I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 103 The Mentor's Weekend

No working person dislikes Fridays, and when Benjamin boarded his mentor's private carriage to White Rock, his bad mood from noon finally dissipated considerably.

All of this is because of DuPont.

Normally, it would be a very happy thing for a class to have a genius, but to be selected twice in one year is something that has never happened since the establishment of Northwest College. It can be said that this event greatly enhances his reputation.

If someone is accepted as an apprentice by a high-level mentor, the class teacher will also receive an extra bonus. He will feel much more confident when using the academy's laboratories and will no longer have to wait for the opinions of other schools of thought. He will speak with more authority.

The problem is that DuPont is so clueless.

Those who can come to study at the Dharma Academy are naturally either rich or noble. Even if an apprentice comes from a poor family but is extremely talented, the academy will provide a student loan to repay after graduation. The annual interest rate of 10% is not high at all. If you study hard at the academy, you will basically have no major problems graduating.

Those who can afford to come here out of their own pockets have already paid a lot of tuition fees, so how could this kid not have the money to buy those two study manuals that cost 600 gold coins?

Even if I really don't have any money, can't I ask my family for some?
If you understand how to copy the scrolls, you'll improve and become a familiar face to others. If you work hard, earning that money won't be difficult.
Not to mention that, apart from being a bit expensive, these two books are full of valuable information. Many apprentices who read them can increase their success rate by 10% to 20%, which is much better than wasting time and materials by being stuck at a success rate of 60% or 70%.

As it turned out, this kid not only didn't appreciate my good intentions, but as a mediocre apprentice, he actually dared to talk back to a formal mage, using his lack of money as an excuse, which was actually a veiled criticism that I was selling things at too high a price.

That's really giving him too much credit!

To put it simply, even 100 years ago, someone with no emotional intelligence and no talent wouldn't be able to become an apprentice. If they did, they would live a life similar to that of a servant, having to pay for their mentor's work, wash their feet and do their laundry. If they were not attentive enough in their service or fell behind in their studies, they might become a test subject for their mentor's magic. If they couldn't survive and even died, they could use the excuse of a magic operation error to cover it up, and their family would not dare to say a word against it.
Now, this mere apprentice dares to give him attitude, and he can't do anything about it, so he can only patiently make things difficult for him.

This truly shows how morals have declined and how people's hearts have lost their traditional values.

Normally, this matter would have been over and done with. He had vented his anger after arranging the three-ring course, so there was no need for him to keep picking on an apprentice. It would be bad if word got out.

But who would have thought that less than half a month after becoming a level 3 mage, this guy would claim to have become a level 4 mage, causing a sensation throughout the entire academy.

This is utter nonsense; anyone with a brain wouldn't believe it.

The difficulty of learning spells is hurdle after hurdle. Talented people can learn to perform magic tricks from scratch in a few days after entering an academy and undergoing systematic training. After becoming a professional, the learning speed will increase, but it will take at least one to two weeks to learn a first-level spell, while the second level takes months to accumulate.

Even for him, it would be impossible to learn a new second-circle spell in a week. Even with the help of the +4 Wisdom Circlet, it would still take at least half a month. How could this kid named Dupont, who has nothing of value, possibly learn faster than his mentor who has been a mage for fifteen years?

According to the records, DuPont's intelligence was only 14 when he entered school. Although he was only 12 years old at the time, after so many years of experiments by the sorcerer, intelligence is in its golden development period between the ages of 4 and 12. After the age of 12, the improvement is extremely slow. Between the ages of 12 and 18, the growth is more in analytical and learning abilities, but there are also factors such as emotional instability.

This is the result of Harua's analysis over the past few hundred years, and it is almost impossible for it to be wrong. In summary, a teenager with an intelligence of 14 may not even have an intelligence of 15 when he grows up. If he awakens his talent and has an intelligence of 16, that is basically the limit, and it is almost impossible to get any higher.

Amidst the teasing from the other instructors in the office, he went to the cafeteria to test the waters. To his surprise, the guy actually cast two new second-circle spells right in front of him, proving he wasn't just fooling around with scrolls.

After being publicly unleashed with the wisdom of a fox, Benjamin was instantly enraged. Wasn't this a mockery of his lack of intelligence? Fortunately, his years as a mage had calmed him down. Back in his office, he faced the congratulations from others with composure and considered several possibilities.

The entrance exam was definitely accurate. This kid must have unexpectedly increased his intelligence and kept a low profile for the past few years, secretly studying second-circle spells in other classes and deliberately not reporting it or submitting too many scrolls. He was waiting until he had learned enough before advancing in succession, hoping to make a name for himself and gain the attention of his mentor more easily.

If you calculate it this way, this kid is really quite cunning.

Benjamin was naturally not in a good mood after being tricked like this by his homeroom teacher, but when he thought that he hadn't given anything and had gotten all the benefits for free, his dissatisfaction naturally disappeared.

Now I'm still wondering whether it's better to go find that passionate Tiflin mistress first, or to go find that elven lover who doesn't like me at all but still submits to me for money.

Thinking of this, a mischievous smile crept across Benjamin's lips, and he decided to go find the elves to play with first.

Don't like yourself? Then you should work harder to train them. It's incredibly satisfying to see them unhappy with you but unable to do anything about it.

Just then, another instructor boarded the carriage. It was Nari, who taught second-circle Evocation spells. When he saw that Benjamin was sitting inside, he immediately greeted him: "Oh, isn't this Benjamin, the instructor who recently taught two apprentices? Heading back to the city to rest?"

Benjamin nodded as a greeting, then closed his eyes to rest without replying.

That's the downside of the academy's public carriages. Although they can only carry two people at most, it's never as comfortable as having someone to ride alone.
However, without becoming a high-level mentor, one cannot enjoy such benefits. If he were to pay out of his own pocket, the enchantment of the magic circle alone would cost 1500 gold coins, not to mention the wages for the carriage, horses, and driver, which would amount to several hundred gold coins. This would be a bit extravagant for him. With that money, it would be more worthwhile to keep two more lovers.

Jerry looked at the smug fat man across from him and felt extremely displeased.

Within the academy, those referred to as mentors are all high-ranking mages. If one's own strength is only at the silver level, then the title registered on the roster is actually the same as that of a teacher in an ordinary academy. Usually, being called a mentor is just a way for everyone to flatter each other; it sounds nice but has no real power.

Above that is a half-level position, which is the homeroom teacher. This position brings a significant increase in year-end bonuses. However, homeroom teachers have a lot to manage and are easily distracted, unlike regular teachers who can finish teaching and leave without having to worry about anything. Generally, no one likes this position.

But Benjamin, that fatso, actually taught two real apprentices in the Civil Engineering department, the subject where it's hardest to get results. That's a very prestigious thing, so he couldn't help but greet them today. But he didn't expect to be met with such indifference. Benjamin didn't even bother to look up. He was so arrogant that it was disgusting.

Since the other party didn't want to answer, Jerry naturally wouldn't make a fool of himself. As a legitimate mage, he had plenty of options on holidays, whether he wanted to relax or earn some extra money. If he was willing to accept the invitation, it would be difficult to spend a lonely day. Rather than talking to this guy, he might as well close his eyes and rest, and have some fun when he got to Whitestone City.

When the carriage stopped, both men inside opened their eyes and nodded to each other. Benjamin got off first, glanced at the guard, pointed to the silver badge on his chest, and then, after the guard saluted, entered the city. He tossed two silver coins and booked a carriage, then, with the driver's flattery, boarded the carriage alone and gave an address.

The carriages in the city didn't have the ability to levitate, and with many pedestrians on the road during rush hour, they weren't exactly fast. But the slow pace had its advantages; the ride was smooth and saved him some energy.

However, Benjamin was unaware that a blurry figure was striding rapidly behind the carriage.

(End of this chapter)