Although Andreas himself didn't want to admit it, his mindset was indeed significantly out of sync with the younger generation's views.
Feigning exhaustion, Andreas deliberately slowed his hand by a beat and was struck by Niana's Mental Plague. He quickly pressed his temples, shaking his head as if disoriented.
The silent onlookers finally erupted in cheers, and Niana's previously deflated expression regained its pride and confidence.
"Alright, students!"
Aurora stepped out at the opportune moment, clapping her hands to get the students' attention. "Today's practical training class ends here. I hope everyone will carefully reflect on what they gained from today's lesson when they go back. Class dismissed!"
"Thank you, Teacher Aurora!"
After the students dispersed, chattering, Andreas slowly walked over to Aurora, who was waving goodbye to the children.
"Teacher Aurora, you're truly relaxed. You don't even step in to stop outsiders from attacking your own students?"
Aurora rolled her eyes at her father speechlessly. "Dad, I'm not criticizing you, but it's too much to get distracted during a spar, isn't it? What on earth were you thinking about?"
"Uh..."
Andreas awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I was thinking about what Auni would cook for us today."
During her time living in Moonshadow's Rest, Onyxia developed a refined palate, and later she gradually became interested in gourmet food.
Most gourmets are not bad cooks themselves. Anyway, with plenty of time to spare in their long lives, the Black Dragon Princess took a lot of her leisure time to research how to make more delicious dishes.
Although not every day, sometimes when Onyxia was in the mood, she would personally cook for everyone. As for the food that day... usually, you had to fight for it.
"Gulp~"
Speaking of which, Aurora, who had just walked into the Administrative Building, couldn't help but swallow.
Andreas seized the opportunity to tap her head, teasing, "See? You still have the nerve to lecture me."
"Nagging!"
Aurora's face flushed, and she turned her head, saying, "In short, Dad, you're not considerate enough! If Niana develops a psychological trauma, Stepmom Celeste definitely won't let you into bed for several months."
"Ahem~"
Celeste had teleported in front of the two of them at some point. She looked at Aurora with a half-smile. "Aurora, you seem to know my methods very well. Do you know what I want to do now?"
"Eek!"
Celeste's dark expression startled Aurora. The girl quickly activated her teleportation and vanished, nobody knew where she went.
Andreas said with a wry smile, "This girl is still a bit spoiled by us. Sometimes she speaks without much respect."
Celeste naturally linked arms with Andreas and chuckled softly, "There's nothing wrong with that. Do you like obedient children who don't even dare to breathe heavily in front of their parents?"
"Hmm..."
Andreas thought for a moment, then shook his head like a rattle drum. "No, I prefer them to be more energetic."
As the two walked upstairs arm in arm, a small head peeked out from behind a purple crystal pillar at the far end of the Administrative Building's first floor.
"That Old Fogey and Academy Head Celeste are so close? By the way, what was Academy Head Celeste's family background again...?"
...To avoid unnecessary concerns among students, most of the academy's high-ranking officials and teachers, including Aurora and Celeste, concealed their identities.
Students who recognized them would also pretend not to know, under their parents' instructions, trying to maintain an equal relationship between students and teachers in the academy, to prevent a sense of distance due to status differences.
With Niana's clumsy tracking skills, Andreas, Celeste, and even Aurora had long since noticed her.
However, the child was simply curious and had no malicious intent, so the three of them didn't bother to expose her tracking, to avoid embarrassing her.
Rumors of the mysterious old fogey easily subduing the academy's genius quickly spread throughout the school.
Although Niana was convinced of her defeat, because the opponent's moves were too effortless, she couldn't tell where the gap between them truly lay.
This girl was naturally stubborn. If she couldn't figure something out, she would keep dwelling on it until she understood. The best way was to ask the person involved.
Although Niana's personality was somewhat self-centered, she wasn't truly lacking in emotional intelligence.
Seeing Celeste and the Old Fogey walk upstairs intimately, arm in arm, she didn't foolishly follow them, but instead sat obediently on a bench on the first floor of the Administrative Building, waiting.
In the Dean's Office on the fifth floor of the Administrative Building, Andreas looked speechlessly at the scene displayed on the Arcane screen.
"Why is this child so stubborn? How long will she sit at the entrance of the building?"
Celeste said helplessly, "Given Niana's personality, as long as we don't go out, she'll keep sitting there and won't leave."
Andreas chuckled wryly and patted his forehead. "Celeste, tell me honestly, do I really look like an Old Fogey?"
"...Do you want to hear the truth or flattery?"
"Of course, the truth."
Celeste shrugged and said teasingly, "The truth is, your temperament is too mature. While it doesn't make you seem like an old man, you certainly lack the vitality a young person should have. The title 'Old Fogey' fits perfectly."
"Hmm..."
Andreas felt a bit exasperated. As a father for a long time, he could accept being called 'grandps' or 'big grandps,' but adding 'old fogey'... the meaning was completely different.
"Don't overthink it."
Celeste chuckled and kissed Andreas on the cheek. "I actually think it's the charm of a mature man; it's very attractive."
'Nonsense, that's because you're into older men...'
"The main problem isn't there."
Andreas pondered, chin in hand. "I'm thinking, should I try to understand the younger generation's thoughts more?"
"The new generation of children will mature sooner or later and become the mainstream in society. Although a rotation system with fixed work years has been introduced at the middle and lower levels, the leadership, led by the High Council, has remained the same for thousands of years."
"Just like today's experience, I feel there's a very clear generation gap between myself and the younger generation like Niana. On one hand, it's because my own mindset is too mature, and on the other hand, it also indicates that today's young people's ideas are different from before, right?"
Celeste's expression became serious upon hearing this. "That's also a problem I've been considering recently."
"Today's children are all born in an era of peace, with happy families and without having experienced many setbacks."
"The War of the Shifting Sands did allow many new generation soldiers to witness the cruelty of the battlefield. Every war also sees many soldiers die on the battlefield, thus achieving a new and old transition. But... what about the officialdom outside the battlefield?"
"Due to the Night Elves' endless lifespan, even with the introduction of a term rotation mechanism, high-level positions, including the High Council and various ministerial officials, have not seen major changes for thousands of years. This will cause most young people entering officialdom to lack the drive and motivation for active advancement."
Andreas nodded thoughtfully. "This visit today unexpectedly gave me some inspiration. Afterwards, I will bring this topic to the Council for discussion, trying to introduce some fresh blood into the high-level positions."
"This proposal will not be easy to implement, as it will touch upon the interests of many high-ranking officials. However, to maintain the vitality of the management, and even the entire society, this step must be taken sooner or later."
Celeste wrapped her arms around her husband's neck from behind the chair and said gently, "You decide what's best. The current question is... should we call up that stubborn child for a talk?"
Although Andreas used a seemingly profound topic to divert Celeste's attention, he was actually still quite unhappy in his heart about being called an old fogey.
However, Andreas believed this situation was likely related to his professional environment; spending years discussing major national directions with a group of solemn colleagues made it unrealistic for him to try and lighten the atmosphere with humor.
Only when joking around with Fandral could he relax a bit; the High Council was indeed not a place suitable for joking.
Andreas originally thought he had long since adapted to the heavy burden of government affairs, but today's unexpected visit made him realize that he hadn't truly adapted—he had merely been assimilated by his surroundings out of necessity.
Furthermore, the topic Andreas brought up wasn't without merit; although the rotation system for middle and lower-level officials was well-implemented, those in high positions—including the High Council and various ministerial officials—had remained the same group for thousands of years.
'Perhaps it really is time to consider cultivating a new generation of successors; it's not a long-term solution for us old guys to keep holding onto the reins of power.'
The blessing of immortality did indeed guarantee that the Night Elves had infinite lifespans, but from a certain perspective, immortality was also a shackle hindering the development of Night Elf society.
A more realistic issue was the birth rate.
Although the birth rate of the High Elves who migrated east was far from high compared to humans, they could at least undergo metabolism across all levels of the nation at a visible rate... even if that 'visible' standard used a millennium as its time scale.
Compared to the High Elves, the birth rate of the Night Elves was as if it had been artificially locked within their genes; no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't break through the racial birth rate restrictions that followed the blessing of immortality.
Andreas himself had deep personal experience regarding this point.
Setting aside his own hard work with his two wives, the population growth of the Night Elves every hundred years was submitted to him for review, and those numbers were truly... abysmal. Recently, he had even begun considering whether to expand the reporting rule from every hundred years to every thousand years.
As time passed, Andreas gradually came to understand one problem.
Night Elves only had a Mortal power template, but because of the blessing of immortality, their social structure was closer to certain powerful non-human races, such as the Dragonflights, who were by no means Mortal.
It was just like a certain strange race with multiple appendages on their faces; their entire race wasn't immortal, but rather only the Prophet who served as their leader was an immortal who had received the blessing of the Naaru.
This level of immortality ensured that a leader with prophetic abilities could guide their people through hardships generation after generation, while also ensuring that their race possessed enough vitality to continue their... journey of flight.
Using 'virtue not matching the position' to describe the Night Elves might not be entirely accurate, but Andreas believed that the blessing of immortality had already placed a significant psychological burden on his clansmen.
In recent years, the workload of the psychological counseling centers had grown heavier year by year. Although the High Council had taken a series of measures to promote social vitality, the most fundamental problem remained unresolved; all policies were ultimately just treating the symptoms rather than the cause.
The Night Elves' blessing of immortality came from the World Tree Nordrassil, and further considered, it was linked to the New Well of Eternity beneath Nordrassil.
Although the status of the New Well of Eternity within the Night Elf Republic could not compare to that of the former Night Elf Empire, it still accounted for a significant portion.
Including the arcane golems and various automated magical devices, everything relied on the infinite energy support of the Well of Eternity. Andreas did not intend to, nor could he, joke around with the Well of Eternity just to eliminate the blessing of immortality.
Fortunately, as a transmigrator who knew the future, he knew there was a 'legitimate' reason for the Night Elves to rid themselves of the immortality that bound them like a curse. That would be the perfect opportunity for the Night Elf Republic to be reborn from the ashes...'So?'
Looking at the blue-haired girl in front of him who seemed to have something to say, Andreas asked with a bit of a headache, 'What are you doing following us? You're not unsatisfied and wanting a rematch, are you?'
'How could I!'
Niana hurried to shake her head, her fluffy ponytail trailing behind her swinging back and forth like a squirrel's tail.
The quality of this child's hair would make the 996 overtime dogs from Andreas' past life jealous to the point of cellular disintegration.
Not only was her hair a glossy azure blue, but it was also fluffy and looked very textured, truly like a squirrel's tail growing from the back of her head.
Niana looked at the old couple walking arm-in-arm with sparkling eyes, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she finally asked.
'Can I ask a question regarding the private matters of you two?'
Celeste nodded with a smile. 'Please, go ahead.'
'What is the relationship between Academy Head Celeste and this Old Fogey? Could it be...'
Andreas shrugged nonchalantly and said, 'It's just as you suspect. What? Is your Academy Head not allowed to have her own family?'
'No, no, no... that's not what I meant. It's just that I've never seen the Academy Head so close to anyone else before.'
Niana's eyes were full of curiosity and gossip. Although she had a competitive and straightforward personality, she was still a girl in her adolescence, so it was only natural for her to be interested in a happy romance right before her eyes.
Celeste explained with a gentle smile, 'My role as Academy Head is ultimately a temporary status; it's impossible for me to hold it long-term.'
'Once the academy's affairs are on the right track and suitable successors have been trained, I will resign from my post and shift my life's focus back to my family.'
With the passing of her direct relatives DathRemar and DathNath one after another, Andreas, Shandris, Leticia, Onyxia, and Aurora were Celeste's most important family members.
Only those who have experienced loss truly cherish a seemingly ordinary life. In Celeste's eyes, family was more important than anything else.
Although the births of Anasterian and even Kaelthas brought Celeste great comfort, she was ultimately separated from these younger generations by several generations. There was no problem treating them as juniors to care for, but it was difficult to feel the same level of closeness for them as she did for family like Andreas.
Niana was clearly hearing this for the first time from the Academy Head's mouth, and her face showed unconcealed surprise and confusion.
Nalath Academy gathered a large number of young talents from the entire Night Elf Republic. As long as Celeste did not take the initiative to resign, these young talents, who would inevitably become pillars of society, would automatically become her students and connections.
If this continued long-term, even if she held no public office herself, Celeste's network would become so vast that no official could afford to ignore it.
Although the Starscar Family Niana was born into was not a prominent clan, she had relatives within three generations serving in the Republic government.
She herself wasn't very interested in these interpersonal exchanges in officialdom, but under constant influence, she inevitably absorbed some of it.
From Celeste's attitude, she seemed to have no attachment to this vast network of connections that could be expected in the future, which made Niana even more curious about the identity hidden behind Celeste.
Andreas saw the inquisitive look in Niana's eyes, and to avoid bringing trouble to Celeste, he spoke up to interrupt her thoughts.
'Alright, let's stop talking about Celeste for now. Niana Starscar, you haven't stated your purpose for coming yet.'
'Ah... right!'
Niana punched her palm with a look of realization. 'Old Fogey! I'm here to ask for advice regarding that battle just now!'
'What exactly did you do? How were you able to effortlessly neutralize all of my attacks?'