Money and Points

From his expression, Borne could tell the apprentice had recognized him.

Good. He was quick on the uptake. This was the person Borne had been looking for.

The apprentice first looked shocked, then nodded and accepted the gold coins. The two went outside and found a quiet spot. The apprentice glanced around, and, seeing no one nearby, bowed to Borne and said:

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Lord Borne Ioulaum, aren't you?" the apprentice asked, though his tone made it clear he was certain.

"That's right. It's me."

Borne nodded.

He probably hadn't expected Borne to admit it so readily. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Borne chuckled. "Go on, how did you figure it out?"

The apprentice relaxed a little. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lehman Yiwantoff. Just call me Lehman."

"Lehman, huh? I see."

Lehman smiled. "I'm a third-year student at the academy. You've probably noticed I'm a commoner; otherwise, you wouldn't have sought me out. There are thirty thousand students at this academy. Most of them are nobles like you, and only a little over eight thousand are commoners. As it happens, I know a few of the more famous nobles, both among the lower-year and upper-year students, so I can avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings."

Though Lehman put it tactfully, Borne could still hear the helplessness in his words. It seemed commoners faced a certain degree of oppression at Giles Academy.

That was only natural. The privileged would certainly defend their own class and suppress those beneath them. Borne wasn't some "saint" who would leap to their defense just because Lehman had said a few words.

"Even though you disguised yourself, it wasn't hard to guess who you were, given that you enrolled at this time, just days after the news spread like wildfire through the academy!"

Borne thought for a moment, then rubbed his chin. "Am I really that famous around the academy already?"

"No! Your name is on everyone's lips, especially among the new students!"

"Heh..."

Borne raised an eyebrow and thought, Looks like keeping a low profile is the right move. My advancement must have stirred up quite a few people!

In fact, Borne had noticed as soon as he entered the academy that most people were apprentices. The few professionals he sensed were much weaker than him. Even without magic, he was confident he could take several of them down.

Of course, perhaps most of the people he'd seen were commoners and minor nobles. The truly "formidable" ones probably wouldn't be wandering around outside!

Still, anyone who could get into Giles Academy had to be clever. Idiots wouldn't get in. At the same time, Borne reminded himself not to underestimate anyone.

Lehman knew Giles Academy very well. Clearly, this wasn't his first time showing someone around.

The Wizard Tower was the true heart of the entire academy. Its presence kept the academy's magical elements active at all times. Even ordinary people without talent had a high chance of having spellcasting talent in their descendants if they lived here long enough.

Only the bottom three floors of the Wizard Tower were open to academy members. Access to the floors above required special permission.

Some senior instructors also had their own areas in the Wizard Tower. Besides the tower, the academy had many affiliated buildings. The library Borne had visited earlier was just one of them. It was completely open to the public and housed only basic works on art, historical records, biographies, and the like.

There were actually two other libraries. One was on the Wizard Tower's fourth floor, where a large collection of magical research materials was kept. Only those with a certain level of clearance could browse them.

The other was said to be on the very top floor, in the dean's office and private library. Rumor had it that it held magical incantations that surpassed the ranks!

Lehman showed Borne around the academy, giving him a better understanding of its layout. There were public areas, residential quarters where ordinary people lived, and even a place like a food street. There were also the teaching district, arena, training grounds, and Mission Hall.

He also pointed out the restricted zones and cultivation areas. Anyone other than authorized personnel who entered would be attacked by magical traps.

After that, he taught Borne how to claim supplies, where to find the people he needed, and other general information.

Lehman was an excellent guide. His explanations were concise, and whenever Borne had a question, he could answer it in just a few words and make everything clear.

He was clever and very good at communicating. Borne gave him double the agreed payment, and Lehman didn't refuse. It might have been a pittance to a noble, but commoners like them had to count every copper carefully.

"Thank you very much for your generosity. If you have any questions later, I'd be glad to help you again. I have a few connections that might come in handy."

"Good. I have a feeling it won't be long."

Borne smiled.

Lehman paused, then smiled faintly, gave him a mage's salute, and turned to leave.

Watching Lehman walk away, Borne couldn't help but reflect on how much one's birth mattered. If he hadn't been born into the Ioulaum House, he might have had to struggle and scheme for a living just like Lehman—or perhaps he'd have been even worse off. Then when would he have had the time to pursue the path to transcendence?

"Looks like I'll have to keep a low profile for a while," Borne sighed. He didn't believe the Ioulaum name could intimidate everyone. There was more than one vice dean, and even Dean Concinnio couldn't do whatever he wanted at the academy, let alone an earl.

Borne went to the supply office and switched to a single-occupancy dormitory. It cost 100 gold coins a month, which made him wince. But when he saw the so-called single room, he decided it was worth the money: a standalone three-story house with all the necessary facilities.

The large dormitory was cheaper, but there were too many people, too much gossip, and little freedom to move about. Besides, given how sensitive his identity was, people would surely watch his every move. That was the last thing he wanted.

Afterward, he disguised himself a little more. He changed into an old, plain robe, added a height-boosting insole, and put some makeup on his face so he wouldn't look so young...

Over the next few days, Borne gradually settled in. Thanks to his deliberate efforts to "keep a low profile," no one besides Lehman, who knew his identity, recognized him. Even those who took notice of him simply assumed he was some down-and-out minor noble.

Early one morning, Borne went to Lecture Hall Seven in the teaching district. There was a free public lecture that afternoon, and the classroom was already more than half full.

The academy charged for its courses, with the fees varying according to the subject matter and level. Borne was still wearing an old gray robe, and no one paid him any attention. He entered with the crowd and sat near the back, roughly in the middle.

A glance at their clothes showed that most of them were commoners or the children of impoverished nobles.

"Looks like free classes are quite appealing to most commoners."

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a middle-aged man walked in. From the quiet murmurs around him, Borne learned that the man was Rudinson, an instructor in geography and geology.

Rudinson said little and went straight into the lecture.

"Precious gemstones aren't just used to enhance a staff's appearance and function. They can also increase its power." Rudinson got straight to the point. As he spoke, he took several differently colored gemstones from his robes and placed them on the table.

"Fire opals are bright orange-red gemstones. They're usually either a single color or flecked with gold or greenish-gold. They're most often found near active hot springs and geysers. Fire opals are an essential material for crafting a helmet of brilliance...

"Red zircons, also known as jacinths or hyacinth stones, are flame-orange gemstones related to sapphires and other varieties of corundum. A tiny flame flickers and dances in the center of each red zircon—not enough to light up the surroundings, but enough to be seen from a distance. This quality makes them a basic material for the splendid cloaks and gowns worn by many nobles..."

Borne sat below, listening as Rudinson rambled on about a few low-quality gemstones. The instructor paid no attention to the students. Some even slipped out while he had his head down, and he pretended not to notice.

Heh. A very relaxed approach to education...

After sitting in on free classes for a few days and learning from his fellow students, Borne had gotten a rough idea of how the academy taught. Giles Academy's teaching style was quite similar to that of a certain country's universities on Blue Star, as he remembered them.

Most of the people at the academy were Netherese. There were also quite a few teachers from other races, such as Halflings and Half-elves.

Most courses covered history, geography, regional studies, religion, and related subjects. The teachers' skill levels varied widely. Swordsmanship and martial arts were the most popular courses among commoners. Magic consumed far too many resources, making it unaffordable for ordinary families.

Martial skills were relatively simple. As long as one was willing to work hard, breaking through to become a warrior was fairly easy. One thing was certain, though: the better the teacher, the higher the fees.

The most popular courses were those involving esoteric knowledge. Most nobles came to the academy for that.

The field of esoteric studies covered a huge range of subjects. Alchemy, materials science, and magical theory were relatively common, while courses such as runic incantations and magical potions were the most sought-after—and the rarest.

Esoteric studies were taught by intermediate spellcasters at the very least. They spent their days immersed in magical research and rarely taught classes unless they ran out of money for experiments. Even when they did teach, the material depended on the instructor's mood.

Sometimes an instructor got carried away and jumped straight from applied magic to the basics of combining different spells. Some even figured out a theory mid-lecture and ran off to test it in the laboratory. Spellcasters' experiments often lasted ten days or half a month, sometimes even longer, and the students had to wait until they were over for classes to resume!

The library was where most people went to learn. The open library held a vast collection of books, and it even had some material on esoteric studies. Most of it was written in undeciphered scripts, though there was also some very basic supernatural knowledge. It was still far too difficult to learn spellcasting from those alone.

Another way was through points. With enough points, one could borrow esoteric texts and study magic in the Wizard Tower library, or spend points to have an instructor explain them.

There were countless places to spend money at the academy. Borne checked the courses he needed to register for and found that the thousand gold coins he had would just about cover the fees, with a little left over. If he spent sparingly, he could make it last for a month.

Borne laughed wryly. His grandfather really had him in the palm of his hand.

"Here."

Borne took the token from the man across from him. It was made of some unknown material.

He fed it a little magical power, and his mind immediately received a response.

1 point!

The man clearly didn't want to be recognized. He had disguised himself, altered his voice, and covered his face. As soon as Borne confirmed everything was in order, he turned and left.

The academy didn't encourage point trading, but it didn't prohibit it either. Students made private trades all the time.

He was a commoner. The nobles generally weren't short of money, and this arrangement also helped some of it flow to commoner students.

Borne had spent 100 gold coins to get the token. He needed it to enter the library in the Wizard Tower, and this was the minimum number of points required.

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