Sjaak was never the type of administrator who dismissed an idea simply because it created additional work. Throughout his career, he had earned a reputation for listening carefully before reaching a conclusion, regardless of how unusual a proposal initially sounded. He believed that rejecting innovation simply because it differed from established practice was one of the fastest ways for a university to become obsolete. In an age where society itself seemed to change every few months, that philosophy had become more important than ever.
"As Head Dean, my responsibility isn't to preserve tradition for its own sake," Sjaak said as he looked around the table. "My responsibility is to ensure that this university continues to flourish while preparing our students for the world they will actually enter after graduation. Those two goals don't always point in the same direction, and it's our job to recognize the difference."
Several department heads nodded in agreement.
The purpose of a university had never been to teach students every possible skill they might someday need. Instead, higher education existed to provide a strong foundation upon which graduates could continue building throughout their careers. If the university attempted to specialize in every profession, it would inevitably fail at all of them. Finding the proper balance between broad education and practical specialization remained one of the institution's greatest challenges.
"That rapid-fire archery style is unquestionably valuable," Sjaak continued. "No one in this room would argue otherwise after seeing the records from the Black Forest expedition. However, we also have to consider how many graduates will actually use those techniques during their careers. A skill can be exceptionally powerful while still remaining too specialized to justify making it part of the standard curriculum."
He folded his hands together as he spoke.
"Most of our graduates won't become independent adventurers. Many will join government agencies, research institutes, private security organizations, military units, or commercial expeditions where teamwork, discipline, and consistency remain more important than individual combat performance. We have to educate for the majority while still creating opportunities for exceptional students to develop further."
Nicolaas nodded thoughtfully.
"I agree with that assessment," he replied. "I'm not suggesting we replace the existing curriculum."
His gaze shifted toward the Head of the Archery Department before returning to Sjaak.
"What concerns me is the sheer gap between what we teach and what appears to be possible. If students in the Adventurer Program never even see those techniques, they'll graduate believing our current methods represent the absolute limit of practical archery. Based on what we've witnessed, that clearly isn't the case."
The room fell silent once again.
That observation struck at the heart of the discussion. Universities existed not only to teach established knowledge but also to expose students to the frontiers of their chosen disciplines. Ignoring an advanced combat style simply because it was difficult to teach would contradict the very purpose of higher education.
Sjaak leaned back in his chair and considered the issue carefully.
"Then perhaps we're looking at this from the wrong perspective," he said after several moments. "Instead of asking whether every student should learn that style, perhaps we should ask whether every student should know that the style exists."
Several people immediately began writing notes.
There was an important distinction between mastering a technique and understanding its principles. The university did not need to produce experts in every specialized discipline, but it did have a responsibility to expose students to the breadth of knowledge available within their profession. If graduates later chose to pursue those advanced techniques elsewhere, they would at least know such opportunities existed.
"I could support that approach," the Head of the Archery Department said for the first time since the discussion had begun.
Until now, he had remained unusually quiet, largely because he understood Nicolaas's criticism better than anyone else in the room. His instructors had spent years refining their curriculum, only to discover that another style existed which dramatically outperformed their own under certain circumstances. It was a difficult realization for any educator.
"Our current curriculum is still technically correct," he continued. "It teaches reliable fundamentals that suit the military and other factions. The problem is that we're preparing students for organized warfare, while independent adventurers operate under entirely different conditions. Those are related disciplines, but they aren't identical."
Sjaak smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
He appreciated administrators who could acknowledge limitations without feeling personally attacked. Educational systems evolved constantly, and every instructor occasionally encountered knowledge beyond their own expertise. The willingness to recognize those limitations often distinguished excellent teachers from merely competent ones.
"The reality is that styles like the one demonstrated during the Black Forest expedition are extremely difficult to master," Sjaak said. "Even if we hired someone capable of teaching it, very few students would possess the natural talent, physical conditioning, and dedication required to reach a meaningful level of proficiency. We shouldn't build an entire curriculum around techniques that only a handful of people will ever successfully use."
He allowed that statement to settle before continuing.
"However, offering specialized electives or guest lectures for students enrolled in the Adventurer Program is an entirely different matter. Those students have already chosen a career where individual combat ability matters significantly more than it does in conventional military service. Providing them with additional opportunities seems entirely appropriate."
Nicolaas looked noticeably relieved.
"That's actually very close to what I had in mind."
The discussion gradually shifted away from the immediate problem and toward the broader role universities should play within the new world.
Modern factions, despite their growing influence, rarely possessed the resources necessary to educate large numbers of people from the ground up. Most specialized organizations focused their efforts on accomplishing specific objectives rather than maintaining enormous educational institutions. Training experienced recruits proved far more practical than attempting to create complete educational systems of their own.
"The great houses and trade families are the exception," Sjaak explained.
He looked around the table to ensure everyone understood the distinction.
"They possess centuries of accumulated knowledge, highly specialized techniques, and enough wealth to maintain permanent instructors whose sole responsibility is passing those traditions to the next generation. For organizations like that, maintaining internal academies makes perfect sense because they genuinely have something unique to preserve."
Several professors immediately thought of Europe's oldest trade and noble families.
Those organizations possessed combat techniques, magical knowledge, trade secrets, and craftsmanship refined across countless generations. Protecting those traditions remained one of their greatest priorities, making internal education an essential investment rather than an unnecessary expense.
"Most companies aren't in that position," Sjaak continued.
"A mining corporation, a logistics company, or a security contractor simply doesn't possess centuries of specialized knowledge worth building an entire educational institution around. Even if they wanted to train every employee personally, the financial burden would be enormous."
The economics alone made such ambitions unrealistic.
Maintaining full-time instructors, constructing training facilities, developing educational materials, regularly updating curricula, and removing employees from productive work for extended training periods all required extraordinary amounts of money. Large corporations initially experimented with those ideas during the early months following the System's arrival, believing they could produce workers perfectly suited to their own needs.
Reality proved far less encouraging.
Most companies quickly discovered that teaching was an entirely separate profession requiring its own specialists, methodologies, and long-term planning. Being highly skilled in a particular field did not automatically make someone capable of explaining that knowledge to beginners. Many experienced professionals lacked the patience, communication skills, or educational background necessary to become effective instructors.
Universities, by contrast, had spent centuries refining exactly those abilities.
Their entire purpose centered on transforming complicated subjects into structured lessons that students could gradually understand and master. They possessed educational specialists, curriculum designers, assessment experts, and administrative systems dedicated exclusively to teaching. Very few organizations could hope to compete with institutions whose sole mission had always been the transmission of knowledge.
"That's why so many companies eventually abandoned their internal training programs," Sjaak said.
"They realized they were trying to duplicate something universities already did better and more efficiently. Rather than spending enormous sums maintaining their own teaching staff, they found it far more practical to recruit graduates who had already received a strong educational foundation."
Several department heads smiled knowingly.
Their university had signed dozens of partnership agreements during the previous few years with companies that had reached precisely that conclusion. Businesses now focused on providing specialized workplace experience after graduation while leaving the fundamental education of future professionals to universities.
"The government's support also changed the equation," Floortje added.
"The Ministry of Education has received extraordinary funding during the last four years. The investment has allowed universities to expand facilities, hire specialists, establish entirely new departments, and redesign curricula at a pace that would have been unimaginable before the System appeared."
No one disagreed.
The amount of public funding directed toward higher education bordered on unprecedented. Governments understood that humanity's greatest advantage no longer came solely from technology or military strength but from producing educated professionals capable of adapting to a rapidly changing world. Investing in universities therefore represented an investment in society's long-term survival.
Sjaak looked around the conference room one final time before closing his notebook.
"Then we'll proceed accordingly," he concluded.
"We'll maintain the existing archery curriculum as the standard foundation for all students. At the same time, we'll investigate bringing experienced adventurers into the Adventurer Program as guest lecturers and practical instructors whenever possible. If our students are going to enter this new world, they deserve to learn not only what is common today but also what may become common tomorrow."
The department heads nodded in agreement.