Wendy had certainly met General Beota during his time playing Witch’s Conquest.
She wasn’t just the NPC who issued the most quests at the Central Academy; in the later stages of the game, she was the supreme commander who led the Continental Allied Forces in a counter-offensive against the Witch Empire.
She was a living legend who had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
But at this moment, her passionate invitation was equivalent to placing Wendy directly over a scorching fire.
Layana and Aurelia, the two powerful deans, were trying to find a ruthlessness from that youthful face that would match the words “wicked and venomous.”
But they failed.
The Prince’s eyes were clear, even showing a hint of dazed confusion after being hit with such a massive amount of information.
He looked like a Husky surrounded by a pack of wolves, completely unable to grasp the situation.
However, it was precisely this innocent confusion that formed a bizarre paradox with the calculating and ruthless methods Beota described.
This massive sense of disconnect actually made the two deans feel a chill down their spines.
A person who could wrap such poisonous schemes in such a seamless, pure disguise…
His danger level was perhaps ten times higher than Beota’s assessment!
“Ahem.”
The first to break the dead silence was the Dean of the Magic Division, Layana.
The fanaticism of looking at a rare experimental specimen had long faded, replaced by the caution one felt when facing an unknown forbidden subject.
“Beota, I admit that we might have both misjudged him. But that doesn’t change the fact of his ‘Magic-Severing Body.’ What can a person who cannot utilize any mana do in your Military Branch, besides being a strategist who only fights on paper?”
The Magic Dean’s words struck the heart of the matter.
“Are you going to let him take a sword and engage in hand-to-hand combat with Orcs? You should know that even the lowest-ranking commanders must study magic to protect themselves.”
“On the battlefield, blades have no eyes.”
“A commander with no ability to protect himself is the most fatal weakness of an entire army!”
Aurelia also spoke softly at this moment, though her words were equally sharp.
“Layana is right. Prince Wendy’s wisdom is a gift from the gods, but because of that, he needs a strong heart that can distinguish good from evil and adhere to the righteous path to command it.”
The Dean of the Holy Studies Branch reached out toward Wendy, her gaze full of pity.
“Come to the Holy Studies Branch, Prince Wendy. I will guide you and let you learn to control your wisdom rather than being consumed by the desire for victory. Faith will be the sturdy shield for your heart.”
In an instant, the two deans formed a united front to resist the “barbarian” from the Military Branch.
“Ha?!”
General Beota let out a sneer full of disdain.
“One wants to slice him up for research, and the other wants to completely brainwash him. You call this being good for him?”
The old general’s gaze swept over the two of them, her contempt undisguised.
“Weak? No self-protection?”
She suddenly turned to Wendy.
“Kid, tell me, back at Sunset Fortress, did you have a single soldier or a single pawn by your side?”
Wendy froze for a moment and subconsciously shook his head.
‘With Astreia, that humanoid gundam, what guards would I need?’
“In the Royal Capital, when the old dog of the Vied family was executed, did you ever personally draw your sword?”
Wendy shook his head again.
‘There was no need for me to do that kind of thing personally.’
“That’s it!”
Beota suddenly clapped her hands, making the air hum with the impact.
“A true powerhouse decides a victory from a thousand miles away while inside a tent! Why would you need to kill someone with your own hands?”
“His brain is the sharpest weapon in the world! Every order he gives is more lethal than a Forbidden Spell chanted by a Legendary Mage!”
“My Military Branch doesn’t train reckless fools who only know how to charge. We train commanders who can lead thousands of troops!”
The old general’s voice was as clanging as iron.
“Prince Wendy, come to me! I will give you the highest authority and the best resources! Within three years, I will make you the youngest General Star on the entire continent of Erathia!”
General Star!
These two words seemed to possess magic, enough to make any man unable to resist.
But as Wendy looked at the three legendary figures before him, all of whom had their auras fully released and were confronting each other to fight for him, his mind was incredibly clear.
‘Going to the Magic Division might turn me into a lab rat, but I could come into contact with the world’s fundamental magical knowledge. Maybe I can find a way to control my “devouring” ability.’
‘As for the Holy Studies Branch, who knows what kind of brainwashing I’d go through? And I’d have to remain celibate. Even a dog wouldn’t go there. But the “Power of Faith” is a system independent of magic, and it’s extremely effective against the Demon Race, the Blood Clan, and the Fallen Ones. It’s a fallback plan.’
‘The Military Branch fits my current needs the most. I could turn my wisdom into power and strength the fastest. But General Beota has such sharp eyes. If I do anything slightly out of line under her, she’ll probably see right through me.’
Every path led to a completely different future.
How should he choose?
While Wendy was thinking rapidly, two warm and fragrant bodies pressed against him from the left and right.
“I don’t agree!”
Laxana was the first to strike, clinging tightly to Wendy’s arm and glaring dissatisfiedly at Beota.
“The Military Branch is full of violent maniacs with brain problems. Military training is bitter and exhausting. How could Wendy’s tender skin handle that? He must stay in the Magic Division so I can personally take care of him!”
Astreia’s voice, on the other hand, was as cold as ever.
“Wendy’s departure or stay is for him to decide.”
She placed her hand directly on the Prince’s shoulder.
“But if anyone dares to let him suffer even the slightest grievance, they’ll have to answer to my sword first!”
The statements from these two favored daughters of heaven made the already tense atmosphere in the office even more subtle.
Layana looked at her daughter, who was desperately siding with an outsider, feeling both angry and amused.
Aurelia’s brow was slightly furrowed, as if she were calculating something.
Only General Beota, seeing this scene, didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled with appreciation.
“Very good. Knowing how to utilize every available resource around you is also a talent of a commander.”
The gazes of the three deans focused on Wendy once again, waiting for his final choice.
An invisible pressure surged like an overwhelming tide.
Wendy knew he couldn’t play dumb anymore.
“I am flattered and deeply grateful for the kindness of the three deans.”
The Prince gently disentangled himself from the embrace of the two girls, took a step forward, and bowed deeply to the three deans.
“It’s just… I…”
He looked up, his eyes filled with the confusion unique to a young man.
“I don’t know how to choose. General Beota says I know how to strategize, but I… I just did my best simply to survive.”
“Dean Layana and Dean Aurelia say my constitution is special, but I can’t even sense the most basic mana.”
“I don’t even… know if I still have the right to be called a prince.”
These words laid bare the inner fragility and helplessness of a Prince of the Fallen Kingdom before everyone.
Even Beota’s blade-like gaze softened slightly for once.
“So…”
Wendy cautiously looked up, his gaze quickly sweeping across the faces of the three deans.
Using a tone that was almost a plea, he spoke his thoughts.
“Could I… first look at the textbooks of the three branches to understand what I would be learning?”
“Hmm?”
The three deans raised their eyebrows at the same time.