Richie looked at Madehua and said with feigned gravity, "If I get into Eden Academy, I will..."
Richie glanced at Twilight. What would Twilight Dad do if he got into Eden Academy?
Richie's Mind Reading claws reached toward Twilight Dad: If it were me, I would first attend the social gatherings and expose every plan of the hostile organization and its leader, Desmond.
Richie had wanted to copy Twilight Dad's answer, but it looked like... that answer was off-limits. He would have to rely on his own clever little brain!
Anya had copied Twilight Dad's answer back then and nearly gotten her dad killed.
Richie adjusted his posture and cleared his throat. "If I get into Eden Academy, I will humbly seek guidance from our principal and work hard to learn new things.
"If I am fortunate enough to study at your school, today I will take pride in it, and tomorrow it will take pride in me. I will live up to the teaching and care of my teachers and parents."
After finishing what he felt was a rather overdramatic speech, Richie wondered whether he had sounded a little too cocky and arrogant.
Just as Richie was nervously rubbing his hands together, anxiously awaiting the examiners' response to his answer, that fat bastard Swan gave him a look of utter disdain:
"Already trying to get close to the principal at your age? So adept at currying favor-your intentions are clearly crooked. And the school will take pride in you tomorrow? With an ego that big, why don't you just fly to the moon?
"Eden Academy would never accept a student like you, who does nothing but boast and has no idea how to keep his feet on the ground. Hmph!"
Swan secretly gritted his teeth. Just watch me fail your whole family. Such a happy family-disgusting.
Richie clenched both fists and instinctively bit his lip. Damn it. He had not prepared an answer to this question and had only improvised one. That was not what he had meant at all, yet this fat bastard had twisted it into something else entirely.
Richie grew nervous. Was this fat bastard going to reject him outright in this interview?
Twilight's brow furrowed, and he wanted to argue back. He simply could not tolerate someone slandering his child like this.
Just then, Mr. Madehua cleared his throat, breaking the tense atmosphere left by that fat bastard Swan's string of inappropriate remarks.
"I don't see it that way. Mr. Swan, you're being far too extreme. Wanting to learn from the principal upon entering the school shows that this child's drive to improve far exceeds that of most people.
"Besides, he speaks with confidence and has lofty ambitions. He has real potential. Wouldn't you agree, Housemaster Henry?" Faced with Madehua's remarks, that fat bastard Swan did not dare talk back.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Apart from Swan, the examiners are all normal people.
"Richie has always been very eager to improve. He's just not usually good at expressing himself," Twilight explained with a smile.
Madehua nodded, having inwardly decided to take Richie as his apprentice. He was very pleased with this apprentice.
Henry nodded. Excellent. To understand the importance of learning from the principal at such a young age-truly elegant. Following up on Madehua's question, he asked:
"Young man, one of the examiners here is a principal. Can you tell us his name?"
Twilight inwardly cried out in alarm. He had read the files of every teacher at Eden Academy, but he had no idea which person here was a principal.
Twilight glanced at Henry and thought, He's the Fifth Housemaster, and Swan is the Second Housemaster. That only leaves the man who was disguised as a cleaner outside but is also one of today's examiners.
Twilight scanned the files in his mind, his human-computer abilities kicking into gear.
Found him!
Madhava Aristotle, art teacher. But the file did not say whether he was a principal. Twilight was about to fall apart.
Naturally airheaded, Yor had no idea what was happening. It seemed they had run into another difficult question.
Henry, Swan, Madehua, and Twilight-all four pairs of eyes fixed on Richie.
Richie swallowed, then had a flash of inspiration. "Greetings, esteemed Honorary Principal. As someone younger than you, it would be terribly disrespectful of me to address you directly by name. But if you give me permission, I will say it."
Richie hopped down from the sofa with as little movement as possible and bowed toward Madehua.
Henry kept nodding. For a child this young to know when to advance and when to hold back-truly elegant. He is bound to achieve great things.
Madehua laughed heartily. "Ha ha ha ha!" His bright laughter lightened the atmosphere throughout the examination room.
He nodded, signaling for Richie to sit down.
Just what I would expect from the child who caught my eye.
Richie breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. Just like that, he had handled something even his dad had been unsure about.
"What would you do to become an outstanding artist like our Honorary Principal?" Swan was ready to start sucking up.
Richie shook his head. "I haven't decided that I want to become an artist. I'm still too young to say that I'm truly interested in something and can stick with it consistently.
"So I will find something I genuinely love, keep learning about it, and devote my life to pursuing it."
Madehua nodded again. Very good. He has real potential, plenty of room to grow, and a clear understanding of himself.
But his brow creased slightly. What if this child doesn't want to become my apprentice? I'll have to find a way to ask indirectly whether he painted that painting in the Art Museum.
If he did, I must get this child into Eden Academy, no matter what.
Reading Madehua's inner musings, Richie could not help letting the corners of his lips rise. It seemed that as long as he convinced Madehua that he had painted a certain painting in the Art Museum, his admission to Eden Academy would be guaranteed.
But a second later, Richie was troubled again. He did not have any work on display in the Art Museum!
There will be one more update tonight. I'll try to finish writing it early (￣┰￣*). Hee hee hee.
Before you continue