Chapter 149: Why Are There Delinquents in the Academy? (4)
Chapter 149: Why Are There Delinquents in the Academy? (4)
Patrick Schneider.
Was he a dog, or was he not?
This was a conundrum subject to much debate.
Deciding to move past that particular issue, Professor Jordain, his neck veins bulging, brought up the biggest grievance of all.
“There are even rumors that Mr. Schneider is the secret benefactor behind Red, the leader of the Thieves’ Guild that has taken over the back alleys of White Town. This means an academy student has meddled in the affairs of the underworld!”
At this bombshell, Professor Late let out a heavy sigh.
“Ah, so that finally got caught.”
“…Wait, did you already know?”
“Ahem, no, of course not. How would I know anything about that?”
Professor Late hurriedly tried to cover his tracks. Then, with an awkward expression, he added, “Of course, Mr. Schneider’s personality is a bit… turbulent, but…”
“A bit?”
“Alright, it’s very turbulent.”
“……”
Professor Late straightened his posture and spoke with a firm, authoritative voice.
“But think about it. Hasn’t Mr. Schneider brought more honor to this academy and made more contributions than anyone else?”
“Hmm…”
“That is…”
“True enough.”
The other professors nodded, unable to deny the fact.
Over the years, Patrick had frequently provided guidance to others.
Though the training process was more than just grueling—it was enough to make one lose their lunch—the results were undeniable.
The prime example was Matthew.
Matthew, who had entered as a failing student in his first year, had now reached the 4-Star Realm.
For the professors who had taught Matthew during his freshman year, this was nothing short of a miracle. He had transformed a boy without a lick of talent into one of the top talents among the fourth-year students.
And while not as dramatic as Matthew’s case, other students had also benefited greatly from Patrick’s tutelage.
The current level of the academy’s students was on a completely different dimension compared to before Patrick’s enrollment.
And it wasn’t just the students.
Patrick’s "guidance" had extended to the professors as well.
It was the teaching of a powerhouse who had proven himself to be in the 7-Star Realm. The professors had accepted Patrick’s advice and seen significant results for themselves.
Professor Late looked around the room.
“Is there anyone here who hasn’t received help through Patrick’s advice or sparring? If so, speak up.”
“……”
“……”
No one stepped forward.
In the heavy silence, Professor Jordain let out a sigh.
“Head Professor, I am not dismissing Mr. Schneider’s merits.”
“Then…”
“However!”
Professor Jordain cut Professor Late off sharply, speaking clearly and firmly.
“No matter how excellent a student is, we must distinguish between their achievements and their faults. Is that not so?”
“Mmmgh…”
“Think of the freshmen who were beaten by Patrick and ended up quitting.”
“From what I heard, they deserved it.”
“He habitually hits other juniors as well.”
“And thanks to that, they’ve grown quite strong.”
“Head Professor!”
“Alright, alright. I get it.”
Finally, Professor Late surrendered. It seemed impossible to let things slide without some form of disciplinary action this time.
Professor Late pressed his hand against his forehead as if a headache were coming on.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“We must punish him this time.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“At the very least, we should place him under Confinement to make him reflect on his actions.”
“You want to issue a Confinement order?”
“Yes.”
Professor Jordain nodded vigorously, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Professor Late looked at the passionate young professor and spoke calmly.
“Will he listen?”
“……”
“……”
A look of profound sorrow washed over the faces of every professor in the room.
It was only three words, but they were three words that forced them to face the wall of reality.
To put it bluntly, what would they do if Patrick simply refused?
The man already treated unexcused absences like a daily routine. The academy had no way to force his hand.
Just then, Professor Baroque raised his hand.
“I may not know a way to punish Mr. Schneider, but I do know a way to bring immediate peace to the academy.”
“What is it?”
“It is simply…”
Professor Baroque was the one who cherished Patrick the most after Professor Late. The method he proposed was a sort of compromise—one that would restore order to the academy without excessively punishing Patrick.
After hearing the explanation, Professor Late slapped his knee in admiration.
“Oh, indeed!”
“It’s realistic. Out of all the alternatives proposed so far, this has the highest chance of success.”
“I agree. Let’s proceed immediately.”
The other professors enthusiastically agreed with the solution Professor Baroque had proposed.
* * *
“Young Master. Young Master.”
“Ugh… Why?”
Patrick opened his eyes at the sound of April’s voice.
Judging by the liquor bottles rolling around and the leftover snacks, he looked like the textbook definition of a drunkard suffering from yesterday’s indulgence.
April spoke as if she were perfectly used to this sight.
“Professor Late is looking for you.”
“Tell him I’ll go tomorrow.”
“He said it’s an important matter and insisted you come today.”
“Uuuugh.”
Patrick pulled himself up, looking disheveled.
If Professor Late insisted, it was better to go. After all, the man was a key figure in supporting his comfortable academy life.
“Fine. I’ll get ready.”
Patrick let out a long yawn and then used his internal energy to flush the alcohol out of his system.
Sssssss.
The traces of alcohol evaporated through his pores instantly. He then stepped into the dormitory shower, washed up, and came out.
“I have prepared your uniform.”
“Oh, thanks.”
While Patrick was washing, April had neatly cleared the room of bottles and leftovers and laid out his uniform. Her efficiency as a butler was flawless.
Once he donned the perfectly pressed uniform without a single wrinkle, Patrick surprisingly looked like a diligent fourth-year student of the Knight Department.
“Shall we go, then?”
Looking sharp, Patrick headed to Professor Late’s office, opened the door, and spoke politely.
“Patrick Schneider, fourth year. I heard you were looking for me, Professor.”
“Mm, take a seat.”
“Thank you.”
As Patrick sat down, Professor Late spoke with a smile from across the desk.
“Do you know why I called you?”
“I apologize. I simply couldn’t stand by and watch the freshmen disturbing the public morals of the academy, so I gave them a little lecture.”
“……”
More than you do?
The professor couldn’t bring himself to say those words. Maintaining his smile, Professor Late said, “That’s not why I called you.”
“Then is it the matter where I had no choice but to step in to maintain order in the back alleys of White Town?”
“So you did get caught for that.”
“Damn it.”
Over the past few years, the back alleys of White Town had been completely taken over by the Red Thieves’ Guild, based in the Eastern Region. There had been some resistance, but every time, a masked man and woman would appear and crush the opposing organizations.
“But that’s not why I called you either.”
“Then why did you call me? There aren’t any other problems, are there?”
“……”
Patrick’s tone turned blunt.
Professor Late let out a sigh and thought to himself, ‘I wonder what the definition of "problem" is in this kid’s head?’
The incidents mentioned already would have been enough to get a normal student expelled and put on trial.
‘Be patient. Just be patient and stick to the plan.’
Professor Late smiled and said, “It’s nothing else, but aren’t you a fourth-year student now?”
“I am.”
“As you know, fourth and fifth-year students of the academy go out into the world on a journey that doubles as training.”
“Oh, really?”
Patrick spoke as if he had never heard of such a thing.
Professor Late gave him the kindest smile he could muster.
“Don’t you think it’s time for you to leave this small academy and experience the wide world?”
“No, I don’t.”
“……”
If only I were stronger than this brat…
Every single word Patrick uttered was designed to nonchalantly grate on one’s nerves. However, Professor Late had accumulated three years of experience dealing with him.
“Actually, going on Knight Training from the fourth year is a mandatory duty for students. You cannot graduate if you don’t complete it properly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So, if you wish to graduate…”
“That’s fine. I don’t need to graduate.”
“……”
“I’ll just stay a student for the rest of my life. Why not?”
For a moment, Professor Late felt a chill run down his spine.
Patrick Schneider staying at the academy forever?
If that news got out, the professors and students might stage a mass exodus.
‘Forget everyone else, I’d want to run away first.’
Finally, he spoke to Patrick with a dead serious expression.
“Go. Just go. Why won’t you go? I told you it’s a duty!”
“Wait, as far as I know, Senior Isabella didn’t go either, did she?”
“The Princess is…”
Isabella Black Atronia.
She had not left for Knight Training. In fact, she should have graduated last year, but she had postponed her graduation by a year to stay at the academy.
The reason was simple.
‘If even the Princess isn’t here, who on earth is going to control this guy?’
The only person who could somewhat restrain Patrick Schneider was his fiancée and the Princess of this kingdom, Isabella. That was why, when she had tried to leave for her training, Professor Late had begged her to stay.
“This works out perfectly, then. You shall accompany the Princess on this journey. She also needs to complete her Knight Training to graduate.”
“Mmm… I’m not really feeling it.”
“What will it take for you to go?”
At Professor Late’s words, Patrick’s eyes sparkled.
“Well, if I’m going to brave the harsh world, I might consider it if I were well-supplied with items that can be used efficiently anywhere.”
Items that can be used efficiently anywhere. Usually, that meant…
“…Money?”
“I accept checks, gold, jewels—anything, really.”
You shameless brat.
Professor Late agonized. Normally, the academy did provide a small amount of travel funds when a student left for Knight Training. So, Patrick’s request wasn’t entirely unreasonable. However…
‘Will this guy be satisfied with a "small amount"?’
Not a chance.
As far as Professor Late knew, giving a pittance and acting like it was a big favor was the nineteenth thing this demon hated most in the world.
He let out a sigh of half-resignation.
“How much do you need?”
“Well, since I’m leaving anyway, I’m thinking of touring foreign countries as well…”
Patrick wrote an amount on a piece of paper on the table and pushed it forward.
“How about this much?”
Professor Late checked the amount, looked at Patrick, checked the amount again, looked at Patrick, and checked the amount one more time.
And then…
“YOU HIGHWAY ROBBER!”
It was the scream of Professor Late, the man who cherished Patrick more than anyone else in the academy.
* * *
“You’re going on Knight Training?”
“Yeah. That’s how it turned out.”
Hearing Patrick’s words, Matthew wore a dazed expression for a moment. Then…
‘Wait, am I happy right now? Or am I sad?’
Humans sometimes find it impossible to define their own emotions. That was exactly how Matthew felt.
Matthew.
The runner-up of the fourth-year Knight Department.
After Patrick saved him in their first year and they became friends, his life had changed drastically. He, who had no talent to speak of, had now reached the 4-Star Realm. For Matthew, who knew his own limitations, it was an astounding development.
And he knew. He knew that he had achieved this all thanks to the teachings of his friend, Patrick.
So, he should be grateful. He should, but…
‘Should I really?’
Living as Patrick Schneider’s friend was an excruciatingly exhausting ordeal. Whenever Patrick caused trouble, professors, peers, juniors, and seniors would all flock to him and say:
[He’s your friend! Do something about him!]
That was the phrase Matthew had heard most during his time at the academy. The countless hardships and trials he had faced while cleaning up after Patrick had made him mentally strong, but he never wanted to do it again.
If Matthew had to describe his current feeling in one word…
“I guess this is what they call ‘bittersweet,’ huh?”
“Huh?”
“The way I’m feeling right now.”
“……”
Matthew chuckled. He looked at his friend and said, “Anyway, good luck out there.”
Matthew tried to make a cool exit, tapping the shoulder of the man who was his benefactor, friend, and nemesis all at once, but…
“What are you talking about, you idiot?”
Patrick’s next words shattered his coolness into pieces.
“You’re coming with me.”
“……”
Life truly never goes according to plan.
Matthew’s face turned pale.
“Me? With you? Knight Training? Together? Why? How?”
“How should I know? The Professor told me to take you along.”
“That Professor… son of a… he said that?”
“Yep.”
“Wait, just wait a second.”
Matthew took off running.
“PROFESSOR LATE!”
Fuming with rage, Matthew charged toward Professor Late’s office. He planned to burst through the door and unleash a torrent of complaints, tears, pleas, and threats—anything to get the decision overturned.
But what he saw there was…
“Are you here too?”
“Princess.”
It was Isabella, who had arrived before him. She was already in a standoff with Professor Late.
“Don’t tell me the Princess is also…”
“……”
Seeing her nod silently, Matthew’s gaze shifted to Professor Late.
The professor spoke up.
“No, honestly, does it make sense to just let him loose? He says he’s going abroad. If we just let him go, can anyone guarantee there won’t be an international incident?”
“……”
“……”
Well, that actually made sense.
Even Isabella and Matthew had to admit that letting Patrick loose in a foreign country without supervision could be classified as an act of war.
Professor Late puffed out his chest and spoke to the two of them.
“We need at least some safety measures, don’t we? Am I right or wrong?”
“But why does it have to be us?”
“If not the Princess and you, then who?”
“How about you go yourself, Professor? Two 7-Star swordsmen traveling together, how cozy…”
“Do you not want to graduate?”
“Aaaargh! Seriously!”
In the face of grades, a student is a pitifully powerless being.
And so, Patrick Schneider’s Knight Training was decided.
His companions would be his classmate Matthew and the fifth-year student, Isabella.