Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 533 - 167. Day of the Twilight Curtain Fall (2)

Chapter 533: 167. Day of the Twilight Curtain Fall (2)

"Even resorting to thought detection methods?" Karl sneered. "What’s next, should we also make donations, give gifts, grease some palms, and then someone can be exempt from the Council’s lectures? It seems like it’s all just a scheme to make money."

"That’s it? That’s the very nature of politics."

Baizhu Interstellar University’s Principal—Slavinikov Durgen—harrumphed:

"You young people are always critiquing this and that. If aspirations could be achieved through sarcasm and insults, then the chairperson of the Council should be a cawing crow."

When the Principal spoke, the others naturally didn’t dare retort. Nastisha, for her part, didn’t care about this place at all; she occasionally looked out at the planets outside the window, her gaze drifting, lost in thought.

Principal Durgen glanced at his absent-minded subordinate and spoke out:

"Nastisha, are you worried about the school?"

Nastisha was startled and then nodded:

"Yes, Teacher."

"Nastisha, are you fantasizing again about the school being attacked?" Ye Wangnan asked.

"Hmm..." Nastisha nodded. "I’m still not at ease. Not just our school, but the whole of Trevela, even Baizhu Star, we hardly have any warriors of Zeta Rank or higher. If something were to happen..."

"You’re worrying over nothing. It’s more than worrying over nothing; it’s worrying without reason," Mage Karl shrugged. "Canyue’s incident was three years ago, and we’ve since installed the Higgs Field. Even if they wanted to strike again, they wouldn’t have the chance—not to mention that things have changed. With a minister presiding, anyone who wants to make a move would have to weigh the wrath of a Kappa Rank minister."

"I’m aware of that."

Nastisha sighed:

"But now, the situation is much different. The conscription offices have taken all our Zeta Rank graduates. You can hardly find any Zeta Ranks on this vast planet. And those workshop masters are either engrossed in research or busy earning money and growing the economy. Relying on them for battle, I really can’t be at peace."

"Shush!" Mage Ye Wangnan quickly silenced her. "Don’t bring up conscription... Be careful, or they’ll send you to the Galactic Eye to fill the ranks."

"Is it that serious?" Karl differed. "Besides, the state of the Galactic Eye Campaign hasn’t been released yet, right? Principal Durgen, do you know the situation?"

"Even I am not very clear on it."

Principal Durgen shook his head:

"As far as I know, too many lives have been lost in the war against the Night Butterfly People. The front-line troops are almost completely wiped out. Next were the draftees between fifty and one hundred twenty years old, who, after only one or two years of training, were thrown onto the battlefield. Now, it will likely be the turn of those between twenty and forty years old, from Zeta Rank to even Epsilon Stage conscripted soldiers..."

Nastisha and the others were greatly shocked:

"Epsilon has been sent to the battlefield too?! If this goes on... won’t even the Delta Ranks be sent to fight?"

Durgen’s tone was grave:

"Perhaps, eventually even the Mortals (Gamma Rank) will have to go."

"Madness..." Karl couldn’t believe it. "This is like a meat grinder. The Crystal Tower Civilization, including civilians, has accumulated over two million Zeta Ranks over the years. They couldn’t all be nearly gone, could they?"

"Prepare yourselves," Durgen said with a complex expression. "Try not to make mistakes now, who knows if the conscription will send you to the front lines—Nastisha, you should be especially careful."

"Teacher, what do you mean?" Nastisha guessed something.

"Next semester, the mobilization order will likely come down, and I will assign you to be the commander of Baizhu Star’s reserve forces. You, choose carefully... from your Applied Magic department, there are many students of humble origins, and they will be the first to be sent to battle."

Nastisha clenched her fists, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at the mentor who had taught her for over a hundred years, the man she regarded as a father figure.

’Why me? Why?!’

She questioned silently, while her fellow deans tacitly stepped back half a step, not making a sound.

Durgen had an immense headache:

"I know this is very unfair to you, as you are the one who cares for the students the most, but you are also a warrior who has survived the hands of Society and fought against citizens and even senators. You are the best at fighting. Select a good batch of reserves, those above Delta Rank, and pull them all in."

She bit her lower lip, her gaze wavering, but she still nodded with difficulty.

The reason was actually quite simple, and she knew it too.

Baizhu Interstellar University is an institution open to all Crystal Tower civilizations and member planets; it must consider winning hearts and diplomacy.

The applied magic department focuses on cultivating use and hands-on operation; students who come here, if not all, at least eighty percent basically have no background and are commoners of Tanas origin.

Other departments are mostly prepared for royalties, nobility, and wealth tycoons, with a strong gold-plating nature. Their use of magic is also more sparse.

Not studying literature, arts, or science, but learning the knowledge that the elite class focuses on, such as economics, medical, finance, politics, and diplomacy—they are supposed to go back and inherit their family business.

The recruitment office doesn’t have the guts to send the sons of high-ranking officials and the nobility to fight in a war.

The applied magic department doesn’t have this concern. The students originating from here are skilled in hands-on operations, and with their youth and simplicity of thought, they are easily ignited by patriotic fervor, making them the most ideal soldiers.

But why—why now?

Even if the graduates are at Zeta Rank, even if they can pick up a magic wand and kill right away—why can’t we wait another ten or eight years for them to receive adequate training before we discuss this!

Nastisha felt angry.

In interstellar war, such soldiers would die like dust, utterly meaningless.

The underlying message from the principal was clear: he was sending her students to be cannon fodder!

Durgen noticed the nearly flaming eyes of Nastisha and also felt sorry and ashamed, but to maintain the authority of a leader, he still kept a straight face and said lightly:

"The superiors have already decided, and besides, it’s not just us doing this."

He glanced at the people around him:

"The Night Butterfly Man will do the same."

The war has reached a point of no return; both sides have already cast their heaviest chips, and now it’s a matter of who can hold out longer, gambling bigger.

Nastisha fell silent.

After a moment, she slowly said:

"If Vellia knew that we fought for such a civilization in the beginning, she wouldn’t have betrayed Society."

"Nastisha..." her colleague jumped in shock: "It’s not proper to say good things about Society!"

"Consider it a momentary madness," Nastisha said bleakly, "after all, those who fall into war, they’re all madmen."

She turned her head and looked down at Baizhu Star beneath the fortress.

’Vellia, I promised you that I would take good care of everything precious, but now it seems I can’t even protect my students.’

’Forgive me for not building this planet into what I promised you.’

Her gaze pierced the earth, staring long at the location of Trevela.

For those in high positions, even the most prosperous city on the planet is but a mere black dot to them, let alone the darker corners of that city where difficult struggles persist, which have never entered their field of vision.

...............

"Baizhu Interstellar University, we’ve finally arrived."

Yawen Heskixin gathered her skirt and stepped off the flying carpet, looking at the magnificent and splendid campus gate, as if in a trance, as if she had returned to Azure Star.