novelraw Chapter 102: Preparing for The Jade State League
Chapter 102: Preparing for The Jade State League
"It's a deal!" Fly retracted his Beast Totem and brought his fists together in a traditional martial salute toward Reginald Cross.
"Mr. Carter, as Fly's homeroom teacher, you'll be in charge of coordinating this matter," Reginald Cross said, nodding in satisfaction.
"Understood, Chairman." Mr. Carter's reply was crisp and decisive. Seizing the moment now that the dust had settled, he quickly grabbed Fly, ready to leave before the Directors could change their minds.
Just as he was stepping out of the conference room, Fly turned his head for one last look at Grand Elder Alden. The old man had already reverted to his previous half-asleep state.
Seeing that the matter was settled, the other teachers also took their leave one after another.
And with that, the meeting was adjourned.
Soon, only Reginald Cross, Alistair Graves, Selene Penn, and a few other Directors remained in the room.
"Chairman Cross, aren't we indulging Fly a bit too much?" Vice Chairman Alistair Graves couldn't help but ask.
To manifest his Beast Totem and use a Skill in broad daylight like that...
It was a blatant display of disrespect toward The Board.
Slapping him with a severe disciplinary action would have been entirely justified.
"Vice Chairman Graves, when you were his age, were you anywhere near as powerful as Fly?" Reginald Cross replied bluntly.
Although he had been somewhat displeased with Fly's antics as well, he held immense respect for Grand Elder Alden. Since the Grand Elder had set the tone, Cross would firmly stand on Fly's side.
"We are all veterans in the education sector. Ask yourself honestly—how often do you come across a young prodigy like Fly?"
Forget the freshmen; even if you included the sophomores, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Beast Warrior as formidable as him.
"You can't just look at it that way. A Beast Warrior's strength is undeniably important, but nowadays, we emphasize well-rounded development. Someone like Fly, who has raw talent but is arrogantly conceited and defies authority, is a classic case of 'ability outstripping character'. I still believe it's necessary to have him write a self-reflection essay so he deeply understands his mistakes. I'm only suggesting this for his own good," Alistair Graves continued to argue.
"You have a point," Reginald Cross said. "However, The Jade State League is just around the corner. If we make a fuss over this and it ends up affecting Fly's performance in the tournament, then what?"
"That..." Alistair Graves was momentarily left speechless.
Having climbed his way up to his current position, he certainly wasn't an idiot. He naturally caught the underlying warning in Cross's words.
If he continued to argue, he would inevitably be branded with the label of 'hindering preparations for The Jade State League.' If Fly actually ended up losing the competition, Graves would be the one held responsible.
"So, Chairman Cross, your intention is to let Fly focus entirely on preparing for the League?" Seeing the tide turning against him, Graves swiftly changed his tune.
"Isn't this quite interesting?" Reginald Cross chuckled. "Our school... no, our entire Star City hasn't seen a student like Fly in a very long time."
"In the past, the students participating in The Jade State League never actually believed they could win the championship. To them, it was just a state-level tournament where taking part was all that counted."
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"Now, we finally have a student who dares to make bold claims, who is absolutely determined to conquer The Jade State League. Why on earth should we suppress that?"
"That courage alone is enough to earn my respect."
"Most importantly, you are all experts in Martial Studies. Could you really not see the nuances in Fly's Beast Totem?"
Reginald Cross's gaze swept across the remaining Directors in the conference room.
He had heard the news about Grandmaster Muse hosting an art exhibition at the gallery and attracting countless young talents.
Furthermore, that event had just taken place today.
No matter how incredible Grandmaster Muse was, it was impossible for him to completely transform Fly in a mere half-day.
At most, he could clear up some confusions and point Fly in the right direction for his future cultivation.
Based on this reasoning, Reginald Cross believed that Fly's current strength wasn't entirely due to Grandmaster Muse's influence.
"If my guess is correct, Grandmaster Muse merely provided Fly with an opportunity for evolution."
"And that is exactly what makes Fly so terrifying."
After Cross finished speaking, the other Directors also revealed expressions of sudden realization.
"If Chairman Cross hadn't pointed it out, I would have completely overlooked that fact."
"So you're saying Fly practically climbed his way up step by step, relying on his own innate talent? Looking at it that way, he truly is a rare young prodigy."
"No wonder Grand Elder Alden thinks so highly of him. It truly takes a keen eye to spot a diamond in the rough."
...
Listening to the chorus of praises from the Directors, Selene Penn, who had remained in the room, felt a rather complicated mix of emotions.
What a bunch of flip-floppers.
Hearing these overly flattering remarks, Reginald Cross also felt a bit exasperated. He suddenly turned to Selene Penn. "Principal Penn."
"Yes, Chairman Cross?"
"I heard that Genevieve, Valerius, and a few other freshmen also attended Grandmaster Muse's exhibition, and their performances were quite impressive?" Reginald Cross asked softly.
"That's correct. They were among the few young Martial Warriors who dared to step up to the challenge. Although they didn't pass Grandmaster Muse's trial like Fly did, they managed to hold out in the trial for quite a while, which speaks volumes about their talent."
"Jett's performance was slightly weaker, but it was still commendable."
"What do you have in mind, Chairman Cross?" Selene Penn already had an inkling of what he was getting at.
But some things were better left to be said by the Chairman of the Board.
"Well," Reginald Cross nodded, "I was actually thinking that this whole situation is an excellent opportunity."
"First of all, the quality of this year's freshmen is incredibly high. Secondly, Fly has received guidance from Grandmaster Muse."
"It's highly likely that a large part of Fly's confidence stems from Grandmaster Muse's backing."
"Moreover, if they can actually secure a top finish in The Jade State League—even if it's not the championship—it will be enough to make the outside world reevaluate Star City High's strength. When that happens, there's no doubt that more talented kids will choose our school."
"In addition, the budget issues that have been plaguing the school might also be resolved in one fell swoop."
No matter the era, true strength and solid results were the ultimate bargaining chips.
Why did Sovereign City, Willow City, Sycamore City, and Laurel City receive such massive education budgets every year?
Simply because their schools consistently achieved outstanding results year after year.
If Fly could actually get his wish and lead Star City High to the championship...
The school could use those results to demand a larger education budget and attract more investments from corporate bosses.
"I propose we grant Fly and his team round-the-clock access to the Gravity Chamber. Additionally, we should allocate an extra two million as preparation funds for this League."
"Thank you, Chairman Cross." Selene Penn didn't miss a beat, immediately expressing her gratitude for his generosity. She was effectively putting him on a pedestal, making it impossible for him to back down without losing face.
Seeing this, the other Directors present also quickly voiced their agreement with Cross's arrangement.
"Alright, since that's settled, notify Mr. Carter and have him coordinate the details."
At this moment, the fundamental policy of fully supporting Fly and the others in their preparations for The Jade State League was finally set in stone.
Selene Penn inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile...
After exiting the conference room, Fly parted ways with Mr. Carter and headed back to his dorm.
From the trial within The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering to his subsequent evolution, and then having to deal with the Directors... Fly was thoroughly exhausted by now.
However, despite his fatigue, upon returning to his room, Fly created a group chat and invited Mr. Carter, Dean Sterling, Genevieve, and 'Emperor' Valerius to join.
But...
When he scrolled down to Jett's contact, Fly hesitated for a moment.
After all, in terms of rankings, Jett couldn't even crack the top five among the freshmen.
Should he really include him in this Jade State League?
With that thought in mind, Fly ultimately decided not to pull Jett into the group chat.
However...
To Fly's surprise, just a few minutes after he created the group, Jett actually took the initiative to send him a message.
"U busy?"
Followed by an aggrieved emoji.