abnabooks Chapter 33 Graduation Season
Chapter 33 Graduation Season
Lucius woke up even earlier today, July 1st.
The summer graduation ceremony at East York University was scheduled for this day. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and put on the bachelor's gown that the original owner had previously retrieved from the college's academic affairs office.
Black fabric and pink trim are the exclusive colors for literary scholars.
He took the square hat in his hand, turned halfway around in front of the mirror to make sure there were no wrinkles at the hem of his robe, and then pushed open the door and went downstairs.
At 7 o'clock sharp, I arrived at the teaching and research office in the History Department building.
When Lucius opened the door, he saw that Daisy had also changed into a scholar's robe.
It was clear she had dressed up carefully today; her brown hair was pulled back and secured with a silver hair clip, and she had changed her glasses to round frames with thin gold rims, which made her look even brighter than usual.
"Good morning, Daisy," Lucius greeted her with a smile as he stood in the doorway, his square cap tucked under his arm.
"Good morning, Lucius." Daisy picked up her square hat from the mahogany table and put it on.
She adjusted the angle of her hat, then suddenly remembered something, leaned closer to Lucius, and whispered:
"Did you know? Professor Anthony will also be attending this ceremony, right on the stage. I saw the seating chart when I came over from the registrar's office. You know, he has never appeared at undergraduate graduation ceremonies before."
"Because of us?" Lucius guessed.
"It's probably because of you," Daisy rolled her eyes and laughed. "He wouldn't have come if it were just me."
She put her hands behind her back and imitated Professor Anthony's tone in a deliberately drawn-out manner:
"He would simply hand me a large number of translated documents and rubbings of inscriptions every day."
Then she said, "Daisy, finish all of this today. Daisy, you've made a mistake here again. I've told you at least three times..."
At the end, she chuckled softly to herself.
Lucius laughed along with the vibrant and cheerful girl, hoping that Daisy would maintain this attitude throughout her future honorary degree and doctoral studies.
The two chatted for a while longer, and at 8 o'clock, they stepped into the side door of the auditorium on time and found the seating area of the School of History with the guidance of the staff.
Three enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the dome of the auditorium, and the gas flames were turned up to the maximum, illuminating the entire venue as bright as day.
Rows of dark wooden benches were filled with graduates wearing academic gowns with various colored collars; Bachelor of Arts students wore pink collars, Bachelor of Science students wore gold and purple collars…
Ding, ding, ding.
The ceremony officially began as the bronze bell on the side of the podium rang three times.
East York University President Redmond was the first to enter through a side door. He had gray hair and wore a dark blue presidential robe with gold trim. His steps were steady and composed.
Following behind him was Professor Anthony Thorne, whose silver-grey hair was combed back, and who wore a dark gray three-piece suit with a gold-trimmed crimson blouse worn only by members of the Royal Society.
Following them were the deans of various colleges, members of the academic affairs committee, and several distinguished guests from outside the university whom Lucius did not recognize.
The only person he could name was Ruth Croft, the Dean of Studies, who was walking at the very back of the group and wearing a dark blue turtleneck uniform.
After everyone took their seats in their respective places on the platform, a priest from the Unyielding Order, dressed in gold and red robes, walked to the front of the platform.
He spread his arms and led the entire audience in a graduation prayer, reciting the blessing of the Forge Goddess in a solemn and resounding tone.
After the prayers, the school gave its opening address.
President Redmond's address began with the founding spirit of East York University, quoting the third president's famous saying, "Knowledge is the first light to shine through the fog of Hull Estuary."
Lucius listened for a while and found that the content was exactly the same as the principal's speech at the graduation ceremony in his previous life.
It's nothing more than a series of blessing phrases that can be seamlessly integrated into any ceremonial occasion, such as "new journey," "struggle," and "passion."
Daisy, sitting next to him, had her head resting on her palms, the tassels of her square hat dangling between her fingers and swaying gently.
This segment concluded with Ms. Ruth's impassioned speech: "Let us seize the opportunities and challenges, adapt to and lead the development of the future!"
A burst of applause erupted from the audience, who quickly responded after being startled awake.
The degree conferral process then began.
The graduates were called out one by one in alphabetical order by college and last name, and walked up to the podium to take the oath and have their tassels turned in front of President Redmond.
Lucius glanced at Daisy, who was still struggling with drowsiness beside him, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:
"Daisy, Professor Anthony called your name."
Daisy suddenly opened her eyes and quickly stood up. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lucius gently pressed down on her wrist.
She looked up and saw that the names being read from the front row of the law school section were from a number of rows ahead of her, and were more than half an alphabet away from hers.
Daisy glanced around to make sure no one else had noticed her sudden movement, then sat back down in her chair and complained in a low voice:
"What? Lucius, you've learned to play tricks on me? We're going on stage in less than ten minutes. Can't you let me appear in Professor Anthony in my best mental state?"
Lucius smiled and apologized, gesturing for her to straighten the tassels he had messed up.
The two waited a while longer, about fifteen minutes later, when the emcee on the stage finally clearly announced their names: Daisy Ophelia and Lucius Anderson.
The two men rose from their seats and solemnly approached the gray-haired Principal Redmond, where they took a standard oath in Horn language, promising to uphold academic and ethical standards.
Redmond smiled and nodded, personally awarding the two Bachelor of Arts degrees. Then he used his hand to move the tassel of Lucius's square cap to the right, thus completing the graduation ceremony.
Lucius and Daisy returned to their seats, and the closing remarks and the final round of the school song recital ended a few minutes later.
Graduates began to rise from their seats and streamed down the aisles toward the various exits of the auditorium.
Lucius and Daisy followed the crowd out of the Great Hall and headed towards the History Department building.
The graduation banquet had already been set up in the lobby of the History Department building.
Twelve long tables covered with white tablecloths were arranged in two rows in the center of the hall, and the tables were filled with various foods and drinks.
At the far end of the hall, in front of the fireplace, a small stage was set up, where several history students in formal attire were playing a lively Horn folk dance on violins and cellos.
In the open space in the middle, several pairs of graduates were displaying their elegant dance moves.
As soon as Daisy entered the hall, she was pulled aside by several girls in academic gowns who seemed to be on good terms with her.
She gave Lucius an apologetic look, and Lucius waved his hand to indicate that it was alright.
I walked to the long table and took a wrap, eating it while watching the figures dancing gracefully on the dance floor.
"Why not invite a lady to join them?" A dignified yet gentle voice came from the side.
Professor Anthony Thorne, holding a glass of red wine, slowly walked over to Lucius.