Silent Crown

Chapter 315 Graduation?

Chapter 315 Graduation?

Maxwell spoke of some of the events very vaguely, but Ye Qingxuan could imagine the bloodiness and sacrifices behind the vague words. Even musicians as powerful as the Three Kings could fall in a battle against a natural catastrophe. Scepter musicians were not even able to enter the battlefield.

"Did Ye Lanzhou participate in the research of Hecatoncheir? He’s talented but he’s not even a Summoning musician. What use does a Mind musician have?"

"Did you forget your father’s title?" Maxwell glanced at him. "Moon Chant, the purifier of all abnormalities, the only one who can resonate with the Pure White Moon and the Blue Moon at once. He’s the one who most understands the differences between natural catastrophes and men. I would find it odd if he didn’t participate."

"…And then what?"

"And then?" Maxwell put out his cigarette. "And then it’s as you know. Your father turned and fell into the territory of natural catastrophes, becoming a dark musician."

"I know that." Ye Qingxuan clenched his fist. Looking at Maxwell, he asked gruffly, "Is it true?"

"I don’t know." Maxwell looked away. "When he left, he caused too big of an upheaval. The entire research institute was practically destroyed. All the files were destroyed and all the people…

"After all these years, I often think if that young man had already turned into my enemy. Will we meet on the battlefield one day? Sometimes, I even think…it’d be better if he’d died."

"I don’t want to agree but I think that too." Ye Qingxuan’s words stunned Maxwell. The young man lowered his head and hid his expression. He said coolly, "Those guys that only know to cause trouble are better off dead. But I don’t want him to die without a clear reason."

After a long silence, Maxwell patted his shoulder. "Humans are unable to interfere with the past but if you want to investigate the truth, you must become stronger. You should at least be a Scepter musician to have insight on the secrets."

"Isn’t it too early to talk about this? I’m still lost about the Resonance level. The Barrier of Knowledge is enough for me to get headaches over for a few years, let alone finding the origin of the resonance."

Maxwell froze and fell silent. Thinking of something, his gaze turned odd as if he was looking at an inhuman creature.

"…What’s wrong?" Ye Qingxuan had a bad feeling.

"Ye Qingxuan, you’ve only been in school for half a year!" Maxwell held his chin and praised. "You went from nothing to an official musician within half a year and are learning four schools at once. According to the Academy’s rules, you can graduate already."

"Uh, ah, huh?" Ye Qingxuan froze too. "Graduate?"

"Yeah!" Maxwell nodded. "The Royal Academy of Musician has a six-year schooling system, but realistically, you can graduate after becoming an official musician. You must know that not many of the graduates this year are official musicians yet! With your record now, you’re more than ready to graduate! What if today I…"

"Wait! I…I…" Ye Qingxuan was dazed. Finally, he slapped his thigh. "I paid for one full year’s worth of tuition! I still half a year left!"

Maxwell looked at him as if looking at an idiot. "I gave all those downtown businesses to you and you still need money?"

"I don’t care! I’m not graduating!" Ye Qingxuan sprawled on the sofa, throwing a tantrum. "Otherwise I’ll go lie down before the palace and starve myself in protest! You better believe that. Maxwell is a ruthless and corrupted principal! A commoner student is expelled! I’ll get you onto the Musician Union’s complaint board, the headline!"

Even someone as thick-skinned as Maxwell was taken aback by this. He had experienced many who could not graduate but he had never seen someone who was not willing to leave the Academy.

"Hey, don’t be like that. Help me out. I haven’t reached the quota for this year’s graduation. With you, I’d at least be able to ask for a bigger budget for next year," Maxwell said.

"It’s your own fault that you can’t reach the quota, alright?! What kind of school has such weird graduation exams?"

"So you’re set on not graduating?"

"What are you so impatient for?" Ye Qingxuan picked his nose with a rogue expression. "I’m just a first-year student. Wait until I’m in my sixth year before talking about graduating!"

"You’re really not leaving?"

"Nope! What can you do about me?"

"Oh, that’s great." Maxwell rubbed his hands and smiled mysteriously. "Then you won’t reject the trial task that the Academy assigns you, right?"

Ye Qingxuan was instantly stunned and it finally dawned on him. "You were waiting for me to say that!"

"You’re the one who doesn’t want to graduate. I didn’t force you." Maxwell shrugged. "You can choose between graduating and working."

Ye Qingxuan ground his teeth and stared daggers into the old guy. "Just tell me what you want!"

The Royal Academy of Music had the tradition of trial tasks. It was like summer internships of other schools. The Musician Union would assign some simple missions for students so they could accumulate experience. Of course, some bad teachers would take advantage of their students and make them work for free. For example, people like Maxwell, who set up traps for students…

"Don’t be scared. It’s pretty simple." The prepared Maxwell took a document from the drawer and tossed it at Ye Qingxuan. "It suits you too but it’s just a bit far."

"How far?" Ye Qingxuan felt like he had been scammed.

After thinking, Maxwell said casually, "Around five days by sea, six days by train, and then half a month by foot?"

Ye Qingxuan almost spat out blood. "Why don’t you just say going across the entire world?!"

"Yeah, something like that." Maxwell shrugged and stated, "You know about the Romulus people, right? A few centuries ago, after Romulus was destroyed by a natural catastrophe, these people scattered throughout the world. Decades ago, their leader established a new tribe in the north."

"Do you want me to represent Anglo and ally with them? And then we’ll have—"

"Do you think the nations would allow a group of refugees to take a land that is rich in resources?" Maxwell side-eyed him. "You’re going to save people. Recently, there’s a large-scale infectious disease is going around. The local Church suspects that this is related to the digging of archaeological sites and is recruiting scholars who can interpret and understand history. You’re just going over to help out."

"An infectious disease?" Ye Qingxuan’s eyes brightened. "Does it turn people into—"

"Sorry, it’s just a regular disease."

"Psh, that’s boring." Ye Qingxuan shook his head.

"You think all musicians make the headlines every other day?!" Maxwell suddenly grew furious. "Hurry back, pack up, and get the f*ck out! If you’re still here the day after tomorrow, I’ll have the Fifth Department exile you!"

"There’s no need to be in a hurry, right?"

"Hey!" Maxwell was pissed at the mention of this. "Thanks to that Mr. Demon and those guys who messed around, Avalon’s enchantment is still damaged and riddled with holes. Its protection is basically nonexistent. The royal musicians have been tearing their hair out these two days. Do you know why?"

Ye Qingxuan’s heart skipped a beat. "Why?"

"Because someone in this room is the biggest interference!" Maxwell was practically jabbing Ye Qingxuan’s face. "After you messed with the enchantment, your aether waves are connected to the core! The enchantment won’t be able to be repaired as long as you’re in Avalon!

"If not for me covering you, you’d be hanging from the Traitor’s Gate for destroying national defenses by now! And you’re asking me what’s the hurry?!"

"Uh…" Ye Qingxuan felt guilty about this too. It had been an emergency, but it truly was a bit too much to make national defenses into his own body. No one had investigated for so many days that he thought the crisis was over but it was actually waiting for him here.

"Okay, okay, I’ll go!"

He dejectedly prepared to go back and pack but Maxwell called, "This is for you." He tossed over a ring. Ye Qingxuan caught it and realized it was high-grade alchemy equipment. He could see that it was a product by Avalon’s famous alchemist workshop Cavendish Laboratory. It was much better than the defense rings he had stolen before.

When he touched the inside, he felt some vague letters carved on it.

"…007·SH? What’s that?"

"I help you record a file with the Fifth Department under the name of Sherlock Holmes. From now on, your code is number seven and is directly under me. You basically have amnesty now," Maxwell said casually. "There’s no reason to make you do everything by yourself out there either. Someone will give you messages later. Remember to burn them after memorizing the content. They can help you muster a considerable amount of people and power. Use them carefully and see it as a gift."

"That simple?" Ye Qingxuan cautiously put on his ring. He did not know why going to help cure a disease in a refugee camp would have something to do with the mysterious Fifth Department, but seeing Maxwell’s actions, there must be hidden dangers. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Oh, right, what’s that refugee area called?" Ye Qingxuan asked before he left.

"Auschwitz," Maxwell said with a smile. "A place filled with peace, friendship, and kindness that accepts the poor refugees with no home."