap remains unresolved."
"Ha!" Jonas laughed. "They may have a technological advantage, but the Kingdom of Great Classic has the largest reserve of knights of all the regimes."
"The new city has been under construction for a long time, but the development of the new continent by the Far East is progressing at a snail's pace. Why? Because the Twin-Eyed People will also fight back!"
"The Twin-Eyed People do not build city defenses, but they are good at sneak attacks. Once a fixed settlement is established, it will inevitably be attacked by the Twin-Eyed People."
"The alchemists and engineers of the Far East are not good at handling these things; matters of war must be left to the knights."
"Therefore, as long as we can send a large number of elite knights to the New World, the kingdom will surely be able to catch up and surpass us. But teacher, you couldn't have missed something so simple, could you?"
Joseph did not answer, but simply chuckled.
Anne thought Joseph must know, since she had listened to many debates about the New World in the hall.
Joseph then asked another question:
"Since you've thought it through so clearly, why not just start a war?"
"After all, it involves cooperation among multiple regimes, so the Herald Academy still needs to mediate," Jonas said with a sneer. "Moreover, the problem now is that there isn't a suitable commander."
"Isn't the Minister of the Navy acceptable?"
"The current naval commander has only recently taken office and has no experience in leading ships into battle. The previous naval commander, Earl Lawrence, was accidentally killed two years ago after participating in a duel while drunk."
"The Battle of the Sheep Hunt was commanded by Earl Lawrence, wasn't it?" Joseph said.
“Teacher, if anyone says you’re old, I’ll laugh at their ignorance. You remember it better than I do now,” Jonas said, stroking his mustache with his finger. “You’re right, he was the commander of that naval battle.”
"And I remember," Joseph narrowed his eyes, "that the staff officer in that battle was also a talent?"
"You mean Earl Hubert? Ha!" Jonas grinned. "Loyal Dog is indeed a genius commander, but unfortunately..."
"Did he also meet with misfortune?"
"No, not at all," Jonas shook his head. "It's just that he has now retired from the military and rarely leaves his territory. I initially thought he was the best candidate, so I immediately wrote to him to ask for his opinion, but he politely declined."
"That's why I hope the Herald Academy can recommend some talented individuals. After all, I am a subject of the kingdom, and it's not convenient for me to directly inquire about the talent situation of other regimes."
"This requires advice from all the mentors," Joseph said.
"I see."
Joseph leaned back: "So, what is the second official matter you want to discuss with me?"
"A herald officer in the Heraldry Academy has passed away, leaving a vacancy. Teacher, I would like to ask you if you could recommend a few reliable and trustworthy individuals for me?"
"Hmm?" Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Judging from your tone, you're planning to form a faction?"
"Don't make it sound so serious, teacher," Jonas quickly waved her hand, "It's just for self-preservation."
"If it's just about self-preservation, is it necessary to develop one's own faction?"
"Stern," Joseph said, his tone suddenly turning stern.
"Of course I understand, teacher. The first lesson you taught me was about the professional ethics a herald should have, but you are unaware of the current situation at court."
At this point, Jonas shook his head, looking rather helpless.
"Since Claude's death, the situation in the court has changed every day. Every day, some people rise to prominence while others are beheaded. In order to protect yourself, you must stick with others, otherwise the storm of power will easily blow you away."
"Now even the Guardian Knights are starting to seek backers or secretly collude with them. The Royal Heraldry is the first to be affected. Although I am the Chief Herald, my power has been divided up by more than half."
"There's a spot available in the Heraldry Academy right now, and I have to make sure I get it. It's a last resort, teacher, you have to understand."
Joseph listened intently for a long time after hearing this, and then asked:
"Didn't the king notice anything at all? And just let it go unchecked?"
"That was truly an enlightened king," Jonas said with a wry smile, "but perhaps too enlightened. Listen to his nickname, 'The Sleeping King.' Teacher, now you should understand me. The Herald Academy has many talented people, but the only ones I can truly trust are my own teacher's direct disciples."
"Hmm—"
Joseph let out a long sigh, seemingly in great distress.
"But doesn't that mean I have to push my own disciple into the fire?"
"You can rest assured about that," Jonas said. "I will ensure everything is done perfectly!"
"The problem is," Joseph frowned, "although I have quite a few disciples under my command, they are mostly assigned by the academy and their talent is average. I have limited time and effort to put into them and cannot be sure of their character. If I were to recommend them to you rashly, it would only make your situation more unfavorable."
Jonas's beard had become soft and droopy at some point:
"Teacher, are there none at all?"
"There is one—"
"Who is it!" Jonas asked hurriedly.
Joseph didn't speak, but looked at Anne.
Then, Anne felt Jonas's gaze and stared straight at her.
Jonas raised an eyebrow: "Her?"
"That's right."
"woman?"
"Do I have to emphasize this a few more times?" Joseph became "stern" again, "The Herald Academy has no men or women, only teachers and apprentices."
“But if I may be so bold, teacher,” Jonas said, “very few women can become heralds.”
"But there are very few apprentices more talented than Anne," Joseph retorted, somewhat unwilling to be outdone.
"However, I also heard from other mentors that she seems to be just a freshman."
“She’s not a freshman anymore,” Joseph said. “She’s been enrolled for almost a year.”
"That means it hasn't even been a year yet, so it's still a freshman," Jonas replied. "Even if a freshman is incredibly talented, what level can they possibly reach?"
Joseph slightly curled the corners of his lips: "You can test her however you like."
Upon hearing this reply, Jonas fell silent. He stared at Anne for a long time, pondering, before finally smiling faintly.
"I understand, mentor. Since the 'strict' Joseph is willing to vouch for this junior student named Anne, I believe she must have extraordinary talent, and her knowledge and skills are also very solid. However, she is, after all, just a freshman."
"So what?"
"Generally speaking, it doesn't matter."
Jonas stood up from her chair and paced around the room.
"This is undoubtedly a weakness. Any emblem artist who is recommended will have to study with their mentor for more than a year. If someone seizes on this point and fires her, it will definitely affect Junior Sister Annie's future career path."
"Hmm—" Joseph sighed again, "Then we must consider this more carefully. To be honest, I am also reluctant to entrust Anne to you. There is still much I want to teach her, and more importantly, I am at ease with you."
"How about this?" Jonas suddenly suggested, "Teacher, you can train her for another year, and then you can recommend her to the royal coat of arms."
"A year? Isn't that a bit too long?"
"The Royal Arms system provides seven heraldry positions; losing one or two would affect the smooth operation of the system."
"Yes, could it be that other top-ranking officials would make recommendation requests?"
"Ha!" Jonas stopped in his tracks. "Although my power has been divided up, any official document to be issued still has to go through me. This requires my consent, and it could take a year or two. Besides, the court is in such a chaotic state that efficiency is already low."
Afterwards, Jonas spoke with Joseph for a long time before leaving the Teacher's Tower.
Joseph sat in his chair for a moment, lost in thought, then suddenly turned to look at Anne:
"Do you understand, little Annie?"
Although Anne had overheard their conversation, she had only a vague idea of what was going on.
"You only have one year left."
Joseph stood up and patted Anne on the shoulder.
"At that time, you will be a royal herald!"