Chapter 122: Lance is the Epitome of Filial Piety

Twenty minutes later...

Natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the corridor in the main building of the College of Magical Engineering. Faculty members occasionally walked by, while the carpet laid over the natural wood flooring muffled the sound of footsteps and other noise.

Lawrence, the dean of the Sages' College, was dressed in a classic black suit paired with a white shirt and gold tie that featured diamond-shaped Holy Cross emblems on the buttons and collar. He was leading Lance from the stairwell onto this floor.

They walked along the corridor, which was lined with glass walls on the left, while conversing amicably. Their voices were clear and friendly, resembling the rapport between a mentor and a protege. They passed by various offices and classrooms as they made their way toward the dean's office.

Lance asked with a smile, "Dean Lawrence, could I possibly take a look at your Wind Primal Tablet sometime?"

Lawrence was the first Primal Tablet holder that Lance had ever met, and he was likely the most gentle-natured among the world's powerhouses. There was absolutely no sense of distance or intimidation when he was in the dean's presence.

"Ah, I can't say no to you, can I? Unfortunately, I have to rush over to the church after this. The Northern Continent seems to be in turmoil lately, causing a surge in the issues that the Church of the Goddess of Fate has to handle. Once things settle down in a few days, I'll have someone let you know so you can come by my office." Lawrence sighed helplessly, as if he had anticipated Lance making this request.

Generally, a Gold Certified card maker wouldn't be in a position to make such a request of him. Although Lance's official verification as a Platinum Certified card maker hadn't been finalized yet, Lawrence held Lance's aptitude in high regard and certainly wouldn't make things difficult for his own student.

Unfortunately, studying a Primal Tablet wasn't something that could be done in a rush. He would likely need to set aside at least an hour or two for Lance.

Lance expressed his gratitude happily. "Thank you, sir!"

Before long, the two arrived at the entrance to Dean Boralo's office. Lawrence didn't actually need to come in person today; he could have simply had a teacher from the Sages' College escort Lance to meet Professor Boralo.

However, Lawrence was worried, fearing Lance might further offend the touchy Boralo, so he decided to accompany him personally. Ever since the second round of the entrance exams, when Lawrence had rushed to the College of Magical Engineering to have Boralo urgently repair the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal and subsequently failed to secure approval for special reimbursement, he had been too apprehensive to face his fellow dean.

Now, however, matters concerning Lance, a newly tested Platinum Certified card maker and the primary culprit, made a meeting with Professor Boralo unavoidable. Lawrence was certain another severe dressing-down awaited him.

Professor Boralo had already been the dean of the College of Magical Engineering back when Lawrence was still a student at the Sages' College. Despite having been the top-ranked freshman at the Sages' College himself, Lawrence had never imagined he would somehow cross paths with, and offend, the dean of the College of Magical Engineering.

The more he reminisced about his own days as a well-behaved, rule-abiding student, the more outrageous Lance's behavior seemed to him. Lawrence then set those thoughts aside and raised his hand to knock gently on Professor Boralo's door.

"Come in."

After receiving the reply, Lawrence turned to Lance. "Don't you dare enter the office unless I call for you."

Having given Lance these instructions, Lawrence steeled himself, pushed open the door, and stepped into the office. Moments later, standing just outside the doorway, Lance could clearly hear a mix of shouting and apologetic pleading coming from within.

"The repair costs this time will be at least eight thousand pounds! Who's footing the bill? You or us? If it comes out of my college's budget, I'm going to make sure that kid pays a heavy price, one way or another!"

"Rest assured, I'm already applying for special funding from His Majesty the King. If that doesn't work out, I'll cover the cost myself rather than let the college lose a single penny of its research budget."

Apparently, Dean Lawrence had been scolded even more severely by Professor Boralo back during the entrance exam.

"Let me see the kid." As these words drifted out from behind the door, Lance saw the office door suddenly swing wide open, and a gentle breeze, soft as a cloud, lifted him up and carried him inside.

Housed within this avant-garde building, the dean's office featured a design rich in streamlined forms and crisp geometric lines. Expansive, transparent windows allowed sunlight to flood the room, creating a dynamic tableau against the backdrop of the bustling campus outside.

Dominating the center of the office was a spacious white workbench, reminiscent of a surgical table, that stood solid and imposing. Its surface was impeccably organized, gleaming under the lights alongside its sleek silver metal legs.

Professor Boralo sat at the desk, scrutinizing Lance with a slight frown. Standing to one side was Dean Lawrence, who looked dejected. A subtle flick of his fingertips revealed that he was the one who had used wind magic to bring Lance inside.

Lance's toes touched the carpet as he steadied himself, looking on in surprise at Lawrence as a smile spread across his face. He couldn't help but marvel at how convenient the dean's magic was. It would be wonderful if he could just keep him levitating like that all the time.

Then, Lance turned his gaze toward Professor Boralo, whose expression still betrayed lingering traces of anger. He more or less understood why the old man was furious. After all, he had overheard their entire conversation from outside the door.

At that moment, the atmosphere inside the office was stiflingly dry, tense, and so thick it felt like it could be sliced with a knife. The rage in the air, poised to erupt yet forcibly suppressed, spread silently through the room like a wave of heat, creating a suffocating pressure.

All Lawrence wanted now was for Lance to just behave himself. He hoped the boy wouldn't provoke Professor Boralo any further.

However, right before Lawrence's astonished eyes, not only did Lance not back down, but he also walked confidently right up to Professor Boralo. He stopped at the desk, looked earnestly at the older magical artisan, and bowed respectfully. "Professor Boralo, regarding the issue of research funding, I actually have a solution."

"Oh?" Professor Boralo asked skeptically, crossing his arms.

A massive sum of eight thousand pounds was no small amount, even for Lawrence, so how could a mere student like Lance be so confident he could resolve it so easily?

Lance smiled assuredly and said, "Here's the plan: first, have Dean Lawrence continue applying for research funding from the king on your behalf, but instead of listing the reason as 'repairing the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal,' change it to 'further R&D to address existing issues.' Then, issue a fine to my father, Noel Wilford, citing compensation for the damaged terminal, and send it along with a written confession from me."

He paused and then continued, "If His Majesty doesn't approve the funds, you can simply use the eight thousand pounds from my father. If His Majesty does approve it, you can take the approved funds for the college, and we split the eight thousand from my father, seventy percent for you, thirty for me. These two sources of funding don't conflict, nor does it count as fraudulently claiming a grant from the king."

Lance clasped his hands together after speaking, as if the problem had already vanished.

Professor Boralo sucked in a sharp breath upon hearing this and scrutinized Lance closely. With the critical funding issue resolved, and the potential to actually turn a handsome profit, the dean found himself looking more and more favorably upon Lance, a young man on the verge of becoming an officially verified Platinum Certified card maker.

This was exactly the kind of talent the College of Magical Engineering needed. Someone capable of making the meter run backward!

"You're a sharp kid. It looks like we should invite you more often to help us check for safety hazards in new magical artifacts. You're undoubtedly the perfect candidate for testing. I really appreciate your unique and flexible way of thinking."

Professor Boralo stood up, walked over to Lance, and patted him on the shoulder. His tone now carried a note of genuine appreciation. Judging by the outrageous proposal Lance had just given, his father must be quite wealthy.

Lance rubbed the back of his head and gave a humble, good-natured smile, having clearly understood what the dean was implying. "Professor Boralo, I really admire you. I've been a fan for a long time. I read all your published works back when I was at South Vantina. I plan to take more of your classes in the future, so I'd be more than happy to help with the safety testing."

His father could just treat it as the cost of his tuition, or an investment in the great cause of further advancing magical engineering. Besides, once his daddy dearest found out how well Lance was doing in his studies, he'd surely be thrilled!

"Aside from my duties at the Card Maker's Association, you can usually find me on the second floor of the old Liberal Arts Hall, right below the Student Management Council headquarters. I'm almost always in the lab there in the afternoons, developing new magical devices. Feel free to drop by and lend a hand when you have spare time, or ask me directly if there's anything about magical engineering you don't understand."

It had been years since Professor Boralo had met a young person he truly thought highly of. Talent was one thing, but the fact that the kid was so savvy and so quick to catch on was the most important thing.

In the distance, in a spot that had been all but forgotten amid this suddenly harmonious and cheerful atmosphere, Lawrence watched as Lance casually discussed ways to make a quick buck with Boralo, the most eccentric professor in the College of Magical Engineering. He was left speechless, a lump forming in his throat.

Just why exactly had he been scolded earlier? And what was the point of getting chewed out by Boralo on Lance's behalf before that? Lawrence felt like his efforts weren't worth it anymore.

He finally realized that whether it was the entrance exam, the Shadow Realm, or Student Management Council work... Lance always landed flawlessly on his feet.

Whenever faced with conflicting interests, the boy could always effortlessly come up with a solution that made everyone feel as miserable as if they'd swallowed a fly, yet it would undeniably solve the problem and satisfy everyone's demands as best as possible. The fact that this bastard had managed to survive this long was simply a testament to his sheer, stubborn resilience.