Chapter 125 - 124: The First Lesson in Life

Chapter 125: Chapter 124: The First Lesson in Life

"Congratulations on officially enrolling in Cyrus Academy." This was what a student from the Magic Potion Department said to Gaode after he submitted the last three Maiden Clams.

Walking out of the Magic Potion Department and heading toward the committee, Gaode once again experienced the sensation of being the center of attention among the other students. Their gazes were a mix of various emotions: surprise, envy, scrutiny, and curiosity.

In his previous life, he had long grown accustomed to such looks whenever the results of major exams were announced. However, he found that experiencing this "baptism" of attention once more in a different world actually felt pretty good.

Amidst his wandering thoughts, Gaode arrived in front of the committee’s small building. It was working hours, so the committee’s doors were wide open and unguarded. Taking a deep breath, Gaode stepped through the doors of the academy committee once again. This time, his destination was the service hall located on the first floor.

In the spacious and brightly lit hall, there were several wooden counters, two of which were currently open. Several senior students were obediently lining up at them. The student at the front of the line handed his identity nameplate and a slip of paper to the counter. The staff member behind it took the items and began to inspect them carefully. He first placed the slip into a nearby Alchemy Creation that resembled a banknote counter, then pressed the lever on top, causing the slip to pop out from another slot.

"Dean, passed Medicinal Materials General Knowledge, earned two credits. It has been recorded..."

The staff member then swiped the identity nameplate through the same Alchemy Creation and returned it to the student.

"Next."

...

"Tyrone, broke through to the Mid-period of the 1st Ring Mage, rewarded seven credits. It has been recorded..."

...

"Pile, passed the third stage of Magic Potion, earned three credits. It has been recorded..."

After Pile, the senior student ahead of Gaode, confirmed he had earned his three credits, Gaode could clearly sense his relief.

"There are only eight days left until the end of the academic year, and you’ve only just scraped together this year’s ten credits." The staff member behind the counter, a white-haired old man, looked up and reminded Pile. "You need to manage your time better next year."

"I know!" Pile scratched his head in frustration and asked, "How many credits do I have left now?"

"Accumulated credits: 53. Used credits: 40. Remaining unused credits: 13."

"Alright, thank you." Pile sighed, pocketed his identity nameplate, and left with a troubled expression.

Seeing that it was his turn, Gaode quickly handed over his identity nameplate.

"You are Gaode?" The old man behind the counter took the nameplate, then looked up and scrutinized him carefully.

Gaode nodded, unfazed. He knew that whether it was enrolling with a recommendation letter or having just broken Dean Gavin Hogg’s record, he was no longer a complete nobody in the academy.

"Wait a moment." The old man took Gaode’s identity nameplate and walked into a small room behind the counter.

About two minutes later, the old man reappeared. He swiped Gaode’s identity nameplate through the Alchemy Creation on the counter and read softly, "Gaode, Second-Class Mage Apprentice. First Mage Level settlement: three credits. Completed enrollment task: two basic credits. Completed in 19 days, breaking the previous record of 25 days, yielding an additional reward of five credits according to academy standards.

"A total of ten credits.

"Any objections?"

"None."

"Good!" The old man handed the identity nameplate back to Gaode.

"Congratulations, you have already met the credit requirements for the first academic year.

"However, I still suggest that you take advantage of the lack of credit pressure in your first year to take a few more courses.

"Finding out what you are more interested in and good at will be very helpful for your future academy life," the old man reminded him.

"I will. Thank you," Gaode replied politely.

"Go upstairs and turn right. In the second academic affairs office, you can pick up your class schedule and get your assigned tutor," the old man added.

Gaode nodded, left the service hall, and made his way to the academic affairs office on the second floor.

After a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK on the door, Gaode entered.

"Hello, I am the new student, Gaode. I am here to collect my schedule and tutor assignment."

A middle-aged man sat in the office. With a highly aloof expression, he casually tossed over two Scrolls.

"One is your schedule and course introduction, and the other is your enrollment approval. Since you hold Dean Gavin’s recommendation letter, according to the regulations, we will assign an Advanced tutor to you.

"All the Advanced tutors in the academy are the heads of their respective departments.

"Your tutor is the head of the Rune Department and the Chief Rune Tutor of this academy, Jose.

"Remember to go and report to Tutor Jose as soon as possible.

"Alright, that’s all. You may leave."

Gaode took the two Scrolls, unbothered by the middle-aged male Mage’s indifference. After bowing politely, he left the committee and returned to his "dormitory" at Number 30 in the First District.

As soon as he returned to his room, Gaode hurriedly opened the Scroll containing the schedule and course introduction and inspected it carefully.

The courses at Cyrus Academy were divided into two main categories: compulsory and elective. These two categories were further subdivided into main courses and branch courses. However, Cyrus Academy offered only a meager three compulsory courses in total:

Mage Basics, Magic Application and Combat, and Basic Cultural Course.

Their branch courses included Essence and Principles of Magic, Energy Conversion, Practical Combat Simulation, Nolan Continent Geography and War Geography, and more.

As for elective courses, there were too many to count. The main courses included:

Rune Science, Magic Potion, Alchemy, Linguistics, Scroll Study...

The branch courses were even more overwhelming. For example, under Alchemy, there was Mineral Recognition, History of Alchemy, Raw Ore Extraction, Smelting Technology, Rune General Knowledge, Alchemy Item Design and Manufacturing, Energy Storage and Conversion Technology, and so on.

Under Linguistics, there was Ancient Misir Language Basics, Miser Language Development, Elemental Elf Language General Knowledge, and others.

...

The moment Gaode opened the course introduction Scroll, he was dumbfounded. It wasn’t because he was shocked by Cyrus Academy’s dazzling array of courses, but rather:

Mage Basics (Compulsory Course)

Tutor: Povi

Course Introduction: Understand the theoretical foundations of Mages, development history, and magical philosophical thinking. Comprehend the world system and Plane system. Gain general knowledge of Earth Vein Creatures. Help students improve Spirit concentration and enhance cultivation efficiency...

This course is divided into three stages, one stage per academic year, with one assessment per stage. Students who fail the previous stage are not allowed to enroll in the next.

First Stage Course: 1 credit. Second stage course: 2 credits. Third stage course: 3 credits.

First Stage course hours: 30 sessions. Second stage course hours...

Class Time: The First Stage course is scheduled for the mornings of every third day during the Frost Gold Moon, Frost Mist Moon, and Ice Seal Moon; the second stage course...

Location: Gavin Building...

Course Fee: 10 Gold Coins for the First Stage, 15 Gold Coins for the second stage, and 20 Gold Coins for the third stage.

Credit Requirement: None

-------

Nolan Continent Geography and War Geography (Branch course of Basic Cultural Course)

Tutor: Mosen

Course Introduction: Understand basic geographical knowledge of the Nolan Continent, including the Nature environment, climate types, geographical features, political landscape, ethnic distribution, and national composition. Master the basic laws of war geography, strategic thinking methods, and the interpretation and drawing of war maps...

Course Hours: 30 sessions. Completing the entire course and passing the assessment yields 2 credits.

Class Time: Scheduled for the afternoons of every second day during the Frost Gold Moon, Frost Mist Moon, and Ice Seal Moon.

Location: ...

Course Fee: 20 Gold Coins

Credit Requirement: 10 credits or more

...

All the courses at Cyrus Academy, whether compulsory or elective, actually required the payment of course fees! And the fees were astonishingly expensive. For instance, completing the compulsory course Mage Basics would cost a total of 45 Gold Coins!

Moreover, a large portion of the branch courses even had additional credit requirements. If a student didn’t meet the credit requirement, they couldn’t even choose to study the course.

The costs of these courses were simply astronomical for commoners. It was fine for the Second Generation of Magic students; their families were wealthy, so they didn’t have to worry about course fees at all. But the commoners who got in through the admission exams would likely get a headache over these expenses.

No wonder Gaode always felt like the students in the academy were incredibly busy every day. It seemed that aside from being busy with their courses and cultivation, a large portion of the students were probably also busy making money.

Gaode’s first reaction was confusion. He could understand that in this world, "knowledge is expensive and must be paid for." What he couldn’t understand was why Cyrus Academy, an institution dedicated to cultivating Mages, would set such exorbitant fees for its courses. Wasn’t this extremely unfair to the highly talented commoner students who entered the academy through the admission exams?

These students would inevitably find themselves unable to take elective courses due to empty pockets, and they would have to spend a significant chunk of their time earning money.

According to the educational philosophy of his previous life, students should only need to focus on their studies. As long as they had the aptitude for learning, they basically wouldn’t have to worry too much about tuition fees. How could they be like Cyrus Academy, setting up "paid courses" that added obstacles to the students’ learning? After all, for a country, the importance of talent far outweighed a bit of tuition money.

But soon, Gaode noticed a sentence written on the title page. This sentence made him understand the academy’s intentions.

"The money in our hands is a tool to maintain freedom, while the money we pursue is a tool that enslaves us."

It was signed by the first dean of Cyrus Academy: Ronan Horry.

Money was a tremendous power and the foundation of freedom. Without financial freedom, any other freedom was just a castle in the air.

The very first lesson Cyrus Academy taught all its incoming students wasn’t some profound Magic knowledge course, nor a miraculous Magic Skills course, not even a brainwashing patriotic ideology course.

Instead, it was about money.

The academy wanted all students to understand: what your attitude toward money should be!

You could despise it, you could treat it like dirt, but the prerequisite was that you had to have it first. The best attitude toward money was to conquer it first, then trample it beneath your feet with utter disdain.

Rather than being crushed beneath the weight of money while simultaneously acting contemptuous of it. The former was the stance of the strong, while the latter was merely the groaning of the weak.