Super Spender

F{h*F5#)LjChapter 842: This is His Highness (Part 1)_1

In the span of three days, the entire school seemed transformed, bustling with a festive atmosphere. Many students were even discussing the event. “Luna Starfield, is it always like this when anyone takes their graduation exams?” Finn Lewis asked, somewhat puzzled.@@novelbin@@

“No, Your Highness, it’s only like this when someone from the royal family graduates,” Luna Starfield replied succinctly.

“Okay,” Finn conceded, now understanding. It didn’t surprise him, considering that in any given year, having just a handful of students graduate from the noble academy was quite an achievement.

Finn felt his worldview shatter. Damn it, a concert or some other social gathering, that he could understand—it was a form of entertainment needed by the masses. But could someone tell him since when people gathered to watch an exam? And why were there so many spectators? What, did everyone suddenly have nothing better to do?

Oh, right, they actually had nothing better to do. These folks indeed had too much time on their hands. A rare event like this would naturally attract an audience eager to see what the fuss was all about. Finn wouldn’t have minded if it were someone else’s exam being spectated, but when he was the center of attention, it bothered him greatly. However, there was nothing he could do about it, as it seemed to be a tradition of this noble academy.

Whether it was an official tradition, Finn didn’t know, but it was certainly one among the students. Almost the entire student body had shown up, and that wasn’t even the half of it. The entire school had been specially decorated, looking as though it was ready for a festival.

“Okay, so what’s all this about?” Finn asked, looking perplexedly at the approaching Shaoning Locke and his entourage. This time, it was a full turnout; Finn spotted dozens of direct heirs from the nine major royal surnames. It seemed many were here together, as several members of the Locke Family, direct heirs no less, were present.

Probably the reason these individuals didn’t often appear together was the generational differences among them—meeting one another would necessitate calling each other ‘uncle’ or ‘aunt,’ an awkward situation for sure. Finn guessed the prideful wouldn’t fancy such encounters, so it made sense that most of the time, they’d prefer to just not see each other.

Yet, this occasion was a grand affair, so everyone showed up. What left Finn speechless, though, was the strange expression on their faces.

“We’re not up to much, just here to attend the ceremony. But are you sure you’re ready for this?” Shaoning Locke asked, his tone hinting at something odd. Finn, perplexed by whatever was in their minds, could only respond, “I’m prepared. I have plenty to do, and time must not be wasted.”

Finn wasn’t entirely serious with his response, but Shaoning Locke’s expression stiffened momentarily, perhaps struck by some thought. Finn didn’t notice and continued, “However, I do want to thank everyone for coming to see me off. After the graduation ceremony, I won’t be coming back here.”

“Well, you can’t really say that just yet. Wait until after you’ve actually passed the graduation ceremony. It’s not as easy as you think, and if you don’t pass, there might be some surprises in store for you,” said Shaoning Locke with a strange smile.

Finn shrugged. He had a rough idea of what to expect. Although he wasn’t sure what ‘surprises’ Shaoning Locke was referring to, he knew what the graduation ceremony would entail and the challenges it would present. It was certain to be tough, but he was confident in himself. No matter how advanced the Galactic Federation’s technology was, it couldn’t compare to Finn’s current physical condition.

Not to mention the incredible mental strength gained from the Insect Species of Icarus, Finn’s own physical capabilities were far beyond those of an ordinary person and would even be considered exceptional within the Galactic Federation. Humans in the Federation might be generally healthier and longer-lived than those on Earth, but when it came to attributes like strength, they were no match for Finn.

Besides, the protection and enhancement provided by the internal Kaemiya Protective Suit was a formidable shield for Finn’s body and a significant aid in overcoming challenges.

After exchanging pleasantries with Shaoning Locke and the others, Finn finally met with Oswald Wren. However, Oswald spoke in a resigned whisper, “If you want to avoid embarrassment, I think you’d be better off abandoning the examination. Nobody has ever passed in such a short time.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pass. What I wanted to say is, if possible, you should take the exam too. Graduate, and regardless of whether you have duties within your family, you’d at least have some personal funds. You can learn to do business,” Finn casually suggested.

Oswald Wren looked at Finn with an odd expression, sizing him up before speaking incredulously, “Are you kidding me? Do business? Aside from taking over family business, you want me to get involved in commerce? A member of the royal family, conducting trade like common merchants?”

Oswald’s response left Finn speechless. Damn, so that was the mindset holding them back. No wonder he thought the Federation folks were a bit daft, just loafing around in the academy, living off their families’ resources. With such abundant resources, despite the Federation’s wealth of information making it challenging to profit from business, how would you know if you never tried? Not only were they too scared to try, but they also harbored such disdain for the idea.

“Believe me, even if you have to lower your royal stature a bit, having something in your head, knowing a little more than those utterly useless nobodies, is always better. That’s all I have to say; the rest is for you to consider,” Finn said, his voice even.

If what Jasmine Davis had told him was true—and while Finn didn’t know the exact timing—the impending events wouldn’t take long to unfold. One might think a century might not seem too brief in a society like the Galactic Federation, where lifespans were significantly longer. But to some who were desperate, it was already not short enough.

Having witnessed firsthand how fanatical religious organizations on Earth could be, Finn understood the terrifying power of zealots. The energy they could unleash was enough to instill fear. Else, how could it be that, despite the East China Tech being far behind and American technology being more advanced, what was the outcome? Had they eradicated a few extremist groups? Perhaps they destroyed one or two, but many simply reemerged under new guises.