Chapter 86 - 14. Ken

Chapter 86: 14. KenMr. Fisher slept straight through to nearly noon, and when he awoke again, his bed was empty, just as Renie had said; she had left upon waking, leaving nothing but her lingering fragrance on the bed.

Mr. Fisher blinked his eyes, and the Hart Bird that had been in his hand had flown away at some point.

Renie had already left.

He rubbed his somewhat stiff shoulders, then pushed open the window of his room and went to the washroom to freshen up, taking the opportunity to shave off the stubble that had appeared.

Principal Ken of Saint Nali University hoped that, once Mr. Fisher returned, they could meet to discuss the matter of his appointment, and today Mr. Fisher planned to first pay a visit there.

Publishing a paper was not that simple, although he was reluctant to admit it, academic theories were not merely the affairs of academia, especially a disruptive theory such as his could not be published hastily, otherwise he would be overwhelmed by various parties. He needed a reliable backing for this, such as his old employer, the Royal College.

Therefore, publishing a paper was quite troublesome, and he would discuss this matter later with Damian, the principal of Royal College.

"Mr. Fisher, Renie left early in the morning, did she tell you?"

As Martha inquired, Mr. Fisher nodded while buttoning up his shirt,

"She told me last night that she wouldn’t be coming back for some time."

"My goodness, how could you bear to let such a beautiful lady leave alone, and for so long... you should definitely consider marriage, a 28-year-old gentleman in Saint Nali should already have at least three children!"

While eating the breakfast Martha had prepared, Mr. Fisher smiled silently; he dared not think what Renie’s children would be like—if they took after her personality, that would be dreadful.

The elderly woman rambled on for a while, and after Mr. Fisher acknowledged her concern, he picked up his hand cane and gentleman’s hat to bid farewell to Martha, preparing to step out and see the thriving Saint Nali University.

Saint Nali University was located in the outskirts of Saint Nali. It would take many tram lines to get there, which seemed too time-consuming, so Mr. Fisher uncharacteristically took a paid carriage to the university.

It took nearly half an hour for the carriage to get from the vicinity of Mr. Fisher’s lodging to Saint Nali University. As the lively and noisy sounds outside began to fade, Mr. Fisher caught sight of the university, situated in front of a hill, resembling a gigantic courtyard through the carriage window.

The entire college occupied a vast amount of land. Since the school was a boarding institution, there were several dormitory buildings for students beyond the teaching buildings at the front. The teaching buildings were not very tall, at most four to five stories, but the architectural style was both elegant and infused with Nali charm, leaving a deep first impression on Mr. Fisher.

On the gate at the entrance, there was a seal composed of three rings of arc-like patterns, all in gold and shining brightly under the sun. That was the "Gedelin Gold Seal," a symbol of the Nali Royal Family, indicating that Saint Nali University was a top-tier institution recognized by the King, graduating degrees equivalent to those of The Royal College.

"Sir, the school is currently closed and not open to visitors."

"I am here at the invitation of Mr. Ken to discuss business. This is a letter personally written by Principal Ken."

Just as he stepped out of the carriage, a security officer on duty approached him. Before the carriage left, the officer informed Mr. Fisher of the school’s closure. Mr. Fisher took out the letter from Principal Ken, explaining that he had been invited by the head of the school to discuss matters. After careful inspection, the officers nodded and led Mr. Fisher past the gate marked with the Gedelin Gold Seal, into the campus.

It was now early July, still during Nali schools’ summer break, and the students wouldn’t return until after the "Victory Festival" in early August. Currently, only the staff who were weeding and trimming the gardens were present. In front of the largest teaching building, Mr. Fisher saw a massive black slate, about two stories high, that shimmered with circles of magic light; at the top were the King’s handwritten words of wisdom,

"Broaden your horizons, study diligently."

Mr. Fisher quietly withdrew his gaze and followed the security officers’ lead into the main teaching building. The principal’s office was presumably on the top floor. As they followed the direction of the staircase, a young black-haired girl carrying books approached from above. She had fair skin, a lovely face, and was dressed in a white dress, holding a book familiar to Mr. Fisher—the first edition of "Magic Theory".

But what was most striking was her chest, which developed beyond her peers, made all the more prominent by the books she was hugging, even the security officers couldn’t help but glance sideways.

She was a beautiful girl, yet seemed to lack the corresponding confidence. Feeling the gaze of others, her face flushed red, and she instinctively tried to avoid them. Inexplicably, she suddenly muttered an apology to the security officers and Mr. Fisher before bypassing them and disappearing into the stairwell.

Mr. Fisher watched as the girl’s figure vanished at the staircase entrance. She must be a student of this school, although he wondered why she would stay during the holidays.

Aside from the small interlude, the entire teaching building was extremely quiet. The principal’s office was on the top floor, and by the time Mr. Fisher arrived, the door was already wide open, revealing the spacious interior.

The first thing that caught his eye was the elegant elderly gentleman standing by the window, with a long white beard and a monocle over his left eye. Behind him, against the desk, hung a huge oil painting of an old man holding a Golden Scepter. He was Gedelin I, the founder of the Nali nation. The current King was Gedelin IX, and judging by his health, it seemed he would soon be succeeded.

"Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Ken."

The door behind them closed, leaving only the two gentlemen in the office space.

"Not at all, it was I who invited Mr. Fisher. Mr. Fisher, now that you have seen our school, what do you think?"

"Without seeing the students, it is too soon to comment on the school."

Ken smiled and gestured for Fisher to take a seat, then picked up the teapot from the desk and filled a cup for Fisher with tea that looked like amber.

"The Royal Family’s special tea, something we didn’t get to enjoy before the ’New Economic Bill’... I have heard of Mr. Fisher’s deeds, and I believe Mr. Fisher is well aware of our school’s current situation. So let me assure you, this school’s founding principle is for pure education, which is why His Majesty the King asked me to serve as the principal."

The ’New Economic Bill,’ the most representative economic act of the New Party, could broadly be summarized by the term "free market." The New Party believed that reducing regulation and control could greatly stimulate production and sales, so they drastically lowered market entry standards. Many goods previously inaccessible to ordinary citizens, including so-called Royal Specialties, found their way onto store shelves.

"I was nominated by His Majesty with the concept of building a pure educational temple, yet I find myself trapped within the cage of Nali’s own people. The poisonous tumor of the educational world, the Griffin Party, continues to dream their sweet dream of monopolizing education, and the King has long been dissatisfied with their practices."

After all, Ken was a scholar and did not beat around the bush like others, getting straight to the point of hiring Fisher after only a few sentences.

"This time it’s the same, the Griffin Party people have locked the path to recruiting professors in traditional fields—education has always been their turf... In the most severe case, the Magic Academy, we currently only have three teachers who can give classes, three!"

Ken’s normally elegant beard almost curled as he spoke of how the Griffin Party was tripping them up, "Every member of the Magic Association has declined our invitation, as the Griffin Party gave them a heads-up. You are the last senior member of the Magic Association I could invite. This is the highest institution personally mandated by the King; how can we do without a good Magic Professor!"

The politics of the two factions in the Council were that repulsive. Fisher, having already experienced much of their antics, was not surprised by their behavior. The New Party hadn’t interfered because they had already achieved their goals by investing in the education sector, giving the Griffin Party a good hit. Otherwise, their practices could have been ten times more disgusting than the traditional Griffin Party.

Fisher sipped his tea, pondering over the details, but Ken was clearly growing impatient,

"The autumn semester is about to start, and if the Magic Academy cannot begin classes, many students will surely write to the Council. Given that, the Griffin Party will have achieved their goal. They want to launch a motion of no confidence against this school to replace the principal, someone like a Griffin Party’s Acado, to turn this institute into a second Royal College..."

Magic Professors have always ranked high in career choices. Only with a certification from the Magic Association is a Mage allowed legally to sell their crafted Magic Items, and such items are highly prized for their astonishing effects and hefty prices.

Many students entered this university aiming to earn a degree from the Magic Academy, as holding a degree equivalent to that of the Royal College meant they could bypass the exams for levels 1 through 4 Mage certifications and were more trustworthy than equally ranked Mages without a degree.

"Mr. Fisher, His Majesty the King has high hopes for this school and is even willing to send the Princess here. I... I cannot fail his trust, and I must build this school well. So, I would like to personally, and perhaps presumptuously, ask if you would stay and teach our students’ Magic Classes?"

His aged face showed a hint of pleading. Fisher pondered for a moment. Helping Saint Nali University was, in a way, opposing the Griffin Party. Many members of the Magic Association probably declined Ken because they feared this, but Fisher had no need to worry about such things.

He was known as the "Rebel of the Royal College," essentially a Griffin Party stronghold. The fact that Fisher was still here after so many years indicated that they couldn’t really touch him. Moreover, he was about to give a big gift to the Griffin Party, which they would surely not refuse.

At that time, he could also enjoy watching the Griffin Party perform their act of sudden amnesia. Fisher was quite eager to see their foolishness, initially plotting against him and then immediately showing a smiling face dizzied by interest.

Exhaling a breath, Fisher nodded, making his decision,

"I understand. I am willing to stay and teach the courses... And one more thing, I have been researching demi-humans lately and would like to open a course on demi-human studies here, if possible."

"Demi-humans?"

Ken paused for a second and then said with a peculiar expression, "We could do that. Our university operates on a credit analysis system, and students are free to choose their courses. If at least fifteen students are willing to select the course during the elective phase, we can open the class... How about we categorize this course under the Economics College?"

"...If it’s possible, I’d prefer to place it in the College of Truth."

Seeing the deal nearly done, Ken joked and then reached out his hand to Fisher,

"I look forward to working with you in the days to come, Mr. Fisher Benavides. Later on, I will give you the staff benefits form, which includes explanations concerning our school’s teaching regime; it’s probably quite different from that of the Royal College."

"It’s also my honor."