Rod had always wanted to complain about this, "Students get maternity leave? And why do you all seem to think an unwed pregnancy is something to be celebrated?"
A few seniors looked at him with surprise, and the one with the red armband explained, "He's lost his memory and forgotten a lot of things."
"That works?"
One senior wailed, "Do you not need to understand anything, as long as you have a face that looks like it has splinters of moonlight in your eyes, eyebrows that hide the gentle breeze of lake willows, a face like a portrait, a high and straight nose like fine white jade, thin lips harboring a sentimental sorrow, and messy black hair exuding a faint dominance like the clanging swords in the wind and rain? Does the young miss from the Miboer family really need to be so forward? Why doesn't one girl fancy me? Why isn't a sensitive, melancholic, and affectionate boy like me popular?"
Rod looked at him speechlessly. Are you a minstrel? Don't you feel cringy saying that?
But from his expression, it seemed he didn't feel cringy at all; instead, the other seniors were the ones cringing hard.
One yanked at his sleeve and whispered, "Stop talking, Shaw. You're embarrassing us all the way to the newcomers."
Shaw shook off his hand and shouted, "What's embarrassing? Is there anything more embarrassing than finishing a four-year term without even touching a girl's hand?"
Looking at the other seniors, who all had faces flushed with embarrassment and nowhere to hide, it appeared they were not much different from this minstrel.
To avoid further embarrassment, the one with the red armband coughed and quickly changed the subject.
"Of course, Jinworth Academy has maternity leave. Although we don't encourage students to spend too much of their energy on that kind of interaction during their studies, if they do get pregnant, it's certainly a good thing. The Academy will arrange for adequate care for the female students, and there will be dedicated instructors to ensure their studies during pregnancy. Male students will also receive certain rewards."
Another senior, thinking he was staggered with disbelief, chuckled and said, "According to the Academy's research statistics, the children of Fire Holders, and Fire Holders themselves, have a 10-20% higher probability of becoming Fire Holders than ordinary people. Moreover, pregnancy itself is a blessing from the fire, and the Royal City will ensure the growth of all infants."
Yet another senior also said, "We certainly encourage childbearing. The world outside is too cold. Only when more people come together can we feel more warmth, and only when more Fire Holders stand before the Holy Fire can we better resist the invasion of the Black Fog into our warm home."
Shaw snorted.
"Don't get too excited. Once you become a Fire Holder, you can control your instincts, and girls won't easily give you the time of day. The Academy's primary mission is still study and training, to master stronger powers. Otherwise, if you go to the battle zone in the future, you'll be nothing but a burden and a liability. It's bad enough to get yourself killed, but if you cause the death of your teammate, that's a lifelong nightmare."
"And."
The one with the red armband said in a serious academic tone, "According to the Academy's research, the probability of conception between Fire Holders is much lower than normal people unless there is a collision and merging of the spirit, and true love. This is also a blessing from the fire, each child is the crystallisation of the purest human love."
He spread his arms toward the sky as if paying tribute to the Holy Fire in the distance.
"So, if you have the capability to impregnate all of the female students in the Academy, we will only reward you, not punish you."
He laughed at his own joke, giving himself top marks for humor.
The seniors all laughed, none of them taking it seriously, only Shaw looked as if he'd swallowed a ton of vinegar, his eyes red as he said, "Don't dream about it, that's impossible."
---
Rod quickly forgot about this episode.
According to what they said, regardless of any endeavors to turn an iron rod into a needle, with the customs of the Royal City, even if he became the father of a hundred children, it wouldn't earn him any extra credit.
They would still cut him down when it came time to kill, and it wouldn't help him survive at all.
Survival was his top priority now.
Apart from using his unique skills for convenience, he had no time to develop deeper relations.
Moments later.
Rod was brought to the front of a massive square building.
From its location, this seemed to be the Academic Affairs Office of Jinworth Academy's third branch, the office for third branch teachers and various administrative staff.
However, Rod wasn't brought inside. Instead, he was taken to a smaller building on the right.
Inside was a large hall, filled with bronze lamps different from those outside, as well as tables, chairs, bookshelves, and an assortment of scattered books and items, much like the Mechanical Research Institute he had visited for the last test.
Dozens of people in white robes were bustling about the hall.
The one with the red armband stepped forward and called out, "Mina, there's a new task."
A brunette with long hair lifted her head. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties with a standard oval face, large eyes, fair skin, and a perky nose, which gave her a statuesque depth and an exotic charm.
But what truly had depth was the cleavage on her chest, which—even with the mere action of lifting her head and straightening her back—made the four seniors around Rod swallow hard.
"What task?"
Mina's brows furrowed slightly as if she didn't quite appreciate the interruption.
The red armband pushed Rod forward with a laugh, saying, "A new special student. His name's Rod, a first-year student who requires thorough testing, Mina."