36
Seraphina knows Professor Malice's character well. He is a professor who has produced generations of students, but he has never been keen on establishing friendly relations with them. However, his disciples did not hate him.
They knew that his stubborn personality, devoted to his love of mathematics, was the reason for this.
Rather, his reluctance to form personal relationships was an expression of his insistence on avoiding trivial factional conflicts, in order to devote himself completely to his research.
Frankly speaking, Malles was a rare example of this era among professors, endowed with firmness of principle and a strong, unwavering character.
Therefore, even though Seraphina called him “old man,” she had a deep respect for him deep down.
However, for this man, who seemed as if he would never ask her for anything in his entire life, to come to her in such a sudden way?!
“What happened?” Seraphina wondered to herself, feeling nervous and waiting expectantly for Professor Malice's words.
“I want to know precise details about a particular student,” Mallis said.
“If so, you can go to the Academic Affairs Department and request that…”,
Seraphina replied.
"Who doesn't know that?! But this takes a long time! I want to know now!", Mallis exclaimed impatiently, hitting the table with his palms nervously as if to release his anger.
“Oh my God, who is this student that you can't be patient and make all this fuss?”
Seraphina asked in surprise. Did he come to her just for a request like this? But she began to become more curious: Who was the student who made Professor Mallis lose his temper like this?
Why does he act like this? This man, who had been complaining about the burdens of the dean's position and saying that he would meet her later, was now coming to her himself!
“It's Evie, Evie Alden. A very young student. Now that I'm thinking, isn't geniuses supposed to be accepted into the academy from the age of seven? But that girl, no matter how you look at her, looks like she's five at most! And she's so thin, she even had to do the cleaning herself...” Mallis began speaking excitedly.
“Take it easy, stop for a moment!” Seraphina interrupted him to stop his flow of words that seemed to never end.
“She is a person who has sparked a lot of controversy this year,” she added.
“Why? Because she’s so smart?” Mallis asked.
“Smart, of course, but more importantly, she is the child chosen by His Majesty the Emperor himself,” Seraphina answered, and proceeded to briefly explain to him the background that led to Evie’s choice.
“Anyway, it wasn't a direct choice, but…” Seraphina began.
“How irresponsible! If His Majesty chooses her, shouldn’t he bear the responsibility for her?” Mallis interrupted angrily.
“What more is His Majesty supposed to do? When Evie disappeared this time, His Majesty allowed the use of magic inside the Imperial Palace, and even lent us a magic stone!”
Seraphina replied.
“She disappeared?! How does this academy manage the affairs of its students?! And you, you call yourself the dean?!” Malice shouted.
“We found her!” Seraphina replied sharply.
“However...no, it's okay. Anyway, she's a child from the orphanage. She seems to have lost her parents during the war. What a tragedy.”
Malice said, almost in tears.
Seraphina looked at her professor, who looked on the verge of tears, with a look of astonishment mixed with bewilderment.
"What's going on with you? Didn't you say that you would retire next year? So, there will be another professor to teach this child, so why all this attention?" I asked him.
“What nonsense? Retirement? I have a lot to do!” Mallis replied firmly.
It wasn't long ago that he was complaining that he was going back to his hometown to continue his research, and that the academy was no longer a place where he could find his passion.
“What are these things you want to do?”
Seraphina asked.
"First, I intend to rewrite the advanced mathematics book. I will make it more friendly, so that if a student understands the principles, he can easily understand it even if he is a child," Malis answered.
“What?!” Serafina’s voice rose in surprise.
The Advanced Mathematics Textbook is the official textbook used in the Academy for Geniuses and in all other academies for teaching mathematics.
This is Professor Mallis's greatest achievement. Before that, he relied on a mathematics book written hundreds of years ago.
But as new equations were discovered, scientists were constantly discussing the need for a new book.
“But who will undertake this huge and exhausting work?” was the question.
“One may gain fame, but agreeing on the basic principles to be included will be difficult, let alone formulating clear proofs and principles that fit a basic book...”,
These challenges were worrying.
But it was Mallis who accomplished the work. The advanced mathematics book he wrote raised the level of mathematics in the empire several degrees, and received wide acclaim.
But it was not without flaws, as it contained only the basic explanation, which made it neat but difficult to study.
So, it was a book that needed a teacher to explain, not self-study. Therefore, people asked Malles many times to issue a softer version of the book, but he strongly refused every time.
"My book is perfect! If you don't understand it, it's because you didn't try hard enough!", Malisse would reply stubbornly.
The more people asked, the more he insisted on saying no. This stubbornness continued for nearly twenty years, until everyone gave up hope of publishing a revised edition of the book.
“The cover of the book should be brighter. Since new proofs have been discovered recently, they should be added. I will explain the existing proofs in more detail and friendliness. Maybe if I add cute drawings here and there, the kids will like it more, right?” Mallis said excitedly.
Seraphina looked at him as he spoke agitatedly, and felt startled.
“Who is this man? Is he really my stubborn teacher?” she thought to herself.
“Anyway, if you want to get all of this done, let me see… Evie will need eight years to graduate from the academy, so I will keep working for another eight years. Haha.”
Mallis said as he was rearranging his retirement plans himself, then he suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, who is Evie's guardian?”
he asked.
“A professor named Xian Ruochen,” Seraphina answered.
“Who is this? And where is he?” Mallis inquired.
“Well, the thing is...” Seraphina hesitated.
After she finished Evie's case and returned the magic stone, Seraphina heard details about Evie from the Minister of the Interior. He said that only a professor whose name was registered at the academy had been appointed as its guardian.
In fact, this professor is not here now. But if you told Mallis the truth, he would surely rebel and demand that his guardian be changed immediately.
“I will not have a good word if I mess with what the Minister of the Interior has decided,” Serafina thought, so she decided to speak tactfully.
“He is a quiet professor. You know, there are those who covet the position of guardian for their own interests, so we chose someone who is not after gains. There is no need to worry,” she said.
“No need to worry?! If he doesn’t covet anything, then that’s a bigger problem! The guardian must be strong to ensure the student’s future!” Mallis responded sharply.
“True, but hearing that from your own mouth sounds very strange,” Seraphina said.
Her professor had a strong dislike of politics, and despised the adulation associated with it. Mallis never accepted to be a student's guardian, as he avoided interfering in the lives of others.
But it seemed like he completely changed in one day!
“But changing the guardian is not easy. There are conditions and qualifications...” Serafina added.
“Who can compete with my experience?!” Mallis replied confidently.
"But the desire of the student himself is important. If Evie Alden doesn't want to change, we can't do anything," Seraphina explained.
“This is something that can be solved by persuasion from now on! Okay, I see. By the way, is there a classroom left in the main building?” Mallis asked.
“Why the classroom?” Seraphina replied.
“That little girl walked long distances with difficulty, how pathetic she looked...” Malis said.
“Weren't you the one who deliberately chose that class to make the students suffer and give up?”
Seraphina responded with a cold look.
Mallis avoided her gaze and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, give me a class in the main building."
“I don’t think there are classes available in the main building,” Seraphina answered.
How the teachers were competing to get the best class! Classes near the main building are evidence of the professor's influence, so they are all already booked.
“I'll try to find a class a little closer,” she added.
“Okay, I entrust it to you. By the way, you said that the student’s consent is necessary...” Malice said, lost in thought.
“Now I remember, it's almost time for gifts from the guardians,” Mallis thought.
If this professor had been randomly assigned to prevent an inappropriate guardian association, he probably wouldn't care much about Evie's gift.
Maybe he sends something mundane just to save face.
“If I gave a bigger gift, Evie would naturally be drawn to me,” Mallis thought and smiled contentedly.
“I don’t know who this Xian Ruochen is, but he definitely won’t send a gift that will satisfy Evie.”
He added to himself.
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