Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 515 Course Schedule

Gilbert coughed, quickly regaining his composure:
"Therefore, as is customary, as a minor prince, you will have a dedicated teaching team to ensure your progress in grammar, etiquette, and other subjects..."

"One or two attendants..."

"Several personal guards..."

Thales took a sip of tea, using it to compose himself:
"That sounds familiar."

Gilbert nodded, seemingly with a touch of melancholy:
"Of course, six years ago, due to the urgency of the situation, we simplified everything and were unable to provide you with the best and most suitable personnel."

"However, later developments disrupted our plans. During your time in the north, it was difficult for us to send you the personnel to accept Exter, for which I am deeply sorry..."

Gilbert's words were filled with deep remorse.

"Not really."

Thales shook his head, his lips unconsciously curling into a smile:

"As my mentor, although Putilae had been missing for several years and was still sharp-tongued, he was indeed knowledgeable and insightful. He helped me along the way and taught me a lot."

It's hard to imagine that cunning old man who sits in the corner smoking his pipe, occasionally uttering a sarcastic remark, and always popping out unexpectedly...

He and the dignified, polite, and meticulous Gilbert were actually old friends.

She was a classmate taught by a private tutor.

"As for the attendants, Wyatt was loyal, hardworking and conscientious for six years, and was an invaluable attendant to the prince."

Thales keenly noticed that Gilbert's expression darkened again when Wyatt was mentioned.

The prince couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing feelings, thoughts, and reflection).

When I first met Wyman six years ago, I thought he was a bit rigid and serious, but now...

Thales glanced discreetly at the expressionless Starlake Guards around him.

He sighed inwardly.

Some things are simply a matter of not appreciating the blessings we have.

"Then came the guards, yes, Ada..."

Thales suddenly felt a terrible headache:
"Hmm...as a prince's guard, she..."

He sighed and said awkwardly:
"Very...lively?"

As the prince narrated, Gilbert seemed to fall into memories as well, his eyes flickering slightly.

“Besides,” Thales said, regaining his composure, with a smile:
"Didn't you bring in an old crow for me in my final year?"

Gilbert's face lit up at the mention of the nickname, and he beamed with joy.

"And I hope Mr. Hicksser can be of some help to you."

“Phew, of course he does,” Thales shrugged, thinking of that special teacher, the stubborn, disabled veteran in the Shield District, and even more so, their bond with his mysterious mother:

"And the help he gave me..."

"You can't imagine."

There was a moment of silence in the living room, during which neither of them spoke, while servants, accompanied by the royal guards, served tea and refreshments.

“I assure you, Your Highness.”

Gilbert looked at Thales again, his tone gentle:

"Now that you have returned to Yongxing City and been promoted to Duke, you deserve a sufficiently noble and effective education."

"His Majesty and I, along with the knowledgeable individuals he has appointed, will do our utmost to support your studies, starting with setting up your daily schedule and planning your routine..."

Daily routine...

Upon hearing this, Thales scratched his head:
"In fact, I've gotten used to self-study over the past six years. You know, there's a huge library in Valhalla..."

But Gilbert, as if he had been expecting this, shook his finger:
“Being forced to study behind closed doors due to limited conditions is different from having resources but choosing not to use them and thus becoming self-isolated.”

“Moreover,” Gilbert’s tone shifted, becoming serious and earnest:
“If you know anything about learning, Your Highness, then you will know.”

"Besides effortless rote memorization and knowledge accumulation,"

Nothing is self-taught.

Thales stared at him blankly.

Gilbert then started counting on his fingers, earnestly explaining:

"You need guidance, discussion, consultation, supervision, stimulation, encouragement, and support. You also need feedback on your learning outcomes—things that cold, hard books cannot provide..."

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Thales interrupted him, looking exasperated, and beckoned with a gesture of resignation.

"Learning, courses, and stuff like that, okay, come on, come on all of you."

Forget it.

Besides, it's just a class.

Aside from ghosts and censorship, I, Thales, have never been afraid of anything in my life!
Gilbert nodded with a smile.

“Very good, so I’m here today to discuss and outline your future study schedule with you…”

The cunning fox of the stars raised his glasses again, and at the same time picked up a pen with his right hand, writing something on the paper on his lap.

Thales, who was struggling to achieve his free life as a parasite, watched him with utter boredom.

"Then, grammar, etiquette, history, military affairs..."

Gilbert squinted and looked up:

"Of these four things, which did you learn in Exeter?"

Thales looked up and thought for a moment.

The days in Valhalla, in Selma's study... um...

Grammar, etiquette, history, and military affairs.

"They didn't categorize it like that..."

“But let’s skip grammar and etiquette for now,” Thales said, looking exasperated.

"First and foremost, there is history."

Thales tapped his fingers as he recalled:

"Over the course of six years, they had a number of history teachers, ranging from scholars and nobles to priests and priests from the temple church. Even the Earl of Lisbon would personally teach them when he had free time."

“Charles Risban, I remember you, that ‘Dragon Eyes’ gentleman,” Gilbert’s eyes focused:

“He was a tough opponent during the fortress negotiations eighteen years ago.”

Recalling the Regent of Lisbon's eyes, which seemed to see right through him, Thales nodded with lingering fear.

"The history lessons taught to the northerners, especially the nobility, are less about history and more about... tradition."

Gilbert's eyes flickered:
"Tradition?"

Thales nodded:
"From the kingdoms of the ancient Northlands, to the 'Alliance of Beasts' of the former king Takmu, to the 'Last Line of Defense for Humanity' of the Iron-Blooded King, the Temple of Knights was completed, and the kings united to launch the war to exterminate the saints..."

"Then came the wars among kings, the birth of the heavenly horse, the awarding of medals on bloody ground, and the conquest of the empire..."

"Then came the rebel king's uprising against the emperor, the northern lands became independent, the six kings fought a duel, the mountain spirits migrated eastward..." "Then came the collapse of the modern empire, the orcs moved south during the 'moonless winter,' the last line of defense was rebuilt, and the thirty-eight watchtowers were restored to their former glory..."

Thales counted one after another, while Gilbert scribbled something down on the paper.

The Duke sighed:

"It's practically saying that the entire ancient empire was built on the back of the invincible Northern Knights, then overthrown by them, and finally had to rely on them to protect the human world..."

Thales' tone was tinged with helplessness.

"But, until Nekaru reversed the cold wind and the ten knights stood together in Exter, after hearing it a lot, you'll find that..."

The Duke's gaze gradually turned serious:
"It's not so much that they are remembering history, but rather that they are remembering the unique traditions of the North: survival, iron and blood, co-governance, duels, war, and glory."

Gilbert pondered for a moment, then continued:

"Or it may belong to their legal principles and orthodoxy."

Thales squinted and nodded.

Or to sum it up in one sentence:

Eat, sleep, fight orcs.

The last option can be replaced with either "Empire" or "Stars" at any time.

Hmm, maybe one day it will be changed to "Tails".

Duke Starlake swept away his unnecessary thoughts and returned to the main topic.

"Then, it's time for etiquette lessons from the North."

"Yes, you heard right. The nobles of the North also have etiquette classes, on how to meet, greet, exchange pleasantries, get along, and woo someone... and of course, how to duel."

Thales sighed:

"The northern etiquette of the Heavenly Fiends... is especially true for nobles of higher status."

“Etiquette…” Gilbert pondered, savoring the word:
"In every respect, the more people who dislike the empire despise it, the more they try to emulate the once great empire—for example, in terms of etiquette."

Thales recalled certain past events and gave a cold laugh:
"Believe it or not, in one version of the story, the dueling tradition in the North originated from an ancient pair of brothers: legend has it that they fell in love with the same woman."

Like lions, fighting for that damn...

Community mating rights.

Thales curled his lip.

In fact, during his first year in Dragon City, the clueless Thales attracted friendly and eager duel requests from all sorts of Exter nobles.

Fortunately, he was of high enough status (a prince), fortunately, he had a strong enough backer (a grand duchess), and even more fortunately, he was thick-skinned enough (don't ask, he'll never tell you how thick-skinned he is), so Thales survived the first year peacefully and vowed never to walk with Selma in public ("She was the one who came over and took my hand first!"—in the dead of night, nine-year-old Thales complained indignantly to his pillow).

"In addition, they will also explain religion and faith in etiquette classes."

Thales recalled:

"From ancient ancestor worship to the mountain worship of recent times, to the Church of the Holy Sun in modern times, and now to the bright moon and the setting sun, the throne and the dragon after the final war—the rituals and beliefs of the North are inseparable."

Gilbert jotted down a few notes and nodded, saying:

"This is probably inseparable from the legacy of the empire."

"Several hundred years ago, when the Church of the Holy Sun was the state religion of the empire, almost all the scribes and scholars under the imperial nobles came from church schools, and almost every noble family had its own priest. Faith in the Holy Sun was a compulsory course, second only to loyalty to the throne. In fact, religious rituals and chivalric rituals had a great deal in common."

Thales shrugged, his expression unreadable, whether in agreement or resignation.

"Beyond history and etiquette, there is the lesson of governance."

"As the name suggests, it teaches a lord's heir how to govern his territory. Of course, only noble families of earl or higher receive such lessons."

Thales recalled the events with a headache:

"Including finance, agriculture, commerce and politics, social customs and etiquette, aristocratic marriage relationships, and so on... It's a lot and very complicated."

Gilbert seemed to be deep in thought.

"But do you know what's the most interesting thing?"

Thales exhaled, half mocking and half disdainful:
"Under normal circumstances, women are not qualified to attend this class; it is only prepared for male heirs."

Of course, in the past few centuries, Exter has never had a female heir who could be considered for the throne.

That's why he had the privilege of accompanying someone to class—ironically, Thales was more likely to inspire the teacher's desire to instruct than his female classmate.

"But in reality, the content of the Northern Rule Course, whether it was measuring income and expenditure and managing household affairs, understanding human relationships and organizing banquets, or arranging marriages according to etiquette, especially the parts related to numbers and marriage alliances, was all managed by the lady of the house after marriage—especially among some male nobles who only knew how to drink and hunt, but were not good at arithmetic."

Thales tilted his head and thought for a moment, then remembered Nikolai:

"In fact, there are quite a few northern men like this."

"Therefore, among the many courses that the Grand Duchess and I had, the course on governance was the least controversial among the nobles of Dragon Sky City—because she was a girl after all, and she would still need these skills after she got married, while I was a man, and it would be useless for me to learn these skills."

The prince said disdainfully.

Gilbert smiled at him.

“In the chaotic era of the Chronicle of Kings, wives and daughters were merely the bonds connecting families and city-states, and had no real status.”

“Only since the empire has the intelligent woman had her own stage: a good girl can become a good helpmate to her future husband and share the responsibilities on the master’s shoulders, rather than a beauty who is stuck in a portrait.”

"It is evident that the rise in status of noblewomen depends on the maturity of external conditions and environment: only when wars cease, granaries are full, production recovers, rule is stable, warhorses are useless, weapons are unclaimed, physical labor is reduced, and mental labor is increased, can women's physical disadvantages be reduced and their intellect have room to play a role."

Gilbert added, seemingly with a deeper meaning:
"If the world doesn't reach that point, then your efforts to stand up for your classmates from Longxiao City will be in vain."

However, Thales became interested:
"So, if external conditions never mature, such as underdeveloped production, economic backwardness, unstable situation, and frequent wars; if the world never reaches that day, such as people's way of working still relying on physical strength... then should women be subservient and live like this forever?"

Gilbert raised his glasses:

"It's a pity, but it's an obvious objective fact that we can't change."

Thales stared at him, then suddenly laughed.

"What is and what ought to be".

Gilbert was taken aback:
"what?"

“You gave me an ‘is’ answer, Gilbert,” the young duke sighed.
"To answer my 'ought' question."

"That's not right."

Gilbert was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized.

"It seems we can speed up our grammar lessons a bit," the former foreign minister said with a gentle smile.
"Especially the logical part."

Thales smiled knowingly.

“But before we solve this age-old problem, let’s get back to the main topic,” Gilbert wisely said, ceasing to dwell on the subject.
"So, besides history, etiquette, and rule?"

Thales blew a strong breath, but failed to produce a whistle.

But this did not diminish his complex feelings about the next answer:

"Finally, and most characteristic of the North."

"People from the North..."

"Military lesson."

(End of this chapter)