Heaven's Greatest Professor

"It's like a picnic here," Elder Ming said as Agnes handed him a plate of serving.

"Sort of," Warden admitted. "I had invited a few more people, but it looks like some of them are busy..."

"You know how hard it is to get a rest for the 16th infantry," Agnes said. "But Caleb and others did say they would be coming after their guard duty is over. You just have to keep the food and booze ready for them."

Warden nodded. Other than his friends from the 16th infantry, his commanding officer, Captain Jessica and her sergeant, hadn't joined either.

"Regardless," Warden said, releasing a deep exhalation. "This is enough to give me a pardon, right?"

Elder Ming lifted his head from the food to meet his gaze. He didn't answer, probably contemplating what more he could gain from this debacle.

"Pardon for what?" Jenni asked, the first time hearing about it. Then it clicked as realisation dawned on her face. Why else would Warden be friends with the captain of the condemned unless he was a part of them? "What did you do?"

Yet before Warden could provide her with an answer, she began talking again...

"Wait, don't tell me, I can pretty much guess what you did," she said.

Whatever the girl was wondering, Warden did not like the expression on her face. Her eyes had the look of trepidation and... excitement? Really, what the hell was this girl wondering?

"A pardon is not so easily released," Elder Ming said, clearing his throat. He turned his eyes from Jenni to Warden to continue. "A condemned needs to meet certain criteria and accomplish a great deal of achievement which helps the cause—"

"Elder Ming, I thought we had an agreement," Warden butted in before the elder could finish. "You say all that, but my offence isn't anything big either."

"Unfortunately for you, lad, you're under Major General Terel Walt," Elder Ming replied. "If I had to go to him to talk about your pardon, he'd definitely find out about... accomplishment."

Warden scowled. Honestly, he didn't want to give a damn about the Major General; unfortunately, the other party was a Gold ranker. There was very little Warden could do against that power.

But that didn't mean he would simply let it go and be a good soldier. With a sigh, he turned towards the adept.

"Jenni, can you tell me how much you're paid for this work?" he asked.

Jenni, already on her fourth ice cream, answered, "A thousand contribution points per day, but since you overworked us to death, we'd be appealing for a bonus." She put her attention back to her dessert again.

"Okay, let's just take a thousand points at face value," Warden said, turning towards the elder. "So an adept earns at least seven thousand credits for this project. There were four of them, so twenty-eight thousand in total, ignoring the bonus which they might or might not get."

"What are you getting at?" Elder Ming inquired.

"The four adepts completed a Stele," Warden said. "While I on my own completed a Stele. Not only that, I did all the tier-4 and Tier-5 Binding runes for all three Steles. I worked hours to improve the blueprint of the shell, and expunged all the unnecessary and faulty runes."

As he counted all his work, Warden couldn't help but be surprised at how much he achieved in just a span of a week. Well, he hadn't slept more than five or six hours in total this week. The only time he rested from his work was during the few times he sparred with Agnes. It had been a relentless grind for the most part, as he even forgot about time at some point.

"All I'm asking you is, how much do you think my labour is worth?"

Elder Ming furrowed his brows. For a Gold ranker and Master Runesmith like him, it was pretty easy for him to come up with a rough number. Yet, he didn't utter a word, looking for excuses to underplay all his efforts.

In the end, this was the face of authority. People with power aren't necessarily evil, but they all play to keep the status quo in check. Warden didn't know why he—

"Fifty thousand contribution points at the very least," Jenni answered, licking her ice cream, dark chocolate smeared on her cheeks. "But if we are to count all, perhaps the fair worth will be twenty to thirty percent more."

She smiled brilliantly, turning towards Elder Ming, who scowled back at her. "Then again, the Artificer department is stingy. Hmm, I wonder why I still work here when I can have a more comfortable life elsewhere?"

"Jenni, don't butt in when your superiors are talking," Elder Ming said flatly.

The young adept looked at the elder defiantly for a moment but gave in to the elder's unrelenting gaze. "Of course, I'm terribly sorry; please excuse my offence, Elder Ming."

With that, she withdrew back to her seat with a scowl on her face. Perhaps even the frozen dessert which she was so delightfully savouring wouldn't be able to lighten her mood.

"Elder Ming," Warden said, keeping his voice calm. "I did not know what complications are there that will stop you from giving me a pardon. If this is how the military... the empire treats people... I have nothing to say. But you have given me your word...

A man must stand by his word. If you fail to comply with your promise... I guess it's better we part here. I don't want to work under someone I do not respect."

The elder looked like he wanted to refute, but Warden didn't give him his chance.

"Adept," he shouted at Jenni.

The girl jumped up from the seat; the nightmarish torment of the last seven days instilled fear and something else in her bones that she couldn't help but abide by the commanding voice. "Yes, Master Warden."

"Go call the others and join me," Warden commanded. "We're going to erect the barrier now."