A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

In the conference room, all members of the college teachers' group were seated at one side of the long table.

The moth sat solemnly in the main seat, its expression dignified.

Gojo Satoru leaned back in his chair, casually twirling a pen he'd somehow found.

Atsuya Kusakabe crossed his arms, Kenji Nanami sat upright, and Shoko Ieiri closed her eyes to rest.

There were only three student representatives: Kinji Shirai, Yuta Otsuko, and Thorn Inuyama.

As for Hoshiki Kiraro, Zenin Maki, Panda, and the other third-year students, they are all scattered in various classrooms waiting for news because they have not yet reached the threshold of a first-level mage.

Assistant directors Kiyotaka Ijichi, Akira Nitta, and Takuma Ino also accompanied him at various locations.

Therefore, only Mingming was able to attend the auxiliary supervision team, as she herself was a special case who possessed both strength and intelligence processing capabilities.

On the other side of the long table were Theo and his entourage.

Theo sat opposite Principal Moth, his posture as straight as a sculpture.

Xia Youjie sat calmly opposite Wutiao Wu.

Manami Suda, Toshihisa Miki, Laru, and Miguel Odur took their seats on either side in turn, all remaining silent.

As for Mimiko Kasaba and Nanako Kasaba—the two children who were transferred to the first grade—they should already be in the classroom.

Hopefully, there won't be any conflict between them, Maki, and Panda at the beginning of their acquaintance.

A quick glance revealed that the room contained four top-tier sorcerers and eleven first-tier sorcerers.

In terms of combat strength, this ordinary conference room has gathered nearly half of the top elites in the Earth's sorcery world.

Before the meeting began, the group had already taken a quick walk around the campus.

The environment was fairly clean, but the training equipment and facilities were rather rudimentary. The canteen was small and ordinary, like a roadside eatery, which did not match the status of the Spellcasting Academy in the world of spellcasting.

"Violent organizations do not always need to display violence."

Dio spoke first.

More often than not, what they need to demonstrate is their financial resources and vision.

How can an environment like this attract more outstanding students to participate?

"Principal Moth, could you tell me how much funding the higher authorities allocate to each higher vocational college each year?"

"Eight hundred million yen (approximately 36 million yuan)."

Moth adjusted his sunglasses and answered truthfully.

"After all, we have a limited number of teachers and students."

Besides me, the principal, there are only four teachers: Satoru, Atsuya, Kento, and Shoko, as well as assistant supervisors and freelance artists stationed in Tokyo, including Kiyoshi Ijichi.

There are currently nine students in total, and each of them will receive a stipend of approximately 20 million yen, which is not a small amount.

"But as far as I know, the allowance is relatively fixed regardless of how many tasks are completed?"

Theo leaned forward slightly and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

"Ultimately, it's a job that requires a lot of hard work—doesn't the system itself seem a bit too sloppy?"

"...Undeniably," Moth paused for a moment, "because of the severe shortage of manpower, both teachers and students are facing a very high frequency of tasks. From this perspective, it is an objective fact that the allowance does not match the risk."

"In that case, I plan to bring my own funding to the production team."

Xia Youjie took over the conversation.

"I will invest 4 billion yen in my alma mater, which will be distributed in five annual installments."

With this money, the school can improve its infrastructure, expand its enrollment, and increase student and faculty welfare and allowances.

At least, it will prevent future generations from having to waste their passion in an overly restrictive environment.

"Just make do?" Gojo Satoru immediately raised an eyebrow, retorting in an exaggerated tone, "It's not that bad, is it? The training ground is big enough, the cafeteria's set meals are decent, and the dorms have air conditioning, so at least it's warm in winter and cool in summer—"

"Enlightenment".

Xia Youjie interrupted him with a smile, his eyes carrying a hint of "we both know what's going on" teasing.

How many days do you usually live at school?

When you evaluate the quality of "conditions," do you subconsciously forget to compare "the school" and "your home" on the same scale?

"Ah..." Gojo Satoru blinked, as if he had suddenly had some self-evident cognitive bias exposed, and was speechless for a moment.

The Gojo family owns properties and villas all over Japan, and he grew up at the top of the resource-rich world.

He can use "unlimited techniques" to achieve near-instantaneous mobility, and the concepts of distance and time cost are meaningless to him.

Moreover, he has both parents and a healthy family relationship. In a sense, he is still a "child" pampered by his family and his talent.

While the college holds youthful memories and responsibilities, and can almost be considered another "home," it is ultimately just his workplace, and he spends very little time living there.

Using this almost "let them eat cake" standard, which is based on top-tier family background and the ability to break the rules, to judge the objective material conditions of a school for the children of ordinary sorcerers.

Its conclusions naturally lack universality and even carry a hint of unintentional arrogance.

Gojo Satoru scratched his white hair and readily admitted this small blind spot in his understanding: "It seems... that's how it is."

A few soft laughs rang out in the meeting room, and the atmosphere relaxed a little as these old friends tacitly undermined each other, the awkwardness and unfamiliarity quietly dissolving.

Xia You then began a long and frank recounting.

From parting ways with Gojo Satoru on the streets of Shinjuku ten years ago, to rebuilding the "Panxing Cult" to contain curses and recruit companions, to dealing with the Curse Control Department, and the ever-expanding yet gradually emptying "righteousness" in his heart...

No detail is too small to be embellished.

He presented his ten years of detours, struggles, obsessions, and loneliness to his former teachers and friends, like unfolding a blood-stained scroll.

"...I once stubbornly pursued a flawed vision in order to build what I called a 'paradise'."

Xia Youjie concluded, his voice filled with exhaustion and relief.

Ironically, I still cannot give a definitive answer as to what a sorcerer's "paradise" should look like.

He looked at Theo beside him, his eyes filled with undisguised gratitude and a sense of relief, as if he had been "saved".

"It was Mr. Theo who woke me up, not just with his fists, but with his... completely different way of being and attitude towards life."

Moreover, he happened to be able to replicate my "Spirit Manipulation Technique," and we became fellow travelers who could understand and support each other.

Wu, you should know best that I used to complain that "no one knows the taste of the cursed spirit." That feeling of loneliness, with no one to empathize with me, almost drove me crazy.

I am so grateful to have met Theo.

This made me decide to abandon that unrealistic fantasy of extinction and return to the more clumsy, but perhaps more correct, old path—to seal and suppress all the cursed spirits until my body is completely consumed by fire.

After listening to the long speech, the conference room fell silent.

Xia Youjie's gaze slowly swept over each familiar or unfamiliar face, and finally he softly uttered a sentence that sounded like a proverb, both a farewell to his past and a definition of his future:

Death is not scary.

Death is like a cool summer night, a time for peaceful, carefree sleep.

Living, especially with indelible sins and inescapable responsibilities, and living consciously, is like walking alone in a scorching, endless desert.

That's what truly requires courage!