Young People Shouldn't Be Too Arrogant

At the summons of his class adviser, Du Pont smiled faintly.

Sure enough, his progress had caught the man's attention. Now he could hand over that joint impeachment letter against Annie.

Everything was under control!

"You've improved by leaps and bounds." The Architecture Department instructor was named Benjamin. He looked to be nearly forty, with the particular paunchiness of a middle-aged man. He smiled at Du Pont with great kindness. "With you included, our class now has three Second Circle Mages. That's quite an achievement. You can start taking third-circle spell classes now."

"It's all thanks to the instructors' excellent teaching." Du Pont put on the smile of a subordinate. Just as he was considering how to ingratiate himself and take out the parchment impeaching Annie, Benjamin continued, "However, once you choose to take third-circle spell classes, you'll need to start handing in five second-circle spell scrolls in place of first-circle scrolls. How successful have you been at copying second-circle scrolls? Have you tried it?"

"No." Du Pont's expression turned somewhat anxious at the question, and he asked tentatively, "Is copying second-circle spell scrolls very difficult?"

"Of course it isn't difficult for a full-fledged mage, but apprentices are another matter." Benjamin shook his head. "Second-circle parchment costs two gold coins per sheet. Third level is considered a discounted period, so you only need to submit five second-circle scrolls or twelve first-circle scrolls each week. At fourth level, you'll need to submit ten. If your foundation isn't solid, this will be very difficult."

Du Pont's eyes grew frantic. "Th-that strict? I thought I wouldn't have to hand these in until next semester."

"If you advance to Second Circle next semester, then naturally you'll start handing them in next semester. But the academy has always determined what tasks you need to complete based on what circle of spells you study. Unless you say you won't study third-circle spells, the requirements will increase. But no one would be foolish enough to do that."

Du Pont fell silent, while Benjamin smiled gently and took out two ancient-looking spellbooks. "But since I'm your class adviser, I naturally ought to help you. I have How to Copy Scrolls Quickly and Detailed Guide to Copying First- to Second-Circle Transmutation Spells. They're professional spellbooks personally designated by the Haluar Council. Studying these two books thoroughly will increase your speed. Normally, a set costs eight hundred gold, but since you're my student, I'll only charge you six hundred."

Du Pont's eyes widened.

This time, he was genuinely shocked. He wasn't acting.

Why was this different from the story Charles had told him?

After Charles became a third-level mage, Ruru had gotten in touch with him and lent him the books Benjamin had mentioned, allowing him to become proficient at copying second-circle scrolls.

That was also why Charles had told Du Pont that copying scrolls was indeed difficult for him—he hadn't been copying first-circle scrolls.

So why was this bastard asking him for money now?

Fuck, I'm the top dog in your class right now!

After several seconds, Du Pont shook his head. "Forget it, Instructor. I think it's more important to build a solid foundation step by step. Besides, where would I get the money to buy these books? My finances simply don't allow it."

"Ah, don't be in such a hurry. As your teacher, of course I should make things convenient for you. If you don't have cash, you can use magic items as collateral." Benjamin's smile remained kind. "I'm doing this for your own good. Among apprentices, they say second-circle scrolls sell for twelve gold coins apiece. That's no small sum. If you buy these books and increase your scroll-copying success rate, then copying scrolls to sell will be a sure-profit business with no capital needed."

"How about this? You can pledge that Ring of Darkvision to me. I'll sell you these two books, and once you save up forty second-circle scrolls, I'll return the ring to you. You won't lose out either way. What do you think?"

Looking at the dead fat man wearing an expression of concern for his sake, Du Pont lowered his eyes. A trace of chill flashed through his pupils, but his face still wore a smile as he spoke with absolute resolve. "Forget it, Instructor. Something this expensive is still too far beyond me right now. If I have trouble copying scrolls in the future, I'll come looking for you then. I hope you'll still sell them to me at such a favorable price."

The moment he heard that, Benjamin's smile vanished without a trace.

As a forty-year-old mage and a class adviser for several years, how could he fail to understand that this was a rejection?

All his previous kindness disappeared. Benjamin's face darkened as he said sarcastically, "First you rejected Boulder Instructor's goodwill, and now you won't listen to your class adviser either. Du Pont, I know you've improved quite a bit recently, but while your little bit of ability may be considered decent in the Architecture Department, it's nothing special in the academy as a whole. Let me give you a word of advice: young people shouldn't be too arrogant, or they may fail to see the vastness of heaven and earth and ruin their promising future."

Du Pont's smile remained unchanged. "Instructor, I really don't have any money. With the little stuff I have on me, Conner might come looking for an explanation once he gets out of confinement. How could I give it to you? And as for being arrogant, where did that come from? I still need to learn magic properly from you, Instructor, so that I can contribute to the territory of our great Halruaa in the future. When that happens, it'll all be to your credit."

"Enough. How could I possibly teach such a talented student as you?" With the negotiations completely broken down, Benjamin could no longer be bothered to keep up the act. His smile carried a hint of mockery. "I'll enroll you in Fly and Mold Stone for your third-circle spell classes. That way, once you master them, you can graduate as soon as possible. For the sake of the teacher-student bond between us, whether you want to stay here or go to Nas in the northeast, I can pull some strings for you."

"If you wish to continue your studies and learn Stone to Mud and Mud to Stone, you're welcome to do so as well. Once you finish your training, I'll try to arrange a project supervisor position for you, so you can contribute to Halruaa's construction industry."

Du Pont sneered inwardly when he heard those two spells. He could not even be bothered to mention impeaching Annie anymore. After saying, "May you be blessed by the Goddess," he turned and left.

As he closed the door, he heard a cold sneer from behind him. "He's just a mediocrity. He only amounts to something in a class of barely a dozen people, yet he really thinks he's somebody. Young people these days... tsk, tsk."

Du Pont did not argue back. He merely looked up at the office door of the Architecture Department head before walking away.

He was just another foolish superior. There were probably more than a dozen people like him in a single engineering department. Du Pont had seen plenty, so there was no need to get angry at someone like that.

Still, he was somewhat puzzled.

He had thought it over just now. The former Du Pont might not have been valued, but he had never been manipulated so thoroughly by this class adviser. Now that he had achieved a little success, he was instead being treated with contempt. Had this man taken the wrong medicine?

Had Benjamin taken a fancy to the things he had just acquired? Or had Du Pont's rejection of Ruru humiliated her enough that she asked Benjamin to make things difficult for him? Or was it related to Conner?

Lacking the necessary information, Du Pont did not know the specifics. But he remembered that fat face that made him somewhat sick.

Between superiors and subordinates, there had never been only a relationship of command.

The parchment impeaching someone in his pocket should be used on a different target.