Crown of Silence

Chapter 254 No comment

The waiter lit the silver lamp, and the light of the crystal chandelier hung high, illuminating the silent venue.

No one whispered, and the seats in the not-so-wide staircase venue were packed. Most of them are scholars who have obtained admission qualifications, as well as nobles who are nosy, and there are also many newspaper reporters who have come from all over the country to grab first-hand news.

The men wearing peaked caps and sitting in the front row, holding notebooks and pens, looked excited, communicating with each other using famous hand gestures, and writing down shorthand quickly in their notebooks.

Seeing that they were watching the fun and not taking it too seriously, Sergeir at the committee table let out a cold snort from his throat.

After all, this incident is a disgrace to the academic community. No matter who is right or wrong, if it is publicized, it will cause a big disturbance. As a well-known master in the academic world, he naturally does not like this group of tabloid reporters.

There were only five people sitting at the judges' table.

Barthemi, an ancient language scholar from Burgundy, Sergel, an ancient folklore researcher from the Tower of the Prophet, Heisenberg, an ancient music theory researcher from the Rock and Iron Academy, and Mr. Hu, an oriental student from the Holy City, and finally Lola Craft, a local researcher of Dark Ages history in Anglia.

Regardless of their status or qualifications, these five people are qualified to make decisions together on behalf of the academic community. The eldest prince, who represents the royal family, and Metropolitan Mephistopheles, who represents the religious order, will serve as notaries of this review to confirm that the results are fair and correct.

Through the thick wall, you can vaguely hear the bells of the Elizabeth Tower telling time in the distance.

In the low and faint ringing of the bell, the council meeting was officially announced to begin.

Both sides opened, and representatives from both sides formally entered the venue, causing a low commotion. Finally, sit on the left and right sides opposite the committee table.

They looked serious and did not communicate with each other, just treating each other as air.

But it was obvious that even if he was sure of victory, Ingmar still didn't look very good - once he walked into this place, regardless of the final result, it would be an outright stain on his career as a scholar.

Abraham, on the other hand, felt nothing about this and remained calm, neither sad nor happy.

The reputation of not being able to make a living is almost meaningless to him.

-

After a short announcement, several committee members spent ten minutes reading the documents submitted by both parties, and also read the meeting minutes and the causes and consequences submitted by the association and the school.

In the end, in the silence, everyone frowned involuntarily.

No one spoke.

"Who goes first?"

The bald old man Sergel suddenly asked. He looked around at his companions. Butler was silent, and Mr. Heisenberg still looked cold and indifferent. Mr. Hu, who came from the East, was in a daze on the ground. As for Laura...she looked over with a smile, her eyes seemed to have a thousand words, but she seemed to say nothing. It seems that there is something that can only be understood but cannot be expressed in words.

"After all these years, you are still such a mother-in-law."

Sergel snorted coldly. Among all the people, he had the hottest temper and the most disgusting eyes. He hated plagiarism and impersonation the most, so he was also the most impatient.

"I come."

He picked up the briefing note next to him, flipped through it briefly, then raised his head and said, "Then, the committee meeting will officially begin. First of all, please invite Mr. Ingmar to come forward."

Ingmar Shiran stood up, smiled and stood behind the central speaking seat, facing the committee members, and said hello gracefully and gracefully.

Unfortunately, this trick was of no use to Sergel.

"Mr. Ingmar, here are a few questions about your personal resume. You don't need to be nervous, just answer them truthfully."

He paused and his expression became solemn: "But please remember, it is best not to tell any lies here - this is also for your own sake."

"I understand, Mr. Sergel."

Ingmar nodded, his expression was neither humble nor arrogant, and there was a smile on his lips. There was no pressure: he had already rehearsed this link, and no matter what questions the other party asked, he would never make a mistake.

"When did your research into ancient texts begin?"

"Twenty-four years ago."

After counting silently, Ingmar answered: "I entered the Royal Academy of Music at that time, and met my teacher in the academy, who was the former coach of the Enlightenment Academy. From that time on, the teacher Guided me to get started. Three years later I graduated as a formal musician and have been engaged in related research since then.”

"What about the main results?"

Sergeir asked in a routine manner, of course he knew all about it.

"The highest achievements include "A Summary of Anglo Historical Legends", "Exploring the Origin of Human Development from the Ballads of the Dark Ages" and "Exploring the Origin of Ancient Avalon" which I completed in collaboration with my teacher."

Ingmar paused, glanced at Abraham imperceptibly from the corner of his eyes, and answered with a smile: "And, "The Complete Interpretation of the Voynich Manuscript."

The venue suddenly became noisy, Abraham remained expressionless, and the two teenagers beside him looked angry: This is already an out-and-out provocation!

"The results of the controversy will not matter for the time being."

Sergeir said calmly: "Please briefly describe the school of thought you inherit, your major in music theory and interpretation."

"As you all know, I am the instructor of the Enlightenment Branch of the Royal Conservatory of Music. I inherit the ancient Anglo-Inspirational sect, which is the 'Purple Branch School'. I major in music theory..."

At the committee table, Sergey kept asking questions, which were detailed and harsh. Even if Ingmar's answers had few flaws, he would chase them and beat him until he got a reasonable explanation.

Soon, even though he was well prepared, Ingmar's back became wet with a layer of cold sweat, and he felt a little out of energy. He could only be glad that he had always been very cautious in arranging his resume, otherwise his weaknesses might have been exposed under Sergei's fierce pursuit.

However, in the audience, Ye Qingxuan looked at him looking faintly deflated, and felt no pleasure at all, but rather a little sad.

Because here comes the problem.

He sighed inaudibly, and looked at Abraham with worry in his eyes.

If we dig into it to this extent, the teacher's resume... I'm afraid it will be a big problem.

Even a blind person can see that there are large blanks and ambiguous places in the resume he submitted. It is simply so simple that it is shocking... The situation Abraham will face next will probably be ten or hundreds of times more difficult than Ingmar's. .

Ye Qingxuan silently exhaled the irritated breath in his chest and looked towards the stage.

The situation is not good.

Among the five judges, he has long heard of Master Sergeal's temper. He is basically a dynamite keg that explodes at any moment. He cannot get along with anyone except academically. He is a loner wherever he goes.

In terms of stance, he is definitely the most fair person among them, and he does not rub any sand in his eyes.

But it's even worse - he has a bad temper and is stubborn. If his judgment makes him make a wrong choice, then he will definitely die on this road, and even nine cows will not be able to pull him back.

Among the remaining people, the one who least needs to worry is Laura.

He believed that based on the level of "mutual trust" between him and this sister... bah bah bah, even if he was the queen in the ring, she would vote for him.

Not just for your own sake, but also for your own sake as a mobile blood pack and a treasure of heaven and earth, otherwise there would be no justice in this world!

But the rest are generally more difficult to deal with.

As far as he knew, Master Bartholomew had always stayed away from strife and refused to take part in any fights. Master Heisenberg is far away at Yantie Academy. Although he has made outstanding academic achievements, he has been living in isolation since accepting the inheritance of the school, making it more difficult to deal with.

And that Mr. Hu who is said to be from the East... God knows if he will give me the honor to show him the way. Moreover, his relaxed and joyful face is not concealed at all, and he looks like he is watching the fun and does not think it is a big deal. He is clearly. Came here for the drama!

While he was thinking rapidly in his mind, his most nervous moment finally arrived.

"Mr. Abraham, please come forward."

Sergei said solemnly, and seeing Abraham standing behind the speaking seat, he asked harshly: "Can you guarantee that the next words are true?"

"I promise, sir."

Abraham's answer was lackluster, just plain and straightforward. His expression remained dull. He just stood behind the speaker's seat and waited for questions.

And when several committee members looked through the resume submitted by Abraham, their expressions suddenly became extremely complicated, and they started talking among themselves in low voices.

"This is simply a blank piece of paper." Sergel threw his resume on the table and whispered, "There is almost nothing on it. With all due respect, this thing is a waste of our time."

Several other committee members, except for Mr. Hu, who is a god, all agreed: It's not that they are impetuous, but that Abraham's resume is too simple.

Butler, who was the most thoughtful, thought for a moment, and when he thought of the letter to himself, his heart became heavy. He sighed: "In that case...just ask the truth. You can always ask clearly."

"I don't think so." Master Heisenberg, who had been concentrating with his eyes closed, suddenly said, his expression as sinister and cold as ever, making people feel chilled: "If he wants to lie, he may not be able to deceive us. Perhaps, we should End this farce as soon as possible.”

"Even if it's a routine matter, at least complete this step."

Laura, who had been silent all this time, suddenly expressed her stance. She seemed to be in her early twenties, so she was very young among this group of people whose average age was over forty, and she was particularly out of place.

"I think it's better to ask first." She made a compromise suggestion: "If there is anything we don't understand, how about we provide additional evidence?"

"It seems that this is the only way to do it."

Sergel snorted, glanced at the resume in his hand, and looked up at Abraham: "Mr. Abraham, you are a soldier, right?"

Abraham nodded.

"As far as we know, in the army, you only had three months of musician training..." Sergeal frowned: "What did you learn in those three months?"

"..."

Abraham was silent, and after a long time he asked softly: "Can I change the question?"

The whole place was in an uproar.

This is the first question that was refused to be answered today. No one has ever refused to answer a review member's question so simply and straightforwardly at the review meeting.

And such a simple question!

In the audience, the reporters were stunned for a moment, and then began to record it excitedly. A wonderful news story was already drafted in their stomachs.

Hearing Abraham's words, even Sergeal, who had finally managed to calm down, couldn't help but feel angry: Is it necessary to refuse to answer such a question? !

His expression darkened, and he looked at Abraham coldly for a long time. Abraham was still dull and expressionless. After knowing it for a long time, Sergeyel asked again:

"Who is your teacher?"

"..."

His answer was still silence, and the low-pitched discussion in the venue gradually became noisy until Sergeir banged the gavel vigorously: "Silence! Silence!

Mr. Abraham, do you also refuse to answer this question? ! "

He looked at Abraham, angry.

"Feel sorry……"

Abraham sighed, looking bitter and helpless: "——Unless you obtain the approval and written permission of the fourth department,... there is no comment."

"No comment?"

The whole place was in an uproar again, and even the committee members were stunned.

The fourth department is Anglo's division of the government department system after hundreds of years of evolution.

The first department includes all administrative agencies in Anglia, including most of the administrative agencies such as commercial and tax administration, and is the management basis of the kingdom's administrative system. The second department includes police, epidemic prevention, firefighting and other departments, which are an indispensable part of maintaining the operation of the kingdom.

The third department is farming, education, land, population survey, etc., responsible for managing people's livelihood. As for the fourth department... it is the war department that integrates the army, logistics, weapons forging, and destruction technology research and development, and is responsible for all violent actions and active defense force department.

It is what ordinary people call the ‘Military Department’. It is said that there is a fictitious fifth sector, but no one has ever confirmed it.

"No comment..."

Hearing what the teacher said, Ye Qingxuan slapped his forehead, covered his face and sighed, suddenly feeling like he wanted to die: He was really afraid of everything!

Who knows, the teacher has signed such a strict confidentiality agreement with the military. Abraham doesn’t even have a photo of himself when he was young...

Fortunately, among the documents submitted by Abraham, there was a resume certificate from the military department, which was barely able to explain the past.

After a brief discussion among the committee members, Sergei suppressed his anger and continued to ask:

"Mr. Abraham, according to the association's investigation, you had thirty-one years of military experience before taking up the Royal Academy of Music, but your resume says that you were only forty-two years old when you retired from the military...

So, how old were you when you joined the army? "

"Feel sorry."

Abraham replied dully: "No comment unless approved and written permission is obtained from the fourth department."

"..."

Sergey's face turned purple for a while, and the complex changes in his expression were simply wonderful.

After a long time, he gritted his teeth and asked: "As far as I know, your origin is incomplete. You claim to be the son of a gardener, but according to the association's investigation, there is no gardener or a family in the local area. His surname is 'Wilson', can you explain this?"

"Sorry, no comment unless approved and given written permission by Department 4."

"..."

Sergeyal showed an expression of toothache: "Is this also within the scope of confidentiality?"

"Sorry, no comment unless approved and given written permission by Department 4."

"What is the military number you serve in?"

"Sorry, no comment unless approved and given written permission by Department 4."

"What about the year before you retired?!"

Sergel was furious: "Your resume says that you were sent to the Green Tower Heavy Prison due to major punishments. Don't you have anything to say about this?!"

Abraham was still blank, and his answer could be guessed by everyone: "——Sorry, I have no comment unless I get approval and written permission from the fourth department."

"Enough is enough! Mr. Abraham!"

Sergei was furious and banged the gavel in his hand: "Who is your immediate superior! I believe the association will get permission..."

"……Feel sorry."

Abraham sighed, "No comment unless approved and given written permission by Department 4."

"What else do you have to say except that you have no comment!"

"Sorry, unless I get, uh..."

Abraham didn't react until he was halfway through speaking, and sighed helplessly: In fact, he can say a lot, but why do you always ask about what you can't say?

He asked tentatively: "How about you ask something else? I teach three very talented students, they are..."

"enough!"

Master Heisenberg, who had been watching with cold eyes all this time, planned his words. His dark eyes fell on Abraham and his voice was cold.

"Mr. Abraham, do you think you can be unscrupulous with the fourth department as a shield? I hope you know that the Musicians Association has a liaison line with the major departments of Anglo."

"Sorry..." Abraham shook his head.

"Come here! Contact the fourth department! I want to access Abraham's detailed files!"

Sergey gritted his teeth and said, "I want to see if there is anything he can't say!"

Soon, the changing musicians outside the venue were directly connected to the military office in the upper city through underground cables. When the communication was connected, it was a soft female voice:

"Hello, this is the sixth reception desk. Do you have an appointment?"

"Hello, ma'am."

Sergeir said coldly: "This is the Musicians Association, and we need to check the resume of a citizen of the kingdom."

Soon, after a simple confirmation, the soft and sweet female voice asked: "Please state the household registration number and name that need to be checked."

Sergei glanced at Abraham, saw his still dull expression, snorted coldly, and reported the information on his resume.

But in an instant, the communication was cut off.

Everyone was stunned and at a loss.

Then, after a few busy signals, the communication was connected again. This time, the young and sweet female voice disappeared, replaced by a cold and dry voice, unceremonious.

"Who?" he asked.

"This is the Musicians Association..."

Before Sergel finished speaking, he was interrupted. The voice that sounded as smooth as a machine said coldly: "Sorry, no matter what you want to ask, we can't comment unless we get approval and written permission from the fourth department."

"Damn it!" Sergei was stunned and then got angry: "This is the Musicians Association!"

"Sorry, unless permission is obtained from Department 4..." the cold voice repeated this sentence.

"We have members of the royal family as witnesses! We have the recognition of the Order!" Sergeal roared: "Do you know who I am?! I am..."

"—Otherwise, no comment."

The communication was disconnected and there was only a busy tone.

Awkwardly busy signal.

In the awkward atmosphere, everyone looked at each other in silence, feeling heartbroken. At the end, look towards the royal family behind the curtain.

Soon, a note was sent out. After reading it, the expressions of several committee members changed, and in the end they turned into helplessness.

"Ahem, just skip this section..."

Barthelmi couldn't help but cough a few times, "At least, now no one doubts whether he is a member of the fourth department."

Sergey's expression was gloomy, and he snorted without saying anything.

There was silence.