I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

[Genius Magician]

After Cecilia personally acknowledged Liu Zhao's eligibility for the position, everyone was stunned by the new professional blessing that appeared above Liu Zhao's head.

"What is that?"

"His professional title is... Genius Mage? Am I seeing things?"

"By the God of Light, I swear I have never seen such a title in my entire life."

"They're both Iron-level magic apprentices, so why is his Blessing title so much cooler?"

"Damn it! Something LORD must be wrong with this world, otherwise how could this transfer student from a remote little country actually be a magical genius!"

"Damn it, I want Cecilia-sensei to praise me too!"

"..."

Upon seeing the new title above Liu Zhao's head, the crowd couldn't help but gasp in surprise, and all sorts of envious, jealous, and hateful gazes focused on him, as if they wanted to stare Liu Zhao to death on the spot.

Among this group of people, Christine, a cool and aloof girl with beautiful ice-blue hair, looked at Liu Zhao with an extremely complicated gaze.

"That annoying guy... how can he possess such a level of talent!"

Watching the bad guy she had unilaterally judged to be of bad character steal the spotlight, the blue-haired girl gritted her teeth slightly, feeling extremely uncomfortable inside.

In contrast, Cecilia, who had personally discovered Liu Zhao, this hidden magical genius, was quite excited. She adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her beautiful eyes filled with undisguised joy.

"A genius mage? I never expected that you, at the mage apprentice stage, would awaken such a class blessing that even I have never seen before!"

Cecilia looked at Liu Zhao with intense curiosity in her eyes.

Then, in front of the students present, she pondered for a moment and suddenly spoke to Christine.

"I hereby declare that today's class will be a self-study session. Everyone, please go to the practice room to practice freely. Christine, the class monitor, you are responsible for maintaining order. After the class, please submit everyone's practice progress to my office."

After speaking, she looked at Liu Zhao in front of her.

"As for you, Liu Zhao, come to my office right now. I have something to say to you."

Faced with the powerful mage's appreciation, Liu Zhao smiled brightly and nodded immediately.

"Okay, teacher."

And so, under the watchful eyes of all the students, Liu Zhao followed the blonde female mage out of the classroom.

Watching his retreating figure, Christine, who was Cecilia's favorite student and had been appointed class monitor, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of crisis. This made her even more displeased with Liu Zhao, whom she already didn't like.

……

Afternoon, in the cafeteria.

Liu Zhao, a first-year student wearing a white mage robe, and Berika, a third-year student wearing a black mage robe, sat down again at the same seats where they had dined together last time.

This was Liu Zhao who took the initiative to contact her, wanting to learn about some matters related to the Freshman Trial Competition.

However, after hearing Liu Zhao recount some of what had happened that morning, Berica, while munching on her white bread, looked at Liu Zhao with a face full of curiosity.

"And then? And then? Junior, please continue! This morning, right after you successfully awakened the rare blessing of a genius mage, and after Teacher Cecilia took you away in front of everyone, what happened between you two? Tell us, tell us!"

Liu Zhao simply shrugged at her.

"What else could happen? After she took me to her office, she first verbally affirmed my magical talent, then told me some key things that a new mage needs to pay attention to when meditating and casting spells. Finally, she said she would apply for a special scholarship for me, so that I could work hard and improve my combat skills as much as possible in the last few days, and then try to participate in the freshman trial competition three days later."

"Then, they gave me a thick book of cultivation insights to read on my own, and that was it."

"I already said it was just a normal teacher-student interaction."

Liu Zhao said it naturally.

In response, Berica glared at him with hatred.

"What? Do you know that Teacher Cecilia comes from a distinguished family and was born into nobility? As the apple of Duke Radiance's eye, she is not only one of the most famous beauties in the capital, but also the youngest female archmage in the history of our academy. Her future is limitless."

At this point, Beryl spread her arms wide, making an exaggerated gesture.

"It's no exaggeration to say that the line of nobles and royalty who want to pursue her could stretch from the academy gates all the way to the royal palace!"

"However, she was only interested in magic, and her harsh methods not only made those ungrateful suitors suffer, but she was also very strict with her students. Many students were frightened to tears by her strict teaching style! Before this, I had never heard of her paying so much attention to any student."

"And this unattainable beauty, my perfect idol, is treating you, a transfer student who just enrolled, differently? How infuriating! You've hit the jackpot, you know that?!"

Berecca, who was already a fan of Cecilia, couldn't help but take a big bite of bread. Her eyes were filled with envy and jealousy as she looked at Liu Zhao.

Liu Zhao shrugged in response.

"Really? Then it seems I've really hit the jackpot."

Seeing Liu Zhao's nonchalant expression, Berica snorted but continued speaking.

"Originally, I didn't think highly of someone like you who had good luck but didn't cherish it. However, considering that you took the initiative to support the business and treated me to dinner today, I still have to remind you that although you are lucky enough to have gained the favor of Teacher Cecilia, it will also bring you a lot of trouble. These noble children are the most narrow-minded and will definitely target you."

If you were strong enough, that would be one thing, but you're just a transfer student who's only been enrolled for a day. Even with your rare class buff, your current combat power is quite limited. If you actually participate in this freshman trial competition, you'll likely face a combined attack from others. And you have the buff but no practical combat experience; you're guaranteed to lose.

At this point, Berica looked at Liu Zhao with a serious expression.

"So, my sincere advice to you is, it's okay to be a coward, there's no need to make things difficult for yourself. How about we just forfeit this time?"

Liu Zhao simply snorted indifferently at this.

"Ha, asking for trouble? A mere bunch of mediocre magic apprentices, and I, a genius magician, dare to avoid their attacks? Absolutely not!"

Liu Zhao's seemingly arrogant words naturally contained his own considerations.

From the moment he first learned about the unique power system of this world after transmigrating, he was very clear about his situation, which was completely different from those transmigrators who liked to develop quietly and pretend to be weak while actually being strong.

Bearing the unique and immensely potential title of "Heir to a Great Eastern Power," he was essentially destined to be unable to keep a low profile.

With his homeland in another time and space unable to provide him with any substantial support, his best way to protect himself was to take advantage of the information gap created by the "Mark of Revenge," showcasing his value and potential while acting as ostentatiously as possible. In the process of continuously improving his own hard power, he created the impression among others that "my homeland is very powerful, so don't mess with me."

This was the best option for him, a lone individual, to establish himself in this world.

Magic, among the options he currently has to become stronger, is the one with the highest cost-effectiveness and the highest potential.

Therefore, after his experience in class this morning, Liu Zhao made a decision almost instantly.

That is.

I absolutely have to cling to Cecilia, that amazing teacher!

Therefore, he will not let go of any action that can improve the other party's favorability within the scope of his ability!

"Anyway, I have to participate in this freshman trial competition. The reason I asked you to come here is very simple: I want to hire you to give me practical training."

Liu Zhao frankly stated his purpose for coming.

"Now, with the white bread and roast meat I've treated you to in your mouth, and the 97 silver coins I've saved in your pocket, and with these things that commemorate our deep friendship as witnesses, tell me if you're willing or not."

Upon hearing this, Berica, who was still chewing on her bread, choked and coughed violently several times. She had to gulp down a large mouthful of water to recover, her eyes watering from the choking.

Even so, faced with Liu Zhao's moral blackmail, Berikayi, with teary eyes, still asked the same question as before.

"How much?"

Liu Zhao grinned.

"Four times the tutoring fee, all meals during the special training period will be covered, and if you can help me win the championship, I'm willing to give you a gold coin as the ultimate bonus..."

Before she could finish speaking, Berica slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly.

"make a deal!"

Her eyes completely transformed into the shape of gold coins.

"Don't worry, junior! I swear in the name of Berekka Nera, we are determined to win the championship of this Freshman Trial Competition!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Zhao couldn't help but grin.

A special financial offensive targeting Beric!

success!

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

As a freshman trial competition held every year by the Royal Magic Academy, this time the school chose to hold it in a mountainous area called Blackrock Mountain near the capital.

The entire Blackrock Mountain was enveloped in a magical barrier by the teachers of the magic academy, who monitored any possible special circumstances in real time.

The rules are simple: each participating freshman will receive a task scroll randomly issued by the school, which contains tasks of varying difficulty. Completing the tasks will allow them to advance to the next level.

Meanwhile, the academy has special magical items that automatically calculate the specific value of "great achievements" each candidate obtains in this mission, thus providing an accurate ranking.

At this moment, Liu Zhao, one of the contestants, stood at one of the entrances, but he didn't feel too nervous.

Because, over the past three days, after undergoing comprehensive and intensive training from Berica, a top student in the third year, although his physical strength did not improve significantly, the various mage combat experiences she shared with him were truly beneficial to him.

"Ha, they all look so cocky and experienced, but they're really just a bunch of magic apprentices who only know a few basic spells. In the game, they wouldn't even be considered elite monsters; they're just a bunch of Hilichurls that spawn regularly. With my character having such high stats and strong mechanics, I can easily take them down."

As the match time approached, Liu Zhao subconsciously did the same mental exercise as before playing ranked matches in his previous life, chanting "one, two, one" while doing warm-up exercises and cheering himself on in his mind.

Not far away, in the open space behind the entrance to these new student trials, many senior students from the magic academy were watching the spectacle.

Not far from where Liu Zhao was, there was a large group of people gathered at the scene.

Surrounded by the crowd, a tall, thin fourth-year student with brown hair, dressed in a red mage's robe, stood behind a round table, holding a money bag aloft.

"Betties are in! The betting odds for this year's Freshman Trial Competition are now open!"

"The biggest dark horse of this competition is Liu Zhao, a prince from a mysterious Eastern country who has successfully awakened a rare and blessed genius magician. His odds of winning are as high as 1 to 30. If you want to place your bets, hurry up, or you won't get another chance."

The brown-haired boy's shout immediately drew sneers from the others nearby.

"Liu Zhao? That freshman Liu Zhao who just enrolled three days ago? Anyone who dares to bet on him must be out of their mind. I'm betting on him to be out within two hours."

"Exactly, he's just some outsider who happened to get lucky and awakened a special blessing. Once he loses his foundation, how can he compare to us locals from the capital? There's no way he can win! I'll bet on him for an hour and he'll be out!"

"A prince from some unknown foreign kingdom, with a weird name, doesn't look like he's any good. Heh, I'll go all in and eliminate him, securing my guaranteed minimum wage!"

"Hmph, so this is the kind of person who managed to get Professor Osiris's attention? He's got incredibly good luck! I'm betting on him to be out within an hour too!"

"..."

Around the bustling gambling table, countless senior students were making their own pronouncements of certain victory.

However, amidst the lively atmosphere of these aristocratic youths, a girl with calloused hands reached out and placed a coin on the gambling table.

"I, Bereka, with one gold coin, bet on Liu Zhao to win!"

The brown-haired boy, who was the owner of the betting odds, didn't pay much attention and casually wrote down the bet.

Berica, who had quietly finished all of this, breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Liu Zhao not far ahead. She couldn't help but clench her fist and silently cheer him on.

……

At the same time, at the competition venue, in the absence of the principal, the academy's vice principal, Hills, a kind-faced old man with a white beard, flew directly above the barrier, with several academy teachers standing behind him.

"Professor Cecilia, I heard that one of your students recently awakened a rare professional blessing?"

"I asked the vice principal, Hills, casually."

Cecilia, standing behind him, nodded in response.

"Yes, Mr. Hills, this student is named Liu Zhao. He has awakened a rare blessing known as Genius Mage and is also participating in this competition."

Hills laughed heartily.

"Our academy hasn't seen a genius who awakened special protection during the apprentice stage for a long time. It's likely that his royal family must be a high-ranking royal family with noble blood."

Moreover, I heard that this is a transfer student who was enrolled just three days ago. He has very special black hair and black eyes, and he didn't even have any magical foundation before that.

"Hehe, this is very interesting. I'll have to observe this rare and exceptional magical genius closely later."