"This is the list of networking invitations recently received by the External Affairs Department, as well as cooperation invitations from various companies. Thilan, you can review them first." Sitting in a large mahogany chair, Amorth gestured to his assistant to hand over the records board to the black-haired girl seated at the desk.
"'Fierce Action Cup' Youth Competition, Ten-Sided Survival Challenge, Skyfire Mecha Combat Tournament..." The girl skimmed through the table of contents and descriptions on the first page.
"Many events in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region invite top-ranking academy students to participate in order to increase their visibility and prestige. Naturally, Edess Academy is among them," a student council member wearing gold-rimmed glasses explained.
"To entice us to join, these events offer generous sponsorships and certain advantages during the competition. While there are many benefits, the events themselves are a mixed bag. Winning is fine, but if we lose to an unknown opponent, it could tarnish the academy's reputation."
"There are pros and cons, I see." The girl pondered while scanning the descriptions of the invitations.
"Indeed. Additionally, some invitations come from various companies. Some want our academy’s students to use their products as part of marketing campaigns, while others invite us to participate in product testing for new developments—things like advanced protective armor, combat equipment, transcendent core modeling, and alchemical medicine development."
"These companies are usually quite powerful; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to afford high collaboration fees. Recently, since the Hat and Dagger club defeated Thunder Edge Academy, we've been receiving even more endorsement invitations."
"So this is the competition between top-tier academies—win and you gain honor and everything else; lose, and you lose it all." The girl sighed softly as she glanced at the astonishing endorsement fees listed in the table.
"Exactly. This is what you'll have to face in the future. While the highest authority in the academy rests with the board of directors, they don’t concern themselves with these ‘minor matters.’ So, the decision-making power lies entirely in our student council." Amorth clasped his hands together, resting them on the table.
"Pick a few projects that catch your eye and pass them on to the External Affairs members. They’ll conduct thorough background checks, assess the feasibility of the proposals, and proceed accordingly."
"You want me to choose? Honestly, I don't know much about these companies. Making decisions blindly feels a bit..." The girl hesitated.
"There’s no such thing as a perfect choice, Thilan," Amorth reminded her.
"As long as it's generally reasonable, that's enough. Our task is to keep adjusting and using different methods to guide outcomes toward our desired direction."
"You’ll be taking my place in the future. My advice is to delegate and distribute tedious affairs. Your energy and focus are valuable resources that shouldn’t be wasted. Even having some free time is beneficial—it keeps you in the right state to handle unexpected situations at any moment."
"Additionally, when managing subordinates, you need to apply the right amount of pressure and challenge them. That’s how they grow quickly. If they only perform repetitive tasks, it’s a waste of their youth."
"Don’t be afraid that they’ll fail. People’s potential is often greater than you think. And even if they fail, they’ll gain experience, which is valuable in itself."
"During your time in school, even if you make mistakes, there are always people to back you up. Opportunities like this won’t come often in the future. Also, Edess Academy’s influence within Verdant Veil is far beyond what you imagine—very few things can’t be settled by the board of directors. Thilan, you need to believe in the power of money and authority," Amorth guided her patiently.
Although the black-haired girl didn’t entirely agree with his perspective, she acknowledged that some points were valid.
"I understand." She closed the records board and responded.
"Actually, I also have some thoughts I’d like to discuss with you, President Amorth." After the last confrontation, she began contemplating ways to enhance the students' overall strength.
"Looks like you're finally getting motivated."
Amorth smiled slightly. He unclasped his hands and clapped lightly, signaling the others in the office to leave.
Once everyone else had exited, he stood up and gestured for Thilan to sit on the couch by the tea table. Then, he poured two cups of coffee and brought them over.
"Do you know why I asked them to leave?"
"I don’t." The girl answered honestly.
"It’s simple. You need to maintain a certain level of mystery. If people know everything about you, it becomes difficult for them to respect you—that’s just how most people are."
"They often have an illusion that just because they see something, they can do the same thing. But they don’t realize how far reality is from their perception. Very few people have real self-awareness," Amorth shared his experience.
"Maybe so, but I don’t want to act all mysterious just for the sake of it," the girl said, shaking her head.
"That’s fine, but I still advise you not to easily reveal all your secrets, especially your unformed ideas."
"It may be sincere, but fools will only see its naivety and immaturity, completely ignoring the true emotions and determination behind it." Amorth shook his head.
"Although I haven’t spoken to you often, I’ve been paying attention to your actions in the academy. After all, the board of directors informed me long ago that you would be taking my place."
"Not everyone will understand your kindness or your grand vision. Most people only think in terms of immediate and short-term benefits. And people like that are everywhere," he said, sipping his coffee before setting it down.
"Even I almost misjudged you." He sighed slightly.
"Alright, let’s put aside the life lessons. What did you want to discuss today?"
"I have an idea for improving the students' strength." The girl got to the point.
"That’s a concern for every top academy, and we’re already doing everything possible. The teachers here are all top-tier experts, the equipment is state-of-the-art, and students receive regular adjustments to their training methods. Numerous advanced progression models are available for free study and experimentation."
"I know." Thilan shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to talk about.
"Our hardware is already top-notch, so I doubt I can suggest anything better. But the current training methods feel a bit too monotonous." After comparing Edess Academy with the northern academies, she found that student life here was repetitive, unlike the diverse and dynamic environments in the north.
"I want to try something different—sending some students out of Southern 1st District to travel and experience real-world challenges."
"My club will serve as a trial. Since they’re all first-years, even if the experiment isn’t effective, we can make up for any gaps later."
"The advancement of transcendent cores isn’t just about magical talent—it’s also linked to willpower and mentality. If students face real adversity, their mindset will become more stable, and they’ll develop greater resilience."
She spoke slowly, closing her eyes briefly.
The room fell silent for a while as Amorth seemed to be weighing the feasibility of this proposal.
"I’ll submit it to the board, but I can’t guarantee approval."
In the end, he agreed.
"Thank you for understanding, President."
"Can I ask where you plan to take the students for training?"
"Northern 2nd District and Northern 9th District."
"That’s quite the dangerous journey. Now I’m interested. Too bad I won’t be around for much longer—I'll be leaving in a few months."
"Safe travels, our dear little Thilan." He suddenly smiled, making the girl feel a bit uneasy.
"Why do you have to add ‘little’?" Her tone carried a hint of helplessness—some people in her club did the same.
"Because little Thilan is truly adorable. People easily overlook your threat, hahaha."
Thinking about how this seemingly harmless girl would soon become the ace of Edess Academy for the next three years, Amorth couldn't help but feel pleased and excited.
He was looking forward to seeing the shocked expressions of his old rivals. Even if he had already graduated by then, he wouldn’t miss it—he’d make sure to get a recording and watch every reaction.
In these past few years, even though he had been meticulous in his strategies, he had suffered quite a few losses against other academies. He had been holding back a lot of frustration.