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“It seems we’ve been in this lightless underground for too long; a lot of news from the outside world is already delayed.”
The stern-faced old man sighed, “Something significant must have happened that we don’t know about.”
“That old guy Plon seems to know something, but he’s not telling me; it looks like it’s because of that silence contract,” Professor Gran shrugged.
“Since Plon knows, it doesn’t matter; he has his own judgment, and for us old men who are half a foot in the coffin, even if we knew, we couldn’t do anything.”
“How carefree.” Professor Gran habitually whistled.
“Hmph, I don’t want to prepare for sleep while licking my own bets.”
The old man scoffed coldly and looked at Professor Gran, asking:
“So you dragged us all here; it can’t be just to reminisce about the old times with us old men nearing the grave, right?”
“I would like to reminisce, but it seems this isn’t the time.”
Professor Gran unusually became serious:
“I gathered you all here for only one thing.
—Should we wake that individual or not.”
“…”
As Professor Gran’s words fell, the dim room immediately fell into silence, with only the wheezing breaths of one old man breaking the hush.
It seemed everyone was seriously contemplating the heavy meaning behind the seemingly light phrase, “wake that individual.”
After a long time, the stern-faced old man broke the silence, sighing:
“Has the academy really come to this?”
“Who says it hasn’t?”
Professor Gran looked out the window; at this moment, the twelve tall towers had just risen, re-nailing the entire academy back to the earth.
“Naturally, with the protection of the second layer of the great secret instrument, combined with Plon’s own strength, unless that Pope holds the scepter and comes personally, I’m afraid no one can match him.
But the opponent, after all, is not human.”
Professor Gran couldn’t help but sigh: “Two Evil Gods have teamed up to attack the academy, one of whom is partially incarnated; such an event has never been heard of in the academy’s thousand-year history. So regardless of whether Plon can win, we must make preparations for a backup plan, or rather, the worst-case scenario.”
“What about seeking help?”
Someone suddenly said, “After all, this is Bairland; there are plenty of strong individuals here, and the palace cannot just turn a blind eye.”
“Good idea.”
Professor Gran snapped his fingers, “But this professor, have you noticed a problem?”
“What?”
“Too slow; if there truly were reinforcements, they’d be arriving too late.”
Professor Gran said:
“How far is this from Bairland? How far from the palace? And how fast does the Crowned One travel? Or do you think with such a commotion, those powerful individuals would be blind? I roughly calculated, Bairland’s top-tier experts would only need about three to five minutes to discover the anomalies here and check them out, but how long has it been already?
Now, the lack of movement only indicates…”
Professor Gran looked up, gazing at the slowly approaching blue moon in the sky:
“The entire academy might have been sealed off by that individual.
Which means seeking help was never a possible option from the start.”
“That sounds like a very desperate situation.”
After a brief silence, the stern old man lowered his eyelids as if making a decision:
“Then there’s no need to hesitate; the old rule, let’s vote. Those in favor of waking that individual… raise your hands.”
The stern old man raised his hand first.
Then it was Professor Gran.
Following that, a few frail hands were raised, scattered across the room.
“Then, the number of votes in favor… a total of sixteen.”
Professor Gran took a rough glance and found that apart from the professor who had just raised the question, everyone else had raised their hands.
“I still feel this is inappropriate.”
That professor sighed:
“This will be too cruel for that individual.”
“But if we don’t wake that individual at this moment, by the time they awaken and discover the academy has been destroyed, surely they will be furious.”
A bitter smile appeared on the stern old man’s face, as if recalling some unpleasant memories from the distant past:
“I don’t want to be scolded by that individual again.”
“In that case, let’s do it this way; there’s no need to get tangled up over this.”
Professor Gran clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention:
“Now, the second question—who will wake that individual?”
“…”
As soon as Professor Gran’s words fell, the room fell silent again.
But this time was different; amidst everyone’s silence, Professor Gran felt a dozen pairs of eyes collectively fall upon him.
“…You guys don’t want me to go, right?” Professor Gran’s cheeks twitched.
“Otherwise, who?”
The stern old man raised an eyebrow:
“The only one here with somewhat functional legs is you.”
“That room has a lift directly leading there, you idiots! Asking you to go wake someone is not like running a marathon!”
Professor Gran shouted angrily: “I was just busy evacuating all the students and even risked my life to save some perverted naked guy; now you want me to do such a dangerous thing—where is your conscience?”
“Ah, well, cough cough…”
The stern old man coughed awkwardly, his gaze wandering, then suddenly clutched his foot, exclaiming:
“No, my old cold leg is acting up; I can’t move.”
“But your old cold leg has always been your left foot! Why are you clutching your right foot?”
“…Most… recently infected?”
“Old cold legs aren’t athlete’s foot, you idiot!”
Professor Gran looked at the others again, “What about you? Have your old cold legs flared up too?”
“…Ouch, my back is out.”
“My hemorrhoids are acting up…”
“I have a herniated disc…”
“My granddaughter is being too mischievous; I need to teach her a lesson…”
In Professor Gran’s shocked gaze, a group of professors, who ordinarily walked unsteadily, began to shout about their ailments while scattering in all directions.
However, Professor Gran had never even heard of their supposed ailments, especially the one talking about his granddaughter—she’s over sixty!
The professors dispersed rapidly.
Several professors who truly could not move quietly pulled out coffins from storage, laid down inside, and then silently closed the coffin lids while under Professor Gran’s speechless gaze.
“…”
In the end, in the desolate and silent room, only Professor Gran was left, filled with righteous indignation:
“With Plon not around, am I the damned fool who has to do everything?”
“No way; I can’t be that fool. With that individual’s early morning temper, God knows what would happen if I woke her up. I need to find another fool to take my place.”
“Huh? Speaking of fools…”
Professor Gran rubbed his chin as if recalling something, his expression gradually brightening:
“I seem to have a good choice.”
……
