Kevin’s Life at the Gabella Capital

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Kevin carried a large pile of scrolls as he wobbled up the stairs. Since the scrolls blocked his view, he had to cautiously feel his way with his feet, slowly climbing one step at a time.

After reaching the top, he walked along the corridor until he reached a door at the end.

"Teacher, I've brought the scrolls for you."

A powerful voice from inside responded, "Oh, Kevin, thank you."

"I'll help you open the door," another voice said—it was Senior Mond's voice.

The door to the room opened, revealing the shiny forehead of his senior. "Come in, put them over here."

Kevin carried the scrolls inside and carefully placed them on the table that Mond had pointed to.

"Teacher, Senior, is there anything else you need?"

David Aldridge smiled as he stroked his long, white beard and said, "No, nothing more. You can rest here for a while. Later, you and Mond will accompany me on a trip."

"Yes, Teacher." Upon hearing that they would be going out, Kevin's eyes lit up with excitement. He felt like he didn't need any rest and could leave right away.

However, thinking that the teacher and senior might not be ready yet, he happily walked over to the window to stand there, only for Mond to come over and push him down onto a nearby chair.

Kevin had been in the capital of Gabella for some time now. Ever since leaving the Northwest Bay, he felt that every day was filled with new experiences.

After saying farewell to his parents in Salt Village, Mond had taken him westward, passing through the northeastern territories of the Aldor Kingdom, crossing the Neron Corridor, then turning south along the edge of the Sunset Mountains to enter Gabella Empire's territory.

After leaving the Neron Valley, Kevin had been quite worried. After all, they were now at the edge of the Great Plains, and he feared that orcs might attack them and either pickle or dry them for food—the adults in the village always used these tales to scare disobedient children. People from the Northwest Bay had grown up with tales of the orcs' terrifying reputation.

Mond had laughed heartily when he heard Kevin's concerns. "Don't worry. Although orcs look different from humans, they are also a kind of civilization, and they don't have the habit of eating people. While they do raid human lands and plunder, they won't rob merchants or travelers passing through their lands. The plains are short on resources—if they scared off the merchants, what would they do?"

"In the end, they're quite similar to humans. Don't human nations also frequently go to war with each other? The difference is that orcs make it clear they're fighting to steal things, while humans often come up with a grand excuse—even though most of the time, it's also just about taking things."

Hearing his senior's words, Kevin finally relaxed.

Along the way, Kevin's understanding of the world was completely reshaped. When they passed through Sente City, he saw the largest city in the Northwest Bay that his parents had often talked about. He thought that the fabled Aldor capital and Gabella's capital couldn't be much bigger than that, but after entering Gabella, he encountered several cities even larger than Sente City. Upon arriving in the capital, the sheer size of the city exceeded his imagination.

Endless streets, densely packed buildings, and bustling crowds—every aspect of this city left him wide-eyed in amazement. Excitement and a sense of inferiority mingled in his heart. He realized that from now on, this would be the place where he would study and live.

Mond had brought him to the Scholar's Tower. The Scholar's Tower wasn't just a single tower—in a broader sense, it referred to a large campus-like complex. Unlike the bustling areas of the capital, this place was quiet, allowing scholars to live and study in peace.

In a narrower sense, the Scholar's Tower referred to a tall white tower standing in the center of this area. This tower also functioned as a massive library, storing valuable resources and even rare manuscripts. Some said that the most valuable place in all of Gabella wasn't the royal treasury but this ancient white tower—a sentiment widely accepted by the world.

After arriving here, Kevin met the long-awaited elder—Scholar David Aldridge. It was he who had sent Senior Mond on a long journey to the Northwest Bay to retrieve Kevin, saving him from imprisonment. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Kevin knelt before him as soon as they met, only for the teacher to get 'angry,' telling him that from now on, while under his tutelage, he wasn't allowed to kneel before anyone, not even the Emperor of Gabella—he was only to bow.

"Are all scholars this proud?" Kevin's heart was instantly filled with admiration and reverence, especially for the elderly man before him.

After settling into the Scholar's Tower, his first task was to learn the language of Gabella. Mond had already taught him some basic phrases during their journey, but to truly integrate into life here, Kevin knew he had to study hard. Fortunately, he was quite talented in this area, and since Gabella's language shared similarities with Aldor's, after some time, he was able to buy things and ask for directions on his own.

Kevin sat in the chair, watching his teacher and senior as they discussed an opened letter. They didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave.

Just then, a knock came at the door, and someone outside said, "Scholar Aldridge, the carriage is ready."

So, they were waiting for a carriage, Kevin thought, jumping up in anticipation.

"Alright, Mond, Kevin, let's go."

Scholar Aldridge stroked his long beard, picked up a wooden staff, and headed out, with Mond and Kevin following close behind.

They boarded the carriage, and with a flick of the reins, the coachman gently guided the horses forward. The roads surrounding the Scholar's Tower were paved with stone and were very smooth, so riding in the carriage was quite comfortable.

After a while, Kevin curiously asked, "Teacher, where are we going?" He chose to speak in Gabella's language to practice.

Scholar Aldridge gave him a satisfied look—Kevin's pronunciation had been very accurate. This student was truly outstanding, possessing both talent and diligence. The elder thought of the little princess of Aldor, another gifted student in language, who was one of his most prized pupils.

The old scholar happily replied, "Hehe, we're going to the palace to discuss something with His Majesty."

Kevin was startled. "Huh? The palace? The Emperor?"

Before coming to Gabella, the most powerful person Kevin had ever seen was Earl Paul Grayman, the lord of Aldor. Now, all of a sudden, he was going to meet the Emperor of an entire nation.

Kevin's recent experiences had broadened his horizons, and he now knew that, although earls were relatively high-ranking nobles, above them were marquises, above marquises were dukes, and above dukes were grand dukes. And beyond the grand dukes was the king. While both kings and emperors were rulers of a country, theoretically, an emperor ranked a half-step above a king—a king was a secular title, while an emperor carried a divine connotation.

Compared to his former lord, the person they were about to meet was like heaven and earth.

"Teacher, I…I…" Kevin became nervous and started to stutter.

"Hahaha, don't be nervous, don't be nervous. I'll take you there often from now on. You'll get used to it eventually… Oh, we're almost there."

Scholar Aldridge reassured him, his demeanor so relaxed that it seemed as if they were just visiting a neighbor's house.

With that, Kevin sat in the carriage, filled with nervous anticipation, as they made their way toward the heavily guarded gates of the royal palace.

(End of the Chapter)

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