Chapter 9: The Principal

In the Empire’s prestigious Imperial Military Academy and Royal Elite Academy, the two acknowledged giants in the Empire’s academic circles, their unshakable reputation was earned precisely because their “delegations” had once experienced a journey of “visiting and defeating all rivals under the heavens.” Apart from the fact that these two academies have always been evenly matched, all other academies have fallen beneath the iron grip of these two academies’ “delegation” visits.

Of course, these two “visit” methods have their own limitations. For example, the first method generally only occurs between two well-known academies of similar strength. Academies with weaker strength usually find it hard to get an opportunity to exchange with the prestigious academies.

The second method has even stricter limitations, and fewer academies dare to adopt it. After all, no one can predict whether an ordinary prestigious academy like the Almitherius Academy, which ranks around the 20s or 30s, might suddenly produce a once-in-a-generation genius who utterly crushes the visiting “delegation.” If such a situation occurs, the reputation and status built up over centuries or even millennia by the academy that sent the “delegation” would vanish overnight.

Therefore, to provide opportunities for academies with weaker strength to rise, the Empire has prepared a third method for them. That is the “Imperial Academic Assembly,” held every two years, in which all academies across the Empire must participate. A college’s performance in the “Imperial Academic Assembly” will largely determine its reputation and status in the Empire for the next two years.

Precisely because inter-academy visits hold such significant influence in the Empire, the Almitherius Academy naturally could not afford to be careless in dealing with the “delegation” from the Temple Academy. In addition to the elite students from the three major disciplines—Mental Arts, Physical Arts, and Technology—being selected to meet the challenges from the opposing side, the Disciplinary Committee also had to prepare itself accordingly. At the very least, they could not allow a scandal like the one that happened several years ago in another academy, where the students watching the match, furious at the loss, ended up ganging up and beating the visiting “delegation.”

After understanding the reason for Carlet’s visit, Zhang Wen shifted his attention away from the matter. In the Almitherius Academy, the primary responsibility for maintaining order still rested with the student officers of the Disciplinary Committee. Carlet’s visit to Oud’s office was mainly to report her arrangements to Oud; it had little to do with an ordinary advisory teacher like Zhang Wen.

Thus, Zhang Wen, as usual, greeted a few colleagues and left the office. Previously, Zhang Wen had seen some extremely interesting Imperial Physical Arts in the library, but at the time, his abilities were insufficient to practice them. Now, after breaking through to the second level of the Spring Water Technique, his strength had increased dramatically, so naturally, he would not miss the opportunity to access those valuable resources that could significantly aid his further improvement.

However, before Zhang Wen could reach the library, he suddenly heard Amelice shouting from behind him. “Teacher Zhang! Wait up!” Amelice came running from a distance, panting. The girl ran quickly, her hands holding up her skirt. The long, slender legs of the pretty girl, wrapped in black stockings beneath her dress, caused Zhang Wen to feel a sudden warmth in his heart.

“Is there something?” Zhang Wen stopped and waited for the pretty girl to catch up, then asked with a smile.

“Of course!” Amelice smiled innocently and, with the same cheerful expression, stretched out her hand. “President Carlet and Director Oud have summoned you.”

“President Carlet and Director Oud? What do they want with me?” Zhang Wen asked in surprise, but his eyes lingered hotly on the girl’s ample chest.

“Hehe, our president found out about our little secret and wants to confront you about it!” Amelice turned her eyes and whispered to Zhang Wen with a pitiful expression.

“Is that so?” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but lift the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly.

Even if he hadn’t analyzed the situation in the office just now, he knew that what Amelice said couldn’t be the truth. If President Carlet had indeed found out about what they did last night and wanted to confront Zhang Wen, how could she possibly send Amelice to call him? That would only give him a chance to collude with her. Amelice deliberately brought up last night’s incident in front of him, which was quite reminiscent of a young girl flirting in the early stages of love.

Of course, Zhang Wen didn’t think that Amelice truly had much affection for him. The incident between them last night was merely the result of a momentary impulse. Whether from Amelice’s previous behavior or her personality, the young girl’s feelings for him were somewhere between friendship and idol worship.

Zhang Wen’s strength, as well as his ability to get along with Amelice, made the young girl feel both curious and admiring towards him. This made Amelice have some affection for Zhang Wen and not oppose—indeed, she was quite willing—to have a “beyond friendship” relationship with him. However, expecting this little enchantress in front of him to fall deeply in love and devote her heart entirely to someone would, in earthly terms, be “even more meaningless than making a pig fly up a tree!”

“Alright, alright! I won’t joke with you anymore.” Seeing that her little trick didn’t fool Zhang Wen, Amelice quickly changed her tone with a cheerful smile. “The one who wants to see you is indeed President Carlet and Director Oud. However, the reason they want to see you is something else.”

“What is it?”

“How would I know?” Amelice pouted slightly with her little mouth.

“Oh? Then let’s go.” Seeing that Amelice actually didn’t know why Carlet wanted to see him, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but raise the corner of his lips in surprise.

Initially, Zhang Wen thought that Carlet had sent Amelice to find him because of the Temple Academy’s visiting delegation, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. During Carlet’s conversation with the old man Oud just now, Amelice had been beside them the entire time. If it were really related to the visiting delegation, Amelice certainly wouldn’t be unaware of it.

With a bit of confusion, Zhang Wen followed Amelice back to the Disciplinary Committee. This time, when Zhang Wen entered the door, he was astonished to find the Disciplinary Committee suddenly much busier. Besides several teachers from the Disciplinary Committee and Carlet, there were also many students in the office. Among them were two faces Zhang Wen was very familiar with—Zack and Cloud.

When Zhang Wen rounded the partition in the middle of the office, he was even more surprised to see that the principal of the academy, Jackfleet, was actually sitting in Oud’s seat with a smiling expression, listening to Oud’s flattery.

Principal Jackfleet of the Almitherius Academy was a charming old gentleman in his sixties. At the same time, he was a figure known as the “Dragon of the Empire,” a master of Mental Arts who had reached the Divine level and was firmly ranked among the top three in the Empire!

In order to advance further to the “Transcendent” level, Jackfleet spent almost half a year in retreat for cultivation. Even the Governor of Termisso would find it extremely difficult to meet him. How could Zhang Wen not be astonished at the sudden appearance of this principal in the office of the Disciplinary Committee?

“Principal Jackfleet?” Zhang Wen looked back at Amelice beside him and found the pretty girl smiling like a little fox. Zhang Wen immediately realized that he had definitely been tricked by the pretty girl. The one who had called him was not Carlet at all, but Principal Jackfleet.

If it’s a blessing, it won’t be a disaster; if it’s a disaster, it can’t be avoided. Seeing the situation before him, Zhang Wen quickly calmed down. “I’ll settle accounts with you later,” he whispered quickly into Amelice’s ear and then strode to Oud’s desk.

“Teacher Zhang, please have a seat,” Principal Jackfleet smiled as he looked at Zhang Wen for a few moments and gestured to him. Zhang Wen was not impolite either; he pulled out a chair and sat down casually.

Oud, who had once been Zhang Wen’s immediate superior, did not even mention whether his actions were polite or not. As soon as Zhang Wen sat down, he smiled again and asked, “You probably don’t know why Principal Jackfleet came to see you, right?”

“No idea,” Zhang Wen shook his head simply.

“Hehe! Teacher Zhang, the reason the principal came here today is entirely because of the ‘good deed’ you did yesterday at the academy festival,” Oud continued to smile at Zhang Wen.

“The academy festival?” At the mention of these three words, Zhang Wen immediately thought of the two people, Cloud and Zack, whom he had just seen outside.

“That was just my duty,” Zhang Wen replied with a calm smile. Zhang Wen wasn’t a fool; from Oud’s attitude towards him, he could also tell that the principal’s visit was definitely not a bad thing.

“Hmm.” Principal Jackfleet was also very satisfied with Zhang Wen’s attitude. He nodded and, with some curiosity, said, “Teacher Zhang, actually, I came here today for two reasons: first, because of the students’ requests, and second, because I was personally curious. The Almitherius Academy has been established for almost three hundred years. I’ve heard and encountered many instances where students stormed in angrily demanding to have teachers removed. However, I’ve never seen a case where students actively requested a disciplinary committee teacher to teach them physical arts. You’re definitely the first.”

“Teaching physical arts?” Principal Jackfleet’s words caused Zhang Wen to feel a stir in his heart.

In fact, even Zhang Wen himself hadn’t expected that his performance at the campus festival yesterday would lead to such an interesting result. Undoubtedly, in any of the Empire’s academies, teachers who could teach physical or mental arts would hold a much higher status than disciplinary committee teachers!

Moreover, the most critical point was that teaching at a prestigious institution like the Almitherius Academy would give him many students like Zack and Cloud. If he could win over the hearts of these students, Zhang Wen would be taking a significant step closer to achieving his goal of making a name for himself!

“Exactly, teaching physical arts. This morning, many students from our academy’s physical arts department came to me and requested that you teach their physical arts courses. Hehe! Teacher Zhang, what do you think?” Principal Jackfleet smiled as he placed the opportunity before Zhang Wen.

Since coming to this world, Zhang Wen had never feared challenges. He gave a faint smile and was about to accept Principal Jackfleet’s offer. But just at that moment, the door to the Disciplinary Committee was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang, followed by a loud, boisterous shout: “Principal Jackfleet!”

Then, Zhang Wen and the others saw that Xin, the chief instructor of the physical arts department, and the much-hated instructor Fox, rushed in together.

Although the physical arts department of Almitherius Academy had always been a laughingstock among the Empire’s academies, this instructor Xin was indeed a genuine 11th-level Saint Master.

Bang! Upon seeing Jackfleet and Zhang Wen sitting on either side of the desk, Instructor Xin stormed forward in a few quick steps, slamming both hands heavily on the expensive carved wooden desk.

“Principal Jackfleet!”

In Almitherius Academy, the only person who dared to slam Jackfleet’s desk in public and glare at him was probably this man—Master Xin—who was already over fifty years old but still fearless and reckless.

“Master Xin.” Although this instructor Xin’s temper was impulsive and his teaching skills were mediocre, not matching his “Master” status at all, Principal Jackfleet still had to give the Saint-level physical arts master some face. He smiled and nodded to Instructor Xin, greeting him.

“Principal, I oppose letting this guy into the physical arts department! Our physical arts department is not a place where any fifth-level trash can just come in and mess around!” Instructor Xin pointed at Zhang Wen and roared angrily at Principal Jackfleet again.

What was strange was that Fox, the instructor who was usually despised by the students as a “scheming advisor,” did not follow Instructor Xin in opposing Principal Jackfleet this time. Moreover, he was anxiously tugging at Xin’s coat hem from behind and giving him signals with his eyes: “Instructor Xin, Instructor Xin…”

Once Xin got into his reckless mode, he truly didn’t care about anything or anyone. Even Fox, whom he usually obeyed without question, was not spared. After being tugged a few times by Fox, the impatient Xin simply shook his sleeve, glaring fiercely at Fox.

In front of the principal and Director Oud, Fox, whose actions had been exposed by Xin, dared not speak. He could only smile awkwardly and keep his mouth shut. Only then did Xin continue his endless complaints to Principal Jackfleet. This reckless instructor wasn’t particularly eloquent. He ranted for a long time, but it all boiled down to one sentence: absolutely no way would he allow Zhang Wen to become a teacher in the physical arts department!

“Master Xin, didn’t Zack and Cloud clearly state Zhang Wen’s abilities? Why can’t you let him give it a try?” Principal Jackfleet patiently waited until Xin was tired of ranting before smiling gently and asking again.

“This guy’s energy level is only at the fifth-level standard of physical arts, and he only got into our Almitherius Academy thanks to the governor’s favor. If such a person is allowed into our physical arts department, how can I face others in the future?” Xin shouted loudly, glaring with wide eyes, showing no regard for the governor, the principal, or Zhang Wen.

“Well…” Xin’s loud outburst made Principal Jackfleet fall into thought.

In any case, Xin was the chief instructor of the physical arts department. His fierce opposition to Zhang Wen joining the physical arts department naturally required Jackfleet to take his opinion into account.

As for the other main character at the scene, Zhang Wen, he remained calm, neither angry nor anxious. Zhang Wen thought clearly that joining the physical arts department was just an unexpected pleasant surprise for him. If he could succeed, it would naturally shorten his struggle time. If he couldn’t, he didn’t need to make a big fuss or feel discouraged.

This matter was personally proposed by Principal Jackfleet to him. If, due to Xin’s interference, he ultimately failed to join the physical arts department, Principal Jackfleet would certainly feel that he owed Zhang Wen a favor.

Between becoming a physical arts instructor and having the “Dragon of the Empire” owe him a favor, it was hard to say which would be more beneficial for Zhang Wen’s future!