Upper-year students are required to perform volunteer service, Zheng Qing had heard about it.
In past years, volunteer services were mostly focused on preparing and organizing Alliance etings, the World Cup, or the Zeus Cup Hunting Competition. If the school’s works committee was short on staff, so students would also be assigned to assist with managing the school’s hunting grounds, patrolling museums, or other venues. Additionally, Beta Town often applied to the school for volunteer help to resist the Black Tide coming from the Silent Forest each year.
However, since Old Yao specifically emphasized its importance this ti, it naturally wouldn’t be sothing like managing the hunting grounds or museum patrol. Resisting the Black Tide might be possible, but the professor on the podium just ntioned that the Black Tide wouldn’t be very large this year, which didn’t align with the importance he emphasized.
For a mont, several guesses flashed through Zheng Qing’s mind, all ambiguous.
"Don’t be so nervous!"
Perhaps noticing the slightly tense atmosphere in the classroom, Old Yao waved his hand on the podium, dispersing the smoke in front of him, and said with a chuckle, "Since the school has entrusted you second-year students, it surely won’t be too difficult... Specifically, the school plans to establish a new academy and recruit so new students... Because the normal admission for new students is in September, right? It’s only February now, so this extra half year serves as both a trial run ti for the new academy and as a ’preparatory course’ for those new students, to help them get familiar with the First University’s rules and adapt to university life... Your task as volunteers is to guide them through this process."
His tone was calm and indifferent, as if telling everyone ’I had a bun for breakfast,’ seemingly oblivious to the shocked, speechless faces below the podium.
The First University is opening a new academy.
Zheng Qing could fully imagine the waves this sentence would stir within the entire Alliance once spread, and he could even picture the headlines in the newspapers for the following month.
But now, this piece of news was only heard by the young wizards of Astronomy Class 08-1.
The professor on the podium babbled on incessantly.
The students below the podium slowly began accepting the ’casually’ stated big news, closing their wide-open mouths, three or two at a ti, recovering from the shock.
Soon, impatient questions arose from various corners of the classroom, like tidal waves under a full moon, surging towards the tall podium at the front of the classroom.
"Professor, what is the na of the new academy?"
"Professor, where is the location of the new academy? Is the academy built?"
"Professor, what are the recruitnt principles of the new academy?"
"Professor, why isn’t there any news of the new academy’s recruitnt in the newspapers or other channels? Do those new students not need to take the unified exam held by the school?"
"Professor, are we the first ones to know this news?"
"I have a cousin who failed the First University’s exam last year. If he knew there was an opportunity to enter Buji Island, he would definitely co! But no one told him there’s a new exam?"
"It may not be an exam. Over at Alpha, they check new students’ talents, Atlas only recruits those with pure faith, and Starry Sky Academy’s new students all have to..."
"No matter what thod, doesn’t it count as an assessnt? What I an is, the new academy didn’t hold a large-scale assessnt, right? Otherwise, we wouldn’t have no information at all!"
"That’s unfair!"
"Perhaps those who participated in the assessnt all signed the Silence Contract?"
"Ridiculous, we took the unified entrance exam in our dreams, could the Silence Contract be signed in dreams too..."
"Ah! I just rembered! The school guardian array experienced severe fluctuations earlier this year. Could it be due to adjustnts made for the new campus?"
"That matter wasn’t related to the new academy! I heard the Trident Sword and the school were jointly pursuing a Black Wizard, leading to a great battle in the Silent Forest..."
Zheng Qing shrank into the corner, feeling the boiling atmosphere in the classroom — at first, these young wizards still followed classroom etiquette, starting their sentences with ’Professor’, and sitting down imdiately afterwards. However, gradually, as more and more people joined the discussion, the order in the classroom began to get out of control, with many people simply discussing and debating with their neighbors.
The professor on the podium apparently anticipated this scene and didn’t forcibly suppress the bubbling atmosphere. He leisurely leaned on the desk, asked the sprites to bring him a cup of tea, and then slowly filled his smokepipe with tobacco.
Only after he finished a cup of tea and smoked through a pipe of tobacco did the young wizards quiet down a bit.
"Finished discussing?"
The professor tapped his smokepipe on the edge of the desk — the sprites swooped down from beside him, collecting the ash before it fell to the ground — and then he smiled and looked around: "If you’re done talking, let say a few words."
It seed that there were still people wanting to speak, but Old Yao simply gave a cursory glance around, and everyone imdiately rembered his identity and rank, and instantly quieted down.
"The new academy will likely be called ’Edge Academy’."
As soon as Old Yao ntioned the na, everyone showed a hint of realization, and they all turned to look at another corner of the classroom, but were surprised to find Nicholas wasn’t there — originally, not everyone was supposed to be here today since the formal start of the sester hadn’t happened yet, so it was normal for so people to be absent, but Nicholas’s absence at this mont, connected with the professor’s announcent, imdiately led many to further speculations.
"That’s right," seemingly guessing what those young minds below were pondering, the professor promptly explained, "This new academy will primarily admit fringe wizards from the Northern District, Gypsy witches, and other fringe wizards within the Alliance. In the future, it might even include special races such as horse-n, fishn, and rn... Who can tell what the mission of Jiuyou Academy is?"
He suddenly asked.
A hesitant, sparse response sounded in the classroom: "Equality and justice!"
"Correct, equality and justice!"
The professor’s expression beca slightly more serious: "This is also why this task ultimately falls on Jiuyou Academy, and on you. I don’t expect you to teach those new students many advanced spells or to conduct nurous complex magic experints during your volunteer service. My only requirent is that during your volunteer service, you practice ’equality and justice’, correctly treat your new classmates without being influenced by preconceived notions in your head!"
He tapped his head with his pipe.
Sparks of golden fire erupted from the smokepipe, looking fascinating, but no one laughed at this mont. Everyone involuntarily straightened their posture, expression serious, as if they were receiving so sacred will from the void.
"This eting is adjourned... Zheng Qing? Stay with Jiang Yu... The rest, class dismissed!"
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