55 The Students
When the matter with rebuilding was taken care of, Foo could focus on the students next. Knowing Lucifer, he would definitely try to impress.
But then again, it might be a bad idea to leave it to Lucifer... Things might get a bit... Extreme...
Making a mental note to make sure that he checks in on Lucifer to ensure that nothing goes wrong, Foo turned to the receptionist again.
"I suspect that I can't expect too much from the warriors, right? I should probably count myself lucky if half of them could take care of a group of goblins..."
In response to Foo, the receptionist embarrassedly answered, "A group of goblins? You should know that the majority are still just at the level of attacking target dummies...
... and most of them are coming out on the losing end...
The rest of them are still getting injuries when handling the sword...
To qualify for the 'talent' enrollment, you just have to have combat potential. That means that people with potential with archery and such are able to enroll...
It is just that... the warriors insist on only using the sword. They refuse to teach anything else. Something about it being the 'true' weapon..."
Handling a goblin was the lowest expectation that Foo had, and a group of them would be decent... But how did it come to that he should be happy if they did not die after picking up the sword to practice?!
Something seemed suspicious here... Why would the warriors insist on only using the sword? Clearly that was not the original intent?
"You mean to say that there are students that are quite good at archery and other forms of combat, but due to the pressure of the teachers they are not even trying to improve themselves in that area? Pointlessly trying to struggle with the sword that the teachers anyway would not really teach them?"
"Yes! But as they must accept everyone with talent, they just kick them out to the third section. And although the wizard section does not try to suppress certain skill sets, as it is considered talent to be able to use magic in the first place, it is overflowed by incapable students."
"Wait! Did you say that they do not suppress certain skill sets? What about sorcerers?"
During his meeting with the elders earlier they had made many comments that sorcery was not true magic, and that he was lucky to be able to exploit such a hole in the rules. After all, sorcery was just making a spirit do stuff for you, not a capability of your own...
"Well, the criteria is to be a wizard. So other mages are obviously refused. It is only the 'Magic Warrior' section that have looser requirement on the magic. But still, before you there have only been wizards there too."
Hearing the explanation, Foo realized something. All the wizard students in the third section had aptitude for magic, yes. But they were also the failures from the wizard section. But what if that was because they were better suited with other forms of magic? Like the archers from the warrior section?
The `Magic Warriors` did not require the mage part to be from wizardry, so if he could convert the students with no aptitud as wizards towards another type of mage, they might actually be able to beat the heck out of the smug wizards!
But Foo quickly realized a huge problem. They did not belong to his section. They were currently residing in his section, yes. But they could not actually register to it unless they could combine martial arts and magic in combat.
As it was now, were he to train them, the cunning elders might somehow lay their hands on the more promising ones, as they were not under his care yet.
Was there someone else, they might have gone ahead with trying to train them, but that might have led to them being snatched up, or even suppressed by their actual sections.
The elders would surly feel threatened if the badly treated trash were to get stronger, and as their proper teachers and elders they could order them around how much they wanted. For example, they could prevent every student to learn from him under the pretext of unorthodox teaching or something like that.
As such, he needed some way to convert the students to his section. Luckily, he should be able to set his own standard on the enrollment requirements as the head of the section.
He just had to make sure there was an excuse for the enrollment, no matter how far fetched it was...
Letting the students work in pairs? That could count as using martial arts and magic in combat... But it was a bit too far fetched... Or at least only good as a backup plan if there was no better way.
Letting the warriors use scrolls to pass the magic part? Too expensive! Maybe if the observer managed to squeeze some money out of the wizard section head... But still, that would be such a waste!
Letting the warriors use spirits, like he did? Maybe he could borrow some from Lucifer? But the spirits might be a bad influence. They should have someone nice and caring to teach them. Someone like Foo!
Working on a proper magic system? But he felt a bit sorry for the system... And who knew what kind of insulting title he might get from that! And there was that part with needing to give up your life to modify the system... He should be a bit careful with that.
Foo suddenly had the most glorious idea that he had ever had! The combat potential of the students were basically nonexistent. As such, why not let them battle amongst each other?
The warriors with fists, of course. It was not only because they might hurt the wizards, but it seemed like they might even hurt themselves if they were allowed to handle a weapon...
Then he could use the completely legit excuse that to survive the other party, the student would have to have deep knowledge about the methods of attack that they use.
Just think about it. A high level warrior, although he might not use magic, would know way more about magic itself than a mere mage apprentice. If nothing else, they had to study it to counter it!
The exact same excuse could be used in a combat between the warrior and wizard students! It was a perfect excuse! There was no flaws at all!
The fact that both parties were so weak that it would be a miracle to give their opponent more damage than they inflicted to themself did not affect the plan at all.
The fact that their survival was not due to intricate knowledge about the other party, but more of a certainty, did not invalidate the excuse.
The reason it worked anyway was because... Foo was the section head! Nothing more needed to be said!
Rubbing his hands at the thought that problems were so easy to solve if you just used your brain, Foo completely ignored any notion that he was just blatantly abusing his position.
"Come, lets go! We are going to hold a tournament for the students!"
"A tournament?" the Receptionist asked puzzledly, "Why should we have a tournament?"
"For the enrollment to the `Magic Warrior` section of course!"
With a bright smile and long stride, Foo confidently started to move to implement his plan.
"Wait! That is the wrong way! If you want to hold a tournament, you would want to use the open field in the opposite direction!" the receptionist called, as she and the warrior apprentice hurriedly tried to catch up with him.
