"This…" Hearing Eli's explanation, there were tinge of embarrassment from Bramwell and the deans' faces.
It was especially so with Zeke who was the head of the branch.
They knew that they had freely allowed their researchers to pursue any topic they liked as long as they could explain very well the benefits of the research. It was also the same whenever they tried to justify the discontinuance of the subject.
Admittedly, they failed to connect the teams' abilities to their research topics. They failed to be mindful of the researchers ability and think of a way to help them achieve the results more efficiently.
They really did neglect them big time.
Eli pointing out this problem was actually a harsh awakening for them, especially for Zeke. He was downcast and dejected as he slowly realized his shortcoming to his branch.
"Vice Chairman, Esteemed Deans, do not blame yourself for this matter. Everyone has room for improvement. I am saying this not because I want to put the blame on any one of you, but to tell you that there are ways to make our research branch better than before."
Eli addressed the discouraged group, she looked at them gently and genuinely, as she knew very well how these findings would impact the deans, especially Zeke.
"Dean Zeke… I want you to know that you are doing well. You have led them for many years now and didn't they have successful projects under your leadership? Please do not blame yourself for all these things. Instead, view it as something that would make the branch even more successful!"
Eli then addressed Zeke with her encouraging words.
"In this academy, we can only improve. Being stagnant is problematic. For the years to come, even after the changes we decided to implement, we will still see some areas we need to improve along the way, and that is normal."
"What's not normal is us thinking that we don't need to change for the better."
She was actually not giving him empty words, for Eli knew that it was very true.
As she had already lived in a world where technology kept on upgrading, cell phones evolve as frequently as year on year, change became the status quo.
It was the people who had to keep up on the fast changing environment, may it be on business, medicine, education and even government.
Everyone has to keep up or atleast understand the changes coming their way, or else, they would be lost in the void of stagnation.
"That's right, let's take this opportunity to reevaluate our way of doing things in the institute! This time, we will start in the research branch. Then in the future, on the magic and academic branches. Because if we do not have the will to improve, then are we saying that our institute is already perfect?"
Bramwell calmly supported Eli in her words. He could also see the remorse on Zeke's face as well as the dejection of Simone and Athena.
He too, realized a lot. He too saw his shortcomings.
If any, he was the guiltiest among the four.
He was, after all, the Vice Chairman of the Institute. On top of that, he was also Grandmaster Reuben's protege, whom he was grooming to take over the leadership of the institute.
He felt that he let his father in law, his teacher, down. Knowing that there were so many weak areas he failed to detect through the years, he felt greatly concerned and pressured.
However, he calmly took in Eli's words. He knew that Eli was not only consoling them but telling the truth. As such, he had to take a stand and make Eli's point sink into the deans' minds.
Upon hearing Eli and Bramwell's words, everyone felt warm from the encouragement. They were thankful that the two reminded them of what their mindset should be in this situation.
It is not wrong to improve! It is not wrong to realize shortcomings!
What's wrong is not recognizing it and not doing anything to address it at all!
With that, Zeke, with a new light in his face, determinedly asked Eli, "Then Counselor, do you have any idea how we will address this problem?"
"Mmm.. My plan is to reevaluate their groupings and topic of interests." Eli declared to the group with a relaxed expression. She was relieved to see the four gain confidence for themselves.
"However, there would be two phases of this plan. Their first phase was to hasten the resolution of their current topics. What I mean here is, we have to guide them by giving key hints in order for them to finish their current project within or earlier than four months." Eli calmly explained.
Meanwhile, astonishment filled the deans and Bramwell's faces, they already read this solution on Eli's paper yet they couldn't help but be shocked that Eli was really serious in letting the teams finish it within a few months.
First of all, the six teams had already spent years to progress in their research, yet they still couldn't see the conclusions. But now, Eli was telling them that they could in fact help the teams to close their research within four months!
"Yes.. There are six ongoing projects that the research branch is working on. I roughly have an idea how to solve the first five. But I need Dean Zeke who is an expert in the magic field to assist the last team."
"The first five projects can be resolved even without the help of magic. Just like the convertible tool I had explained earlier.. It can be solved by revisiting the overall design of the tool itself." Eli was actually planning to help them invent the first swiss army knife in Prasinos.
"For the next project, the team wanted to have a carriage that was not driven by horse or any animal, which can be used in short and mid distance transportation. I also have ideas that could be used by the teams to come up with solutions to this problem too." This time she was pertaining to bicycles and tricycles.
"Another group also wanted to improve the current version of our carriages by inventing an incantation or array that would improve the ride experience on a bumpy road. I can help them to reengineer the carriage suspensions for the meantime." Eli yet again addressed another project by guiding them to replicate the steel spring suspension for the carriage wheels.
"On the fourth project, they were thinking of an array that could help the farmers hasten the tedious threshing process of their crops. This could also be solved through using mechanical techniques!" In this project, Eli was planning to help them invent a primitive version of the threshing machine.
"The fifth project wanted to improve the way that our Empire prints our books and texts. They tried to integrate projection and mana stones into a machine that could replicate the process."
"Although in the future, this could be possible if our institute had completely understood the properties of the projection stone. But since we haven't studied it enough, I can only guide them to come up with something that could do the job mechanically."
The technology that Eli had in mind, should they fully understand the properties of the projection stones, was the modern day photocopy machine. But since they are pressed for time, she planned to only help the team come up with a Prasinon version of a mimeograph.
"As for the last project, I wonder if Dean Zeke could help this team. They wanted to invent something that could store things as big as a building and transfer it to another spot. Remembering the successful black box project that you have where you were able to store temporary quarters on a tiny box, I believe it is best for you to guide this team."
Eli knew that the last project was already feasible because it was actually done by Leon, by transferring the entire cottage, but she wanted the research team to discover it on their own. As such, the best person to guide them was Zeke, who had vast knowledge in spatial magic manipulation.
It was also the same for the first five teams.
Although Eli has already identified the counterpart technology from the modern world to recommend to the teams, she would only give them clues to enable the teams to come up with such.
She wanted to also let the researchers feel a sense of pride as they discover what Eli would lead them to. Spoon feeding will not help them in any way!
Moreover, if she would really be serious in leading them thoroughly, she would be busier and her time with Little Han would be compromised!
Hearing Eli's extensive explanation and alternatives, the four were again left speechless for a good few minutes.
Eli really thought things through!!
They never expected that Eli would even propose the ideas she had on their minds and give the researchers the opportunity to interpret and execute her ideas!
To them, although Eli never claimed that her ideas weren't her inventions, they all knew that Eli would have made it herself, if she was not tasked to become a counselor!
