Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 82 Welcome Ceremony

Chapter 83 Welcome Ceremony

With just over a week to go before the start of the school year, Fafnir received a special invitation to Cedric Leighton's induction ceremony, which, as is customary, would be held at the Viscount Lorraine's castle. Fafnir and Sister Fanning would be attending the banquet on behalf of the grammar school.

In the lobby of Lorraine Castle, the ground floor has been lavishly decorated, with delicious dishes laid out on two rows of tables for guests to take as they please. The waiters are neatly dressed and provide professional service with meticulous care.

"Hello, Sister Fanning!"

"Hey, little one, um—you don't have to call me Sister Fanning anymore. I think you can call me Principal Fanning too—just kidding."

"Hello, Principal Fan Ning!"

"Ha--Little guy, how do you feel about this place?"

Our grammar school only had two spots available. The staff members with church hierarchies unanimously decided to give you your spot because you're so young; most of them have participated in these kinds of activities before.

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"Thank you, thank you teachers!"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Three years ago, I also represented the grammar school at Andrei and Victor's welcoming ceremony. Time flies!"

Sister Fanning said with some emotion: "I used to dream of becoming the principal of a grammar school so that I could surpass my parents' position as civil servants. Oh, right, they are now idle at home and don't need my husband and me to take care of them. My son lives far away and insists on going to the mainland to work. I only see him a few times a year."

There weren't many people in the hall at the moment, Sister Fanning's voice was rather low, and Fafnir listened quietly.

"Sigh, now that I'm a councilor and a principal, I don't seem to have any ambitions anymore. I feel like being the vice principal and librarian was pretty easy, much easier than now —"

Sister Fanning continued, "We can't be greedy. This is enough. My hair is all white now, and I'm looking forward to retirement. I must go back to the Fourth Freedom, and I want to go even further. I want to find Lisa the Mouse Girl—"

Fafnir, don't overwork yourself; relax a bit, and sometimes follow your heart.

Fafnir wasn't sure if the last sentence was addressed to him or to Sister Fanning herself. A brief silence fell between them. More and more people arrived at the hall, and Fafnir recognized many familiar faces, including Miss Joël—who waved to him, and Fafnir smiled and nodded in return—and Viscount Lorraine following behind her. Upon seeing the Viscount, all the guests consciously stopped their idle chatter until the Viscount began conversing with the attendees, after which everyone resumed their own topics.

Kingsley DeMerry and Hans, the captain of the Ryan Port inspection team, were also present, accompanied by several sheriffs Fafnir who didn't recognize them. Fafnir guessed that Mr. Gregory had simply been unlucky and hadn't won a spot in the draw.

Fafnir continued scanning the crowd, searching carefully—

Oh, I found it!

Standing in the corner were—his father and mother! It was Clint and Elisa! They hadn't noticed him yet, so he quickly said goodbye to Sister Fanning.

"Dad! Mom!" Fafnir came up to them and called out happily in a low voice.

"Oh, my little Fafnir, I never thought I'd actually see you. You look so handsome in your priest's robes."

This morning, Fafnir was still talking with his parents. Clint thought there was a chance he would attend the banquet as a servant, just like three years ago. "If Mr. Leighton wants to talk to Lord Lorraine about the estate's finances, I might be able to exchange a few words with that important man."

Unexpectedly, Elisa was also called to accompany him to the meeting. "Little Fafnir, hehe, it's not a good time to talk now. Let's chat properly when we get back," Clint said softly. "By the way, this banquet cost a full fifteen gold pounds—well, let's talk about it when we get back."

Fafnir nodded and turned around. Sister Fanning, whom he had just said goodbye to, came up behind him. "Are you Fafnir's parents? I am Fanning, a member of the Lorraine Council, the headmaster of the grammar school, and a fourth-level bishop. Fafnir has done a very good job at the grammar school over the years. The previous bishop and his assistant both admire him."

"Ah, esteemed lady, thank you—" Clint and Elisa were clearly flustered and timid, feeling uncomfortable in the presence of such an important figure.

Fafnir felt both grateful and uneasy. He thanked Sister Fanning for speaking well of him to his parents, to whom he had never spoken ill of his actions. However, Sister Fanning's words made him uncomfortable, and a little—ashamed. Fafnir felt he hadn't done a particularly good job.

The melodious orchestral music filled the air, its soothing rhythm delightful. Soon, the protagonist of the evening, Cedric Layton, entered the venue in his impeccable priestly robes, followed closely by his assistant, Edmund Grey, both adorned with golden raven feathers embroidered on their chests.

The hall fell silent as everyone's gaze followed the figure of the newly appointed regional bishop. Viscount Lorraine stood beside him at the front of the podium. "Gentlemen," Viscount Lorraine said, "please welcome Bishop Leighton to speak."

After the applause subsided, Bishop Leighton cleared his throat: "Good evening, everyone."

I am Cedric Layton, and from this day forward, I assume the positions of Bishop of the Church of the God of Death in the Territory of Lorraine, Speaker of the Council of Lorraine, and Chief Justice of the Joint Inquisition.

He paused for a moment, and then the applause started again, but it wasn't very enthusiastic.

Bishop Leiden nodded slightly and continued, "I'm not here to enjoy myself. Lorraine is an important region in the eastern part of the Holy Kingdom. It has developed well in recent years, but there are still many problems."

Parliament, public security, education, finance—each of these requires your cooperation—

I'm not the kind of person who sits in an office giving orders; I prefer to go to the front lines, to where the problems are.

Bishop Leighton's speech continued, but Fafnir had already begun to drift off. He noticed Edmund Grey standing half a step behind Leighton. The bishop's assistant looked very focused, but he didn't feel like a messenger. Fafnir's second-order spell, Spiritual Perception, had already taken some effect, and he could passively sense the intensity of the spiritual fluctuations of the people on the stage.

"—Therefore, I hope to work closely with everyone in the days to come."

Bishop Leighton's slightly louder voice drew Fafnir's attention back: "The future of Lorraine depends on each and every one of us."

The applause rang out again, this time more enthusiastic than before. Bishop Leighton walked out from behind the podium, nodded to Viscount Lorraine, and then walked towards the crowd.

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