The judges were puzzled seeing the King leave. He was supposed to stay and decide the gifts for the top ranked mages, based on their performance. Without any other choice, they municated with the Academy Council behind the throne and simply announced that the gifts would be handed out later.
The crowd soon dispersed, allowing Daneel to go meet his friends and family. Elanev patted his head as soon as he came, saying, "Well done kiddo! I knew you would shine! Damn that King. I knew he was ruthless, but to use a technique to make you kneel? That's... something."
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but moved away after noticing that Maria was running towards Daneel with arms stretched wide open.
She hugged him tight, crying uncontrollably. She couldn't even speak, so Daneel just patted her back feeling happy seeing the tears of joy. His father was also standing just a few steps away, with a wide smile and clear eyes, clearer than Daneel had seen in many years. It seemed that seeing his achievement had started to wash away the years of suffering and regret that both his parents had borne.
Faxul also simply hugged him after his mother. But in his expression, Daneel saw both the happiness for his achievement and a longing to stand equal to him. Faxul was such a person-he spoke little, but felt quite a lot. Seeing Daneel being applauded by so many people had lit a fire in him.
Everyone was invited to the villa given to Daneel where the Anivron family threw a huge party. Many people from the slums also made their way over on Robert's invitation.
Even Felix was invited, and he arrived bringing two bottles of red wine. As soon as he arrived, Robert teased him saying that he had brought two bottles despite being so stingy. This was the first time Daneel saw his father tease anybody.
As the night progressed, people passed out one by one as the strong wine coursed through their bodies. Daneel didn't drink, but he had fun watching everyone's drunken interactions. He was actually just waiting to get to bed himself and explore the system store.
Soon, it was just him and Felix. Felix had congratulated him when he had first entered the house, but he hadn't said a word to Daneel since. Now, he came and sat beside him on a stool, nursing the bottle of wine he had brought in his hands.
"Elanev told me what happened during the assessment." he said, before letting out a deep sigh and taking a swig from the bottle.
"My father told me about a time when the King treated moners and the royal family fairly. The Kingdom flourished, and that was when we expanded our kingdom to what it is now. Men and women worked together, putting everything aside, to build the great walls that now protect this kingdom. But, it was all ruined when that king's brother, the father of our present king, betrayed him. He took the throne and built the walls between the inner and outer city. He started the mindset that the nobility were above the moners.
"Something needs to change.
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