Chapter 126 - 125: Course Selection

Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Course Selection

Below the quote from the first dean on the title page, there was a helpful reminder. The academy’s logistics department provided a rich selection of highly rewarding tasks for students to take on. Additionally, the academy had set up a dedicated trading zone for internal transactions. Students who had mastered Magic Skills could easily earn money by crafting the corresponding Magic Items.

Gaode calculated his savings; he still had 212 Gold Coins and 15 silver. This definitely couldn’t compare to the wealth of the "Second Generation of Magic" who had family backing, but it at least guaranteed that he wouldn’t have to worry about course fees during his first academic year. He could freely choose the courses that interested him. If not for these savings, his immediate priority would have been heading to the logistics department to take on tasks to earn his tuition. Furthermore, restricted by funds, he wouldn’t have been able to enroll in all the subjects he liked, forced instead to slowly pick them up one by one. Now, he only needed to consider his own interests when selecting courses, rather than his budget. This perfectly validated the first half of the first dean Ronan Horry’s quote: "The money we hold in our hands is a tool to maintain freedom."

Over the next hour, Gaode carefully read through the introductions of all the open courses offered by the academy, gaining a deeper understanding of Cyrus Academy. Afterward, he set down the course Scroll and opened another Scroll that served as his admission approval. It recorded his basic information, approved admission details, and his assigned tutor, finalized with the official stamp of the academy committee. He would need to use this Scroll to report to his tutor.

"Jose O’Kenley, Advanced Tutor, Third-Ring Mage, Head of the Rune Department, Chief Rune Tutor, Tier Three Rune Master. Specializes in Rune Analysis and Reorganization, and Rune Armor."

On the Scroll, there was only this simple introductory sentence regarding his assigned tutor. Gaode frowned slightly. It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied with the arrangement—if he wasn’t satisfied with a Third-Ring Mage as his tutor, how arrogant would he have to be? The reason he frowned was because Jose O’Kenley was the academy’s Chief Rune Tutor. Gaode already knew that at Cyrus Academy, a tutor was an incredibly important figure to a student, directly impacting their development and future achievements.

The most direct aspect of this was that if a student wanted to successfully graduate from the academy, they first needed their tutor’s approval. According to the rules of Cyrus Magic Academy, graduation required meeting four conditions. First, complete all compulsory courses with a passing grade or higher. This was the most basic requirement; failing this meant one couldn’t be considered a qualified Mage at all. Second, obtain at least one hundred credits, ensuring every student reached a certain depth and breadth of knowledge. Third, reach a Mage Level of at least a 1st Ring Mage. If one wasn’t even an official Mage, they truly had no right to graduate from Cyrus Academy. Fourth, complete a graduation project and pass the academy committee’s review. Students had to comprehensively apply the knowledge, Magic, and theories they had mastered to conduct in-depth research on a specific problem, completing a concrete design or project. This served as a comprehensive test of a student’s knowledge and skills.

The tutor played a crucial role in this entire process. Not only did they provide knowledge, resources, and opportunities, but they also directly determined whether a student’s graduation project could be submitted for review and what final evaluation it would receive. According to Gaode’s understanding, the dynamic at Cyrus Academy was exactly like the relationship between an advisor and a graduate student in his past life.

Judging by normal circumstances, as the head of the Rune Department, Jose O’Kenley would most likely focus his teachings on knowledge related to Runes. Even the research directions he provided for his students’ graduation projects would heavily lean toward the field of Rune Science. In other words, since he was now Jose O’Kenley’s student, Gaode would inevitably have to study Rune Science. And therein lay the problem. As one of the Three Royal Families among Magic Craftsmen, Rune Masters had always been the most mysterious, with the universally recognized highest barrier to entry. Before this, Gaode had never encountered Rune Science; he didn’t even know what it truly entailed. He wasn’t sure if he would like the subject or if he could even master it. However, the tutor assignment was finalized. Even if he later discovered he wasn’t suited for Rune Science, there was virtually no chance to switch paths.

Gaode let out a soft sigh. At least in his past life, choosing a graduate advisor was a two-way selection process. Here, it was practically a blind pick. He would just have to take things as they came and make the best of it. Fortunately, having maintained excellent academic performance since childhood, Gaode had never encountered a subject he couldn’t master, giving him a small sliver of confidence deep down.

A short while later.

At Cyrus Academy, the scheduling of all courses and subjects was entirely up to the students, with no mandatory timelines. Even for compulsory courses, one could delay them until right before graduation. Of course, hoping to graduate without fulfilling the academy’s course and credit requirements was pure wishful thinking.

After fully understanding all the courses offered, Gaode returned to the committee’s small building, entered the hall, and walked up to the course selection counter. The staff member on duty was an old man in a blue robe, roughly in his fifties or sixties. He sat behind the wide counter, leisurely sipping tea. The rich aroma wafted through the air, noticeable the moment anyone approached.

"Young man, are you here to select courses?" the old man asked with a chuckle, setting down his teacup as Gaode drew near.

"Yes," Gaode nodded, handing over his identity nameplate.

The old man took it and swiped it on the Alchemy Machine on the counter. "Oh, a new student. What courses are you planning to take?"

Having already made his decision, Gaode slowly listed his choices for his first academic year. "*Mage Basics*, *Magic Application and Combat*, *Basic Cultural Course*..."

First were the three compulsory courses; without a doubt, he had to take them. *Mage Basics* and *Magic Application and Combat* were both divided into three stages, taking at least three academic years to complete in full. The First Stage courses had a uniform price of 10 Gold Coins and were each worth 1 credit. *Basic Cultural Course*, however, could be fully completed in a single academic year. It offered a high value of 3 credits, though its tuition was a bit more expensive at 20 Gold Coins.

In addition, Gaode selected a branch course under *Basic Cultural Course*: *Nolan Continent Geography and War Geography*, worth 2 credits and costing 20 Gold Coins. He also chose a branch course under *Magic Application and Combat*: *General Magic (0-3 Rings) Recognition*, worth 1 credit and costing 10 Gold Coins.

Both of these were knowledge-based courses, and their assessments merely consisted of taking a written exam. As long as a student attended the lectures and spent a little time memorizing the textbooks, failing was almost impossible. These types of classes were known among the students as "fluff courses," making them the best choices for easily padding out credits.

However, Gaode didn’t choose them just for easy credits; he simply felt their content would be highly useful. *Nolan Continent Geography and War Geography* would allow him to better understand this world, while *General Magic (0-3 Rings) Recognition* would make up for his weak foundational knowledge regarding Magic.