"What are Carola and Aurelio doing? I need to see them."
After securing Atrelin's support, Roland remembered the two men who had made such a vital contribution and casually sent someone to fetch them.
Before long, Carola and Aurelio arrived.
"Sir, what are your instructions?"
Roland studied Carola carefully and said, "Have you ever noticed that you actually have a talent for spellcasting?"
"Huh? Well... I've never felt anything particularly special."
Carola scratched his head in bewilderment.
"Are you an idiot? Sir Roland means you don't have much talent for Arcana. Rather than becoming a researcher, you might have a brighter future as a spellcaster!"
Aurelio shot him a rather disdainful glare.
This kid still acts like he's in the tower.
He's graduated, but he hasn't grown up at all.
Carola's face immediately fell.
"Hahahaha!" Roland could not help laughing at their exchange.
Once he stopped laughing, he told the two young men, "Atrelin's mage system follows two parallel tracks: Arcanists and Battle Mages.
"Young people like you are elites left after the Empire's rigorous selection process. None of you are mediocre.
"But for those exploring the world of magic, spellcasting itself is a difficult and profound profession. Becoming a Full Mage alone exhausts most people's talent and resources. Spending decades working hard only to stop somewhere between the Third and Fifth Ranks is the normal course of life.
"To reach the Higher Tier, you have to compete. You have to work for it."
Both men wholeheartedly agreed.
Carola could not help asking, "Then what can we do?"
Roland said, "It's simple. Follow my example: get a paper published in Arcana before graduation, win a Morningstar Award or an Arcane Star or something, then burn through tens or hundreds of millions of gold coins on a major project..."
Carola and