Chapter 3068 - 81: The School’s Responsibility

Chapter 3068: Chapter 81: The School’s Responsibility

Zheng Qing remained noncommittal to the Shadow Cat’s reprimand.

If it merely concerned the minor issue of transferring academies, he wouldn’t be sitting here troubled for so long.

Though he now serves as the Dean of the Peripheral College, he’s unlike those seasoned Elder Wizards, who are rich in experience. Therefore, when dealing with academy affairs, he habitually uses the power of legends to observe further down the timeline.

Lack of experience, supplemented by magic power.

This is called overpowering ten skills with sheer force.

By using legendary power to see a bit further, one can anticipate whether their decision is correct.

The letter from Atlas Academy today followed this principle.

While reviewing the report, Zheng Qing casually glanced at the child’s future—if he didn’t intervene and rejected the transfer application, it wouldn’t be long before Atlas Academy, unable to bear the pressure, would arrange for this Tuki Sect believer to temporarily drop out. Leaving school and returning to the sect, the young wizard would be further influenced by the sect’s fanatic atmosphere, gradually losing his current restraint. Until a year later, returning to Buji Island for his studies, he chooses to murder a classmate.

The timeline ahead has many branches—such as the young Tuki Sect believer deciding to flee and flee before the school’s discovery; or failing to escape, subjected to Danghag’s judgement and thrown into Black Prison; or even being mistakenly killed by alarmed classmates—regardless of how it evolves, his future has turned bleak.

And the other option, if he intervenes and the Peripheral College accepts this Tuki Sect believer, he would still practice restraint in the new academy by executing ’honor robbery’ and ’wild demon murder’—the students and parents who had just been frightened by the ogre professor would probably fall back into hysteria, causing the Roaring Letter originally flying to Atlas Academic Affairs Office to fly to Professor Barton and Gongsun Xiaolin’s office, disturbing the academy’s peace.

Zheng Qing’s Great Elves are also students at the Peripheral College.

As a student’s parent, he equally doesn’t wish for such an unstable factor in the academy—it’s precisely because of this, he understands even more, that every choice he makes will determine the entire life of that young Tuki Sect believer.

A whole life.

What a weighty word.

So heavy that Zheng Qing can’t lift the feather pen in his hand to sign the word ’reject’—he may be kind-hearted, yet he’s certainly not a traditional do-gooder. For the Elder Wizard in Crowley’s Mansion who violated the rules, he can erase them from the world without batting an eye.

But for a young wizard who earnestly tries to restrain themselves, seeking a better path, he can’t destroy that last glimmer of hope.

Because many students at the Peripheral College—especially the Northern District Wizards—are originally struggling to survive with a shred of hope.

The Shadow Cat cursed for a while but heard no response, curiously tilting its head towards the desk, only to be taken aback upon discovering the Dean behind the desk had vanished without a trace.

"What an idiot!"

The Shadow Cat annoyingly flicked its tail, hitting the sofa with a loud bang.

...

...

North Beta Town.

Gu Diao Street.

On the second floor of Gini Cottage.

Korma, while processing documents, suddenly looked up, glancing towards the void, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Then she withdrew her gaze and instructed Katherine standing by: "—You all may withdraw for now; there’s a guest visiting."

The Northern District Wizards bustling around bowed in unison, quietly exited the hall, not a single person uttering a question.

Zheng Qing’s figure slowly solidified from the void.

"—When will my Xuanhuang Palace also have such command compliance as yours?" His tone carried a hint of sentiment.

Korma cast him a glance, her feather pen in hand never pausing, continuing to draw on the documents at hand, asking nonchalantly: "Greetings to the Dean... How come you have the leisure to visit here today? Aren’t you afraid Su Councilor or Miss Jiang will find out?"

Zheng Qing was immune to her teasing, left ear in and right ear out.

"—Did you see that transfer application from Atlas Academy?" He didn’t continue with pleasantries, directly inquiring.

Korma finally put down the feather pen in her hand.

"My recommendation is above... From the perspective of academy stability and unity, I suggest rejecting it." She scrutinized the young legend before her, her expression somewhat intriguing: "—So, do you have a different idea?"

"Do you know the consequences of rejecting this application?"

"The worst could be one or two deaths."

"—And you still choose to reject?" Zheng Qing couldn’t hide the surprise in his tone.

Korma stared at the feather pen beside her, silently for a few seconds.

"Because I lack confidence."

She answered lightly: "A believer accepted by Atlas Academy is undoubtedly pious. And I have no confidence that a pious, strong-willed Tuki Sect believer could be kept from violating their creed for life... Nor do I have confidence in educating a legendary student capable of transforming Tuki Sect. Which poses a greater threat to the Alliance? A dropout Atlas student or a successfully graduated Tuki Sect believer from the Peripheral College? Which poses less risk to the Peripheral? ... So I choose the option with the smallest loss. But you’re different. Perhaps you can offer him a better future."

What straightforward yet irresponsible rhetoric.

Zheng Qing bitterly smiled.

"—You overestimate me."

His figure slowly dissipated in the Gini Cottage hall with a sigh.

Korma picked up her feather pen again, shrugged, and smiled slightly at the air before her: "—You are the Dean of the Peripheral and a legend; what other perspective can I choose other than overestimating?"

...

...

"—You can choose to follow your heart."

The first thing Professor Yao said upon seeing the young legend was, as though he knew Zheng Qing’s purpose for visiting him: "You must learn to think like a true legend... then make your choice."

"But I’m unsure which choice is better."

"Unsure?" Old Yao removed the pipe from his mouth, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, curiously gazing at the young legend before him: "—Didn’t you already make a choice? When you faced that application and didn’t reject, hadn’t you already decided?"

Another cunning word game devotee.

Zheng Qing felt slightly tooth-aching.

"Never mind my choice... What’s your view on this matter?" He somewhat brusquely interrupted the Dean of Jiuyou Academy, inquiring: "Suppose you were the Dean of the Peripheral College, would you agree to the transfer?"

"I would think a student with strong will could become an exceptional wizard. Be it with everlasting glory or infamous disgrace, it surely surpasses those average and mundane individuals... We are a school, not Danghag’s court. We don’t judge students. But we have the responsibility to guide and educate them. Educational failure is our responsibility; punishing without teaching is our failure... Between failure and responsibility, you have to choose one."

As he spoke, Old Yao tapped the pipe on the table, knocking out a small clump of ash, then suddenly chuckled: "—I feel many people hope you become a responsible person."