From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 341: The King of the Earth and Mountains
Kassel Academy, Rector's Office.

Professor Manstein stormed in, stormed to his desk, and slammed his palms down on it.

"Angers, I need an explanation!" The old man wearing a monocle roared like an enraged lion, his spittle almost flying out as he hissed, "Why didn't you inform me before sending Xia Mi, who is still a first-year student, to participate in the Bronze City mission?"

The silver-haired old man sitting opposite him slowly brewed tea and said calmly, "Is there a problem, Professor Manstein?"

"This is a huge problem! Angers, are you crazy?" Manstein roared, "Xia Mi is a first-year student with no combat experience, and her grades and bloodline are not outstanding. Why do you insist on letting her participate in this mission?"

Although Kassel's ultimate goal is to slay dragons and train the hybrids who enroll, this does not mean that a freshman should be sent to the most brutal battlefield to die!

Yes, in Manstein's view, sending Xia Mi to participate in the mission of slaying the Dragon King was tantamount to sending her to her death!

Even Chu Zihang back then grew from a weakling step by step. How can you let a novice fight a BOSS right from the start?
“My dear friend, Professor Manstein, don’t be so nervous.”

Angers remained calm, pouring the brewed tea into a gaiwan, swirling it slightly, skimming off the foam, and then pouring it into the teacup in front of him: "Want to try some? This is air-freighted, freshly picked black tea, and I've heard it's very expensive."

Manstein said coldly, "I know it's expensive, but I approved the money."

As the chairman of the college's discipline committee and treasurer, he was certainly aware of where every penny went, since he had to provide the board of trustees with a list every year. But he didn't care about that now. As for how much this damned tea cost, he'd let the board of trustees worry about that.

“Don’t change the subject, Angers!” Manstein glared at the silver-haired old man and said in a deep voice, “Tell me, why?”

"What do you want to know?"

Angers picked up the teacup, smelled the aroma, smiled with satisfaction, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Why send Xia Mi on this mission?" Manstein said in an unfriendly tone, "From any perspective, she is not a suitable candidate!"

"I can't tell you the reason right now."

Angers shook his head, put down his teacup, and said, "In short, this is the result of discussions between the Board of Trustees and me. That's all you need to know."

“The Board of Trustees, it’s the Board of Trustees again!” Manstein was furious, glaring at him through gritted teeth: “What exactly are you plotting? Ever since the mission to Japan ended, you’ve blocked all related information, and now you’re sending a freshman to participate in the dragon-slaying mission. Angers, I understand you less and less.”

"Times are always changing, Professor Manstein, and so am I."

Angers lowered his eyelids slightly, concealing a sharp, piercing gaze, and said slowly, "Regarding this mission, I hope you won't ask too many questions. You'll understand soon enough."

Looking at the silver-haired old man before him, Manstein suddenly felt that he seemed to have become much stranger. He sighed and said, "Angers, I can feel it. You have changed. Not only you, but the entire academy and the board of directors seem to have changed. I don't know if this change is good or bad, and I don't know if it will lead us to hell."

"Believe me, Manstein."

Angers said calmly, "My ideal has never changed: to create a world without dragons."

In the end, Manstein still didn't get an answer; he couldn't force Angers to speak. Watching Manstein's dejected figure leave, Angers said softly, "Now, as you wish, can you tell me what that child named 'Shami' really is?"

The blond youth suddenly appeared in the room, sat down in the chair opposite, picked up the cup of tea he had just brewed, took a sip, and smiled, "Of course, her name is 'Xia Mi,' but according to your human understanding, she should be called 'Queen of the Earth and Mountains.'"

"???"

After a brief half-second of stunned silence, Angers jumped up, not even caring about the hot tea spilled on him, and stared at him with wide eyes: "What did you say? Xia Mi is one of the Four Dragon Kings, the King of Earth and Mountains? Are you sure you're not joking with me!"

"Of course, I never joke."

Adam put down his teacup, smiled slightly, and said, "Well then, thank you for your hospitality. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Meanwhile, in the intensive care unit of the First Hospital in Binhai City, a city far away in the ancient Eastern country.

After finishing his conversation with his mentor Schneider, Chu Zihang called the girl outside the door in and told her about the mission.

"What? Say it again!"

The mischievous girl widened her eyes, giving Chu Zihang a fierce look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

"Minister Schneider of the Executive Department has ordered you to assist me in a mission to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River." Chu Zihang tried to avoid the girl's 'fierce' gaze, feeling inexplicably flustered, but pretended to be calm and said, "Don't worry, I will protect you. Hmm."

"It's all over, it's all over now."

Xia Mi had a mournful face, with glistening tears hanging from her long eyelashes, and her beautiful eyes were filled with moisture, making her look pitiful.

Looking at his tearful 'junior sister,' Chu Zihang felt a headache coming on and couldn't help but have great doubts about the 'arrangement' of this mission.

To be honest, he really didn't understand why Principal Angers and the school board insisted on sending a freshman who had just enrolled to participate in the brutal 'dragon slaying' operation, and why his first opponent was one of the four dragon kings about to awaken—the Bronze and Fire King!
This is equivalent to telling a newbie who has just passed the tutorial level that they are now a mature adventurer, and then telling them that the enemy is a fully-leveled demon king!

The word "outrageous" alone is not enough to describe how exaggerated this matter is!
"Don't worry, they probably won't let you go into the water." Chu Zihang was quite helpless and could only comfort her: "Besides, there's Caesar and Chen Motong, so they won't let you do anything dangerous."

That's true. With Caesar and Chen Motong there, the three of them wouldn't be willing to let a freshman take such a risk.

"Stop messing around, big brother, that's the Dragon King!" Xia Mi was dejected, like a salted fish that had lost its ideals. She spread her long, shapely legs apart and sat on the ground like a duck, drooping her head and sighing, "I thought that if I went to Kassel, I could study for a few years and then just coast along after graduation. But in the end, I still can't escape the fate of being 'cannon fodder'."

Chu Zihang remained silent for a long time before finally managing to say, "In short, I will protect you."

However, Xia Mi still looked utterly dejected. She stood up unsteadily and walked towards the door, saying, "I want to be alone. You can stay here by yourself."

After stepping out the door, Xia Mi leaned against the wall in the corridor, a strange look in her eyes, and muttered to herself, "Why did they have to make me go? Has my identity already been discovered? But that shouldn't be the case. If it were exposed, I should be the target now."

(End of this chapter)