Vol. 1 - Ch. 205.2 - Inception Ceremony (2)

On the day of the soirée. 

I didn't know what kind of madness had taken hold of him, but Andrew-san, a member of the Shutrene Ducal House much like Miharu-san, suddenly proposed to Schord that he be the guest speaker for the «Inception Ceremony» and pestered the latter to say yes. 

Schord did what I expected him to do, and firmly rejected him. 

Nevertheless, Andrew-san didn't stop with his pestering, and amidst all that, His Majesty noticed the situation and with a look of interest, asked them what it was all about. Schord explained the situation, and why he rejected the invitation. 

"One's worth is decided by others, not by oneself. And it takes more than rumors to reach that conclusion. At the end of the day, humans would never be convinced of anything unless they decide so themselves. This is our nature. 

Sure, many eyes are upon you right now, but that can be summarized with 'Wow, sounds amazing' and then they’ll go back to their normal lives. If you have nothing special going for you as you claim, then it would be better to show your true worth and correct the inflated rumors about you. This is your chance if you want others to look at Allen and Roselia for what they are, beyond your teachings. That won't happen as long as you keep hiding in the shadows."

This was how His Majesty gave his wisdom after listening to Schord's explanation. Sure enough, the latter hesitated when he saw logic in those words. On the other hand, a mischievous grin appeared on His Majesty's face when he saw Schord's doubt, so he gave him one last push.

"Well, if you still think this is something out of your league, I can only *increase* the reward meant for the Rovenne family. You see, I honestly don't believe the rewards I’ve granted are enough, and I obviously won't stand to see the Rovenne house being underestimated in contrast to your evaluations. It would be pathetic of me as a king if I let such a thing happen."

...For the love of all that is holy, just give me the freaking manual book to understand this king!

Under the pressure of His Majesty's reward harassment, Father and I hurriedly tried to convince Schord.

◆◆◆

"He's an exceptional instructor, and also a great thinker. Everyone, please welcome, Master Schord Bainfuas."

The audience gave the loudest applause for that day when they heard Shutrene-san's words, their astonished voices mingling among the thunderous echo.

Great thinker?... I think I now understand the saying, 'Many mouths, many stories.' His welcome was strikingly similar to a superstar at this point.

Back at our home that night—

After it was decided that Schord would be giving a speech after the push from His Majesty, Schord had a dejected aura around him, understandably so.

"I would prefer if the rumors about me die down, but... I wouldn't be able to stand it if this brings troubles to Young Master Allen and Lady Roselia. Above all, it would be dishonest to the third-years for me to not do my best on their grand day."

I promptly dismissed Schord's words.

"You don't have to give it too much thought, Schord. Moreover, neither I nor my elder sister care for what the world thinks about us. Am I right, sister?"

Agreeing with me, my sister responded with a 'Yeah, I don't care' remark in a heartbeat when I sought her opinion to clear Schord's thoughts.

"Honestly, you can just talk about your own outlook in life, and that should be enough, Schord. And if you find it hard to turn your thoughts into words, we can brainstorm together for ideas. Either way, you’ll only have to figure out the pattern of your speech, and some sayings suitable for the Royal Capital."

Schord smiled when he heard my words.

"It reminds me of the time when we used to have debates, Young Master. As your former tutor, I should be the one taking the lead here, but as the situation stands, I would appreciate your help."

Kukuku. Just as I wanted.

His Majesty might have said that Schord should just show his true side if the rumors bothered him, but I couldn't let that happen. I mean, the times the phrase 'It's but Schord's teaching or value...' had pulled me out of troublesome situations was uncountable at this point. No way would I let such a convenient excuse become useless.

"The first point I would like to clarify is that I am no different from an ordinary person. My life has been a mountain of struggle. In fact, it had always been a rocky ride, taking all my attention simply to reach the other shore safely. And now that I take another look at my journey, I just see a pathetic man somehow squirming his way to survive."

"I got it. Well, let's do that, and keep the message straightforward. We're not poets, so turning this into a flowery speech would only result in something half-assed. So say this, adjust this part and... done. What do you think?"

"Hmm... it sounds a bit embellished and wordy... though I think this will do. It does basically encapsulate the intentions I want to convey. And so—"

"Mmm-mm. I think this needs to be a bit simpler and could use a metaphor. How about now?"

"...Isn’t this a bit exaggerated?"

"Believe me, this much is pretty simple by the Royal Capital's standards. Anyway, what next?"

In this fashion, Schord and I put together a passable speech outline. 

Of course, I added some flavor from my end. Like famous quotes of great figures from my previous world. Schord's speech remained largely the same, just that the quotes gave it a rather *impressive vibe*. 

Why the quotes and all that? The answer to that question started with another question: why were famous quotes famous? 

It boiled down to their 'relatability.' Because they resonated with the vast majority. 

This was how they became a legacy. 

And I was following that logic. The completed speech was something that Schord could feel was about his 'real self,' which would make him speak with fervor. This should raise his 'relatability' when the audience hears his speech.

Well, I think maybe the 'true self' aspect was too much... But anyway, this should seal the deal. Mwahahaha!

◆◆◆

Schord took to the stage, first bowing deeply toward the guest seats where the invited guests were seated, then to the teachers of the Academy, followed by the parents of the third-year students seated in the audience. Finally, he bowed to the third-year students, the main focus of the event, and remained in that stance for a full 10 seconds.

I broke out in a cold sweat.

I didn’t remember telling him to do that... Did he think of it himself?

*Ahem*, I guess it just means Schord had a lot of respect for everyone present today.

This beautiful bow silenced the previously noisy venue. A strange vibe spread across the venue. 

Needless to say, the regret of going overboard had started to come to me, and maybe, my action was about to create a new round of rumors. 

Schord remained still until the venue went completely quiet, and in an abrupt, but truly congratulatory tone, he started—

"…A person’s life is like a long journey, carrying a heavy burden with itself. One must not rush. If you accept the fetters that come with it as a constant, you’ll never feel lacking. Those who fixate on the victory in front of them will never reach their true destination. What cannot be done is often overcome by what surpasses it. 

…As the moment for you to depart on yet another new journey has arrived, the path does not yet exist. But you must step forward with courage. The path will be made by the very steps you take, and one day it will shine brightly—"

"…Hey, Allen, where are you going? Aren’t you going to listen to Schord's speech?"

"…I’m going to the restroom. Besides, I can already guess his words. Don't forget, I’ve been learning from him ever since I was little."

No way could I have listened to Schord's speech, that was filled with plagiarized words, with a straight face. Moreover, why the heck was everyone listening to him with such somber expressions. 

The last I heard, graduation ceremonies of foreign universities in my previous life were carried out in a more jolly air, with everyone teasing each other. Where the heck was all that?!

"…You must have dreams—"

I grimaced and quickly left the venue.

◆

This speech by Schord Bainfause deeply moved everyone present, piercing their hearts like an arrow, and the thunderous standing ovation poured out like rain after his speech had ended. 

Schord kept his head lowered until the applause died down.

This speech as well as his gestures from the moment he made his entry up until when he left was meticulously recorded by the first-class secretary dispatched by King Patrick. The graduates were handed the full text of the speech along with Schord’s bromide photo, and it quickly spread throughout the public.

Before long, this legendary speech would earn the title of "The Journey" and would be consolidated succinctly as 'Schord's Seven Commandments.' It was so sensationalized that one could always obtain pamphlets of the speech in any bar restroom of the kingdom.

T/N - Damn, Seven Commandments. Schord's story archetype sounds like 'repeat until it becomes truth.' 

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