High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1146: Chapter 208: Distortion

Abbeson is another name for Absinthe, which is said to have been first brewed by forest sprites living in the mountains of Central Asia known as Abbeson, hence the name, similar to Monkey Wine. Others say it was invented by a wizard named Abbeson, and that’s why the beverage is called Abbeson (Note 1).

Of course, the reason legends are legends is that they cannot be verified.

However, another claim related to this fine spirit is verifiable—its fragrant and robust taste, yet light and slightly bitter on the palate. In some ways, this drink blends the lightness of Green Bee with the aroma of Amber Light.

After reciting a short verse, Sepulano sipped a little of the wine, smacking his lips and sighing, ”Absinthe may well be the most poetic thing in the world. What’s the difference between a glass of absinthe and a setting sun? I can feel clusters of tulips caressing my soul...”

Why do all the big shots love to talk about poetry and philosophy, Arthur Ness complained inwardly.

Listening to Sepulano was a painful affair because you’d always inadvertently miss something important, and if you listened carefully all the way through, it was almost hypnotic.

Arthur Ness had heard members of the Auspicious Club whisper complaints about this more than once, but he was never particularly concerned.

Wizards of the Alpha Fortress, who among them doesn’t like to quote classics and make lengthy speeches? Even Sir Friedman does this—before speaking, he always likes to take five minutes to recall the glorious history of the Karen family and the substantial glory of the Black family.

The younger wizards from ancient wizard families tend to display this preference even more acutely.

”You look uneasy?” Sepulano suddenly stopped his wine discourse and stared abruptly at Arthur Ness, startling the fidgety guest.

Before Arthur could think of a reply, the Fat Wizard understood and said, ”Indeed, sitting here, anyone would feel uneasy... and this university is, after all, an unsettling place.”

”Faith stems from unease, knowledge springs from unease, struggle arises from unease, and so does clinging to tradition.”

”Ultimately, the First University is nothing but a wreck that wizards have built upon their sense of insecurity. The school has done so many things, all in pursuit of making everyone feel just a little safer. Far from the ’unity in diversity’ they claim to uphold.”

Arthur Ness sipped the cool air in small breaths, shocked by Sepulano’s almost heretic remarks. He wished he could get drunk and pass out right now, rather than have to listen to the previous conversation.

Sepulano was no longer just expressing dissatisfaction with Alpha Academy, but with the current state of the First University. Arthur Ness held his glass apprehensively—so, why had Sepulano summoned him here? What did he intend to do?

As if seeing through his guest’s inner thoughts.

After Sepulano made those heretic remarks, he paused for a moment before slowly speaking, ”Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to scatter Demon Blood contaminants around the school... I just want to hear your views on the current state of the school.”

”The current state of the school?” Arthur Ness repeated cautiously.

”The current state of the school,” Sepulano nodded. ”For instance, your opinion on the student council’s work, the professorial meetings; your view on the unrest within the Horseman Tribe or the Lake Bell Fishman Tribe; or your thoughts on the conflicts between Jiuyou and Alpha.”

This was a question that provided easy points.

Arthur Ness could recite his stance with his eyes closed—the educational methods of Jiuyou Academy were barbaric, backwards, and shackled students’ thinking; Alpha had a responsibility and obligation to guide Jiuyou Academy in the right direction; the violent rebellion of the Horseman Tribe was effectively resolved under the leadership of Sir Friedman; the righteous protest of the Fishman Tribe required the support of students from other academies of the First University; the student council was corrupt and lazy; the Professors’ Joint Meeting was rigid and outdated, and so on.

As the guest ’recited’ his positions, Mike Gold Cypress Plano’s gaze lingered on his wine glass, darting around as if he was distracted.

After Arthur Ness ’finished’ stating his standpoint, he also fell silent.

The drawing room fell into a strange silence for a moment.

It took a while before Sepulano started speaking again, laughing softly, ”Actually, you don’t need to be so nervous. I just wanted to hear your views because we have similar predicaments... I’ve heard about your conflict with Zheng Qing. That was not your fault.”

Upon hearing these words, Arthur Ness finally felt he had grasped a thread in the conversation.

Although the incident at the beginning of the last term, where Arthur clashed with Zheng Qing after the latter was awarded the ’Merlin Medal’ and the title of Great Arcana ’World’ and was left utterly humiliated, had gradually stopped being a joke among his peers at the fortress, the negative impact took a long time to completely dissipate, like pulling threads from fabric.

What made matters worse was that recently, to cooperate with Sir Friedman’s ’precision strike’ policy, he led a group to seal off the shops owned by Zheng Qing, only to suffer another setback.

Falling into the same pit twice made him completely lose favor with the Duke.

Until Sepulano also stumbled into the same pit.

With this in mind, Arthur Ness carefully raised his eyelids and glanced at the Fat Wizard behind the bar. He had heard that Sepulano’s temper had turned very sour after that evening, and consequently, the voices of the members of the Auspicious Club had also grown noticeably quieter of late.

Emboldened by this realization, Arthur Ness gathered his courage to speak again:

”There must be a Big Wizard advising Zheng Qing; otherwise, a recently adult Wizard couldn’t possibly possess so many Talismans or cast such powerful Magic.”

”The academy might be overlooking Zheng Qing’s repeated violations of school rules to maintain a relationship with that Big Wizard! That is completely contrary to justice and even to the principle of equality that Jiuyou Academy proclaims for itself!”

Sepulano encouraged him with a smile.

”Moreover, the school should not allow students to carry such dangerous Magic items, nor should it encourage unofficial learning outside the school... because the wrong way of learning could distort their physical and mental health.”

As he spoke the last sentence, Arthur Ness was outwardly fervent, yet a strange thought flashed through his mind—he, a genuine student of Alpha Academy, was actually denying an ancient method of Magic tradition.

But that thought vanished as quickly as it came.

As long as there was legitimacy to the crusade, no one cared about the details. Just like Sir Friedman’s suppression of the Horseman Tribe’s unrest outside the castle, when it appeared in the Beta Town Post, it became a powerful reinforcement of Order by law enforcers.