I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 221 After the War
Upon seeing the news of Lavoisier's promotion, Veronica gritted her teeth in a very unladylike manner, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

Although her senior brother was indeed outstanding in ability, strong in strength and ruthless in his actions, and had hardly caused any major trouble in the years he had been in charge of the Northwest, and even if he had only earned his position through his own abilities, it was well-deserved. But how did he suddenly become her direct superior while sitting at home?

It's worth noting that there are many centenarian members in parliament who still haven't managed to secure a position as principal of a desert college. Lavoisier's appointment to the Northwest College was met with considerable controversy, and this appointment, made without a parliamentary vote, is likely to generate even more debate.

In the Harua Parliament, where the average age is nearly 160, this senior colleague is far too young.

However, since she didn't work much anyway, and there was a possibility that she could easily scam funding, Veronica couldn't help but beam with joy.

Having connections in the council makes things easier. As a direct supervisor, how could this senior colleague possibly withhold his own funds?
It's impossible no matter how you look at it. Who doesn't eat the public funds?
Of course, the good stuff should be kept for our own family.

However, the thought of DuPont still being at Northwestern College made Veronica frown.

Lavoisier is gone. Who will take over the Northwest?

The female mage was well aware of this, and clearly knew she was unfit for the position.

Even if a 30-something-year-old 9th-ring mage has a promising future, she is unlikely to take on this position, given her connections and personal reputation.

Putting aside other things, because she has been too lazy to manage affairs and socialize in recent years, she can't even find a few reliable silver-level mentors under her, and she doesn't have many trusted confidants when she takes office. How can she possibly manage like this?

So it's likely that a legislator who has been waiting for a long time is coming to take over.

The eight major families are certainly not interested in this barren land in the Northwest. Their annual funding is not much more than that of the popular schools of Yarach Academy. However, it is a lucrative position for those neutral parties, who can recruit their own disciples to win people's hearts.

But here's the question: what will DuPont do then?
The apprenticeship ceremony hasn't been held yet.

Normally, in order to protect the interests of local colleges, apprentices are absolutely not allowed to transfer schools unless there are special circumstances. At most, they can go abroad to study for a year or two, but their student status will never change.

Even if the student's academic record is taken away by their advisor, the affiliation of their former college will remain clearly stated and will not be changed in their personal file.

DuPont has indeed made significant contributions; although many people may not know this young man personally, his deeds are still widely known.

However, it's really inconvenient to talk about DuPont's true contributions on stage, so it's almost impossible to use this as a basis for a formal transfer.

However, the newly appointed dean should not disrespect her, and arranging her study abroad should not be a problem.

As she was pondering, Veronica's communication runestone lit up again, but the message she received made her frown: "Another meeting? No, my disciple is seriously injured. He's still digesting the essence of the World Tree. What if a skilled assassin breaks into my mage tower and attacks?"

"What do you mean I'm joking? I'm even envious of things worth hundreds of thousands. If you had a bottle in your house, I'd go and touch it right now. Let's see if you can guard against it when you go to a meeting."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communication rune: "Alright then, send a simulation spell over to vote. By the way, the topic of this meeting is to discuss the dean's transfer."

Having finally managed to get through it, Veronica was also feeling a bit tired, but this wasn't the time to rest. She activated the rune again: "My dear girl, have you been busy lately?"

"Ah, Mother." The paladin girl was both delighted and puzzled. "Mother, is something the matter?"

"No. Well, a little." After thinking for a moment, Veronica realized there was no time for pleasantries and explained the situation that day: "Given Yarakh's situation, I don't think things will be much better in the Northwest. You should quit your job as the head of the guards and come back now, otherwise it will be difficult to manage if someone causes trouble."

"Oh, how could this happen?" Deva said, somewhat displeased. "How could these guards randomly beat people? DuPont was giving completely wrong advice. Sending in force to suppress dissent isn't something only tyrants do..."

Veronica nearly vomited blood upon hearing this: "That's why I said this matter is very complicated, and you'd better not get involved at all. Otherwise, it will involve all sorts of messy things in the church, which will also cause trouble. Not to mention, the key point of the game behind this matter is not the council and the apprentices. The real difficulties have not yet been dealt with. These are just appetizers at most."

“But shouldn’t we be even less likely to leave when things are difficult?” Deva was clearly unhappy. “If we paladins don’t care about anything, who are ordinary people supposed to turn to when they’re in trouble? Aren’t all countries that don’t have the help of paladins rotten and evil? Our Harua shouldn’t be like that, right?”

Veronica gritted her teeth and said, "Who said we won't interfere? We'll only interfere under the guidance of the parliament, and we'll monitor the atmosphere little by little. Otherwise, what will you do when you're caught between the parliament and the people? Who will you listen to?"

“I definitely won’t listen to anyone. I’m not a child anymore. I have my own ways of handling things and my own understanding.” Deva’s tone was somewhat unconvinced. “Besides, if DuPont can handle this well, how could I not?”

"DuPont can only do this because of the support of the council. Who supports you in that wretched place, Aleville? What if I can't come back from outside if I run into trouble?" Veronica was a little tired. She should have known better than to send her daughter to become a paladin. This girl was already stubborn, and becoming a paladin would make her even more stubborn.

"Also, DuPont is seriously injured right now and needs someone to take care of him. I have so many things to do every day, how can I stay by his side all the time? Or are you planning to have me go find those elves to take care of him?"

"Oh, is it serious?" Deva's tone softened slightly. "And what about the elves??"

"You didn't know?" Veronica was a little surprised, her daughter was probably too carefree: "That Moon Elf Princess, they've been following DuPont the whole time, I don't think they have any good intentions. They even gave DuPont a ring that looks just like hers, I think they're playing a little pet game."

This reminded the paladin girl of the time when Moonflower had indeed harbored ill intentions during DuPont's hospitalization, and she was immediately shocked: "How dare a 100-year-old elf princess come to Harua to flirt with a human boy? How can this female elf be so shameless!"

Everyone says elves have a lot of rules and are annoying, so why didn't the military police from Evergrande Island come and arrest her?

“You have to fight for a good man.” Veronica frowned as she said this: “You know, there’s a saying that goes, ‘familiarity breeds fondness.’ Even if they don’t have feelings for each other at first, they’ll develop a dependence on each other after spending a lot of time together.”

Not to mention, she's no less attractive than you, both in terms of status and looks. And DuPont isn't some inflexible guy; if she really gets snatched away, you'll have nowhere to cry.

"I won't cry over this guy. His departure only means he wasn't meant for me. What's there to be sad about losing something that wasn't mine?"

Despite saying this, Deva's voice grew softer and softer: "He wouldn't really think that, would he? DuPont only has a lifespan of about 200 years as a Grand Mage, he's not a good match for her."

"The issue now isn't whether he's a good match or not; it's that the moon fairy is pursuing him. And considering the lifespan of fairies, DuPont will be young until he dies, which is quite attractive to men. Not to mention, I think DuPont is quite popular with women."

Veronica paused for a moment, then said, "So why don't you come here and be a guard? He won't be staying at Northwest College next semester, and he hasn't been feeling well lately, so it would be convenient to take care of him. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

The paladin girl thought for a long time before finally replying sullenly, "It's not that I have to do this job as a guard, but nobody wants to work in such a remote place. In the end, small towns like this will just sink into corruption. Wouldn't that be bad for both the council and ordinary people?"

"Your idea is good, but social progress is very slow. Not to mention that sometimes being too strict is not good either. Even beneficial new policies require time for the public to adapt."

After a long pause, Veronica replied, "Once things settle down, you can take on a few paladin disciples and teach them your philosophy. With their help, things will be easier, and people will be more willing to implement your plans. You can't get anything done by going it alone."

Hearing her mother's words of comfort, Deva felt somewhat better, but she was puzzled by her mother's last words: "Then why have you rarely taken on disciples, Mother?" "Because I have no interest in governing. It's a whole lot of trouble, leading the people towards civilization and prosperity is just too much of a hassle." Veronica sighed as she said this: "Even though the old man was so wise and powerful, with achievements that could be described as restoring Harua, there are still many people who oppose him. Politics is just too troublesome. Even managing a town well is difficult. Things have to be done step by step; you can't rush it."

Hearing this, Deva nodded silently and whispered, "I understand, Mother. You should also take care of yourself."

The mother and daughter exchanged some intimate words before hanging up. Before Veronica could even rest for a moment, a newspaper was suddenly passed to her, and the voice of the runestone rang out: "Hey, beautiful lady, do you think the contents of tomorrow's newspaper are alright?"

Veronica looked down and almost laughed in anger after just one glance at the title.

"Profound and Unfathomable: Harua's New Generation Apprentice DuPont Successfully Quells Protests—Why Such a Vast Difference in Vision and Ability Among Apprentices?"

Lavoisier's disciple, Dupont, issued instructions regarding the protest by the Yarrach students; the inspection department and the security bureau cooperated effectively, successfully escorting the students back to campus.

Behind the Scenes? The Night Lady's henchman, enraged after his instigation was exposed, attempted to assassinate Harua's rising star, but DuPont bravely fought back and killed the assassin. The troublemaking clown is nothing to fear.

Special approval! DuPont has been appointed as the new student representative and will have the right to speak directly with the parliament. Has Harua entered a new generation?

These aren't even the most outlandish ones. The following news articles, such as "On the Lady of the Night's Laughing Behavior Over the Years" and "How Much Have Foolish Cults Contributed to the Guards and Secret Agents Over the Years?", bring up cases from a hundred years ago.

“Master Simon, although DuPont does have some old grudges against you and was somewhat disrespectful to you before, isn’t it a bit despicable of you to have your underlings incite hatred against him? He’s still a minor.”

"What are you saying? If I really had those bad intentions, why would I be communicating with you? I would just pretend to be stupid and publish it tomorrow. Why would I need to ask you?" Simon said casually. "To be honest, these decisions were made by the parliament, not by me. And those old bastards stirred things up so I had to talk to you. Isn't this just making me get scolded?"

"...The council decided this?" Veronica sneered. "Is it because DuPont handled things relatively smoothly and seemed to have gotten those two bottles of essence quite easily, so they're only satisfied with pinning the blame on him?"

"To be honest, I feel like they thought so too." Simon answered very frankly: "Obviously, no one expected it to be resolved so easily, otherwise, how could they deserve such a generous reward? When I saw these two bottles of essence, I was even thinking of letting my brother take the blame and get it. But seeing that he didn't even get scolded much, they were definitely unwilling to accept it."

"Heh, being able to make the right choice in a very short time is a testament to ability. Zarason asked for so long before no one answered, otherwise how could I have gotten this benefit?" Veronica said, looking at the details in the newspaper: "I see that a lot of this is downplaying the incidents of the guards beating people and those masked men. It seems that the young lady and the baby-faced man were also involved, right?"

"See, I knew you, beautiful lady, were so perceptive. You would never wrong an innocent person like me, otherwise why would I willingly come here to be scolded?" Simon chuckled. "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. If I ever need anything, beautiful lady, you'll have to vote for me. Although my reputation isn't the best, I've never been stingy!"

"So this matter is settled, right?" Veronica frowned.

"You know what, just now someone was protesting that the vice speaker was abusing his power, that giving such a big benefit for such a small matter was a complete waste of the national treasury's precious resources, and even suggested that an investigation be launched to see if it was done because of your nepotism."

"Tch, he's so quick to talk back now, why didn't he answer back then?" Veronica retorted, but she felt a little uneasy inside.

To be precise, it was definitely his senior who used his authority to cheat.

The rarity of World Tree Essence, a potion that is almost as rare as a divine artifact, goes without saying. Normally, only DuPont would handle this matter, so even if he were generous, giving him just one bottle would be enough.

After confirming that she had accepted the order, her senior brother gave her two bottles. At that moment, many people's expressions changed. She herself was unsure whether the national treasury bill had been used for personal gain.

Although her mentor gave her a bottle when she was about to break through to the Archmage level, who would complain about having too much of this kind of thing, not to mention that she could also give it to Deva.

Items of this caliber are not even readily available in the national treasury. It's like how many members of parliament have to queue up to read the legendary book to increase their attributes, and that only adds 2 points each time.

It's no wonder that other members of parliament were very dissatisfied afterward.

At the time, the task was urgent and required secrecy, and Zara was tight-lipped and wouldn't offer any benefits, so none of the members of parliament were willing to do it.

If I had known earlier that this vice-speaker would be so generous, I could have found someone to take the blame, let alone the essence of the World Tree.

Putting everything else aside, there are definitely people in the security bureau who would be willing to do it.

Anyway, they don't care about fame or their legacy. They can get so much money that they don't care if they are dismissed or even go to jail in the end.

Doing this kind of dirty work for others, even if you're in prison, the treatment won't be bad. Who knows, after a few days you might be specially granted permission to be imprisoned on another planet. And when you're released, who will know?

Those old bastards are probably regretting it to death right now, so they're trying to find ways to annoy her.

“Sigh, people laugh at those who have none and hate those who do. Isn’t that just human nature? I hope you understand, beautiful lady.” Simon said, then sneezed. “It sounds like someone is cursing me. Oh well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. At least your disciple has become famous, hasn’t he? His right to speak with the council is real. He’ll be attending a council meeting at the end of the year. That’s a privilege that many high-level mages don’t have.”

"Two members of parliament from one family? This is something we haven't seen for many years since the old men stepped down and we took over. Who would have thought that you, a beautiful lady, would be the first to sit in this position?"

"Alright, that kind of talk only fools idiots, don't tell me that." Veronica shook her head: "By the way, has that assassin been confirmed as a follower of Shar?"

"Who knows? The fact that the dead man's skills are incomplete only confirms that this guy is a follower of the Raven Queen. But someone has to take the blame for this incident. Why not use such a useful villain as the Lady of the Night? Should we let the young lady apologize?" Simon said sarcastically when he mentioned this matter. "I think she would rather give up her position as a councilor than apologize to a group of apprentices."

"Heh, that suits her temperament..."

"Hey, you know what, I get the feeling she actually admires DuPont quite a bit." Simon suddenly changed the subject: "Everyone's saying he's Lavoisier's protégé now. Be careful this young lady doesn't try to steal him away. She might not be as strong as you, but I remember you two are a few years apart in age..."

Hearing this, Veronica's face turned cold: "Stop trying to sow discord. Is everything alright now? We'll see each other at the council if necessary."

The runestone dimmed, and Simon raised an eyebrow at the Storm Maiden sitting opposite him, a wicked smile on his face: "See, Miss? I told you she has a tough temper. It's unlikely you'll be able to poach her."

The Storm Queen shrugged, seemingly disappointed as she fiddled with her hair hanging down her shoulder: "Sigh, I just didn't expect my dear Nini to take on a male disciple. We used to promise to be sisters for life, this really hurts my feelings."

“Men certainly have their advantages; otherwise, why would marriage between men and women be the mainstream, with only a few gods willing to accept that kind of unblessed love?” Simon then stepped in front of her, his gaze profound: “Well, how about it? Interested in learning more about the inner qualities of the most handsome man in Yarakh?”

“Sorry, I’m not really interested in men of your age, even if you look young.” The Storm Girl shook her head and made a friendly gesture. “I prefer younger men.”

The light and shadow shattered, and the Storm Maiden's figure vanished, leaving only Simon with a somewhat self-doubting expression in the room.

"Sigh, am I already old?"

(End of this chapter)