Anna and Mandy narrated in a few short lines everything they experienced these past days they spent under Headmaster Smith’s roof. It was a succinct account. Their time flashed by with a handful of books and a whole lot of nervous waiting, despite Headmaster Smith’s and Richard’s assurances that nothing overly horrible would happen to Wolf.

Most of the conversation involved advertising, listing and explaining Headmaster Smith’s and Richard’s extravagant last minute congratulatory gifts.

Wolf’s eye twitched more than once while the two crackpots nearly choked from suppressed laughter. If not for Anna and Mandy, they would’ve rolled on the floor just from Wolf’s constipated expression when Anna mentioned a Glowing-topaz orchid perfume, which Richard dug up from some forgotten corner of his Ring of Holding.

Finally, the inventory manifest ended. The three of them prepared to leave when Headmaster Smith handed Wolf an envelope.

“Here. This is for you.” He nodded curtly, his face solemn.

He confused Wolf for a bit. However, the young True-Namer couldn’t help taking the official-looking document.

“Go through that carefully when you’re alone. If you have questions, I’m always here.” Then Headmaster Smith motioned Wolf to leave.

The door closed, cueing the old stooges to burst into laughter. It was a good day. They got justice for a bunch of people, eliminated personages they found foul, earned some money and stole a few laughs while doing it.

“I must admit, Sir, I had my doubts.” Richard breathed in deeply, an ear-wide grin still stuck on his face. “You invested nearly two years into this plot, flirting with the fringes of Mage Academy Headmaster’s vow.”

“It was a gamble.” Lord of Steel nodded, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. “However, this time, the student wasn’t in danger. I made safety net after safety net to make certain things can’t go too poorly.”

Richard’s lip twisted. Lord of Steel’s safety nets were like all nets, full of holes; but he didn’t want to point it out. Instead, he had a question regarding Wolf. “Sir, that child officially graduated today. Correct?”

Headmaster Smith paused for a split second, then nodded. “Yes?”

“So, his Mage Academy experience, or student life experience, whatever he called it, ended. Right?”

Normally, Headmaster Smith would’ve nodded, without considering the question. However, it seemed like Richard was making a point, and Headmaster Smith didn’t see what it was. After thinking silently for a while, he still nodded.

“Yes?” A hint of hesitation entered his voice.

“Do you remember last year, when you asked him why he was screwing around your Mage Academy? He said he wanted to experience the life of an ordinary Mage Academy student?” Richard asked, and his boss nodded. Headmaster Smith’s memory was eidetic. By burning a sliver of Soul Force, he could recall any scene he witnessed since becoming a Seventh Order Mage.

“Well, he failed to attend ten classes total during his four years of being a student. He took only a handful of exams on time, the rest were makeup-tests. He spent eighty or ninety percent of his time wandering around, doing missions, while the rest he spent skipping classes.” Richard calmly listed Wolf’s ‘achievements’, counting them on his fingers. “He went through two to three thousand prostitutes, by my rough estimate. He beat up and castrated teachers and staff like a common thug. He screwed his mission counselor and explored the most dangerous danger zone in the duchy, outperforming you, before publicly beheading a dozen high nobles in front of everyone.”

“Your point being?” Headmaster Smith asked, still not seeing where Richard was going with this. He was well aware of Wolf’s feats.

“My point is…” Richard spoke calmly up to there, then started shouting. “How the fuck is that a life of a regular Mage Academy student? I graduated from this Mage Academy! I was a student here! A regular one! I don’t remember having such a Mage Academy experience! How about you? I’m over five times his age, and I haven’t even seen three thousand prostitutes in my life, let alone screwed them. Uncle Will had me live like a eunuch ‘till I was thirty, without allowing me to glance at women, fearing I’d do something stupid and ruin my potential. What was I doing, wasting my life in classrooms for nearly three decades?”

Richard started screaming with indignation, while Headmaster Smith listened, waiting for his friend’s nephew to vent. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“Well, to be fair to old Will, you really were a dumbass back when you were a kid, Dick.” Daniel Smith flashed one of his virtually extinct fond smiles.

“It’s Richard, Sir!” Richard exploded, showering his boss with spittle.

“Maybe it’s high time you had a child.” Headmaster Smith ignored the comment, stored the flying saliva and spoke seriously. “I don’t think you’ll reach the Second Order. Even if you do, it would be too late to sire descendants…”

“What about you, old man?” Richard’s indignation faltered after his boss doused him with a bucket of icy reality.

“I’m considering it.” Daniel Smith rubbed his chin, looking into the distance with dreamy eyes. “I still have two to three decades until I reach the Fourth Order. Then I can retire and start a family. If Archie can have such a genius child, why can’t I? He was my equal, and that’s giving him credit. Meaning, my child should be superior.”

Richard couldn’t tell whether the old man joked, but he heard an unknown emotion in his boss’s voice.

The dreamy look disappeared, and Lord of Steel focused. “For now, I must ensure we weather the upcoming Demon incursion.”

Before Richard’s eyes, the crazy Lord of Steel became a tired Daniel Smith. Even though his body appeared young and vital, his gaze revealed the burden of old age.

“You want to nominate him for the next Headmaster?” Richard suddenly asked and Daniel Smith nodded.

“He needs to figure out his second True Name, and learn how to properly Truename, but that’s a technicality. Once he knows and can use two True Names, he’s eligible for the role.” Headmaster Smith smirked. “It would be hilarious, a twenty-year-old Mage Academy Headmaster. I think that old fart in Highseat will shit himself.”

Daniel Smith closed his eyes, seeming crushingly ancient for an instant. He took a deep breath then exhaled. “Slaving away for a century would benefit him. I think it would temper that hot head of his and teach him patience. But he’s not the only odd one. I don’t know if you paid attention to the Thonburi girl during the trial?”

Richard shook his head. He couldn’t see Matilda. The scrying sensor focused on Wolf, not the audience.

“When the dead spoke, she wasn’t shaken one bit. When he decapitated those people, she didn’t blink. She simply watched blood spray in torrents.” Lord of Steel said, but Richard saw nothing important, so the Headmaster continued. “She was born the day the previous Maiden of Slaughter died of longevity in the Empire of Earthling. Matilda Thonburi’s life was blessed from birth, and her already flourishing family now enjoys an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.”

“You mean she’s the Maiden of Slaughter?” Richard’s skin crawled. He was unaware of the former saintess’s death. He didn’t even know that she had reincarnated amongst Earthlings.

Information rarely left an empire’s borders. Besides, the Maiden of Slaughter was a folktale for most manlings. Only the highest nobility knew this mythical figure really existed, and that she was more intimidating than her legends claimed.

In myths, the Maiden of Slaughter’s incarnation slew all who offended or threatened her. The reality was even harsher. The Maiden of Slaughter didn’t have to lift a finger. If she was in a hopeless situation, divine lightning rained, eradicating those who dared act against her.

She was a perfect candidate. The only problem was, Lord of Steel didn’t dare offer her the Headmaster’s mantle. He perceived it as a slave’s role. He feared whichever power watched over her could consider his action a plot, even if it lacked malicious intent.

“She appears to be.” Headmaster Smith mused. “Life is certainly throwing blessings and important people her way. Against all odds, she befriended Wolf Hillman and Wayde Northshield; people Marquess Thonburi’s daughter wouldn’t be allowed to talk to. One posed as a beggar, the other a fugitive hounded by a neighboring Duke. However, this is pure speculation…”

The mere possibility is enough to scare me into inaction. So, Wolf Hillman, you are my only adequate replacement. Too bad I failed Martha; otherwise I would’ve been free decades ago.

End of Part 3 - Experiencing Student Life