The Day 167 Twilight Fell (2)

"Even if they use mind detection methods?" Karl scoffed. "Next, will they have to hand over some donations, give some gifts, and pull some strings so that someone can be exempted from the reprimand at the Supreme Council? I think it's all just about making money."

"That's it? That's the essence of politics."

Slavenikov·Durgen, the president of White Candle Star Interstellar University, sneered, "You young people are always criticizing this and that. If you can achieve your ambitions through sarcasm and insults, then the host of the Supreme Council should be a noisy crow."

With the principal speaking, no one else dared to object. Nastisha, however, paid no attention to what was happening here. She would occasionally glance at the planet outside the window, her gaze drifting, lost in thought.

Principal Durgen glanced at his absent-minded subordinates and said:

"Nastisha, are you worried about the school?"

Nastisha paused for a moment, then nodded:

"Yes, teacher."

"Nastisha, are you fantasizing about the school being attacked again?" Ye Wangnan asked.

"Hmm..." Nastisha nodded. "I'm still a little worried. Not only our school, but the entire Trivella, and even White Candle Star, don't have many experts above the Zeta-rank to oversee things. If something happens..."

"Worrying about nothing is more than worrying about nothing; it's creating trouble out of nothing." Mage Karl shrugged. "Three years have passed since the Crescent Moon incident, and we've introduced and deployed the Higgs Field. Even if he wanted to make a comeback, he wouldn't have the chance. Besides, things are different now. With the Minister in charge, anyone who wants to make a move has to think twice about whether they can withstand Minister Kappa-rank's wrath."

"I know this is a bit of worrying unnecessarily."

Nastisha sighed:

"But now, the situation is very different. The Recruitment Office has recruited all our Zeta-rank graduates. On this huge planet, there are almost no Zeta-rank left. Also, those workshop owners are either engrossed in research or developing the economy to make money. I really can't trust them to fight."

"Shh!" Master Ye Wangnan quickly fell silent. "Don't mention conscription... be careful they don't arrest you and send you to the Galaxy Eye to fill in the gaps."

"It can't be that serious, can it?" Karl asked in surprise. "Besides, the outcome of the Galaxy Eye Campaign hasn't been revealed yet, has it? Professor Durgen, are you aware of the situation?"

"Even I'm not entirely sure."

Principal Durgen shook his head:

"As far as I know, too many people have died in the war against the Night Butterflies. The front-line troops have been almost completely wiped out. Next are the conscripts aged fifty to one hundred and twenty, who have only undergone one or two years of training before being thrown into the battlefield. Next should be the Zeta-rank soldiers aged twenty to forty, and even the Epsilon-rank conscripts..."

Nastisha and the others were greatly shocked:

"Epsilons are even on the battlefield?! At this rate... won't even Delta-rank be thrown into the fray?"

Durgen said gravely, "Perhaps, in the end, even mortals (Gamma-rank) will have to go."

"Are you crazy..." Karl said incredulously, "This is a meat grinder. The Crystal Tower has accumulated two million Zeta-rank over the years, including those from the general public. We can't possibly have almost wiped them all out, can we?"

"Be prepared." Durgen's expression was complicated. "Try not to make any mistakes now. Who knows if the recruiters will send you to the front lines— Nastisha, you should also be careful."

"Teacher, what do you mean?" Nastisha guessed.

"The mobilization order will likely be issued at the start of next semester, and I will appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the White Candle Star Reserve Force. You should carefully select your candidates... given that your Applied Magic Department has a large number of students from lower-class backgrounds, they will be given priority in being sent to the battlefield."

Nastisha clenched her fists, her eyes wide, staring in disbelief at her mentor who had taught her for over a hundred years and whom she regarded as a father figure.

Why me? What right do you have?!

She questioned him silently, and the dean of the same rank next to her tacitly took a half step back without saying a word.

Durgen annoyed. "I know this is very unfair to you. You love students the most, but you are also a warrior who survived from [society] and fought against citizens and even members of parliament. You are best at fighting. Select a group of reserve warriors, all of them above Delta-rank, and bring them in."

She bit her lower lip, her gaze wavering, but she still nodded with difficulty.

The reason is actually quite simple, and she knows it too.

White Candle Star Interstellar University is a university open to all Crystal Tower Civilization and member planets, and it must consider winning hearts and minds and diplomatic relations.

The Applied Magic Department focuses on cultivating application and practical skills. About 80% of the students here are ordinary Tanas Race without any background.

Other academies, mostly prepared for royalty, nobility, and the wealthy, have a strong gilding effect and their application of magic is relatively sparse.

They either study humanities and arts, or they study economics, medicine, finance, politics, and diplomacy—knowledge that the elite class values—because they want to go back home and inherit the family business.

Even if the Recruitment Office had the greatest audacity, it wouldn't dare send the sons of high-ranking officials to fight.

The Applied Magic Department doesn't have this concern. Students from this department are skilled in practical operations, and being young, simple-minded, and easily ignited by patriotic fervor, they are the ideal recruits.

But—why now of all times?

Even if the school's graduation is Zeta-rank, even if they can pick up a staff and kill people right away—why can't we wait another ten or eight years and give them enough training before we start? Nastisha was furious.

In interstellar warfare, such soldiers would die like dust, utterly meaningless.

The principal's unspoken message was clearly that she wanted her students to be cannon fodder!

Durgen noticed Nastisha's eyes, which were almost spitting fire, and felt apologetic and ashamed. However, in order to maintain his authority as a leader, he kept a straight face and said casually, "The higher-ups have already made the decision. Besides, we're not the only ones doing this."

He glanced at the crowd. "Night Butterfly People would do the same."

The war has reached a point where it is irreversible. Both sides have already placed their heaviest bets, and now it's a matter of who can hold out the longest and who can gamble the biggest.

Nastisha remained silent.

After a moment, she slowly said:

"If Vierria knew that we were fighting to save this civilization, she wouldn't betray [society].

"Nastisha ..." The colleague was startled. "You can't say nice things about the 'society'!"

"Just consider it a moment of madness," Nastisha said quietly. "Anyway, everyone caught up in war is a madman."

She turned her head and looked at the White Candle Star below the fortress.

' Vierria, I promised you I would protect everything I cherish, but now it seems I can't even protect my own students.'

Forgive me for not building this planet as you promised.

Her gaze swept across the land, lingering on Trivella's location for a long time.

Those in high positions see even the most prosperous cities on the planet as nothing more than black dots, while the struggles of those in the darker corners of those cities never even register in their sight.

"White Candle Star Interstellar University, we've finally arrived."

Yawen·Hesksin lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped off the Magic Flying Carpet. Gazing at the magnificent and beautiful school gate, she felt as if she had returned to the Azure Planet.