It was a hot summer morning in the city of Scholastica.
The warm golden glow of the Lightbringer illuminated the skyline of the great city; its towering spires pointed towards the heavens, mirroring the ambition of its inhabitants, which was a lofty one.
Most buildings in this city were utilized as educational facilities in some form, with very few serving as residential spaces for inhabitants.
Bridges connected each building, ensuring that no building in the city could be said to be standalone.
For some, it could take a long time before they would set their legs on the ground below.
In any case, it was in one of such towering buildings in the western wing of the city that Ulysses was located.
Currently, he stood at the terraced balcony that had been beautified by quite a few ornamental flowers, most of which had colonized the railings.
He had his hands on those same railings with his gaze seemingly focused on a neighboring building though his thoughts were elsewhere.
There was a melancholic air about him, his expression somber as he wandered aimlessly in his mind.
Soon, a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned away from the sight ahead and headed back into the room the balcony was connected to.
He walked to the bed and sat on it before picking up the leather-bound book with the title Nester family tree that had been on the bed before his arrival.
He flipped it open and immediately laid eyes on the artistic depictions of each member of the current Nester generation.
The book was revised every five years to add new members of the illustrious explorer family... and to remove dead ones.
The copy he held was the most current version that had been revised three years prior.
He leafed through the pages as though looking for something and soon, he came across what he was searching for.
It was the image of his father... to think that it hadn’t been that long ago since he died and yet... so much had happened.
Ulysses closed his eyes and took a deep breath, seeking to calm his nerves.
Once he was calm enough, he continued to look through, taking in the images of his dead relatives before finally arriving at the image of his mother along with that of his sister.
As he stared at her picture, Ulysses’ took his mind back to his time in Pheripolis, which was, in truth, the first time he’d ever laid eyes on the young lady.
Why hadn’t she approached him then?... No, why hadn’t he known?
If only... But he knew there was no point thinking about what-ifs.
Of course, if he was unsure of her current state, he might have dwelt on that a bit more but he had long since learned of her current state, along with that of his mother and a few other relatives.
All he needed to do was utilize the Domain of Travel along with a bit of divination to learn of her demise in the Jester’s Divine Kingdom.
He closed his eyes as it turned wet, barely managing to stop the tears threatening to come out.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, forcing him to put an end to his mourning.
Sniffling, he cleaned his eyes and said. "Come in."
The door opened a moment later and a young man, most likely in his early twenties, popped in. "Professor Kallias asked me to fetch you."
"In the Greater Testing Hall."
"Alright, inform him that I’ll be there shortly."
With that, the young man left, closing the door behind him while Ulysses let out an audible sigh.
Closing the book in his hands, he placed it on the bed and got to his feet before moving to change into something more presentable and official, considering the occasion he was being summoned for.
Once he was done, he stepped out of the room and locked the door behind him before making his way down the hallway.
It was a long journey moving from the West Wing residential area to the Greater Testing Hall located at the center of the city, though with the aid of steam-powered elevators and aerial tramways, the time that would have been spent was halved.
Regardless, by the time Ulysses arrived, he couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh.
"Ulysses!" A familiar voice called out to him in Kantoj.
Ulysses glanced back, quickly laying eyes on a dignified middle-aged man with a head full of black hair and beards interspersed with black and white hair, dressed in a white robe and a pair of sandals, wearing a pair of glasses and accompanied by a young man carrying a large bag, which Ulysses guessed, contained books.
"Uncle." Ulysses greeted as he approached the man who turned out to be his maternal uncle, Professor Kallias.
Despite his simple appearance, he was perhaps one of the most important figures in Scholastica, simply because he was currently the head of the History/Geography department, a position that had been held by a Nester since the inception of Scholastica.
Due to their fame as explorers, the TruthSeekers thought that it was only right that a member of the Jester family be in charge of Geography and History.
"You seem well." Kallias intoned once Ulysses was within arm’s length, pulling the young man in for a hug.
"I am, thanks to you," Ulysses remarked.
When he arrived at Scholastica, Kallias had been instrumental in getting him settled in and also in helping him uncover the circumstances of his sister and mother.
"Don’t mention it." Kallias pulled away. "This is a trying time for our family, but just as many times before now, we shall persevere and come out even stronger."
Ulysses nodded in response, managing a smile as he did so.
"Speaking of family, you are of age, aren’t you?"
"Look here, the Dean has a rather beautiful daughter and after I told her about you, she was quite interested in speaking with you," Kallias said in a scheming voice. "Perhaps, I should set up a meeting?"
Ulysses facepalmed. "Uncle, let’s talk about that later. We have something to do now, right?"
"Ah yes." Kallias coughed awkwardly, his demeanor changing with the shift in topic. "Come with me."