CHAPTER 178: CHAPTER 176: THE OLD SCHOLAR

Professor Eastwood is a typical rigid gentleman of Langton.

Teaching at Royal Langton University, he is now over seventy years old. Since he obtained his teaching position at the age of forty, he has remained consistent in his approach for decades, whether one praises his diligence or criticizes his rigidity and lack of flexibility, there should still be a degree of respect reserved for someone who manages to adhere to their own set rules for thirty years straight.

Professor East’s background is not particularly good; his mother was merely the daughter of a knight, and his father was a local blacksmith.

If there were no unexpected circumstances given such a background, his biggest chance would be to inherit the family business, become a blacksmith’s apprentice, and then see if he could inherit his grandfather’s sword and armor and become a knight’s attendant.

However, he was fortunate. When he was still a child, the Victor Empire was undergoing a period of intense transformation. The impact of military reforms led his father to be conscripted.

And then died on the battlefield.

Professor East’s mother, through hardship and suffering, managed to raise him. Fortunately, as a knight family, there was still some family wealth.

Therefore, when Professor East was young, he was able to receive the best education his mother could provide, selling the family’s land to send him to Manchester Public School, a public school funded by the Royal Family.

In Victor Empire, public schools were initially places providing education for relatively poor or commoners’ children.

But after the Empire began the industrial revolution, they gradually developed into noble schools, where the basic condition for admission was not tuition, but family background.

The school would first evaluate whether the applicant’s family conformed to the school’s ethos, that is, whether the family belonged to the middle class or nobility, before deciding whether to admit the student.

East’s grandfather held a knight title, so he was barely eligible to enter the public school, but the exorbitant tuition exceeded what his family could afford, forcing his mother to sell the family land.

It was also due to this reason that East, after graduating from Manchester Public School, did not continue to pursue further education in university, but instead found a job as a bank clerk in Manchester.

Perhaps luck favored him, as the young East met the daughter of a professor from Royal Langton University, and the two quickly fell in love and later tied the knot.

Afterward, with his father-in-law’s support, East obtained a teaching assistant job at Royal Langton University and spent more than ten years gradually climbing to the position of associate professor, and then stayed for forty years.

It was partly due to this reason that, although he was a professor at Royal Langton University, Professor East himself did not have any major achievements academically; he was more adept at teaching.

Rather than saying he’s a scholar, it would be more accurate to say he’s a teacher.

But forty years of time have long made this gentleman who entirely relied on seniority to reach the position of professor feel that he deserves it and pride himself on his status as a professor at Royal Langton University.

Also because of this experience, Professor East harbors deep aversion, or perhaps envy, towards those who rely on various connections to ascend.

Because he couldn’t climb rapidly like they did, he had to endure and accumulate seniority, how could he not feel envious?

And for this reason, he is extremely disdainful of the Northern Territory Count, who is now well-known and highly sought after at Langton.

He thinks that she, a mere woman, has risen through some tricks and attention-grabbing stunts.

If he had been to the East, he might have learned an Eastern saying to express his thoughts: "In a time devoid of heroes, even a fool can gain fame."

Yet, jealousy is as jealousy does; he dared not openly show his dissatisfaction towards Perfikot.

After all, she is now the most powerful Count in the Empire, a favorite in the eyes of the military, even appointed by Her Majesty the Empress as the vice president of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Standing in the hallway of the Royal Academy of Sciences, watching a group of people bustling around, as if ushering a girl younger than his granddaughter into the president’s office of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Professor East’s eyes were almost bleeding with envy.

That was the president’s office of the Royal Academy of Sciences. Despite working hard for his whole life, he only managed to gain the title of an academician at nearly seventy years old through accumulation of personal connections and relationships with some of his students, while that young girl directly became president!

Is there any justice left in this Empire? Are there still any opportunities for people like us at the Royal Academy of Sciences?

Though his chest was filled with resentment, he dared not show anything, instead biting his teeth in secret, banging his cane heavily on the ground, before turning around to leave.

"Professor East, please stay." Someone called out to Professor East from behind.

Professor East turned his head, seeing a "young man" roughly in his forties, a student he still had some impression of.

"Ronald? What are you doing here? Are you also here to see that little girl?" Professor East did not vent his emotions towards his former student, not because his teaching ethics were particularly good, but simply because Ronald held the position of director at the Royal Academy of Sciences.

He was elected as an academician at the Royal Academy of Sciences, having gone through Ronald’s connections back then, and Ronald also made efforts for this.

Therefore, Professor East maintained a relatively amicable attitude towards Ronald, despite being notoriously strict during school years.

"Professor, are you referring to Count Brandelis? She is indeed very young." Ronald took a deep look at his former professor, a fleeting light passing through his eyes before chatting with Professor East: "With your temperament, Professor, you probably can’t stand this kind of thing, can you? Clearly just an average little girl, nearly unable to hold onto her family’s title, yet she soared to become the most sought-after Northern Territory Count in the Empire, thanks to protection from Her Highness the Eldest Princess! Any upright gentleman would find it hard to bear."

Ronald was familiar with Professor East; he clearly remembered that this professor was accustomed to hitting the floor with his cane when angry.

So, while speaking, he deliberately guided the conversation in a way that could most provoke the professor.

Upon hearing his student say this, Professor East immediately nodded and sighed heavily: "Even if I can’t stand it, so what? She has received royal support, and has the protection of Her Highness the Eldest Princess, now a highly-ranked and powerful Count. How could an old scholar like me, who only knows how to teach, dare to offend her?"

"But what if someone is willing to offer you support, Professor?" Ronald couldn’t help but smile softly at the corner of his mouth.