Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Morningstar University Campus
"So, how do I go about this?" I asked Henricks as I glanced down at the Morningstar University campus hovering above it.
"What do you mean, boss?" Henricks replied in confusion, not knowing what exactly his young boss was asking about.
"You know — do I go find the dean or something?" I enquired again, not knowing how to go about the ultimatum I gave to Morningstar University. It’s not that I didn’t know what to do, it’s just that I couldn’t help feeling like the villain in the scenario.
No, I don’t think I am in the wrong. It’s just that the harmonious and tranquil atmosphere of the university campus was too infectious. It made me hesitant about rashly destroying the tranquility and peace.
It was like when you visit a place of worship and the atmosphere there just humbles you. Morningstar University gave me a similar feeling, a place where truth and knowledge were worshipped and pursued.
The longer I glanced at the university, the more I was mesmerized by its atmosphere. I couldn’t help thinking, ’No wonder students from all five regions were willing to give an arm or leg to get admitted into his place.’
Heck, I wished the universities I attended back on Earth were this serene and humbling. It’s not the infrastructure or the facilities but the very atmosphere, the presence of the university gave birth to this sublime feeling within me. I just knew this was the place where truth and knowledge were respected above all else.
Point to be noted, I had yet to step into Morningstar University, and I was already a fan of it. That was huge considering my bias against Morningstar University. Therefore, there was also this fear in the back of mind, reminding me to be cautious and not to let my curiosity get the better of me. It was like when a child tries to reach for the rose, mesmerized by its beauty, and their parent warns them about the thorns.
Regardless, I hoped that the top universities in the Southern Academic City had at least a tenth of Morningstar University’s humbling presence. Otherwise, it was going to be challenging for me to raise Southern Academic City up to the level of the Central Academic City in a short period let alone above it, even with me integrating the VR-universe into their new university syllabus.
"Boss, if you were here to get admitted into the university, meeting the dean would be an excellent way to go about it. But you are here to make good on your ultimatum, I say just let your majestic presence loose. Let everyone know who’s here and they will come find us," Henricks answered, realizing that because he teleported them into the university’s array formation, making it past all its security, no one had noticed them. But if they were to give it a minute or two, the campus security would find them as flying was banned on the campus grounds. Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
"That’s one way to go about it. On another note, which university did you attend?" I asked, now that I had seen my competition with my own eyes. I had to agree they were intimidating.
"On paper, I attended Greyscroll University. I have heard that it has achieved significant breakthroughs in inter-stellar teleportation these days. But among all the top ten universities, it has a bad rep as there were some moral and ethical limits they were willing to and have crossed in the past in their pursuit of knowledge and truth—" Henricks answered, trying not to go into details about his time there by talking about Greyskull University only to be interrupt by his young boss, who surprisingly defend the Greyscroll University, "I don’t think openly dealing with demons is crossing the moral and ethical limits as long as they don’t participate in anything that could be interpreted as them betraying their race and world. Besides, it would be stupid not to learn inter-realm teleportation using the dark races’ knowledge and expertise. After all, they are pioneers in it."
I wasn’t just defending Greyscroll University but myself. If the Greyscroll University were wrong to study demonic knowledge and take part in a knowledge exchange with the demons, then as a Demon Merchant I should be considered a treacherous traitor among the Card Apprentices.
"That’s exactly what they said, word for word," Henricks exaggerated to make his point, that his young boss’s ideology aligned with Greyscroll University’s.
He would have recommended his young boss to enroll at Greyscroll University if he hadn’t known that with his young boss’s genius he didn’t need a university, even if the said university were one of the top ten universities. Instead, the top ten universities needed him.
"Besides, are you trying to imply that, besides Greyhound University, none of the other top ten universities have done nothing that could be considered crossing the moral and ethical limits in their pursuit of knowledge and truth?" I say that because I was here at Morningstar University today because they broke numerous ethical and moral limits to study that taintless physique.
"No, I am not trying to say that. It’s just that Greyscroll University is more open and forthcoming about their ways and actions, which sets them out among the other top universities and sometimes even at odds with them," Henricks hurriedly tried to explain only to see his young boss, shake his head and cut in, "There you go again. If I wanted a sycophant, I would have picked up a random Joe from the streets and not an ex-field marshal and the leader of a prominent rebel group. Stop agreeing with me and add something original and useful or recommend someone who can, except Luna."
"Boss, all ten of the top ten universities are greedy, capitalistic organizations operating under the disguise of being the most prestigious and prominent education hubs in the five regions making use of unreasonable copyright laws. Especially Greyscroll University, they have even stopped pretending and just do what they like in the name of seeking knowledge and truth," Henricks hurriedly corrected his words and answered without holding back, throwing away all caution, now that he knew what his young boss wanted from him.
He couldn’t help but think about his old buddy Ned. If Ned were here, Henricks would have answered it correctly the first time. It was getting harder for him to talk to his young boss, just when he began to believe he had his boss figured out, the latter threw a curve ball and he was back to square one, clinging to his dear life. Henricks had been a boss for so long that this feeling felt new to him, but not strange or alien. Honestly, he didn’t miss it.