Lakely relaxed a bit as he watched the two little mushrooms being carried back. “That kid looks upset.”
Derek seemed equally at ease. “It’s fine. Their instructor will calm them down.”
Lakely suddenly turned to him, causing the main perspective of the livestream to pivot as well. “Derek, did you participate in activities like this when you were little? I’m kind of curious. How did it feel?”
Derek could sense the camera. He adjusted his cap but didn’t look away. “Of course I did. In fact, I did terribly the first few times.”
Lakely was surprised to hear that. “I thought you would’ve been a top performer.”
Derek was quite young compared to his military rank.
Derek averted his gaze, looking slightly embarrassed. “I kept getting lost during the first exercise. The instructor had to collect me at the end. The second time, I got eliminated right after starting.”
“It’s no big deal. The instructor must have had his hands full searching for me, though. The forcefields could be moved back then. Now, they’re all fixed in place.”
Lakely listened intently. “I imagine Prince Xavier must have participated too. I wonder if he ever got trapped by the forcefield as a child.”
Did little Xavier ever get upset? He probably clung obediently to his instructor, though temperament could change greatly growing up.
Derek’s expression softened. “The Grantz develop at a different pace than most. They usually receive private education until they stabilize before heading straight to the military academy and then active service.”
“Until they stablize?” Lakely instinctively asked.
Derek nodded but didn’t elaborate, ” Everyone experiences instability during their psychic power development period, the Grantz even more so. It tends to present earlier and in a more intense fashion for them, which is why isolation is necessary.”
[Explain how intense it is! I want to know.]
[Me too. My development period was unstable, sure, but it only ever messed with me. A good night’s sleep was all I needed no matter how intense it got. I could barely last half a day in the school infirmary before the teacher had to call home.]
[Honestly, it’s normal for children with strong psychic power to experience an earlier and more intense development phase. I had a Level S in my class once that took four days off when it happened. Isn’t isolating little Grantz from birth a bit extreme?]
[And if elementary students over there are that capable, what kind of disturbance would actually require isolation…?]
Unfortunately, Lakely could Derek didn’t want to elaborate on this part. He didn’t press further and simply expressed genuine regret, “I supposed we won’t get to see Xavier during class then.”
Xavier in a tiny mushroom would’ve been adorable.
Derek glanced at Lakely, his expression shifting slightly. “No, you still can. Empress Sylvia regularly shared the Grantz children’s daily lives on her account.”
He seemed much more enthusiastic now. Though Derek’s expression remained unchanged, his speech quickened noticeably, “The Grantz tend to dislike cameras, but thankfully they’ve made an exception for the Empress. They don’t object to her posting those photos and videos either. You can check them out on her account. I’ve actually gone and organized everything myself as well. Just let me know what you’d like to see first.”
Derek pulled out his holomind and deftly located a folder filled with neatly organized videos and photos that spanned several pages.
He tapped on the folder tagged ‘Xavier’, revealing a catalogue meticulously arranged in chronological order from childhood to present. “Which time period are you interested in?”
Lakely leaned closer. “I’d like to start with Xavier during class.”
Xavier must have been a top student.
“Then you absolutely have to see this.”
Lakely grew serious. “Okay.”
[Let’s see what kind of education Grantz provides to produce so many Grantz.]
[It must be brutal. Even regular elementary schools are so competitive already.]
It took Derek seconds to locate a relevant video. He shared it with the device Lakely was wearing.
The first thing Lakely saw was a grassy lawn, followed by a tall silhouette. One glimpse was enough for him to recognize Bert.
The camera finally panned to Bert’s feet, where a child barely reaching his calves stood.
Fair skin framed by downy black hair. The toddler looked so soft and cute that some people wanted to take a bite of his cheek. He was bent over, examining a tiny flower at his feet.
Despite his face not being visible and his build differing vastly from the present, Lakely instantly knew this was Xavier.
Xavier tugged at Bert’s sleeve. “Look, flower.”
Bert was talking to Adlet, who was coming this way. He glanced over casually. “Yes, yes. That’s a flower. You can have it if you like it so much.”
Little Xavier gasped in delight. “Xavier’s flower!”
Adlet opened a box containing a row of swords of varying sizes. Bert scanned them for a moment before picking the smallest one.
Xavier’s hands were still on his knees nearby. He stared at the flower even more intently than before. “Xavier’s flower. Grow it in…in a pot-pot.”
Adlet gently closed the box. “Very well, Your Little Highness. I’ll go find you a flowerpot.”
Bert crouched down, still towering over Xavier. He offered the tiny sword hilt side out. “Xavier, it’s time for class.”
Little Xavier straightened up and obediently replied, “Okay~”
Xavier stepped forward, taking the sword with one hand.
…He grasped the blade with his other hand in an attempt to hold it steady.
The person behind the camera stood up.
Bert didn’t even turn to look. “Don’t worry, Sylvia. The blade’s dull. Still, it won’t do to make this a habit.”
Muttering under his breath, he reached out to reposition Xavier’s other hand, guiding it to the hilt. “Grip here, Xavier.”
Little Xavier shook his head and placed his hand back where it felt comfortable. “Xavier grips here.”
Bert pulled Xavier into his embrace and gave his little arm a pinch. He began correcting the child’s posture bit by bit. “Try here. I know you can do it. I’ve seen you lift it before. A Grantz your age shouldn’t be so delicate. Your father handled a sword much earlier than you.”
After several attempts, Xavier finally complied with Bert and changed his grip. Xavier was still a bit stubborn at this age, but he would readily compromise after being corrected a few times.
Bert exhaled in relief. “This is the first time I’ve been this gentle. You should’ve seen how I taught Helene and the others.”
He didn’t mention Norton, who rarely had such issues. The boy was exceptionally gifted even among other Grantz. He was the first to draw his sword, the first to slay a king insect… Sometimes, Bert even felt a pang of envy at Norton’s progress and decisiveness.
Lakely definitely heard a cold snort from Sylvia in response.
Derek paused before explaining, “When His Highness Bert trained the princes and princesses, he used a sharpened blade. They would be cut if they held it incorrectly, and he was a rather harsh teacher.”
Injuries were inevitable considering His Highness Bert taught the young Grantz swordplay with his personal blade. Rather, Bert deliberately used pain as a teaching aid.
[Using a sharpened blade as in actual combat, right? While it’s true that’s the best way to learn even now, is it really worth it causing pain to children?]
Lakely struggled to picture the Bert who doted on Xavier so much being that strict.
Derek replied diplomatically, “His Highness was young back then. He’s much calmer and more patient now.”
[Wait, you’re telling me this is him being much calmer??]
[How utterly reckless Bert must have been in his youth.]
Derek unpaused the video.
Bert: “Remember this, okay? This is the right stance.”
As he slowly released his grip, the tip of Xavier’s slammed into the ground, landing precisely on the flower he had been admiring moments before.
Little Xavier gasped.
Bert sighed, “It’s okay, Xavier. Two seconds is still impressive. Let’s try again.”
Xavier lifted his head again, tears welling in his eyes. “Flower… Xavier’s flower…”
He dragged the sword closer while wiping his tears on his sleeve.
Bert raised his hands helplessly. He looked a bit flustered. “Wait, I’ll fix it for you.”
With that, he propped the flower back up. “See? It’s alive again.”
Xavier wiped his tears away and looked at the flower. Seconds later, he dragged his sword over to Sylvia. “Bert lied. Xavier’s Pot-pot is gone.”
Sylvia beckoned Xavier over. She took the sword from his grasp and pulled him close, gently patting his back. “Don’t cry, Xavier. The flower may be gone, but the plant is still alive. Once we put it a pot, it’ll soon grow new flowers.”
Xavier’s sniffles quietened.
Bert came over, trying to cheer everyone up. “What’s there to cry about, Little Spout? I’ll buy you a whole bunch of flowers later.”
Xavier poked his head out from Sylvia’s arms. “It’s Xavier, not Little Spout!”
“You cry so much, but you don’t want anyone to bring it up? You’re such a crybaby.”
Xavier wiped at his tears vigorously. “Not a crybaby! Xavier isn’t…isn’t crying.”
Sylvia frowned. Before she could say anything, a pair of hands lifted Xavier out of her arms.
It was Norton.
Xavier fell silent the moment he went into the air. He settled quietly in Norton’s arms. Norton studied Xavier for a moment before turning to Sylvia. “What’s going on?”
Sylvia recounted the incident with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Adlet should be here soon too.”
No sooner had she spoken than a voice echoed from the distance.
“Bert!”
Ano, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, jumped down from the second-floor window to the lawn. “Bert! Just look at him, Big Brother! I told you I should’ve been the one to teach this class.”
Adlet arrived shortly after.
The group gathered around and transplanted the small flower into a pot.
Bert clicked his tongue from where he sat cross-legged nearby. He pulled out a chart and began scoring Xavier.
The camera shifted to Sylvia’s perspective, where the protagonist was now that wilted little flower.
But Bert’s mutterings still drifted over: “At least he learned to grip the sword, 10 points. Didn’t cry for too long, another 10 points. Cuteness factor…80 points.”
The video ended there.
Derek immediately stepped in to defend Xavier, “Many outsiders watching this might say His Highness Xavier falls short compared to the other princes and princesses, but those from Grantz know His Little Highness is exceptional as well. He lagged behind in his childhood due to being born during turbulent times and experiencing many hardships. Besides, as the only member of the next generation, the other Grantz indulged Xavier a lot, leading to a delayed start in his studies.”
“His Highness Xavier is exceptionally intelligent, so the delay hasn’t hindered him. His current performance rivals that of His Majesty Norton during his youth.”
Lakely scratched his head thoughtfully. “Honestly, I think Xavier performed quite well for his age back then.”
Simply attending classes diligently at that age was a success in itself, and Xavier did so obediently for quite some time.
[Besides, there’s nothing delayed about this curriculum!]
Derek visibly relaxed at Lakely’s words. “Yes, that’s right.”
