Chapter 2 Observing

Mokuba watched a large, prematurely baling man explain the concept of infinity to his students. The man had a warm, genuine smile and the students seemed to be paying more attention to him than they did to their other professors. This impressed Mokuba, especially since neither the students nor Professor Sheppard knew he was there.

Mokuba had staked out a corner of the lecture hall early in the day and disguised himself holographically. A little pile of ventilation system repair equipment marked off by caution tape prevented students and teachers from compromising his position to the left of the blackboard. The space afforded him a clear view of the teachers, but more importantly the students. He needed to know whom they respected and whom they did not.

Until now, Mokuba had assumed most of the administrative tasks himself. However, the dual pressures of a growing student body and his family convinced him to put someone else in charge.

Professor Sheppard seemed like the best candidate for chancellor so far. He had lots of energy, a kind heart, and he commanded respect from his students. Even Mokuba found himself captivated by the lecture. He leaned forward in his seat, breaking the plane of his holographic box with his face.

It took several minutes for the students to notice him, but when they did, the screams pierced the air. "Phantom!"

Mokuba lost his balance on the chair and tumbled forward. All but his ankles and feet sprawled on the floor in front of the holographic box. He looked and felt ridiculous.

Professor Sheppard quieted the students with a wave of his hand. "Chancellor Kaiba! Welcome. I heard you were on campus today, but I didn't realize you were observing my class."

Mokuba felt like a student caught doing something naughty instead of the chancellor. Sheppard really was that good! Mokuba slid his feet out of the holographic box and righted himself. "Oh, don't mind me! I'm evaluating all the professors today. If you could keep quiet about this until the day is over, I would appreciate it."

"Scout's honor," Sheppard promised, holding up the sign.

Mokuba set his chair back in the box while the students watched in fascination as it disappeared. "Thanks," he said before vanishing.

"Do you need anything in there? Water? Snacks?" Sheppard asked.

"No thanks. I've got it handled." Mokuba made a thumbs up gesture and stuck it through the holographic plane.

"As I was saying," Sheppard continued, "certain monsters can be made to have infinite attack points…"

The students became absorbed in Sheppard's lecture again, and by the end they had forgotten that Mokuba was there. They filed out past the caution tape without giving it a single glance, contemplating how the professor had just rocked their world.

The next professor had long black hair tied in a ponytail and walked around with his eyes closed most of the time. He also appeared to be not much older than the students. Mokuba reviewed the professor's files on his smart phone to find that he had an impressive resume despite his eccentricities and lack of years. Professor Banner had a knack for discovering rare artifacts all over the world-animals too, apparently. The man sported an orange kitten he had found in Egypt and named Pharaoh. Mokuba was tempted to stop the class and call for the removal of the animal, but felt it was not worth blowing his cover again. He had two more classes to go, and he did not want word of his presence to get around. It was important to observe the teachers in their natural environments where they would not try to hide their flaws from him

Crowler came next, and his shrill voice gave Mokuba a headache. At least it kept most of the students awake. Crowler also played favorites, humiliating the students he thought of as "slackers" and praising the ones he thought would become professional duelists. Mokuba had no worries that his daughter and niece would be on Crowler's short list, but he also felt sorry for the other students.

The last teacher spoke in a monotonous tone that put over half the students to sleep. The ones who stayed awake did so by taking copious notes, or maybe they were drawing. Mokuba could not be certain. One thing was clear, though. The professor really did know his subject. If Mokuba had not already known everything about dueling history himself, he would have found it interesting. However, he found himself drifting… checking his e-mail… drifting… sending a text message to his wife… drifting…

Mokuba woke to an empty classroom. He checked the time on his phone. Oh no! He was late! He jumped up and dashed through the halls of the school until he reached the auditorium panting.

After checking his reflection in the restroom adjacent to the main arena, he walked in to an eagerly waiting crowd. They cheered at his arrival, probably wondering what took him so long.

Mokuba approached a microphone on a stand. Unlike his older brother, he did not have an itch for attention. He simply wanted to make his message known. "Thank you students of Duel Academy. As many of you know, I have had trouble fulfilling my duties as chancellor here. I have been absent during times of need and for that I am sorry. I simply cannot fulfill my duties both here and at Kaiba Corporation.

"That is why I am stepping down as chancellor and passing this title on to someone I can rely on. Over the past several days, I have examined every staff member for the position. There were many excellent candidates, and in the end I found one professor who showed exceptional leadership skills. Therefore, it is with the utmost confidence that I present to you Chancellor Sheppard!"

A roar of approval came from the students as Sheppard came up to the microphone, Mokuba shook his hand and stepped aside. Sheppard gave a modest, but firm acceptance speech, which drew more applause from the students. Duel Academy had just entered a golden era during which it would thrive for decades.