The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 215. Final Interview (2/2)

Chapter 215: 215. Final Interview (2/2)

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Quick Note: the next scene is going to be in multiple pov. They are talking to everyone at the same time. So just imagine like a cut scene.

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"What is your motivation for joining this academy?" the Skeleton Principal asked, his bony fingers steepled as he looked at each of them.

"I wanna cook better for my Boss White," Darla said in a serious tone.

The Principal paused, clearly expecting more. "..."

"Brother Tyler is joining," Silvia said, as if that was a completely satisfactory reason.

The vice principal tree man tilted his head. "..."

"Tyler told me to tag along," Lily added casually.

"..."

"I love alchemy a lot, so I’m gonna learn more about it," Mathilda said, finally giving an answer that sounded more substantial.

The woman sitting next to the Skeleton Principal sighed in relief, her charming aura glowing. "Finally, some kind of good answer," she muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Also, my Captain Tyler is joining the academy," Mathilda continued, as if that were equally important.

"F@#&" the woman muttered under her breath, clearly losing patience.

Meanwhile, Tyler felt the three figures’ gaze on him, their energy shifting in intensity. It was clear they knew he was that Tyler White the other girls are talking about and they weren’t quite sure what to make of him.

He stepped forward, a hint of a polite smile on his face. "Hello, my name is..." But before he could finish, the three figures interrupted him.

"We know... Brother Tyler," the woman said with a faint smile.

"Boss White," the skeleton stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Captain Tyler," the treeman murmured, his deep voice vibrating like wood creaking in a forest.

"Oh... so it means everyone is attending the interview at the same time?" Tyler asked with genuine curiosity, he guessed the girls said something about him based on the way they addressed him. "Are you guys... clones or something?"

The Skeleton Principal let out a soft chuckle. "Not bad... nice observation. No, it’s not exactly that. But it’s something similar." He went on to explain the academy’s unique methods, detailing how the interview session was conducted using a projection spell that allowed them to simultaneously interact with multiple candidates. "However, Tyler, for you, there’s no need for any further questioning. You already possess a recommendation medal, and on top of that, you ranked first in the entrance exam. As such, you’re due to receive a proper reward."

"Reward?" Tyler echoed, slightly intrigued.

The woman on the panel nodded. "Indeed. Our academy prides itself on its structure and reputation. To question the authority of a recommendation medal, as one of our student did, is unacceptable. However, you proved your worth beyond the medal’s assurance, and the academy won’t let such actions go unpunished. While the one who forced you into the exam will be held accountable, you, Tyler, will be rewarded for demonstrating your capabilities."

The tree-man, who had remained silent up until now, showed no reaction, even though it was clear he was the one responsible for it. But the one who is gonna get punished is his student. He seemed indifferent to the entire discussion. He might also get reprimanded but he doesn’t care.

Tyler shrugged slightly. He didn’t much care about punishment for Senior Cyan, but the reward had piqued his interest. "What kind of reward?" he asked.

The Skeleton Principal tapped his chin thoughtfully, his hollow eyes glinting. "Considering your achievement, the reward is substantial. You’ll receive access to a private training area, one typically reserved for our advanced students and alumni. This area contains resources that will allow you to progress at an accelerated rate—materials and environments suited to enhancing both combat and intellectual prowess."

The veiled woman leaned forward, a playful glint in her eyes. "And that’s not all, Captain Tyler. You’ll also be given a unique token. This token allows you to request a personal session with any of our academy’s master instructors, whenever you deem it necessary. Use it wisely, as such privileges are seldom granted to new entrants."

As they were explaining it to Tyler, meanwhile on Lily side.

"You know that kind of answer won’t get you through the interview," the lady said.

"Oh, I apologize. I’m a warrior and have little interest in other fields. I do enjoy learning things that might be useful for our journey to the far North. Also, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to reject a young Master-Level Warrior," Lily said.

"A circus lion also learns to sit on a chair out of fear of the whip. But such a lion is called ’well-trained,’ not ’well-educated.’ Our academy can produce many well-trained lions at your level, but that’s not our goal. We want people to learn—to choose their own way of life. That is our academy’s vision," the skeleton principal said. The green flames in his eyes flared as he looked at Lily. "And, by the way, you are not young."

"That’s rude," Lily pouted, continuing, "but it’s true... you guessed it, huh? Well, we’re not the only ones who’ve consumed a Natural Treasure that can even reverse bone age."

The skeleton principal’s eyes brightened with interest. "Go on."

Lily began to tell a story.

The princess who wanted to leave the castle asked her father for permission. The king agreed, but with one condition: she must return to the castle before nightfall. Tempted by the freedom she found, the princess became greedy and decided to stay outside a little longer.

She stayed in a village where people showed her kindness and affection. She hid her identity as a princess, presenting herself instead as a merchant’s daughter. But the princess was too naive to notice anything strange—until nightfall. The villagers drugged the guards and the princess, intending to sacrifice her to the Abyss.

When they reached one of the Abyss demons’ hiding caves, they offered the princess as a sacrifice. But suddenly, the supposedly drugged guards and the princess opened their eyes—they had only pretended to be unconscious. They killed the Abyss demon and learned that the Abyss demons were spreading fear among rural villages, manipulating people into doing evil things.

The princess noticed something odd: some villagers were already strong enough to fight the Abyss demon if they had worked together. But they lacked spells and knowledge. So she decided to create an academy.

She began teaching magic to the villagers, and word spread quickly. Soon, many people came to the village to learn.

The prince was happy when the princess announced that she didn’t want the throne anymore and would instead focus on her academy.

But when the prince became king, he grew fearful of the princess, who now had many powerful students. He sent an army to destroy the city, once just a village. But his army was easily defeated. This made the king realize the power of education. Initially, he’d opposed her beliefs, wondering what good could come from educating everyone. But now he was fully convinced.

His sister left the kingdom, leaving behind a message: "I don’t want the throne. I just want everyone to have a proper education. Please, brother, don’t destroy the academy."

The princess left for the North and was never seen again. The king grieved deeply. He took over as principal of the academy, nurturing its growth. He even renamed the Starfall Kingdom to Starfall Academy and encouraged others to open branch academies.

The names of that king and the first principal are never mentioned, and though many principals have come and gone, only a few people know that the principal never truly changed. He is still the same king, a grieving brother, and Mr. Principal Douglas—Douglas Starfall.

"The method of becoming a lich was lost after the Split of Aura and Prana," Lily said. "There’s no way the only lich in the world is from an era before that. So... like us, you must have consumed something touched by the gods."

"Nice analysis," the skeleton said. "Well, age doesn’t matter."

"Huh?" Lily tilted her head.

"I mean in learning... age is not an issue for those who want to learn," the skeleton replied with a sigh. Just because he had let slip a small secret, the girl had unraveled his entire history.

On Tyler side

"You really have interesting sub-ordinates." The principal suddenly said. Tyler was confused. The principal looked at him for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Very well. Welcome to Starfall Academy. But remember, the path of true learning is one of humility and dedication. Only those who are willing to let go of their pride will find what they seek here."

"Thank you." Tyler nodded and asked in confusion, "I just wanted to learn more about Technology. Why are you suddenly saying something like that?"

"As the leader goes, so goes the pack." the principal simply said. Tyler is more confused now.

"A fish rots from the head down." The tree man also nodded.

Both capture the notion that subordinates often reflect the character, values, and actions of their leader.

Tyler scratched his head in confusion.