Chapter 39: Detention

The bell rang right on time. After politely bidding farewell to Principal Angelo, who sat at the podium, the students filed out of the lecture hall. The Principal smiled and waved goodbye to them one by one. Once the room was empty and quiet, two students remained, sitting perfectly still without a word.

Lin Nian and Caesar had been kept after class.

This left both of them feeling quite helpless. For a freshman and a newly enrolled student to be detained by the Principal was hardly a good look. Caesar even worried whether this might affect the public perception of his campaign for Student Union President. Yet, there was nothing to do but sit tight; the Principal, known as the strongest hybrid, was guarding the only exit from his seat at the podium, so no one was slipping away today.

"It seems you have already gotten to know each other, which is a good start," Angelo said, nodding at the two sitting together in the back row. "Let me state clearly: you can rest easy. I didn't keep you here because of your tardiness or your chatter about Disney princesses during my lecture... But, I wanted to test whether my teaching quality has declined in recent years, so I intend to ask you a few questions based on the lecture. Please take this seriously, as I will consider factoring your answers into your final semester grade."

Lin Nian blinked, showing little reaction, while Caesar's facial muscles twitched unnaturally, though he managed to maintain his usual composure.

"Don't be nervous. They are just simple questions," the Principal said with a smile.

"Your enemy will always understand you better than you understand yourself. I touched on this during class: Attila’s process of destroying the Western Roman Empire was arduous. This was largely due to the city’s reconstruction over the years. Pope Leo I had the city streets redesigned in the shape of Dragon Runes, stamping them onto the Roman landscape like a drawing. The power of the Spirit, embedded within the city, became the greatest aid in resisting Attila." Angelo pressed his ten fingers together and lowered his head. "Yet, Rome fell in the end. Attila used a certain method to destroy this centuries-old layout. What method did he use, and what was the specific technique? Caesar, you answer."

"Attila recalled his sleeper agents within Rome and blew up the largest public bathhouse in the city center. The hot water flowed along the streets in every direction, like a flood engulfing the roots of the World Tree. The 'order' of the Spirit that protected the city was broken. The water element eroded the fire element on a massive scale, causing the entire defensive structure of the city to collapse," Caesar answered, standing up.

"A good answer, but you left out the specific technique, so this question only counts as half-correct," Angelo said. "Lin Nian, you answer the part about the technique. I should have covered it in class."

"Spirit: Monarch's Flame. Your exact words in class were: 'It was like a napalm bomb exploding in the bathhouse; the light illuminated the sky over half of Rome. Even in the dead of night, one could see the terrified and helpless faces of the Roman people under the power of the Dragon King,'" Lin Nian replied, standing up.

"It is interesting that modern critics say the idea of Romans dying in a bathhouse is not mere hearsay," Caesar remarked, shrugging.

Angelo looked down at the natural marble floor of the lecture hall. "It seems you were indeed listening carefully. Yes, it was indeed the Monarch's Flame that destroyed the Great Baths of Rome. That is why, when the Secret Party archaeologists discovered this, they believed Attila was one of the noble First Generation—the monarch who sat on the throne of bronze and set the world ablaze."

"The Four Monarchs, Norton," Caesar said.

"But that conjecture was later overturned because the timeline did not match. At the same time the Great Baths were destroyed, the Hun army outside the city began their assault, led by Attila himself. Thus, whoever released the Monarch's Flame was merely a servant under Attila, which does not support the theory that Attila was the King of Bronze and Fire," Angelo nodded slightly. "If it had been Norton, perhaps Attila wouldn't have died so simply. At the very least, there would have been fireworks worthy of his status to accompany his funeral."

"Attila died of poisoning. History records that he died suddenly after a night of drinking; a nasal hemorrhage in his sleep caused blood to flood his throat, leading to suffocation. But in truth, the real cause of death was a mixture of alchemical poison combined with lizard bone powder containing dragon bloodlines. The person who poisoned him was his wife, the Western Roman princess Honoria. After being poisoned, he was killed by the assassin codenamed 'Emerald Hybrid,' Idyll," Lin Nian answered, anticipating the question Angelo had yet to ask.

"Know yourself and know your enemy. Attila spent years in the Western Roman court, mapping out the city's entire defense layout, and during the war, he used only a single servant to effortlessly dismantle the plan the Pope had painstakingly laid out for years. Conversely, Honoria sacrificed herself by marrying Attila; after fully understanding the Dragon King's physical structure, she precisely formulated the alchemical poison that sent him into the cycle of the bone-vessel," Angelo gestured with his hands, his expression calm. "The history of the Dragon Race and humanity is just like this: learning from each other, understanding each other, and finally taking up the butcher's knife to strike at the other's weakest point. Too many stories in history have taught us these truths, and Dragon Genealogy is the course that reveals this history."

"Impressive," Caesar nodded.

"Is the dragon's weakest point their emotions?" Lin Nian suddenly asked.

"It seems you have a question. Although class is over, we are still in the classroom, so feel free to ask," Angelo said, lifting his head.

"If Attila knew Honoria hated him, why did he cross mountains and seas to reach the gates of Western Rome and take her home as his wife?"

"Regarding that, I am sorry to say I do not know," Angelo said. "Some say Attila's goal was not Honoria at all, but that this woman was linked to other, more important secrets. History proves Honoria was a complete human; unfortunately, she carried no hybrid bloodline. She was a mortal through and through, yet she successfully poisoned Attila and slaughtered this brutal King of the Huns."

"So, do dragons also possess human emotions?" Lin Nian pressed.

"Dragons have never communicated with humans. Their awakening inevitably brings brutal vengeance. We have yet to find an opportunity to verify this topic, so it remains a long-debated classic question. I am sorry I cannot give you a definitive answer now. Perhaps in the future, you will have the chance to find a real Dragon King and ask him yourself." Angelo smiled and stepped down from the podium, clapping his hands. "Congratulations, you have passed this round of questioning. Now, let’s talk about why I kept you here."

Caesar and Lin Nian stiffened slightly, realizing the real business was about to begin. Angelo looked at each of their faces in turn, his gaze finally resting on Caesar. "Let’s start with your matter, Caesar. I received greetings from your uncle, Frost, yesterday. Do you have any idea why?"

Upon hearing the name Frost, a flicker of disgust appeared on Caesar's face, though he regained his composure within a second. "I suspect it’s about the Field Tactics course. He feels I am not ready and should not set foot on the battlefield between hybrids and dragons."

"And do you feel you are ready? I pride myself on being an educator, so I must listen to the attitudes of both students and parents and then make a choice and reconcile them. I already understand your uncle's stance; after all, his letter did not start with 'Dear Principal Hilbert Jean Angelo,' but with 'You son-of-a-bitch Angelo.' I think I understand his meaning quite clearly." Angelo shrugged. "But I still want to know your attitude. You should know that the Field Tactics course in the second half of freshman year is not an observational class. The instructor is Professor von Schneider, whose principle is to throw all reservists into the meat grinder without hesitation. Those who crawl out alive are the dragon slayers who will go down in history! Therefore, it is highly probable that people will die in this course. Casualties among freshmen have been frequent in past years, which is why we require every student to sign a repatriation form for their remains before the course begins."

"If the Principal is trying to scare me off to align with my uncle's wishes, he will likely be disappointed. My answer is that I will attend the Field Tactics course. Frost's opinion does not represent the entire Gattuso family. The current patriarch is not dead yet; it is not for him to decide my path—and besides, even if that old stallion were alive, he could not sway my decision," Caesar said coldly.

"It is good for a young man to have some pride and temper, but you must learn to moderate it," Angelo said. "I understand your stance. I will report this to the Board of Trustees; after all, the Gattuso family holds a significant position there. Once the result is out, NOMA will notify you."

"If the Principal considers a reply, I hope you will consider adding this postscript: tell them this is Caesar Gattuso insisting on using the Principal's pen to retort to the Gattuso family," Caesar said. "If the family reaches out their hand that far again, perhaps I will reconsider changing my surname to Gulveig."

"I will consider adding that to the postscript. I imagine Frost will be so grateful at the next Board of Trustees meeting that he will throw an ashtray at my face," Angelo nodded with a smile. "You may leave now. Next, it is your turn, Lin Nian."

"Before I leave, if the Principal doesn't mind, I’d like to mention that the Student Union is hosting a party at the Annes Pavilion tonight. If you're interested, Lin Nian, you can bring your sister along. The Student Union welcomes you both." Caesar patted Lin Nian on the shoulder, gave him a dashing smile, and turned to walk down the aisle. He nodded to Angelo as he passed, exited the lecture hall, and closed the door behind him.

Now, only Angelo and Lin Nian remained in the lecture hall. Lin Nian looked at Angelo, who was leaning against the podium with his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to say. He eventually waited in silence for the other to speak first.

After a long while, Angelo spoke.

"Actually, compared to the Student Union, I would prefer you to join the Lionheart Society."

Seeing Lin Nian startle, Angelo shook his head with a smile. "The Lionheart Society hasn't produced talent capable of leading the pride in a long time."

"Was the Principal once a member of the Lionheart Society?" Lin Nian asked.

"One of the original members," Angelo nodded. "Of course, I don't mean that the Student Union is inferior to the Lionheart Society; I just feel that you might find better development within the Lionheart Society."

"Political development?"

"No, something else." Angelo smiled and shook his head. "Everything depends on you. The Student Union and the Lionheart Society are essentially no different; both are secret societies born for the purpose of dragon slaying. We all shoulder the mission of slaying dragons."

"Today was my first class at Cassel College, and I am very glad that this class was your Dragon Genealogy, which allowed me to understand the existence of the Dragon Race more deeply..."

"There is always a 'but' after kind words, isn't there?" The Principal smiled.

"But..." Lin Nian paused before continuing, "Forgive my bluntness, but I still find it difficult to fully identify with the 'mission of dragon slaying' that the college promotes."

"That is why the Field Tactics course exists to this day. Empty talk on paper always leaves a layer of undried ink between people and reality. Only by piercing the paper with the tip of a blade can one truly smell the blood of this so-called 'mission,'" the Principal said. "Actually, this topic also concerns one of the reasons I kept you here. This morning, I received an application from NOMA. You might not be familiar with the submitter—it is the Director of the Department of Execution, Professor von Schneider. He has suggested to me that you also be included in the Field Tactics course for the second half of freshman year."