Chapter 103: Choice Decor

Solomon had never been inside the dean’s office before. There had never been any reason.

And now that he was here, he couldn’t think about anything but leaving.

He could feel his skin crawling every time he turned his eyes to a new surface.

The mahogany hardwood floors were impeccably cleaned and smelled like they had been recently polished.

Every wall was lined with some form of trophy. Be it an old, worn weapon, a jewel the size of Dakota’s head, or framed letters written by famed nobles.

Solomon fantasized about burning the place down with him inside.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a chance to chat.” Raidis slips into the chair behind his desk.

He places his arms on the table and gives Solomon a very friendly look.

“Oh, but make no mistake, my boy. I’ve been keeping up on your exploits. For a first-year student, you are extremely impressive. Why, I can’t wait to see what strength you will boast as a fifth year.”

“…Thank you, Dean Raidis.”

Solomon thought he was going to be sick.

Raidis leans back in his chair.

“However that may be… I hear you had a small incident in Darrod. At the climax of your examination, no less. I’d like you to recount it for me.”

Solomon’s expression tightens. A fire roars deep within his belly and threatens to turn his vision red.

“…My teammate was injured. He was denied medical care that he desperately needed.”

“An instructor made a command.”

“And I took it upon myself to show him the error of that command. If he believed that medical care was such a non-necessity, I thought he should be the one to try and make it back to Academy grounds with no leg.”

“…”

Dean Raidis is silent for a long time. So long that the fire in Solomon’s stomach had time to subside.

Now, there was only a subtle regret. Choosing his words a bit more carefully might not have been the wrong decision to make.

“Kehehehe…. Kuhahahahahahaha!!!!” Dean Raidis throws his headback and lets loose a laugh that shakes the room.

He slaps his desk with an open palm, nearly splintering the wood.

Solomon’s entire body tensed.

He could feel it so clearly with just the laugh alone. The old man was unbelievably powerful.

Perhaps he could even give Gorgon a run for her money.

“That’s good! That’s wonderful! I was also this fiery and steadfast in my youth! We are cut from the same cloth, you and I!”

Nothing had ever insulted Solomon more.

The dean wiped a tear from his eye as he finally calmed down.

“Ah… I haven’t had a laugh that satisfying in centuries… You have my thanks for that, truly.”

After regaining his poise, the Dean seemed to return to his usual smiling self.

“Anyways… Your words just now are all fine and dandy, but can you take responsibility for them? In the world at large, right and wrong are concepts written by the strong. And as things stand now, you are still…”

The Dean strokes his beard as he thinks of the most appropriate phrase. “Have you heard the expression centered around big fish in little ponds?”

“…I’m vaguely familiar.”

“Ah, yes, that then.” The dean nods. “Every man should stand firm upon their choices. If you live to see your journey to it’s climax, I do believe the lesson you will learn shall be most invaluable.”

Solomon’s brow furrows. “…You do not intend to punish me?”

The dean looked genuinely confused. “I have a bed that needs making every morning, but I fail to see how that chore would help to strengthen you.”

“…”

If the dean was joking, Solomon failed to see the punchline.

Suddenly, the old man waives his hand in the air as if to dismiss the conversation entirely.

“Well, all of that unfortunate business aside… It seems you have become quite close with your group members. They are lucky to have a captain who defends them so fiercely.”

Solomon felt a tension settle within his stomach once more. He chooses his next words very carefully.

“I am responsible for them. I only did as I felt I should.”

Somehow, it seems as though the smile the Dean shows him has become just a little bit more real.

“I see… A fine mindset to have. You will be an exemplary general one day if you continue on this path. Perhaps with the young Nila by your side eh?”

All of the blood in Solomon’s body slows to a crawl. His heart feels like it is going to leap out of his chest.

“What…?”

The dramatic shift in his voice puts off the dean. “Oh, no? She is quite the vibrant young lady, and you two seemed rather close, so I suspected-”

“She is like my sister, and nothing more. Never in my life have I deigned to set eyes upon her, and that is the way it shall remain.”

Solomon’s tone was unyieldingly firm. His mind was racing with thoughts of dangerous possibilities. Just as he feared for Yari’s safety on a now daily basis, he now worried about Nila’s as well.

It took everything inside of him not to cause a scene.

He stands up abruptly and bows his head. “I am sorry, sir, but I truly must be going. My group members tend to get a little… restless without me.”

Solomon starts to walk away before the dean can say anything else. He almost makes it to the door when the old man calls out for him a final time.

“Ah, one moment, young Solomon. I wanted to get your opinion on something…”

Dean Raidis stands up and holds out his hand towards his rows of treasures.

In particular, he points out a fist-sized gem that closely resembles a reptilian eye.

“A small decorating question for you… I was thinking about taking this piece out of my office, since it doesn’t seem to match the overall aesthetic of the place… tell me, what do you feel when you look at it?”

Solomon briefly glances at the piece of ornate decor.

“…Nothing.” He says simply.

The dean looks disappointed, but not surprised. “Ah, well… can’t blame an old fella for trying to liven up his surroundings now, can you?”

“No, sir.”

The dean takes his seat once more and restricts his attention to a stack of papers on his desk. “Alright then, off you get. Don’t want to keep those precious friends of yours waiting, eh?”

Solomon lowers his head in a bow before finally opening the door and making his way outside.

He behaves normally, at least until he turns the corner.

Then, he uncontrollably breaks into a full sprint.

He doesn’t slow up until he is outside the school, and deep within the forest.

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