Magic Genius of the Fallen Dukedom - Chapter 5.1
Individual Consultation
In the main conference room, two professors were seated. The elderly man, dressed in a neat suit despite his lean stature, was Professor Shreilmer, the head of the Magic Department. Sitting on the higher seat, a man wearing white gloves was Phaedon, who held the position of Chairman of Hibernium’s Discipline Committee.
“My apologies for the late hour. Professor Platinum is always so energetic,” said Phaedon.
“No problem at all. If there’s any misunderstanding, it’s best to clarify it quickly,” replied Shreilmer.
Shreilmer had received Phaedon’s summons on his way out from work. Hearing that it was regarding a case of professorial misconduct involving a student named Aden Myon, he quickened his pace.
He had been keeping an eye on Aden.
He was a quiet and diligent boy to the point where his lack of talent seemed pitiable.
Could it be that Professor Platinum, being such a reckless person, had clashed with him?
It was hard to believe he would insult a professor.
“There’s a tendency for the discipline within the school to become lax. We intend to handle this matter according to the rules.”
“That’s the way it should be. I agree that it’s not about favoring the powerful, but rather listening to both sides and handling things fairly according to the school’s regulations.”
“Of course.”
They call it the ivory tower, but it’s not a fair place.
If dealing with a professor, the student could only be considered weak, especially in the Magic Department, which is practically at the mercy of the academy.
Shreilmer expressed his unwillingness to tolerate the persecution of students for the sake of setting an example.
The door opened.
“I brought him.”
Platinum, who had set out with enthusiasm to catch the troublesome fellow himself, returned with a troubled expression.
Following behind, Aden appeared calm.
“While the students summoned to such occasions entered with their heads bowed, his gaze was straight ahead, and there was no hesitation in his steps.
The last female student to enter closed the door.
“You’re late.”
“That insolent fellow was so afraid of discipline that he locked himself in the Hevriata training room and staged a protest. Even after the professor ordered him to open the door several times, he refused. We brought him and the one who aided him here.”
Shreilmer furrowed his brow.
“Though this is an ad hoc committee, it is an official position. Let us not judge our students recklessly.”
“What? Are you going to be lenient with the one who’s clearly in the wrong?”
“We’re not sure if he’s truly in the wrong yet. Even if he is, isn’t it a teacher’s role to guide the student onto the right path? We shouldn’t disregard the dignity of the other party.”
“Is someone who speaks informally and disregards their teacher a student? Someone who doesn’t regard their teacher as such has no right to learn.”
Phaedon raised his hand to interject.
“Aden Myon. Is it true that you spoke informally to Professor Platinum during class?”
Aden raised his eyebrows in surprise, then placed his hand on his chest and spoke.
“The professor first requested that we step outside the teacher-student relationship and engage in a conversation between nobility and commoners. I simply followed.”
“When did I do that?”
“You referred to yourself as a commoner three times, and you even called yourself a common mage once. In the end, you even addressed me respectfully as the future duke.”
Platinum’s expression twisted.
He might have mentioned being a duke, but did he really say all that?
“Did he guy keep track of the titles and frequencies accurately?”
“You said he doesn’t regard his teacher as such, but if he truly didn’t, would he have responded only to someone who insulted his family?”
It was Platinum who first threw the brick and insulted a noble family.
Considering the positions of teacher and student, I just followed ‘as requested’, but if he didn’t truly regard his teacher as such, he wouldn’t have left it at that.
Platinum, who was at a loss for words, brought up another matter.
“That’s not all, is it! You pointed out every detail of the textbook and humiliated me!”
“Oh, are you talking about the book that you’ve written, Professor?”
Aden smirked.
“The author is Platinum Weninges, right. Ah… Is that you, Professor? Just with the same name…”
Platinum’s face flushed with anger.
Originally, his surname was Ron.
Feeling inferior with a surname too common, he replaced it with one that exuded a noble aura as much as possible when publishing.
From the corner of Aden’s mouth, tilted as he mocked his base desires, Platinum caught a faint smirk.
Clearly, it was mockery.
“I apologize for criticizing you in front of you unintentionally, but is criticism a sin in the Hall of Intellect?”
“That wasn’t criticism but an intention to insult me!”
“Was there anything wrong with the errors I pointed out?”
Unable to respond, Phaedon stepped forward.
“But it was a classroom and during class.”
“That was my recklessness.”
“Even if Professor Platinum seemed to provoke it and we overlook the insult to the professor itself, the deed has been done, and everyone in that class witnessed it. With the professor’s authority undermined, so Aden, you can no longer attend that class.”
“Oh right! I couldn’t raise my head because of my foolishness—”
“Quiet.”
At Phaedon’s rebuke, Platinum flinched and lowered his head. Phaedon, the chairman of discipline and a 6th-circle mage, was not someone to be trifled with.
“Although there won’t be a separate disciplinary action, failing to complete Magic Taxonomy will result in a failing grade.”
“That’s unfair.”
Shreilmer intervened.
“Both parties acted recklessly, so it’s unfair to unilaterally impose a failing grade on the student just to uphold the professor’s authority.”
“If Aden continues attending that class, the class atmosphere will be disrupted. Other students shouldn’t have to bear the consequences. We can’t make exceptions by transferring him to another class without any valid reason in the middle of the semester.”
“Are you suggesting that we don’t fail him then? As the department head, I can’t accept this decision.”
“Do you have any other alternatives, then?”
With Platinum sidelined, now it was a tense standoff between Pheadon and Shreilmer.
Aden, unexpectedly finding himself in the spotlight, raised his hand.
“Um… what if we do it like this?”
