Before entering the building of the School Affairs Committee office, Zheng Qing had already gained a general understanding of the School Affairs Committee's departmental divisions and responsibilities through various channels.
Generally speaking, the External Affairs Committee rarely selects people from lower grades because they frequently need to leave the University to carry out tasks. The Security Affairs Committee also rarely chooses lower-grade personnel due to the inherent danger in their work. Therefore, Freshmen punished by the University are usually arranged by the Internal Affairs Committee.
This was the case for Lan Que, who went to the Alchemy Laboratory, Zhang Jixin, who went to Baicao Garden, and Xiao Xiao, who went to the Library. Their assigned tasks were also generally fixed: for example, blacksmithing, clearing weeds, and organizing books.
All were very basic tasks, almost without any chance of accident.
However, Patrol duties were completely different.
At First University, the Patrol has always been a very special team.
As a powerful department with a size of several hundred people, the members of the Patrol are not fixed. Retired Old Professors, part-time Researchers, incumbent Assistant Teachers, full-time School Workers, and punished students – it can be said that any position at First University can find qualified members in the Patrol.
As a formally established department of the University, the Patrol is simultaneously under the dual leadership of the Internal Affairs Committee and the Security Committee. On one hand, Patrol task arrangements and route planning require overall coordination from the Internal Affairs Committee; on the other hand, many aspects of campus threats involved in the patrolling process are closely related to the Security Committee.
In fact, the tasks undertaken by the Patrol of First University are very extensive.
From registering students who skipped out on bedtime, to preventing Wild Demons from Silent Forest from sneaking onto campus; it also includes preventing merfolk in the reserve from crossing the boundary line, and checking for malfunctions in the protective array covering the campus, and so on.
Zheng Qing had once read a story in “Into First University” about the Patrol returning a lost merfolk baby to Linzhong Lake.
But he never knew that the University would recruit Freshmen to join the Patrol!
“This arrangement is indeed a bit unexpected.” Heinz Lehmann spread his hands sincerely; he also looked a bit confused.
“Oh no! Freshmen are going to join the Patrol!!” The tiger-striped parrot yelled, flying out of the office excitedly to gossip about this news with his companions.
“Making a fuss over nothing.” The red-bellied macaw on the bird stand clicked his beak, turned one head towards Zheng Qing, and comforted him, “Don't worry! Fly higher during Patrol, Wild Demons that run into the University generally can't fly!”
“They don’t have wings!” The red-bellied macaw’s other head corrected.
The two parrot heads looked at each other, then re-bit their straws and started drinking juice.
Both Zheng Qing and Lin Guo’s faces were a bit pale.
“It’s alright, calm down. This task is not as dangerous as you imagine.” Heinz patted the shoulders of the two Freshmen, encouraging them, “First University campus is the safest area in the Wizarding World, there’s no reason to believe any dangerous creatures can just wander around the University.”
Zheng Qing glanced at Xiao Xiao.
The warnings in the long corridor were still vivid in his mind.
He felt that Heinz’s comforting words needed to be taken with a grain of salt.
Patrol duty.
And it was a night Patrol of Linzhong Lake.
Even if they didn't encounter dangerous creatures, they might slip and fall into the lake if they dozed off!
One should know that the relationship between the inhabitants of the lake and the Wizards was not very friendly.
“You are only doing a very simple campus Patrol task, not even leaving the academy. It’s just that the time might affect your rest a bit, so pay attention to managing your time well.” The senior on duty saw the Freshmen out of the building, and his comforting words didn't stop the entire way.
But even after walking out of the School Affairs Committee building, Zheng Qing’s mind was still in a mess.
The Wild Demon stories Xin Fatty usually told him, and the ghost stories Dylan told him in the coffin, emerged one after another in his mind.
He never knew his memory was so excellent.
Patrolling in the middle of the night! Is this a Freshman's job!
Zheng Qing’s mind was swirling with the Pig Demon in Daming Ward and the Banshee on the special plane, and he felt a little panicked.
Lin Guo, however, became somewhat excited at the thought of not having to sleep in the middle of the night.
As soon as they exited the School Affairs Committee building, Lin Guo couldn't help but murmur, “It’s said that dragons can be seen around our University!”
He had a mysterious and yearning look on his face.
“Dragons!” Zheng Qing couldn’t help but interject, his eye twitching.
“Indeed.” Zhang Jixin also leaned over with great interest, “I heard from my brother that traces of dragons are often seen in Silent Forest. They are occasionally seen in the University as well. My brother said they are no different from those he used to see at home.”
“You’ve seen dragons at home?!” A hint of shock appeared in Zheng Qing’s eyes.
Zhang Jixin smiled smugly and said:
“Oh, I’ve seen a few. Mostly Western giant dragons. Last year, I traveled to Russia with my eldest brother and saw the Kubyshev winged dragons of Volga; hmm, in my first year of high school, my family went to the North Sea and almost caught an Okony proboscis dragon; and there’s the New Zealand Albino-eye… Of course, I haven’t seen divine dragons or anything like that, only sub-species like the Tanggula Ice Dragon and the Crimson Qiu of Changbai Mountain. The ones near the University should be a type of water or terrestrial flood dragon, and like the others, they are all common dragon species.”
Zheng Qing sighed heavily.
These explanations did not in the slightest reduce the threat level of these creatures to him.
“Even if they are common, they are still dragons!” Lin Guo couldn’t help but exclaim, “If only I could get some of its scales, saliva, or even blood…”
“Dream on!” Lan Que cut off Lin Guo’s fantasy decisively.
Lin Guo pouted, closed his mouth, and followed behind Lan Que pitifully, no longer speaking.
“But, it should be relatively safe here, right?” Zheng Qing tried hard to recall Heinz’s words just now, and forced a smile, “On the island, there should be absolutely no need to worry about those mysterious creatures, right?”
“Yes.” Xiao Xiao’s lazy voice sounded from the side, “We just need to pay attention to those little demons.”
“Wild Demons.” Lan Que kept his hand on his sword, sparing words like gold.
“Ah! Right, right,” Zhang Jixin seemed to suddenly realize, tapping his head, his face full of distress, “And those troubles, tsk tsk, these Wild Demons pose a very limited threat to Wizards, just like stray dogs to ordinary people.”
This kind of comfort was more like a threat.
Lin Guo’s face also gradually turned pale.
“How could there be Wild Demons at the University?” Zheng Qing couldn’t help but glance at the building not far away.
“Accidentally escaped from the Hunting Ground, accidentally escaped from the laboratory, accidentally contaminated by some Black Magic, and also maliciously brought in by some bad guys. There are many possibilities!” Zhang Jixin suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “According to my brother, in their year, that is, the current seniors, someone went out for a stroll at night when they first entered the University as Freshmen and was accidentally bitten by a Wild Demon. No one has seen him since.”
“I suddenly feel a little envious of Dylan.” Zheng Qing mumbled dejectedly.
“Like him, sleeping in a coffin, or like him, streaking once a month?” Xiao Xiao raised his eyebrows.
“No, I want to be like him, where his power increases a little with each full moon.” Zheng Qing licked his somewhat dry lips, “And last month, Dylan stayed quietly in his coffin the whole time, with absolutely no streaking.”
“Most importantly, they don’t need to care about the fear that night brings at all.” Lin Guo shivered, and trembled as he interjected, “They are the Children of the Night!”