The Glimpse of Troubles

As I mapped out my plans, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Enter," I called, my tone brisk. The door creaked open to reveal my assistant. What was her name again? I focused on the name tag on her uniform and read it: Yuli.

"P-Professor. These are the names of this semester's potential students and the ones that you will be supervising. A-And these are the names of the ones requesting sponsorship for their university..." She handed me several documents, which I read immediately with absolute focus.

Hm.

There are only five students directly supervised under me. It's surprising, considering there are thousands of students at this magic tower university, but thinking about Draven we're talking about, and how you can pick your choice of professor in this place, it's no wonder there are only five of them. They must be students who either didn't know or failed in their document pleas to change supervisors.

How poor of them.

Scanning through the list, I made a mental note of each name. They would need to be assessed individually to understand their potential and how best to mold them—or if they were even worth my time at all. Sponsorship requests, on the other hand, were more straightforward. They sought resources, connections, and patronage, things that Draven had in abundance, if used wisely.

"Yuli," I said, breaking the silence, "make sure the students on this list are informed of their first meeting with me. Schedule it for tomorrow afternoon. I want to see what we're working with."

Yuli nodded quickly, jotting down the instructions in her notepad. "Yes, Professor. And what about the sponsorship requests?"

"I'll review them in detail later," I replied, my eyes drifting back to the documents. "For now, ensure the students are prepared. And Yuli, if any of them seem particularly promising, make a note of it. I want to know if there's any potential worth nurturing."

As I scanned the documents, one name caught my attention: Amberine Polime. If I'm not mistaken, the rude girl who spoke up during the lecture was also named Amberine Polime. It's not a foreign name. Instead, it is a name that I myself designed from my dream. She's the daughter of an enemy of Draven, a man who died after Draven stole his research.

I shifted my gaze towards the amount of money requested from her: 100,000,000 Elnes. That's 100 gold coins, enough to buy 10 houses. Does this girl even know the amount of the university tuition?

"P-Professor?" Yuli suddenly called out to me. Facing my stare, she staggered. "Y-You're smiling, Professor..."

"Ah... Sorry. This is just amusing. Yuli, take this. I've decided to fund one of them. The rest, you can help me in their screening and show me the promising ones." I signed the document and handed it to him. "I shall call it a day, and after taking care of them, you should return as well,"

I noticed that Amberine had no one giving her any funding yet. I bet it's because of Draven's influence as well. This should help her a bit.

"T-This is?! Y-Yes, understood, Professor," Yuli said, bowing slightly before exiting the room.

As the door closed behind Yuli, I wrapped up my work and left the Magic Tower University. True to its name, the university was indeed a tower—a colossal structure stretching 200 floors into the sky. As one of the highest-ranking professors, Draven's office was located on the 95th floor.

Upon leaving the tower, I saw the Drakhan family carriage and coachman waiting faithfully for my return. As I approached, the coachman immediately straightened and bowed. "Are you going to return now, my lord?"

"Yes. Bring me home," I replied shortly, entering the carriage as he held the door open.

The trip back to the mansion was not long. I currently reside in the capital city, while Draven's retainers—my retainers—attend to and defend the Drakhan territory. Upon arriving at the mansion, I headed straight to my study. Like every noble's residence, Draven's grand mansion had a separate chamber for sleeping and one for working.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

It was Alfred, my loyal butler. His presence was a comforting reminder of stability in an otherwise tumultuous world. "My lord," he said, bowing slightly. "There are matters that require your attention."

I nodded, gesturing for him to approach. "What is it, Alfred?"

"There have been reports of increased bandit activity near the borders of our domain," he began. "There's been an outbreak of disease in the eastern villages, threatening the health and stability of the populace. Additionally, there have been sightings of strange creatures in the forests, causing alarm among the villagers. Lastly, the recent drought has led to a severe water shortage, causing unrest among the farmers and villagers."

I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing. This was the reality of my situation—immediate and pressing threats that demanded action. In this kind of situation, I would really like to curse Draven's foolishness, but at the same time, his situation is too pitiful for me to scorn.

Complaining would yield nothing. I needed to think. Draven's territory, the Drakhan earldom, comprises three grand cities with dozens of surrounding villages. It's a vast territory befitting an earl.

First, the bandit activity. Bandits are typically opportunistic, preying on the weak and unguarded. Increased patrols and the deployment of a few skilled knights could help suppress their activities. I would need to instruct the local militia to be more vigilant and perhaps even launch a few raids on known bandit hideouts.

Second, the disease outbreak. This is a more complex issue. I need to send healers and supplies to the affected villages immediately. Mobilizing resources from the cities to support the eastern villages is crucial. I should also consider quarantining the affected areas to prevent the disease from spreading further.

Third, the sightings of strange creatures. This is troubling and could be linked to the increased mana activity I've sensed. Sending a team of experienced hunters and mages to investigate and deal with these creatures would be necessary. This could also be an opportunity to test the abilities of some of the more promising students from the university.

Lastly, the drought. Water scarcity is a significant issue that can lead to widespread unrest. Immediate measures would involve rationing and possibly importing water from neighboring territories. Long-term solutions could include the construction of aqueducts or the use of magic to summon rain or purify seawater.

I took a deep breath and looked at Alfred. "We need to act swiftly. Here are my orders: Increase patrols and deploy knights to deal with the bandits. Send healers and supplies to the eastern villages immediately and quarantine the affected areas. Organize a team of hunters and mages to investigate the creature sightings. Lastly, initiate water rationing and explore magical and logistical solutions for the drought."

Alfred nodded, making notes. "Understood, my lord. I will see to it that these orders are carried out."

As Alfred left to implement my directives, I couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. This was more than just a game or a lecture; this was real, and the lives of many depended on my decisions. The challenges were daunting, but I was determined to rise to the occasion.

Lastly, the drought. Water scarcity is a significant issue that can lead to widespread unrest. Immediate measures would involve rationing and possibly importing water from neighboring territories. Long-term solutions could include the construction of aqueducts or the use of magic to summon rain or purify seawater.

I took a deep breath and looked at Alfred. "We need to act swiftly. Here are my orders: Increase patrols and deploy knights to deal with the bandits. Send healers and supplies to the eastern villages immediately and quarantine the affected areas. Organize a team of hunters and mages to investigate the creature sightings. Lastly, initiate water rationing and explore magical and logistical solutions for the drought."

Alfred nodded, making notes. "Understood, my lord. I will see to it that these orders are carried out."

As Alfred left to implement my directives, I couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. This was more than just a game or a lecture; this was real, and the lives of many depended on my decisions. The challenges were daunting, but I was determined to rise to the occasion.

I need to nurture the domain to my benefit, increase the cards at my disposal, and learn how to protect myself. There is a lot to do.

"It's getting interesting,"