So, Galen sighed deeply, and took the high road.
"I can't say that I am not disappointed in you, but I guess there's no point in staying mad."
The apprentice had been expecting a full on mental breakdown from the president. But his shock knew no bounds when he heard those words come out of his mouth. He dared to lift up his gaze to look the old man in the face, just to see if he was being toyed with. He wasn't.
"I-I- don't know what to say Galen. Thank yo-"
The old man stared at him blankly.
"Hold your thanks mister. I still haven't decided on what to do with you yet, and you're definitely not scoring any points with me."
The apprentice took the hint and kept his mouth shot.
"But in the main time, I am allowing you to hang around campus for a few more days. I have a lot on my plate right now, especially with the tournament at hand. That being said, you can make yourself useful to me in that regard."
The apprentice bowed ever so slightly. "Whatever you need Galen, I'm available."
"Like hell you are!" the old man growled. "After botching the last mission, you'd better not kid around this time."
The other man bit his lip. He knew he deserved that.
"Well, the job I have for you isn't all too tasking. The second round of freshman qualifiers is at hand, I want you to stay and watch."
"Watch?"
"Yes." Galen further expatiated on the nature of the assignment; "The lineup this year has a lot of promising young talents among the freshmen. Hopefully, one of them will make for the right apprentice for you. I trust you can scope out any potential candidates."
The middle-aged man shrugged his shoulders. He was glad he was back in the good graces of the president. A while ago, it had genuinely seemed like a storm had been about to break loose, and now he had just been handed a pretty decent assignment. He was actually looking forward to kicking back a little since it wasn't so tasking.
Galen seemed to have read his mind, so he charged him sternly;
"Don't even try to blunder your way through this one. You're already on thin ice as it is."
The apprentice wanted to reply the old man assuredly, but his ears turned to the door as he heard a group of people approaching. That was his cue. He didn't even bother with goodbyes, it was clear that the old man was done with him. So, instead of using the door like a regular human being, he edged his way towards the window. Galen lifted up his eyes from his desk when he detected the other man's movements out of the corner of his eye.
Before he could open his mouth to caution him against doing what he was about to do, the middle aged man climbed out the window in one deft movement and disappeared into thin air within the blink of an eye, leaving Galen with his words hanging in his own mouth.
The approaching footsteps got louder by the second, and Galen quickly realized that the manuscript was still very much in the open. That could really get him in trouble. And it didn't matter if he was the president of the university or not, rules were still rules. So, he instantly tucked the manuscript into a hidden compartment at the bottom rack of his drawer, and closed it silently without making a sound. Galen made it just in time.
If he had waited a second longer, thinking that his visitor would be curt enough to knock before entering, he would have been taken unawares. Just as the drawer was closing, the door opened simultaneously. Galen was surprised, there weren't that many people alive who had the balls to enter his office unannounced. The old man didn't know who it was. But he was dying to vent his anger upon the unlucky fellows who were unfortunate enough to barge in unannounced.
But Galen didn't get the opportunity he was looking forward to. As he had suspected initially, the intruder was no ordinary person. The way Galen hurried up on his feet to greet his guest reflected the kind of pedigree this guest in particular belonged to. Galen's visitor was the very definition of elegance. This person had a powerful regal aura that was simply undeniable. Even Galen himself wasn't outside the sphere of control of this entity.
In a deferential tone, he paid homage to her;
"The Princess Royal of the Hilling Empire-Rachel Caesar, I humbly welcome you to my humble office Your Grace."
The princess wasn't just the princess in title. In looks, and poise, and his the way the carried herself, she reflected the magnanimity of the empire. Rachel was a stunning beauty. And it wasn't just the delicate kind, she had the ambience and fa?ade that was affiliated with the one percent of the one percent. The princess wasn't alone, behind her was the knight that had been charged with the responsibility of her protection- Scott.
Scott was also an impressive looking young man. As one whose entire life's purpose was centered on protecting the princess, he was also the best of the best when it came to combat. On his right hand side was a broad sword hanging from his belt in his sheath. And on his right side was a relatively smaller dagger, which was also kept in its sheath. The princess and her knight stood in the middle of the office, completely dominating the space.
Galen on the other hand wasn't used to being in the presence of a higher authority. Especially since he was the highest authority in the entire campus area. Both in his office as the president, and in his rank as an SSS rank mage. He truly was a kind of ruler in his own right. But of course, his authority and rank were practically nothing when juxtaposed with that of the princess'. So, in order to reaffirm his allegiance to the crown, he moved to bow down in homage to the princess.
Rachel however wouldn't have it. In slow, graceful movements, she held out her hand to Galen to stop him from bending over.
"There's no need for such superficial courtesy mister president. We are not in a palace and we aren't surrounded by watchful eyes. At ease."
Rachel's voice sounded like honey being poured into a flask. It was like silk running over the smooth skin of young beautiful maiden. It had all the gentleness and authority that was expected of a princess.
Galen was unsure of how to react to that. In his lifetime, the royals he had met were all the same; entitled, authoritative, brashly cold, and aloof. And here he was, about to bow to a princess, and she had stopped him gently without making him feel little or inconsequential. It was very uncommon. But Galen obeyed and straightened himself.
"As you wish my princess. Once again, you are welcome to this year's edition of Caesar University's freshmen qualifiers."
She nodded curtly, and Scott echoed in his booming voice;
"The princess is glad to be present! She wishes all the contestants good luck in the rounds to come!"
The princess' arrival at the University's grounds at this season was no coincidence, neither was it an anomaly. It was a long standing tradition at the university that had been honored by the royal family for years. No one knew when it all started or what had prompted it,but every year, for as long as they could remeber, a member of the royal family would come down to watch the freshman qualifiers. All so they could show their interest in the future elite of the empire.
This was a very tactical arrangement for both sides. While the royal family hid behind their magnanimity, and played the role of a patronizing monarchy, of course their motives went far beyond that. Being present at these tournaments gave them a direct insight into what the next generation prodigies would look like. Once in a blue moon, there was the occasional star that would attract the attention of the royal family.
Secretly, they would begin to poach the prodigy, seducing them with elaborate offers, until the manarchy had sunk its claws into them. It was an arrangement that went unchecked for generations. The royal family recruited the best of the best for protection, intelligence gathering, and even finance handling. Naturally, the monarchy would extend its generous arm to the university by supporting the staff and administration in any way they could.
Normally, the donations went into the development of certain programs or the funding of ground breaking research. So, at the end of the day, it seemed like both parties benefited from the arrangement.
But this year was particularly different because of one small factor- the presence of the princess. Normally, the royal family would send in a distant cousin or some ambitious nephew that was eager to ingratiate himself to the main branch of the family. This had been the norm for some time now, and that was why the princess'presence here was a bit unprecedented. Gale wasn't expecting her at all. But he was curious as to the reason she had been chosen to come this year.
Because he was the president of a major institution that relied heavily on the graciousness of the ruling class for funding and other things, Galen made it his business to be politically correct at all times. And that included knowing the royal family in and out.
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