Chapter 41: The Three of Paldea

“Ah?” De Shu let out a soft gasp, then turned his gaze to Ye Ci, receiving a confirming smile in return; suddenly flustered, he stammered for a long while before finally saying to Luo Mu, “My apologies,” then bowed his head and sat down in silence.

After sitting down, De Shu could only feel he had been recklessly careless today—how could he have so carelessly lost face in front of the chairman?

But he dared not direct his resentment toward Luo Mu; if the man truly was a Champion-level Trainer, then causing trouble would be like lighting a lamp in a latrine.

Not every Trainer is as easygoing as Chairman Ye Ci.

“I’m truly sorry, Professor Luo Mu. I intended to announce your identity to all returning faculty and staff at the upcoming faculty meeting, but I never expected the Dean to be so impulsive.”

Mu Fei’s tone carried regret, yet not excessive caution—after all, the strongest Champion-level Trainer was the college’s own chairman, and Orange College was the oldest institution in the world.

As its principal, Mu Fei naturally did not interact with Luo Mu as timidly as the Dean had.

Luo Mu shook his head. “No problem. I didn’t take any of this to heart.”

Mu Fei’s impression of Luo Mu improved further—someone with power yet no arrogance; Ye Ci’s judgment was indeed sharp: “Then let’s discuss your future compensation and primary teaching responsibilities.”

The discussion was brief—mostly Mu Fei speaking, Luo Mu listening, with Ye Ci occasionally adding a few remarks.

Dean De Shu remained silent throughout, speaking only when Mu Fei or Ye Ci directly addressed him.

In the end, all matters regarding compensation and specific teaching duties were settled.

Traditionally, Orange College’s faculty probationary period lasted three months, but Mu Fei unilaterally shortened it to one month, during which Luo Mu’s salary would be 50,000 Alliance Coins.

After one month, upon confirmation, his salary would increase to 80,000 Alliance Coins.

As a Battle Studies instructor hired by Orange College, Luo Mu’s specific teaching duties were to cultivate and guide students’ interest in Pokémon battles.

One notable point: aside from required foundational courses, most courses offered at Orange College were chosen voluntarily by students based on personal interest.

Thus, two weekly classes meant exactly two classes—no additional teaching obligations.

Furthermore, Orange College granted four annual breaks: spring, summer, autumn, and winter holidays, each lasting at least one month, during which faculty salaries were paid in full.

Such conditions could rightly be called the ultimate fantasy of any overworked employee.

Contract signed, stamp affixed—the entire process flowed smoothly.

The matter was settled. Ye Ci rose with satisfaction, smiling: “Since everything’s settled, I’ll take my leave now. The college… and the Alliance still have many matters requiring my attention.”

With that, Ye Ci waved goodbye, silently mouthing “Good luck” to Luo Mu, then departed with elegance.

After Ye Ci left, Mu Fei sighed: “The chairman must oversee everything across the Alliance, even occasionally taking time to assess Gym Leaders’ strength—she returns to the college so rarely, you could count her visits on one hand.”

“Even when I report college matters, most of our communication happens over the phone.”

Luo Mu nodded slightly. “Precisely because of this, the Paldea Alliance has flourished, matching or surpassing other Alliance regions.”

Mu Fei stood. “Time’s running short. Let’s go—we still have a faculty meeting to attend. We need to properly introduce you to everyone, so we don’t have another incident like the Dean’s blunder.”

De Shu’s mind was still filled with thoughts of having embarrassed himself before the chairman, and hearing Mu Fei’s veiled remark, he grimaced and dragged out his voice: “Principal…”

After the faculty meeting ended, it was already noon. Most students had returned to campus, and the entire courtyard was packed with people.

Then, the classic scene from the games—the opening ceremony held in the courtyard—slowly unfolded.

Standing on the elevated platform, Mu Fei wore Orange College’s distinctive uniform; on either side of him stood neatly arranged faculty members from various departments, while in the courtyard’s center, a large crowd of students—children under ten to middle-aged and elderly adults—all wore the school uniform, awaiting Principal Mu Fei’s speech.

This was also Orange College’s hallmark: accepting students of all ages, believing everyone deserved the right to learn.

Luo Mu stood at the edge of the faculty line below the platform. He could feel that, aside from a few colleagues who occasionally stole glances at him after Mu Fei’s introduction, many students below also frequently fixed their gazes on him.

To them, this new teacher was likely unfamiliar.

Principal Mu Fei delivered an impassioned speech. Meanwhile, Luo Mu—whose motto was that money earned by slacking off was the only real money—let his gaze wander among the students, hoping to spot any familiar faces.

Last row… that tall, beautiful girl—could she be Pipa, future member of the Star Team?

And the dark-skinned girl near Pipa’s class—she must be Tian Zhong.

After meeting Pina, Luo Mu no longer relied solely on game impressions to identify people; instead, he made reasonable deductions based on observable traits. Though their appearances would change over time, some traces were still visible now.

Figures like Pina, Qiuming, Aldiga, and Meloco were also scattered across different classes.

The Star Team was born from bullying incidents on campus, but he still had no concrete sense of how severe the bullying had been.

Adopting a teacher’s mindset, Luo Mu pondered briefly, deciding to pay closer attention to these matters later.

Then… the group of students roughly his own age: the Paldea main protagonists.

Following a slightly warm gaze, Luo Mu quickly spotted Nimo.

She stood in the front row, wearing the standard Orange College uniform, her hair tied into a neat high ponytail; aside from her still-pale skin, she was nearly a miniature version of Nimo from the game.

And then there was Pape. It had been over a week since they last met—he wondered if Pape had reconciled with his parents. Luo Mu planned to approach him discreetly after the assembly.

His gaze continued moving, and at the far right of the line, he spotted Mudan—wearing thick round glasses, carrying a cute Eevee backpack, and dressed in Orange College’s gender-neutral uniform, she looked like a tomboy.

Excluding the unknown protagonist, three of Paldea’s Four Greats had gathered at Orange College.