Chapter 62: I'm Also Quite Desperate
Since one hundred and twenty years ago, when the Sky-Piercing White Tower on the Eastern Plains replaced the Seven Luminaries Council as the largest mage organization on the Mycroft Continent, the traditional apprenticeship system passed down from hand to hand had gradually been replaced by the more advanced academy system. This trend had also spread to other professions, even blacksmiths and tailors.
Originally, to train even the most basic mage apprentice, knight, craftsman, or tailor, it would take at least five years as a foundation. Even for those with decent talent, two or three years would be wasted. During this period of practice, the apprentice could only work for their mentor without pay, and on top of that, they had to pay exorbitant tuition fees.
After all, this was the most precious knowledge—a craft that could sustain a person for a lifetime, even benefit their descendants. In this regard, a mentor was almost like a second parent. So even under such harsh conditions, countless people would break their necks trying to study under those renowned mentors.
Thus, through the academy system, the Sky-Piercing White Tower rapidly cultivated a large amount of fresh blood, staying at the forefront of the times, and kicked the Seven Luminaries Council, which clung to the apprenticeship system, into a corner of the era. After undergoing a painful reform, the Seven Luminaries Council had no choice but to follow the pace of their competitor and also establish various academies, large and small.
The establishment of academies was the first step in the widespread dissemination of knowledge.
As time passed, more and more news emerged about the academy on Nissier Snow Mountain, named Winterfell Academy. Many people learned that it was not a pure mage academy. It was only because the currently hired teachers were all mages that there were only mage courses for now. Once mentors of other professions were available in the future, courses from other departments would naturally be offered as well.
As for tuition, Winterfell Academy's fees were indeed not expensive, but they couldn't be called cheap either. However, the Lord had decreed that if someone couldn't pay the tuition for the time being, it was no problem—the City Hall could advance the payment. But after completing their studies, they must work for the academy for a period of time free of charge to repay these costs.
—What kind of damn condition is that!
The above expletive was the first thought of many upon hearing this news. By the Seven Gods, this wasn't usury, nor was it some tyrannical contract. Pay back exactly what was spent, with at most a reasonable amount of interest—such a condition, even the Church couldn't offer it!
"My nephew is in a small village on the other side of the mountain. I need to hurry and bring him over!"
"Hey, I sent my boy to his uncle's place to learn carpentry. Now it seems I need to tell my elder brother to call my son and his son over to give it a try!"
"Yeah, how can carpentry compare to being a mage? Even if he just becomes a warrior, he'll be part of the Lord's direct line, far better than those wild mercenaries!"
"Exactly, and it's not restricted by gender either. I can send my daughter to try. The only trouble is the cold on the round trip, but a wolfskin coat will do!"
Some people didn't want their children to become mages. Some knew that mages required a huge amount of resources; others understood their kids simply weren't cut out for it. But since Winterfell Academy was a professional academy, not just an ordinary mage academy, this also attracted them.
After all, compared to fumbling on their own, learning with a teacher was faster. Besides, wasn't their Lord a dragon-slaying warrior? If he could teach—even just a little—it would be an incredible asset!
And a small number of people saw deeper.
For example, the old scholar Edward. He clearly understood that the establishment of this academy wasn't simply about training mages, but about cultivating the young Lord's new direct line.
Joshua von Radcliffe, a true genius and strongman, a monster capable of single-handedly annihilating a dragon's nest. His strength was beyond doubt, but not everything required his personal intervention. A strongman's subordinates must include other mid-rank professionals as the backbone of his rule. This was necessary, and it was precisely what this Lord lacked.
Although he seemed to be training a knight order, that wasn't enough. Edward could see that Joshua's future goal was to explore the Great Aias Mountains—a vast and unknown region, dense with Black Forest, teeming with countless magical beasts, and of course, containing endless treasures and precious mineral veins. To develop those places, he would definitely need more hands and professionals.
This was an opportunity! Under an ambitious Lord, the chances for subordinates to climb up were certainly greater than under a steady one. The old scholar clearly understood that this was a once-in-a-generation golden opportunity. If seized well, there would surely be a chance to become a high-ranking figure in Moldavia in the future.
He would never let his grandchildren miss it!
Those who saw this point were not many, but not few either. Even by instinct, they were unwilling to let this chance slip by. As the news spread throughout the entire Moldavia Territory, even from other territories, many people prepared to spend extra money to come and try their luck. Among them were many children with excellent talent. For Moldavia, this was an excellent opportunity to absorb talent.
Unconsciously, the establishment of an academy stirred up the oppressive atmosphere of the four northern territories, which had been dulled by the cold winter.
And in fact, there was no time for everyone to brew or think. A few days later, on February 28th of the year 833 of the Falling Stars Era, Winterfell Academy officially opened its doors.
On the mountainside of Nissier Snow Mountain, Joshua stepped down from the podium, yielding the spot to the next speaker.
Before this, both he and Nostradamus had already made announcements and speeches. The specific content was dry and boring, like snow-mixed white wax, but the warrior felt quite pleased—in the past, he could only listen to others rambling on stage; now he finally got to speak at length and enjoy others' irritated expressions.
But regardless, speeches had time limits. Currently on stage was a favored disciple of the Archmage, also the Elemental Department mentor of the academy. With the blessing of magic, her voice was as loud as thunder, causing the many people who had brought their children to participate in the tests to feel their eardrums vibrate.
Compared to Nostradamus and Joshua, this female mage named Sophia spoke much more concisely. With just a few words, she roughly explained the school's system.
Winterfell Academy's courses were divided into half-year terms, with twelve terms total. Performance was judged by credits. If credits didn't meet the standard, one would have to retake the course, meaning another half year. Generally, the time required for each course varied.
Currently, Winterfell Academy only had the Magic Department, as teachers for other professions hadn't been recruited yet. And even within this single department, there were only five types of courses: Alchemy, Mana, Elemental, Transformation, and Runes. The Mana Machinery course was the fastest, requiring only three terms to complete, while Runes took the longest, needing all twelve terms to graduate.
Typically, the tuition for one term was thirty gold coins. For an average family, although the amount was considerable, it was still bearable. However, this was only the enrollment fee. Buying other supplies would require more money. If the family was truly poor, the academy would lend some money, but this would be recorded on the books and require a lot of work in the future to repay.
As for school rules, they were copied from other magic academies, with some details modified according to the northern region's situation. Currently, aside from prohibiting students from climbing the snow mountain or exploring the lakes at the mountain's base without permission, there was nothing particularly special.
Now, another middle-aged mage was on stage. His name was Dill, the Rune Department mentor of Winterfell Academy, with a strength of Mid-Gold Rank. In Joshua's view, this middle-aged man had decent skills—at least his internal mana was solid, and his entire body was covered in rune-inscribed equipment, giving him good defense.
The branches of mages were so numerous that one couldn't count them all: Elemental, Necromancy, Alchemy, Mana, Transformation, Runes, Divination, Summoning, and the more specialized Scholars. These were all categories of mages. If one included bloodline specialization and other special advancements, there were also Sorcerers, Psionics, Array Masters, and Chosen Ones.
This middle-aged mage had a thick head of brown hair and a bright red rune on his forehead, emitting a clear mana fluctuation. His speech was also nearing its end: "...Therefore, as everyone knows, knowledge is the source of power. Mages are not a profession born for battle. We are the inheritors and collectors of knowledge, those who pursue wisdom. Powerful strength is merely a byproduct of truth. Please never forget this point."
Amidst the applause from the crowd below, Joshua saw that the time was about right, so he walked over to Nostradamus, who was standing nearby, and signaled for him to prepare to start the talent tests, not to waste time and dampen everyone's enthusiasm.
The old mage nodded in agreement.
While things were heating up at Winterfell Academy, in a certain room of the Royal Academy in the distant Imperial Capital, a group of young mages had gathered around an old man with a stern face and a head of snow-white hair, watching a magical image playing before them.
This image was exactly the segment from the distant northern lands where Nostradamus announced the academy's establishment, and Joshua echoed, confirming himself as the honorary principal.
"Teacher, are you sure we don't need to cause some trouble?"
A student seemed unable to hold back. He asked the old man, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "The Master took so many resources, and then ran off to open his own academy. This clearly shows he doesn't respect the Royal Academy or the Mage Association!"
The other students nodded in agreement. As an Ultimate-rank mage, Nostradamus naturally enjoyed the most and most prioritized resources. Those mages not in his faction were naturally envious and jealous. Now, seeing their old rival able to independently open a magic academy, their hearts were already sour to the point of bursting.
"Idiot."
The white-haired old man snorted coldly, not giving the student who made the suggestion a good look. He said sternly, "Who are you going to cause trouble for?"
"Well..." The student stammered.
"Don't be foolish. That's Nostradamus and Joshua von Radcliffe!"
Slapping the table forcefully, the old man shook his head vigorously, as if regretting his student's stupidity: "One is an Ultimate-rank mage who once head-on defeated three shaman legions; the other is a dragon slayer who's been making waves recently. Who are you going to cause trouble for? Who can you beat? Even I wouldn't dare to say I'd go cause trouble!"
No one answered this question, because surely no one could beat either of them!
The young mages present were not fools. They naturally understood that even if everyone was bundled together, they might not be a match for either of these two.
Although followers of wisdom didn't emphasize the strength of power, it was clear that sometimes, powerful strength could indeed solve most problems, more conveniently and quickly than wisdom.
After pondering for a moment, the old man frowned and said to a certain student who had been sitting silently in the corner, "Gana, you're from the northern lands, and you were also Joshua's classmate at the Officer Academy. What's your take on this person?"
The named Gana was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought. He shook his head and said, "To be honest, Teacher, I'm also quite puzzled. Although Joshua had good grades before, he was never this strong."
He looked genuinely confused, his brows furrowed vertically: "When I saw him at the Officer Academy before, his temper wasn't as irritable as it is now. He was a very gentle guy, good at taking care of juniors. He smiled at everyone and could cook... And now, just looking at his face through the magical image, I feel an instinctive fear... The difference is too great. It feels like a completely different person."
"Then what weaknesses did he have back then? For example, fears, or something he was naturally bad at dealing with?"
Hearing this question, Gana fell into an even longer contemplation. Finally, he could only shake his head heavily.
You ask me? What can I do? I'm also quite desperate.
(To be continued.)