Volume 4: The End of the World Chapter 51: A Small Favor
"Mr. Dean, I just received a notice. The first batch of magic general education teachers from Ava Continent are expected to arrive at the end of this month. This should temporarily alleviate the current shortage of teachers in the academy. Of course, this is only in theory..."
“Why do you say it’s only in theory?”
Green Gordon, the dean of Blackwater Academy of Magic, asked without looking up as he annotated the documents.
"On the one hand, their equipment cannot be sent here together. Now the Broken Sea is completely blocked by the Imperial Navy. It is already very difficult for smuggling ships to send people here. But the bigger problem is... I doubt the acceptance of the high elves by the people in the academy. After all, we have been raised with an education that is hostile to the high elves. To be honest, I suggest that we start preparing for security-related matters now."
"You mean protecting the personal safety of those high elf teachers?"
"No, I mean to protect the personal safety of those radical students. The teachers sent here are said to be led by legendary magic chanters, and there are mages from various departments. Their personal safety is not our concern at all."
Green paused with the eagle feather pen in his hand. He looked up at the secretary he had just promoted and asked with interest:
"Why, are you one of those who have a problem with those high elves?"
"I just think it's too absurd. Letting the high elves be in charge of our magic education... Don't you think it's dangerous, Mr. Green?"
The secretary replied with a look of great resentment.
"Regarding this, I actually..."
Green nodded subtly, intending to express his agreement. However, in the next moment, his face suddenly turned stern, and he began to correct the other party's immaturity in political awareness in a serious tone.
"No matter what... since the high elves have an advantage over us in general education in magic, we should learn from their model. Besides, this is an order from above, and it is our duty to resolutely execute it."
"That's what I want to say, Mr. Dean. How could the higher-ups make such a decision? Isn't this just nonsense?"
"The higher-ups made this decision for their own reasons. We can't..."
"But they are high elves. If we let those aliens into our classrooms, who knows what else they can teach besides magic... Even if the top leaders announce an alliance with Ava Continent, they can't just hand over the education front to those pointy-eared people, right? I don't know what the people above are thinking, but I definitely won't let my daughter be educated by those elves."
Seeing that he couldn't stop the other person from talking nonsense, Green could only look nervously behind the man and try his best to suppress the spasm of the muscles on his face.
Not noticing the person standing silently behind him, the secretary said as if venting his long-standing dissatisfaction :
"If you ask me, the current policy on magic enlightenment is not as good as when the Star Council was in charge in the past. At that time, both the screening and enlightenment were much more cautious and efficient. It's not like now, requiring all children over the age of twelve to be tested, and even children with only a little talent are required to undergo magic enlightenment - seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, and now the mages in charge of enlightenment are so busy that they can't keep up..."
In Green's eyes that were filled with "You should say less", the man continued selflessly:
"That would be fine, it's just that everyone is a little tired. But the solution to the shortage of manpower is to seek help from Ava... They don't even think about how many years Ava and the Empire have been in military confrontation. I heard that the ruler of Ava has been the same person for all these years. The hatred that has fermented for so many years, do you really think that a few meetings and a few contracts can change it? The Rose Palace is too naive. Will the high elves sent by Ava really complete the magic general education course as they advertise?"
As the young secretary spoke, he moved his chair back and tried to stand up, but accidentally bumped into the person standing behind him.
"Sorry, I was a little engrossed in your conversation. I should have reminded you in advance."
The man apologized very politely.
"It's okay, it's okay. I've finished my work here. Please take a seat. Dean Green, I'm going to the Stranger's Lighthouse next. Is there anything you need me to bring back?"
The secretary smiled and gave his seat to the magic caster who looked like a storm man behind him, then turned around and asked the dean, whose face suddenly turned ugly for some reason.
"There's nothing to take with you... But after you finish your work at the lighthouse, put the rest of your work aside for now and go home to have a good rest. But don't go too far, just stay at home and spend time with your daughter, otherwise it will be troublesome for you if something happens to you."
The man collected the information in his hand, bowed from the bottom of his heart and thanked:
"Thank you so much, Dean. Recently, my family has been complaining that I can't spare time to accompany them... Hey, I haven't had a good rest since the last wave of undead. It's all because of those masters up there, right?"
He said, looking back at the new visitor, asking as if gaining approval.
"Yeah, the people above just like to mess around."
The man smiled and nodded in agreement.
In response, Green almost covered his face.
Do you really have to say the second half of the sentence?
After the secretary happily hummed a little tune and opened the door and left, Green immediately stood up and said:
"Lord William, I can explain this..."
"We'll talk about that later. Open the door first."
Before Green was about to explain, this man who came from a myth a thousand years ago and was also the true "high-level" of the entire Blackwater Swamp area raised his hand and interrupted him.
"Door?"
Maybe the topic was too broad, Green didn't react immediately and asked in confusion.
"The door to the Library of the Dead. I opened a direct portal for Blackwater Offa University before. Didn't I give the key to you?"
For the first time, William showed a somewhat impatient expression on his face. It seemed that compared to the previous secretary's slandering him behind his back, he was really unhappy because he didn't realize it at the first time.
"Ahhh, yes, I'll open the door right away. Please wait a moment..."
Upon hearing this, Green immediately rolled up his sleeves. On the inside of his arm was a glowing key-shaped rune. He pressed his finger on the rune and chanted the spell to open it.
An archway made of lightning opened up next to him. William didn't say much and stepped through the archway. Green watched nervously from the side. For a moment, he didn't know what to do, and he didn't even know where to put his hands.
"What are you standing there for? Come here too."
A slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from the other side of the door, and Green hurried over. After he passed through the archway made of lightning, it immediately dimmed and disappeared on the spot, as if it had never existed.
Under the huge dome filled with stars, two people walked in the library decorated with ornate and complicated decorations, one in front and one behind. They were silent, one because he had important things to do and was not in the mood for the time being, and the other because he did not dare to speak.
Passing by the vast collection of documents, the two walked up the spiral staircase to the second floor of the library under the guidance of the "archiver" whose eyes were sewn shut and hands were tied.
It was not until this time that Green mustered up the courage to ask:
"Excuse me, what is the purpose of your visit to the Academy ?"
"I need to check some things in the library. It will save a lot of time to use this direct portal that you are keeping."
William replied as he brushed lightly against the spine of a book on the shelf that was gleaming with an enchanted glow.
Then he asked casually as if he remembered something:
"By the way, regarding the new policy, do many people have the same attitude as the previous person?"
Upon hearing this, Green immediately shook his head like a rattle.
"No, no, no, absolutely not. He is just one of the very few dissidents. Your Excellency the Presiding Judge, please rest assured..."
"lie."
William briefly interrupted the other party's next speech.
"If you are really a very small number of dissidents, will you continue to express your dissatisfaction without any scruples after seeing me? Do you think I am easy to fool?"
After noticing that a stranger had listened to his speech, the other party did not panic at all, but spoke more enthusiastically as if he had seen an audience. This shows that what the other party said has, to some extent, become a consensus among many people.
"I dare not... I mean, although there are indeed some dissatisfied remarks, they will definitely understand your intention in the future."
In response, William sneered and said:
"The future? Judging from the attitude of that person earlier, I can't see the entire system shutting down in two months."
Green didn't dare to respond.
William continued:
"By the way, don't act on your own and dismiss your secretary. If the overall trend is like this, it will be the same no matter who takes over. Even though they say I'm messing around, don't really do that."
"Yes...Mr. Judge."
The dean who was following behind William answered carefully.
Then William continued:
"But don't worry too much. Whether it's the issue of your trust in the high elves or the current problem of insufficient magic casters in the academy, it should be partially resolved within one or two months. What you are responsible for is to ensure that those people don't cause any major trouble in the next one or two months. Can you do it?"
“I can do that.”
Green nodded quickly and replied.
As for how to solve the problem, William did not say, and the other party did not dare to ask. The two of them circled the spiral staircase again and came to the door of the third floor of the library.
"Come to think of it, you haven't been to the third floor before?"
Pushing open the old and shabby wooden door, William asked casually.
The other party nodded.
"You said that the third floor contains legendary and divine-level magic books, and also contains many moon-level monsters and powerful spirits. It is not a place I can set foot on for the time being..."
William said "hmm", then said:
"But today is an exception."
"Why?"
Green, who should have been happy, asked with some uneasiness for some reason.
"It's like this. At the deepest part of the third floor, there is a book called "The Unremembered History". The demon general 'Secret Keeper' under the taboo sage is sealed in that book. Because of something that happened in the past, after it senses my presence, it is not willing to show up. If it doesn't come out, the book cannot be opened for reading."
William said, patting the other person's shoulder as if to encourage the younger generation.
"So, I need you to do me a small favor..."
"Wait, Your Excellency the Judge, you don't mean..."
Green's face suddenly turned pale.
"Well, just go to the deepest part of the library and help open the book."
