The Golem Mage

574: Turned Down.

574: Turned Down.

The Dean had anticipated that the team of mages would eagerly accept his offer, motivated by his apparent goodwill.

However, when he extended his hands with the expectation of a grateful response, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

The lack of reaction left him in an awkward stance, unsure of how to proceed without embarrassing himself, his arms still outstretched as if he were Santa Claus bestowing gifts.

“Um, what seems to be the issue?

Do you doubt my sincerity, or do you believe I’m incapable of fulfilling my promises?

If there’s anything you need, anything that you believe could enhance your combat abilities and contribute to victory in the next battle, please speak up,” the Dean finally said, his words laced with a sweetness intended to coax a response from the team.

Alec’s eyes narrowed with a hint of sly curiosity.

He was tempted to make a brazen request, but he hesitated, recalling that he had only ever been so unabashed with his grandfather.

So he turned towards Brandon, who caught his glance, and he seemed to grasp his intentions, so he subtly nodded in agreement.

Although they had exchanged this silent communication discreetly, the Dean caught a glimpse of the exchange and felt a surge of relief, believing that if the team captain made a request, it would encourage the others to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Selene stood to the side, lost in thought.

She couldn’t help but wonder why the typically frugal Dean was suddenly displaying such generosity.

The Dean she knew was not one to part with resources easily unless he stood to gain something in return.

And this made her look at the two middle-aged men who had accompanied him.

In the meantime, the Dean couldn’t help but feel that the team held some prejudice against him, but he didn’t blame them in the slightest.

It was he who had sent them to the capital to compete without any major support, like the other academies.

When even General Edward had asked him to sponsor the training for the new generation, he had refused, citing the costs he couldn’t bear.

However, to his surprise, General Edward had taken it upon himself to cover all the expenses, he had even found a way to convince the old Dean to part with some of his old spell scrolls, demonstrating a level of dedication that caught the Dean off guard.

Later, when all the other teachers had abandoned their duties and refused signing up for who would lead the team, Selene had been the only one to step in as the team’s coordinator and teacher when the Dean asked.

So they had been sent out to protect the academy’s honour and reputation without any significant support.

So it was quite understandable to the Dean, why they were angry at him.

“You know, you can tell me what you want, is it armour or new spirit equipment weapons?” the Dean questioned as Brandon’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Not all of us are here, though, some members of the team stayed behind to watch and analyse the match,” Alec confessed.

As he didn’t want any member of his team to miss out on the opportunity to make a demand, now that the Dean seemed to have a change of heart and was acting generously,

He was prepared to dig into the pockets of the Dean since he was asking.

“That’s not a problem, I’ll be here until tomorrow, when you all will have your second match, just make sure they send their request to the new mage responsible for your financial matters,” he said, pointing to the mage standing at his right hand.

Alec frowned as he turned towards the Dean, sensing something amiss.

“What does this mean?

Are you trying to remove Miss Selene from the team and replace her with instructors from the academy?” Alec asked, his words laced with unmistakable disdain.

The middle-aged instructors who had accompanied the Dean could feel the undercurrent of displeasure in Alec’s tone.

Alec had discovered from Agnes that many of the instructors were actually unhappy about a student leading the team in the inter-academy competition.

And they had made statements suggesting that Alec and his team would not progress any further and would ultimately be sent back to the academy.

However, as soon as news of the team’s qualification reached their ears, few suddenly wanted to join and bask in the glory of being a part of the team that propelled the War God Academy into the ranks of the top eight academies.

To Alec, this behaviour reeked of hypocrisy, and he had no desire to associate himself with such individuals.

He was content with Selene leading the team and didn’t want anyone else influencing their dynamics.

“No!

There is absolutely no intention to remove Selene from the team, you have all built something remarkable, and we genuinely hope that you will continue to advance,” the Dean assured, attempting to alleviate Alec’s concerns.

“Let’s just say that Instructor Phil is here to ensure that all assigned funds are used solely by the team and not by Selene for her addiction, which could potentially jeopardize the team’s position once again,” the Dean explained, causing Selene to scratch her head in embarrassment.

She had naively believed that her gambling mishap and subsequent funds loss had remained a secret after Alec help her out cover up, unaware that somehow the Dean had learned about it.

“Alright, then what is the role of the other instructor?” Beatrice inquired, seeking clarification amidst the unfolding discussion.

“I’m here to help coordinate your line-up and ensure that all of your powers are utilized to their maximum potential, giving us the best chances of winning,” the second instructor interjected before the Dean had a chance to introduce him.

“Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but we don’t really need you meddling with how our line-up is arranged, Alec is handling that,” Beatrice replied almost instantly, asserting her position.

“That is precisely why I’m here in the first place, the captain should not be solely responsible for selecting the team’s line-up.

Either you accept my involvement, or the offer of granting one of your wishes goes out the window,” the second instructor attempted to assert his authority, by attempting to threaten them.

The team looked at him as if he was mad, unswayed by his words.

“I guess we’ll have to decline your offer, Dean,” Beatrice stated after assessing the sentiments of everyone on the team.

It was not just Alec who was frustrated with the academy’s lack of support and management, but the entire team.

The academy had been practically absent in helping them reach their current position.

With the little support that was offered, the War God Academy team had managed to qualify for the competition.

Suddenly, someone was trying to intimidate them into accepting something they had never even wanted, assuming they would simply comply with their demands because they were benefits to be earned.

However, the ploy had backfired, as the team stood firm in their united refusal, abandoning the offered favours.

And it surprised the instructor that the team would react this way, choosing to disregard the potential benefits being dangled before them.