Thesis

The gates of the Discipline Office stood open. With a furious roar from Mr. Victor, the students were blasted by the oncoming wave of heat and automatically scattered toward the edges. Mr. Victor had always been easygoing; no one had ever seen him lose his temper so badly.

By then, several other professors had come after hearing the commotion. The Discipline Office was close to the faculty area, so Mr. Victor's roar just now must have carried there as well.

Victor said nothing more. He walked over to Donald, helped untie his ropes, and supported him as he stood.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt."

Victor nodded and helped Donald out through the gates of the Discipline Office. Behind them, Edgar still had not recovered from his shock.

"I was the one who gave Donald the book. He's my assistant, not a thief."

Mr. Victor no longer looked angry, though his tone remained cold. Following his words, the students were preparing to disperse.

"I'm not finished. Then who was it that struck him?"

Mr. Victor's appearance today was truly frightening.

"Professor Victor, I don't think you need to make such a fuss over this, especially for a pauper," said a female professor.

"Professor Judy, I think you may not have heard me clearly. Donald is my assistant."

"Haha, this pauper? Your assistant? Haha, Victor, you're quite the joker. I heard from my nephew that this pauper boy is very good at ingratiating himself and turning people against one another... Now it seems even you have been deceived by him..."

A few scattered voices of agreement came from among the students.

Judy's nephew was none other than Carl. To this day, Carl was still "recuperating." In truth, his injuries had healed long ago, but he refused to show his face until his beautiful blond hair had grown back properly.

"Judy, what are you talking about? Donald is my natural history assistant. I gave him the book. Isn't that enough? Does suspicion give you the right to beat someone into this state?"

"Natural history assistant? Haha, that makes it easy to understand. Victor, you really have been taken advantage of by him. Everyone knows how passionate you are about natural history. This ambitious young man took advantage of your passion... This sly pauper boy has used nothing but his silver tongue to keep you and Wesley dancing in the palm of his hand..."

"That coward Carl must have gone crying to you and complained about me, right, Professor Judy? I think you're the one who has been taken advantage of by that boy Carl."

No one had expected Wesley to speak at a time like this. Professor Judy's smile faded as she stared coldly at Wesley. Then the chill on her face gradually melted away, turning back into a smile, though it was somewhat awkward. "Wesley, you're still too young to see through people's hearts. I don't blame you. Carl punished this boy for your sake. You need to learn right from wrong."

"Professor Judy, Carl lost to me in a fair duel, then went home and cried to you, didn't he? But do you know what Donald told me when your nephew and the others ganged up on and humiliated him?"

This was the first time Victor had heard about these events. He was puzzled as to why Donald had never mentioned them.

Like everyone else, Lucia was eager to know what Donald had said to Wesley at the time.

"He didn't say anything at all! It was as if nothing had happened... Several days later, I heard about it from someone else and went to ask him. He said it was just a small matter and that it was already over."

Lucia stared at the injured Donald in astonishment. He really had not said a word.

Wesley looked around, then glanced at Donald and continued, "Carl and the others went after Donald because they couldn't find me. They knocked him down onto the grass by the roadside and said they were going to teach him a lesson. Donald suffered that humiliation for my sake, yet he didn't say a single word!"

The students looked at one another. This was completely opposite to what they had believed they knew.

"So the one who ingratiated himself and turned people against one another was your nephew Carl, wasn't it?!" Wesley shouted at Professor Judy.

"I'll tell your father about this. What does a child like you know?" Professor Judy replied coldly through clenched teeth. "Then, Professor Victor, how do you explain this? How could a rural pauper suddenly become your so-called assistant? Doesn't that defy common sense? It seems this boy has gained quite a lot from you. After hiring this assistant, your research must have made tremendous progress as well, right? Haha."

Everyone knew that Victor's natural history research was a joke. After asking her question, Professor Judy waited to see Victor make a fool of himself.

The crowd did not disperse. Instead, more and more people gathered after hearing the commotion, including several professors.

Mr. Victor had never imagined that the boy before him had been suffering such grievances all this time. He said nothing. He simply walked slowly up to Professor Judy, took out a sheet of letter paper, and handed it to her, his gaze cold.

Judy immediately sensed the violent fluctuations of fire elemental power radiating from Victor. She struggled to maintain the mocking expression she had worn moments earlier, then picked up the letter and skimmed it. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Professor Judy's expression grew uglier and more embarrassed. After a long moment, she gave a heavy snort, flung down the letter, and turned to leave.

Wesley hurried forward and picked up the letter Judy had thrown down. Everyone was curious about what was written on it to make Professor Judy so furious.

Wesley skimmed it quickly, then looked at Victor. After receiving Victor's tacit permission, he began reading aloud.

"'A Whole New Branch of Materials Science—Alloy Technology'... The experiments are ingenious, the data comprehensive, and the reasoning rigorous. This paper presents us with a wholly new and highly valuable field of research... Using the methods described in your paper, we have produced several of the metals you mentioned. Testing has confirmed that they possess truly incredible properties... In recognition of your outstanding contributions, this association hereby grants both authors the status of Honorary Directors.'"

Was this Mr. Victor's new paper? A wholly new and highly valuable field of research? Mr. Victor had actually written such an important paper? To receive Honorary Director status on the strength of a single paper alone was astonishing!

Some perceptive people had already noticed that the paper had two authors. Who was the other one?

Wesley had only read halfway when he raised his head and looked at the crowd. "First author, principal writer, and experimental practitioner: Professor Victor Bryan of Tris Magic Academy, Tris Province, Feymont Empire."

At this, everyone began wondering which professor from the academy could share this honor with Professor Victor.

"Second author, originator of the theory and designer of the experiments: the blacksmith's son from Lant Island, Tris Province, Feymont Empire... Donald Wien!"

By the time Wesley read the words "the blacksmith's son," the scene had fallen utterly silent.

"So his surname is Wien." This was the first time Lucia had heard Donald's surname. At that moment, she could never have imagined that one day this ordinary surname would shine brilliantly because of the boy before her.