Chapter 177: Lances Good Deeds and Merit Radar is Going Off

Chapter 177: Lance's Good Deeds and Merit Radar is Going Off

The three o'clock bell chimed right on schedule, its sound echoing across the campus. Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the old Liberal Arts Hall of the College of Magical Engineering looked solemn and dignified. The creeping vines on its walls were like the markings on a timeline, chronicling the changes of years past.

On the third floor, a fresh breeze drifted in through a window of the Student Management Council headquarters, carrying a faint scent of tea. A pot of freshly brewed herbal tea sat on the side table. The herbs floated leisurely, dancing gracefully upon the water's surface.

Three student council members sat together on the lounge area's sofa, chatting and relaxing in high spirits. When they arrived at the Student Management Council headquarters after getting sufficient rest, neither the president nor the vice president were present.

Clearly, both were occupied with work and hadn't yet managed to return. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.

The door to the room slowly opened, revealing the dark, polished wood of the corridor outside. The president walked in first, his voice steady and composed. "You're back."

He wore the crisp, neat uniform of a third year student from the College of Alchemy. His stiff, upright collar accentuated his spirited and dignified bearing.

The three on the sofa immediately turned toward the entrance to greet him. "President, we're back!"

The president wore a confident yet approachable smile. The vice president walked beside him, clad in a long elegant dress. Her steps were light, and her expression was calmly supportive.

Monaster walked to his desk, placed the documents he was carrying upon it, and then moved toward the sofa in the lounge area. He took a seat opposite the three members.

All three straightened their posture instinctively. Usually, when the president came over to the sofa to see them, it meant he had a task for them to handle. Since the very first thing he did upon arriving was to speak with them, it was obvious that a significant amount of work had piled up.

With a voice full of a sense of responsibility, Lance said, "President, just let us know what needs to be done. We're well-rested and ready."

It had been four whole days since "Saint Lance" had performed a good deed by mediating a dispute.

The student council had recently been hosting a visiting academic delegation from the Kingdom of Yaloran. Unfortunately, the visit had coincided with the busiest period of the entire semester. With only the president, vice president, and secretary present, and three capable officers missing, the president's workload had clearly skyrocketed.

"Quite a few minor matters came up on campus during the five days you were away." President Monaster then paused to gather his thoughts, deciding to go through the details one by one. He first looked toward Lance.

"I'll start off with news for Lance. Your father, Mr. Noel Wilford, visited the university last weekend. He suffered from a mild cardiovascular incident and is currently recuperating at the hospital affiliated with the College of Alchemy."

Utterly surprised, Lance blurted out, "My old man came here?"

His expression then shifted to one of puzzlement. "How could that be... Father shouldn't have any history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease."

Hyperion said softly from the side, "Lance, you should go see your father later."

Lance was about to say something more, but upon seeing the look in her eyes, which were gentle yet tinged with a hint of envy and sorrow, he stopped himself and simply nodded.

Monaster didn't rush to speak. He waited until Lance and Hyperion had finished their exchange before continuing. "There is another matter: Adam, the leader of the visiting academic delegation from the Royal Academy of Yaloran and a personal student of Knight Commander Juliana, has proposed a friendly match against the strongest student from the Sages' College."

President Monaster exchanged a helpless glance with Vice President Asina.

"Originally, Dean Lawrence had recommended Asina. She is the strongest among the third year students. However, Asina has been tied up with Student Management Council affairs lately and simply couldn't get away, so she politely declined the challenge."

Although Asina rarely fought seriously and the true extent of her power remained a mystery, no one at the university, faculty or student alike, had ever questioned her strength.

"So, Dean Lawrence planned to have some other student face Adam. In short, the dean doesn't place much importance on winning or losing. But then, a problem arose. I don't know what was going through their minds, but the other students all expressed reluctance to accept the challenge. Instead, they nominated you."

In the end, Monaster could only look at Lance helplessly. Given the situation, being specifically named like this, the only option was to ask Lance to handle it.

"Huh?" Lance hadn't expected his seniors to hold him in such high regard. He was a mere first year student. Was it proper for him to represent the Sages' College in a duel?

Meanwhile, Hyperion, Frey, and Asina silently exchanged looks. They understood the situation perfectly. Even though Dean Lawrence didn't care about the outcome, the students of the Sages' College were, to some extent, annoyed by this guy's brazen, arrogant attitude toward their institution. So, they decided to play dirty and set a massive trap for Adam.

"At first, Adam thought we were messing with him by sending a first year student to face him. But once he heard you were the one who defeated the Saintess of Destruction, his attitude shifted. Even though Dean Lawrence was dead set against you taking the match, Adam has become determined to face you," Monaster explained. "The final decision is yours, though. After all, this is just a friendly exhibition match."

Lance didn't look particularly keen on accepting the challenge. He had never been one for conflict. His preference was always to resolve disputes, not start them. He couldn't fathom why people were so fond of pointless squabbling. After all, winning or losing such a match changed absolutely nothing.

Frey asked, curious, "Why is the relationship between Knight Commander Juliana and Dean Lawrence so bad?"

Monaster remained silent for a long moment, then he finally said, "I only heard this from others, so please don't spread it around. It all goes back to Dean Lawrence's fiancée..."

Then, Monaster gave them a rough account of the story: how Lawrence and Juliana first met, how the conflict arose between them, and how their misunderstandings gradually deepened.

"Dean Lawrence has always maintained clear boundaries with women, yet he paid special attention to Miss Juliana. However, he comes from an aristocratic background, so his personal engagement situation was incredibly complicated. He isn't the type to hurt others for his own sake, and his somewhat indecisive nature meant that a cascade of subsequent events only deepened the misunderstandings between him and Juliana."

Monaster sighed after summarizing the series of unfortunate events.

However, once he heard the whole issue, Lance clapped his hands and stomped his foot. He suddenly understood everything.

"I thought they genuinely disliked each other, but it turns out they actually like each other romantically!" With clear, earnest eyes, Lance said enthusiastically, "I simply must help Dean Lawrence bring this union to fruition. I accept the challenge. Let Adam choose the time and the format. Whether it's a battle of wits or a test of combat prowess, I will give it my all for Dean Lawrence's sake."

His attitude had undergone a complete 180.

Hyperion quickly turned her head to stare at Lance. Seeing his look of sheer enthusiasm and eagerness to participate, she had a sinking feeling that things were about to go terribly wrong.

With Lance acting as the matchmaker, one way or another, Dean Lawrence was bound to suffer!