Quadruple split.

Chapter 2599 Suspension of School
Game time PM15:15
Academy City, Radiant Theological Seminary, Dean's Office
"Although I have said it several times, but..."

The chief priest of the Mist Cult, a white-haired dwarf old man, sighed and said to his proud student in front of him, who looked a little haggard but still energetic and handsome, "Kid, you are not without choices. A moment of confusion will not ruin your future, but a rash decision may make you regret it for the rest of your life."

Richard Ryan, a fifth-year student with a head of messy golden hair, looked a little restless, but still handsome even with dark circles under his eyes. His smile was even more dashing than his hair. He was also one of the class leaders of the Radiant Seminary. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Dean Razdunk, but I made this decision precisely because I don't want to regret it for the rest of my life."

"Hurry, short-sighted, impulsive."

Razdunk Liuhuo, who was not only the high priest of the Mist Sect but also the dean of the Radiant Seminary in Academy City, slammed the table angrily and said, "You are like a coward who can't stand losing, Richard. This is not the proud and excellent little lion I remember."

"In front of those who are truly capable of standing on their own, my 'excellence' is just a joke."

Richard shook his head, then subconsciously raised his hand to touch his handsome face which had been beaten almost to pieces by a hunk not long ago, and said with a wry smile: "As for the so-called pride...it has been shattered to pieces in every sense."

"so what?"

Razdunk laughed in anger, and scolded him angrily: "Just because of this setback, you plan to give up and despair? Huh?"

"That's not the case, Master Dean."

Richard shook his head vigorously and said in a deep voice: "On the contrary, the reason why I made this decision is that I want to regain my pride and prove my excellence again."

Razdunk narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "You have a hundred ways to regain your pride and prove your excellence, but applying for an 'indefinite leave of absence' is definitely not one of them."

"no way."

Richard continued to shake his head and shrugged, "After all, I didn't make it to the seventh grade, so I can't get the qualifications to leave the academy for internship."

Razdunk's forehead was bulging with blue veins. He said angrily, "So you can't wait until after seventh grade to put those ridiculous ideas into practice? Or do you think I don't have the ability to protect you for two years?"

"That's not the case, Master Dean."

Richard sighed and said helplessly: "I feel that I can't wait any longer. If I continue like this, the gap between me and those people will only get bigger and bigger, and..."

Razdunk sneered, "And what?"

"And both you and I know very well that our academy cannot give me what I want."

Richard's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said sternly, "I can't be the kind of person my parents want me to be, nor can I be the kind of person you, the dean, want me to be. I... am not cut out for that."

Razdunk still sneered, and said in a deep voice: "So do you think that anyone can enter our Academy City? Do you think that this school where countless people from outside can't get in even if they try their best, but as long as they can graduate successfully, they can rise to the top in the City of Light, is unfair to you?"

Richard Ryan's face turned grim, and he quickly shook his head and said, "I dare not!"

"Don't dare? Haha, I think you are too daring!"

Dean Razdunk slammed his fist on the table again and gritted his teeth and said, "So, I, the old man, have secured an opportunity for you. Stay and finish this semester honestly. Starting from next semester, you can go to the [Dannu Military Academy] as an exchange student."

Richard was shocked: "What did you say?!"

"I mean, if you finish this semester honestly, you can go to the military academy you've always dreamed of. Danu is the best I can find. If you want to go to White Oath or Holy Lance, that's fine too."

Razdunk sighed and took out a brief exchange student agreement with the school emblem of Danu Military Academy printed on it from the drawer: "As long as you promise me to keep it a secret from your grandfather, you can sign it. That guy is my old friend and he specifically told me to keep a close eye on you, so at least until you successfully graduate and get your double diploma, you must keep it confidential!"

Richard's eyes turned red, and he was speechless for a moment, unable to speak.

"You are a good child. Although you have many problems, you are still a good child. So even if I don't consider your grandfather's face, or even want to offend your grandfather, I am willing to let you embark on your own ideal righteous path instead of joining the ideal path."

Razdunk looked at Richard kindly and said softly, "I was young once, and I know very well how much impact those seemingly small things can have on a young person. But Richard, as I just said, you are a good child, a good child with faith, persistence, and bottom line. So even if you have this or that problem, at least before you make an irreparable mistake, you deserve a second chance."

"..."

Richard still didn't say anything, but just lowered his head in silence.

"You did something stupid and paid the price. Although the price may not seem heavy or painful enough to many people, I believe that neither Pastor Heifan nor Saint Wangyu will bear a grudge."

Razdunk smiled and said softly, "Because to put it bluntly, at least based on what I have investigated, you are not on the same level as them, and this is exactly what you cannot accept no matter how well you know this."

Richard: "..."

"It's a terrible feeling, just like becoming one of those background characters in a bard's tale who only appears for a few sentences and is forgotten by the protagonist and the audience in the blink of an eye, right?"

Razdunk sighed, put aside some unspeakable memories, and continued: "But this is something everyone has to go through, because it is difficult for everyone to become the protagonist of a life other than their own."

"Dean."

Richard raised his head with red eyes and smiled bitterly: "I understand what you said."

"Since you understand, you should know that acting on impulse will only make you less valuable, and the decision of 'indefinitely taking a leave of absence' is tantamount to giving up the past five years of your life. It is absurd and irresponsible."

Razdunk leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "I know those so-called 'rules', but fortunately, I am a privileged person who can support my favorite students. So as long as I am still alive in two years, those broken rules will have to give way to me, the dean of the Radiant Seminary. I will deal with anyone who dares to mess with you."

Richard pursed his lips, but finally shook his head under the other party's expectant gaze and said softly, "I'm sorry, Dean."

"Ok."

However, Razdunk was surprisingly easy to talk to. He just said calmly: "Then, give me a reason."

"No reason."

Richard was blunt and concise: "I'm just angry."

"Can't get angry?"

Razdunk laughed dumbly and asked, "Are you angry that Her Highness the Saint never looked at you straight in the eye, or are you angry that the Black Brahma priest who was stirring up trouble in the north gave you a 'lesson'?"

"I'm so angry that I can't even see their backs."

Richard shrugged and sneered: "So I don't want to waste time."

"You kid, I just got you an exchange student opportunity!"

"Thank you, Dean, but I still want to find an opportunity to complete the last two years in our college in the future."

"In our college?"

"In our college."

"Do you really have to make a name for yourself?"

"Think about it, famous alumni are not as charismatic as famous current students."

“Heh…” Razdunk shook his head and waved his hand, saying, “Go away.”

"Please keep my student status and give me a chance to bring honor to the college."

Richard smiled, and then bowed to Razdunk for the last time: "Thank you, Dean."

After saying this, Richard Ryan, who had made the most difficult decision in his life so far, turned around and left the dean's office without looking back.

"Too ambitious, too eager for quick success, and not knowing what to do!"

Razdunk snorted, picked up the student ID card that Richard had left on the table, and threw it into the drawer.

“… Everything went smoothly.”

……

"nailed it?"

Outside the dean's office, Richard's good friend in the academy, Azerok, a half-elf paladin who was one year older than him and also a member of the Dawn Sect, smiled and said, "It was still dealt with?"

"nailed it."

Richard scratched his messy hair and sighed deeply: "To be honest, although I don't know whether this is right or wrong, but...if I don't do anything, I will definitely regret it."

"Then go ahead and do it."

Azerok patted Richard's shoulder and said with a smile: "So? What are your plans for the future?"

"Anyway, go home and apologize first."

Richard sighed again, and said with a bitter expression: "Although the dean would probably want to keep it a secret for me, he and grandpa are old friends, and it would be bad if there was any rift because of me. So after thinking it over, I decided to tell my family."

Azerok crossed his arms and nodded. "That makes sense. What then?"

"And then? And then I haven't thought about it yet."

Richard checked the storage necklace filled with his luggage and personal belongings while saying, "But I want to go somewhere where I can stand out. After all, I just promised the dean that I will bring honor to the college as a famous student in the future."

"That's great, but since you don't have any plans yet..."

Azerok grinned, then took out a note written in cursive Elvish and stuffed it into Richard's hand: "Before you leave, you might as well go here first."

"Ok?"

Richard glanced at the unfamiliar address on the note and wondered, "What is this place?"

"Don't ask me. I was just entrusted by someone to give this to you when I was sure you had no other ideas."

Azerok said this very irresponsibly, then raised his hand and hit Richard on the chest, then staggered to class, leaving the latter standing there looking at the note thoughtfully.

……

after an hour

Academy City, Central District, No. 3 Starstone Avenue

"excuse me."

Richard pushed open the door of the tavern called Shang Shan Shui. Before he could say anything, the impatient bartender pointed at the stairs and said, "Go up from here. It's the second lounge on the left."

"Thank you."

Richard simply thanked the bartender, then went upstairs to the room that the other party told him was his. He took a deep breath and slowly knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

A soft, pleasant, calm and confident voice came from inside.

So, Richard pushed the door open and walked into the lounge, and found someone reading a book on the sofa in the middle.

"Senior Foster?!"

Richard froze in place as he stared in amazement at the top student of the [Dannu Military Academy] in front of him. He was also the captain of the Academy City Law Enforcement Team, a super elite and powerful student wearing rimless glasses and a slicked-back hair.

"Hello, Richard Lane."

One of the most powerful students in Academy City (if not the only one) stood up, gave Richard a warm smile, and stretched out his right hand: "I am Foster Ward, a seventh-year student at the Danu Military Academy. Nice to meet you."

"Ah... nice to meet you!"

Richard quickly reached out his hand and shook hands with Foster, and said nervously, "I'm the one who's happy to meet you!"

"Thank you very much. Then, let's get straight to the point."

Foster, who was the first to sit down, raised his hand to signal Richard that he could sit opposite him and smiled faintly. "Because not long ago, Dean Razdunk of your academy came to our [Dannu Military Academy] and proposed some information about exchange students, and even mentioned your specific name, Richard, so I roughly guessed what was going on. And you are here, probably because you are still confused about your future, right?"

"Yes."

Facing this elite among elites, Richard nodded in acknowledgement without any hesitation.

"Well, I happen to have an invitation here that may help you, Richard, to broaden your thinking."

Foster pushed his glasses and said softly, "From what I know, the Holy Church Union where you, Richard, are currently facing a very tense situation. And in that wild land, apart from the stories that you and I are all familiar with, the latest situation is... a war that could get out of control at any time is about to break out."

"……so what?"

“So I personally have two suggestions, along with suggestions on corresponding channels.”

"You say."

"First, don't return to the City of Light, but go directly to Gospel Mountain City in the northern border of the Holy Land. In this way, I can arrange for you to start directly as a grassroots commander."

"What's your second suggestion?"

"Take my letter of recommendation and go find the survey team heading north."

Chapter 2590: The End