Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Xiao Lin, right? Come with me.” There was not the slightest anger on the student union president’s expression and he seemed to have no intention of offering any explanation. With a wave of his hand, two members of the student union immediately walked over to Xiao Lin and held one arm each. Nothing more was said and Xiao Lin was half-forced away.
“Hey, hey, hey! Can any of you explain everything!” Xiao Lin was startled, but he soon gave up after struggling for a few seconds. The two people beside him grabbed his hands like steel bars, so his struggling made no difference. Their strength differential was just too wide.
Everyone was surprised when they watched the sullen Xiao Lin being taken away. Several other deputy monitors heard the movement and ran to ask Cheng Ming.
Cheng Ming was anxious too. “I don’t know either. I still believe in Xiao Lin, especially after the exam!”
“Could his assessment rating be so bad that he’s about to be kicked out of the academy?”
“You must be kidding! That can’t be a rule!”
“Who knows. Now that you mention it, what grade did you get?”
“Haha, what’s yours?”
As acting monitors, it was only natural that they paid more attention to their own results. With Xiao Lin, they expressed only a brief curiosity before quickly forgetting about him.
The student union president was not too tall and had a baby face. He gave the impression of being a boy who had not grown up, but in fact, Xiao Lin once heard that the president was actually in his forties. It went without saying that Xiao Lin had understood a fundamental truth in Dawn Academy—never judge a person’s age based on their appearance.
Not many people knew the student union president’s real name. Everyone usually addressed him as President. He always had a cordial smile and was friendly with everyone, but his face looked rather solemn that day, which made Xiao Lin’s heartbeat quicken. Xiao Lin racked his brains to think about what he had done to offend the president.
The president finally spoke when they were on the way to the student union. His voice was low and tactful. “This matter is rather complicated. I have to ask you first: did you really master Ancient Normese? I’ve read your information at the beginning of the academic year and you hadn’t mastered this skill at that time. After the exam, I happened to check it again and found that you’ve actually mastered this obscure language that had been lost for more than a century. Even though your mastery is only level one, I’m curious as to how you did it.”
Xiao Lin was slightly surprised. Ancient Normese was the skill he copied from the Norma woman. Although the Central Computer’s evaluation after the exam had vaguely indicated that he had mastered the language, he did not put too much attention to it and wondered why the president suddenly asked him about it.
Xiao Lin gave a half-hearted explanation. “During the monthly exam, I met a Norma woman who spoke the language. At that time, I thought that I might as well learn a little of it.”
The suspicion in the president’s eyes grew deeper. “I know about Sunset Canyon’s simulation battle. I chose the map, but the exam only lasted seven days. You mastered this lost language in seven days?”
The president shook his head again and flashed his signature kind smile. “This is your secret and I’m being a bit of a busybody by asking this. Just remember that everyone has their secrets in this academy and it’s impolite to be persistent in asking. There’s no need to explain yourself in detail.”
Xiao Lin breathed a sigh of relief and asked in passing, “Then can I know where we’re going?”
“Hehe, well this is a bit complicated, but I have to ask for your personal opinion first. Do you want to go to Judge Academy? And do you want to go to the New World?”
“AH!” Xiao Lin exclaimed and was stunned on the spot.
The president stopped walking and waited for a reply too.
Xiao Lin asked sensibly, “I don’t quite understand. Freshmen can’t go to the New World so soon, I thought. Even if the dean made a promise at the opening ceremony, he only said that there would be opportunities after freshman year. And what about Judge Academy? Aren’t they the American colonial academy?”
“We’re allies with Judge Academy. We may need you to go there and help them. Of course, it’ll only be temporary, about a month or so. Judge Academy’s people will explain the specifics to you later.”
After a pause, the president added, “We have signed an alliance treaty with Judge Academy, and help on certain minor matters is no big deal since we’re allies. But at the end of the day, you’re still a freshman. There hasn’t been any precedent for something like this, especially when this is a private arrangement between the two academies. You don’t have to worry too much. Just speak your mind. Would you like to go?”
Xiao Lin was a little confused, and the news was still rather shocking to him. What were the academy’s students’ motivation to persevere in daily training and classes? Was it not just to go to the New World?
The dean presented a beautiful and delicious pie in front of everyone at the opening ceremony, but most people might not be able to taste the pie until at least a year or two. As of then, the chance was presented in front of Xiao Lin and he could soon take a bite out of that big pie. Even if it was only a small bite, he was lucky to have tasted it compared to many others, who could only yearn for it.
For Xiao Lin, the New World was like the faint presence of the most beautiful woman in the world. He could only admire it from a distance through the veil, but the more he looked at it, the more tempted his heart became.
Xiao Lin’s heart was thoroughly moved after getting a chance to unveil that facade. He then nodded without hesitation once he had thought it over briefly. “I’m definitely willing if there’s an opportunity to go to the New World right now, but—”
The president only needed to hear the first half of his sentence. He nodded, then waved his hand to interrupt Xiao Lin’s subsequent sentence. “It’ll be much easier if you agree. Mr. Hank is probably getting a bit anxious waiting. Go on into my office.”
“Mr. Hank?”
The president nodded. “Yes. From Judge Academy. The details of the subsequent negotiation will be between you and him. In principle, this is a private invitation and you’re willing to undertake it, so it’s inappropriate for anyone else to interfere. I must remind you though: don’t be overwhelmed with excitement. Offer yourself at a low price. If you’re not sure about the remuneration, you can always ask me.”
“There’s remuneration?”
The president let out a laugh. “Of course! You’re a freshman at our school, so you can also ask the other party to compensate for your missed classes and training time.”
Xiao Lin gradually calmed. If he went to the Judge Academy for a month, he would lose not only the courses and training, but more importantly, a month’s worth of time would also be gone. Would he still be able to top the rest of his class in the subsequent comprehensive exam and remove the ‘acting’ from his title as ‘acting class monitor’?
Xiao Lin had only gotten Grade B in the monthly exam. He had yet to find out what other people’s ratings were, but in any case, that grade could only be considered mediocre. All he had to do was complete the mandatory task and remain alive, which many other people managed to obtain as well.
