Following Sylvie's steps, Black arrived at the Dean's office of the Conduit Academy. He hadn't expected this small office to be armed to the teeth with conduit experimental devices from top to bottom, even the door lock equipped with conduit components. The conduit equipment in the library paled in comparison, seeming utterly ordinary.
"Well then, speak. What did you wish to ask?" Just as Black was still looking around the uniquely styled office like a curious child, Dean Sylvie had already eagerly begun questioning him.
"I simply wish to know the true reason you favor me," Black said, "because I know full well that with just those minor grades, I couldn't possibly have caught your discerning eye! Even basic books like Principles of Conduit Theory were barely grasped thanks to your generous instruction!" After speaking, Black bowed deeply to Sylvie. In his heart, he had long regarded this stern Dean as his own teacher.
"Originally, this matter was confidential and couldn't be disclosed until you decided your allegiance! But my actions yesterday caused you considerable trouble! Therefore, I've decided to tell you the truth. However, you must keep our conversation today secret!" Seeing Black nod instinctively, Sylvie plopped down onto the oddly shaped wingback chair. She crossed her legs and pointed at the low stool in front of her, signaling him to sit down quickly, as if preparing for a lengthy discourse.
"There was a reason I approached you a year ago, you know. That day, while browsing in the library, I discovered a manuscript of conduit runes you had drawn! That scribble-like rune was vastly different from the six fundamental runes in the textbooks. At first, I thought it was some student's prank! But upon closer inspection, I found that this incredibly messy rune actually had a logic to it. What seemed like a haphazardly cobbled-together pattern perfectly adhered to the principles of runology!"
"I memorized that pattern and told our family patriarch immediately! After some time researching it, he discovered it was actually the prototype of a completely new rune! That discovery thrilled him beyond measure! Although conduit theory has many sub-fields, conduit runes have always been the core of the conduit system!"
"Right now, there are only about ten runes capable of producing tangible effects, which we generally call 'functional runes'! For a prototype rune to evolve into a functional one requires several stages of development. Even for an experienced expert like the old man, the success rate is barely one-third!"
"So, from then on, I made a point of frequently interacting with you, subtly guiding you towards conduit runes! Your innate talent for the mechanics of rune creation is truly remarkable! Your ideas significantly propelled the research forward! Just one month ago, with the final experiment's success, the lines you casually sketched back then incredibly became the eleventh functional rune in human history!"
Faced with Dean Sylvie's explanation, Black rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He never imagined that one day he, too, could become a cogwheel driving the progress of human society.
"After the experiment succeeded, I wanted to quickly produce a brand-new conduit prototype to awe the other schools at this year's graduation ceremony! That's why I only left the lab last week. The Cristie family unanimously agrees your contribution to this rune is indispensable! The elders instructed me to pull you into the family's rune research team at all costs!"
At this point, Sylvie's emotions visibly surged. Not only did she raise her tone, but a hint of displeasure even appeared on her face.
"Originally, I thought you were just an unremarkable fourth-year History student, and poaching talent is usually a cinch for me! But who could have guessed that old coot Cremor had already scooped you up! I absolutely refuse to let a rising star in conduit studies be buried among the old fossils in the History department! So, I had no choice but to use my Dean's authority to snatch you away! The move might have been a bit rash, but I believe the outcome will be splendid! Does that explanation satisfy you, Instructor Black?"
After hearing the whole story, Black's mind raced. Although Sylvie's initial motives weren't pure, she was still his guide into conduit studies. Moreover, the genuine sincerity of her thirst for talent truly moved him. So, he immediately stood up from the low stool and bowed once more to the slightly weary, beautiful Dean before him.
"Thank you! Dean Sylvie, thank you for your guidance in conduit theory!"
"Save the grand speeches. Just give me your answer quickly; I'm not a patient person!" Sylvie leaned back, curling her whole body into the chair.
"Actually, I've already decided. I'm willing to serve as your Dean's Assistant. I want to continue following you in conduit studies research! But my four years of study have also given me a deep affection for the History department! Moreover, I believe my current, half-baked level of conduit runology isn't sufficient to teach in the Runes department. Therefore, I regretfully cannot accept your second condition!"
"Hahaha! Honestly, as long as you agree to be my assistant, the rest doesn't matter! Those add-ons like associate professor or whatnot were just bait I tacked on because I was afraid you wouldn't bite! After all, no one working in the academy is indifferent to titles and designations!" As she spoke, Dean Sylvie pulled a bulging pouch from a drawer and tossed it into Black's hands.
"This is a reward from the family, recognizing your outstanding contribution to rune creation! While I dislike linking academic research with money, without financial backing, we cannot conduct academic research! Especially in conduit studies, a field that burns through funds! You must develop a sense of value commensurate with our research to integrate better into this discipline!"
Black untied the string securing the pouch's opening. What met his eyes were dazzling gold coins, easily numbering in the hundreds. This surpassed Black's understanding of wealth. After all, an ordinary instructor's monthly salary was only five gold coins, a wage considered high income within the Free City-States.
"Dean Sylvie, isn't this a bit too extravagant? I don't feel I've made any outstanding contribution!" Black re-tied the pouch, intending to hand it back to Dean Sylvie.
"Which is precisely why you need to elevate your perception of yourself and conduit studies! Any conduit product succeeds only after consuming vast sums of money! These five hundred gold coins would barely cover my lab's normal operation for half a month! Your future academic achievements will be worth thousands, tens of thousands of times more than these coins. So this is merely a pittance!"
Staring at the coins before him – enough to buy a lavish apartment in the city center – Black's heart was already surging. To him, this was perhaps wealth an ordinary family could scarcely attain in a lifetime. Yet for Dean Sylvie, it was merely a meager reward bestowed upon a junior by the family. This bulging pouch of gold was but a drop in the ocean compared to the family's accumulated wealth. True riches were always concentrated in the hands of the few.
"Don't just stand there gaping! Remember to report to me after the Nightfall Festival! I need you to master the senior-level compulsory courses for the Conduit Runes department over the summer break!" Seeing Black staring dumbly at the coins in his hands, Sylvie instinctively rapped her knuckles on the desk.
"Alright, I understand! Is there anything else you need to tell me?" The weight of the coins was already straining Black's arms; it was the first time he'd ever been troubled by money.
"Ah, right! Don't worry too much about those pups in front of the Humanities College. You probably won't see them again after this! Also, don't forget to collect your ten-gold-coin assistant stipend on the first of every month from the Conduit Academy finance office!" Sylvie waved a dismissive hand, then curled her body deeper into the wingback chair, closing her eyes to rest.
"That's truly a relief, thank you! Now I can report to the department normally. Professor Cremor is probably growing impatient!" After bowing repeatedly, Black left the Conduit Academy clutching the pouch of coins. He first hired a private carriage to take the coins back to his apartment, then had the same carriage return him to the university.
Black hadn't expected he'd splurge on such expensive transportation without a second thought. Perhaps the five hundred gold coins had already left him dizzy; his self-confidence surged accordingly.
When Black returned to the Humanities College, he indeed found no sign of trouble; the entrance to the building was orderly. Yet, ever cautious, he still carefully traversed the connecting corridor and entered Professor Cremor's office with heightened vigilance.
Once inside the office, Black was soon caught up in the professor's rambling. Fortunately, Instructor Alex's timely intrusion rescued him. Just as he was about to make his escape, Alex pressed a letter into his hand – seemingly an international mail that had arrived at the university just that morning.
The moment he took the letter, Black's attention was immediately captured by the male caricature on the front of the envelope. He knew this letter could only be from Lloyd; only that supremely narcissistic fellow would use a handsome avatar in place of the sender's name.
Besides the caricature, the envelope's flap bore an intact blob of golden sealing wax, signifying it remained unopened. The back of the envelope was stamped with the small characters 'Port of Antik', indicating its origin.
As he walked out the university gates, Black recalled Lloyd's figure departing after graduation a year ago, vivid images of the past surfacing in his mind. Lloyd, with his rare golden hair and handsome face, was a smooth-talking heartbreaker. During his five years at the university, this playboy had made countless young women cry, yet remained blissfully unaware.
Lloyd's self-centered ways might have stemmed from his origins in the Church of Prophecy. This solitary, dashing gentleman had been bound by church strictures since childhood, leading to such unrestrained behavior only after coming of age.
Perhaps because they both hailed from orphanages, Black and Lloyd became close friends who shared everything shortly after enrollment. Lloyd's laughter and jokes always brought a different hue to Black's monotonous life, while Black became Lloyd's lifeline during the frantic pre-exam periods.
After their brief campus years, Lloyd surprisingly joined the Hunter's Guild maritime exploration unit. The Hunter's Guild itself traced its founding back to around the year 100 of the New Era, when human society had fully stabilized. Many adventurers proposed the idea of deep-sea exploration, forming the earliest hunter bands.
It was no exaggeration to say hunting was the most dangerous known occupation on the continent. During their sea explorations, hunters were frequently attacked by aberrant beasts, resulting in extremely high casualty rates. Yet, high risk brought high reward. Hunters, constantly flirting with death, commanded incomes far exceeding the norm.
Although the Hunter's Guild was renowned for exploration and combat, as ancient ruins were continuously unearthed in the seas, highly educated intellectuals like Lloyd, with his background in history, were also recruited. They were primarily responsible for deciphering ruin entrances and authenticating unearthed artifacts.
Once home, Black didn't even bother with dinner. He eagerly tore open the envelope bearing the guild insignia and, by the light of an oil lamp, began to read aloud the repeatedly folded letter within.