Chapter 193: Professor Nico’s Stress 2

Chapter 193

Professor Nico’s Stress 2

At the beginning of the school term, the second-year students would search for professors and enroll in the subjects that interest them. While students worried about finding a professor, it didn’t mean the professors were free from pressure.

Every professor wanted talented students, and the field of stratagem-making was no different. However, they didn’t just want talented students; the special requirement was...they also want those from high-status families. Otherwise, teaching them would be a waste. If the students lacked resources, they would end up as low-level stratagem creators. It might seem harsh, but the stratagem branch didn’t want to teach students without a future.

“Mmm, who is the one who sent me this precious gift from the 4th floor? I really want to know.”

“Indeed, this student has all the important qualities. All that’s left is talent,” the assistant agreed, but Professor Nico shook his head.

“I’m not concerned about this student’s talent. No matter who they are, I am ready to accept them as a disciple. It’s just that...”

“Just what?”

“It’s just that...I want to know how the sender knew that goblin parts were what we needed most. And I’m worried whether...it’s right to accept this student into my branch,” Nico sighed deeply. His branch already had plenty of work, and taking on a student who might cause future problems added to his stress.

After investigating, he found that only a few students were residing at the institute during this time. Considering who “might” have sent the valuable goblin parts, he could narrow it down to only the students all the professors were talking about. But...if he had to take a student from Professor Medik’s domain into the stratagem branch, he couldn’t imagine how the director would scold him.

It was rare for the institute to have a student who could win potion-concocting competitions, and he was about to ruin the future of such a student. Without even knowing if she would fare better or worse in the stratagem branch...he knew it wouldn’t be easy if she decided to come.

Nevertheless...what stressed him the most was...her outstanding qualifications. As the future lady of the Setter family, she could command great resources. Whatever valuable materials she played with, the Setter family would provide them almost within a single breath and without hesitation.

If today...he lost such an exceptional person...it might take thousands of years to find someone with such wealth again!!

Clearly, this situation was a classic case of gaining something precious while facing multiple issues. However, if he didn’t accept this valuable opportunity, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Professor, why do you speak as if you already know who sent these valuable goblin parts?” The assistant professor asked uncertainly. Nico merely waved his hand dismissively.

The sender’s identity would be revealed soon enough. For now, he had a little more time to think. Since the sender had not revealed themselves, he didn’t need to make any moves yet.

However...his thoughts were too simplistic. Did he think this troublesome student sent the goblin parts merely to request to be his disciple? If he thought that, he didn’t truly understand Ellie’s character.

Just 2 days later, while a number of students began arriving at the institute, an important figure appeared in the Botanical Building—the person Ellie had been waiting for.

“Professor Medik, Professor Lucien, I apologize for intruding, but...I...” Professor Nico, who had almost run to the Botanical Building at lightning speed, said, his face covered in sweat. It was evident that this was an urgent situation.

However, after entering the Botanical Building and seeing the young girl, the sole student there, helping Professor Medik with potion concocting, Nico felt like his heart was being torn apart.

How could he ask the girl if she still wanted to be his disciple when she had already started learning potion concocting with her mentor? But...if he didn’t ask, would he have another chance to talk to her?

Who would have thought that after receiving the goblin parts a few days ago, there would be an urgent need for them? But...the small amount of goblin parts wasn’t enough. He needed at least 5 more to be sufficient. This was an urgent mission for the institute. They had discovered a goblin nest that had recently moved nearby. To ensure the students’ safety, it was essential to quickly set up a stratagem to trap the goblins. They needed to eliminate the threat before it could harm the students.

However, 1 stratagem wouldn’t be enough!

He had urgently requested goblin parts as much as possible, but those were only low-level goblin parts. High-quality goblin parts from the 4th floor didn’t come up for sale often, making them a rare commodity in the market.

In normal circumstances, they might contact various families to exchange for high-level goblin parts, but was this a normal situation? Soon, students would be going on missions in the tower, and they might become victims of these goblins. Therefore, obtaining high-level goblin parts was urgent. But who could have these goblin parts?

Professor Nico could think of only one person, someone who could cover the sky with one hand: “the future lady of the Setter family,” who had easily given him the goblin parts as a gift.

However...

“Professor Nico? I never expected someone as busy as you to show up here.” Professor Lucien frown slightly. In truth, he was more curious about how the girl next to Medik had managed this.

He had thought Ellie was too complacent. No matter how much he urged her to approach Professor Nico and ask to become his direct disciple, she always responded indifferently. At that time, he thought she had given up. With many students soon arriving at the institute, reaching Professor Nico wouldn’t be easy. But what he hadn’t expected was that...Ellie hadn’t gone to him at all. Instead, Professor Nico had come running to Ellie himself!

Nico pondered for a moment before deciding to speak the truth.

“Lately, there has been a lot of work. Not long ago, you probably heard about the goblins establishing a settlement near the institute’s 2nd-floor city. If left unchecked, they could become a threat.”

“I initially received the necessary goblin parts for creating a stratagem to deal with the goblins from Student Ellie. With those, I was able to set up 1 stratagem to handle them. However, the goblins that migrated here number not just 10-20 but over 100, so it wasn’t enough with just 1 stratagem. The institute has asked me to create at least 5 more stratagems, if not more. But high-level goblin parts are not easy to come by.”

“That’s why I came to ask Student Ellie if she has more goblin parts. We can exchange for anything. The priority is to handle the goblins before the students face any danger.”

“As you both know, goblins don’t have particularly strong bodies, but they are quite intelligent. The city’s guards are trying to search for their settlement and eliminate them, but it’s difficult. These goblins are in remote forests and only come near the city to hunt.”

“If we can set up goblin extermination stratagems, the already overworked guards won’t have to patrol as much. The goblins will be drawn to the scent of the high-level goblin parts and enter our stratagems immediately. Then...there will be no more danger.”

Professor Nico explained the situation to everyone. Professor Medik and Professor Lucien had heard bits and pieces about the goblin horde near the city the institute managed. However, they hadn’t thought it would concern them. They hadn’t been assigned this task, and their current duties weren’t even finished. Who would have thought the girl in the Botanical Building would get involved?

Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing that Ellie had set a trap for Professor Nico. He wasn’t surprised that Ellie knew about the goblins. With the Setter family’s help, there was nothing Ellie couldn’t find out. This was a reasonable assumption, but he still didn’t know that Ellie had learned about these developments through her own abilities, independent of the Setter family.

Nonetheless, this misunderstanding worked in Ellie’s favor. Professors Lucien, Professor Medik, and Professor Nico all believed Ellie had received information from the Setter family and that she likely had the resources to help in this situation. It was no wonder Professor Nico rushed to Ellie before anyone else.

“So, Professor Nico, what do you plan to exchange with Ellie? What do you think she doesn’t already have?” Medik intervened to help his student. Previously, Ellie had mentioned wanting to be Nico’s direct disciple to create stratagems and earn more points.

Although Medik didn’t agree with this, in the long run, if Ellie truly became the lady of the Setter family, using resources to create stratagems and support the family would strengthen her position. Therefore...Medik didn’t discourage her.

Nico was slightly taken aback. The question clearly troubled him. Initially, he hadn’t planned to exchange anything. Receiving the goblin parts as a gift indicated the intention to be his direct disciple. However...he had been overly confident, thinking she would come to him eventually. He never expected trouble to happen first. Seeing Ellie now, it wasn’t surprising he mistakenly thought she had already become Medik’s direct disciple.

However...

“I originally thought this student might want to be my direct disciple. I didn’t expect she would take you as her main mentor. Therefore, I admit I have nothing to offer her in exchange,” Nico straightforwardly confessed. What could he possibly offer Ellie, backed by the powerful Setter family?

“Hmm? It seems Professor Nico has misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood?” Nico looked at Medik, who was younger than him, in surprise. What had he misunderstood?

“You’re correct that Ellie is my student, but that’s because she can use botanic powers. As for being a direct disciple, I don’t have one. Who would want to learn potion concocting from me?” Medik spoke with a hint of melancholy, his negative thoughts slowly surfacing.

“Professor Nico might have misunderstood. Ellie is a student of botanic element so she get to learn many things that might be useful for botanical magic users, but her main interest remains in creating stratagems with you,” Lucien interjected, preventing Medik from emitting negative energy any further.

“Really?” Despite her talent in potion concocting, Professor Medik didn’t persuade her to become his direct disciple?...Heh, heh, heh. Now, Nico’s chaotic thoughts began to calm slightly.

He had thought that taking a student who had talent in potion concocting as his disciple might invite criticism from the institute’s superiors. However, he didn’t realize the girl’s situation was so complex.

In the future, she could continue making potions. Because she was a user of botanic power, she could learn from Medik as a specialized element professor, and simultaneously become his direct disciple to study stratagem creation? Wasn’t this the perfect solution?

“If that’s the case...Student Ellie, do you wish to become my direct disciple?” Professor Nico looked at the girl who was carefully stirring a potion. Ellie looked up and smiled politely.

“Of course. By giving you that gift, I have already expressed my intention to become your disciple.”

“Haha, good, good. Then...hand over your personal crystal. From now on, you will need to study stratagem creation with me for 2-3 hours on days without other classes. I will start by teaching you simple stratagems and see how talented you are. If you have significant talent, I will teach you high-level stratagems before you graduate. If not, I promise you will master basic low-level stratagems before finishing your studies.”

“Thank you, Professor. Here is my personal crystal. And these are...7 goblin parts from the 4th floor. I hope they will help you.”

“Haha, good girl,” Professor Nico laughed heartily, while Professor Medik’s face darkened with envy. If it weren’t for Professor Lucien standing nearby to console him, he might have said something that would have filled both Professor Nico and Ellie with negative energy.