Ethan Lockwood followed President Lucas and the entourage as they walked back to the Confucian academy in Astramere.
President Lucas led everyone into the grand hall adorned with Sage Hart's portrait, then addressed the envoy: "Ms. Hart! Shall I arrange a welcoming banquet first?"
Elena Hart waved her hand. "No rush—let's handle official business first. The ancestral seat sent me to inspect regional branches, and I came straight to Astramere to deliver rewards for the scholar who wrote those celebrated poems. Please summon him now."
Lucas nodded. "Very well. Ethan Lockwood, step forward!"
Ethan quickly moved to the front, clasping his hands. "Here!"
He'd already activated his Favorability Sight—a skill revealing others' regard for him—and could now see numerical values above Lucas and
