"First University Jiuyou Academy, Astronomy Class 08-1 (first-year freshmen):
Uniforms: two plain red academy robes, one long and one short, standard issue, cross-collared with right overlap, made of Cold Silkworm Silk;
One set of seven pairs of work gloves, made from alchemical creations or tanned demon-beast hide; Dragon Hide, deerhide, or sharkskin were all acceptable;
One black cloak, standard issue, which could be paired with a silk belt;
Note: Student Cards would be uniformly produced and issued by the school.
Required textbooks: Standard Incantations: First Year University, by Yao Xiaomi;
Sky Script: First Year University, by Emma Knightley;
Basic Talismans: First Year University, by Zhang Huaigu and Sima Yangyun;
Standard Potions: First Year University, by Li Qihuang;
Basic I Ching Studies: First Year University, by Yi Jiazi;
Great History: Modern and Contemporary World History, Wizard Education Publishing House, Wizard Alliance Modern and Contemporary History Compilation Committee;
The Philosophy of Magic, First University Press, by Karl Strauss;
Note: Other elective textbooks may be borrowed from Book Mountain Hall at Jiuyou Academy.
Equipment: a wizard's book, first-level standard issue—must hold at least five spells;
An alchemical cauldron, any grade below Three Fires;
A set of jade vessels, standard issue, No. 3;
Note 1: Talisman paper, Talisman Brushes, and the like may be brought personally, or the appropriate learning resources may be requested from the professors of the relevant subjects.
Note 2: Dangerous creatures with strong offensive capabilities may not be brought. Creatures certified by internationally recognized authorities as dangerous in the broad sense may not be brought. Puppets refined through Dark Sorcery may not be brought.
Note 3: Please bring a Standard Timer."
"What is this Standard Timer?"
"It means timers that can measure time accurately, like mechanical watches, electronic clocks, and atomic clocks. The school means to prohibit you from bringing nonstandard timers like hourglasses, sundials, or even roosters. On one hand, these timers work poorly in precise magical experiments. On the other, there was a time when students liked to wander around with chickens perched on their shoulders, and chicken droppings were everywhere. The School Labor Committee had a lot to say about that. So now they uniformly require Standard Timers."
"But why do we have to bring timers?"
"Because a wizard's mission is to understand this world precisely, and time is the most standard measure of all things. For greater precision, the school requires you to carry standard timers."
"The standard for everything?" Zheng Qing found it a little hard to understand.
"The standard for everything. From large to small, from distance to weight, from the degree of nearsightedness in one's eyes to a wizard's professional rank, time is the ultimate scale for all things. At the Fifth Wizard Standards Conference three hundred years ago, the scale of time replaced other artificial scales and became the foundation of all standards."
"I can understand what you mean, but why?"
"That is why you need to study at university."
"Is there anywhere in Pingyang that sells these things?" Zheng Qing stared at the clearly itemized sheet of paper, reading it slowly before asking a very strange question.
"Not here, but you can go elsewhere. It's a bit far... In fact, there isn't even a true wizard gathering place here, only a few small markets at most, and you can't buy standard equipment there. You should know that genuine wizard gathering places are quite rare. There are only three or four in all of China." As a competent interviewer, Thomas patiently filled Zheng Qing in.
"Where are they? Are they places ordinary people can't see?" Zheng Qing blinked.
"Yes." Thomas answered decisively.
"Huh-ha!" Zheng Qing let out a strange cry. "Then what if ordinary people find out?"
"Um..." Thomas froze for a moment, then said helplessly, "But they shouldn't be able to see them. Besides, specialized agencies supervise these matters, so problems generally won't arise. Of course, even if something really does happen, it's no big deal. After all, we know magic. Oh, right—have you come of age yet?"
"At what age do you come of age?" Zheng Qing asked cautiously.
"Eighteen." Thomas's eye twitched as he answered softly.
"Hehe, I thought you might calculate it differently." The ahoge atop Zheng Qing's head swiftly burrowed into the rest of his hair. He muttered quietly, "My birthday is in April. By the lunar calendar, I probably only have a few days before it comes around."
"Hm?" Thomas frowned, then lowered his head and said very seriously, "In that case, I want to use a quicker method to get directly to our destination, but it requires you to be an adult, so..."
"I know, I know!" Zheng Qing immediately grew excited. "Is it Apparition or Side-Along Apparition? Or some other kind of teleportation?"
"Cough!" Thomas coughed awkwardly, then chuckled. "Although I don't know what you're talking about, I roughly understand what you mean. Did your teacher teach you those things? Our common term for it is 'escape.' Get ready!"
As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Zheng Qing before he could respond. Then, amid a soft murmur, Zheng Qing felt as though all forty-eight thousand pores on his body were simultaneously letting out pleasant, trembling moans. A blinding light stabbed viciously into his eyes. His vision went black, and he instantly lost consciousness.
By the time Zheng Qing regained consciousness, the comfortable sensation had yet to fade, and his body was still somewhat weak. Yet all he could see before him was darkness. Only from the noisy sounds around him could he tell that he had arrived somewhere unfamiliar.
"Is it always this dark here?" Unable to see Thomas, Zheng Qing grew a little nervous and shouted at the top of his lungs.
The surroundings immediately fell silent.
"If I were you, my first reaction after arriving somewhere unfamiliar definitely wouldn't be to yell." Thomas's relaxed voice sounded beside him. The murmur of an incantation followed, but Zheng Qing still could not see him no matter what.
Along with the incantation, a sour, stinging pain wrapped around Zheng Qing's eyeballs and kneaded them hard, forcing out a string of tears. Zheng Qing groaned in pain and comfort, covered his eyes with his hands, and blinked hard twice.
Gentle sunlight swept across Zheng Qing's eyeballs through the gaps between his fingers. Zheng Qing quickly lowered his hands, just in time to see Thomas put away a brown notebook. Around them, many people dressed in all manner of strange clothes were looking at him curiously.
"Very good, very good." Thomas's face was somewhat pale, and he looked nervous. But when he saw Zheng Qing open his eyes, he could not help smiling. "I have always believed that there are only incompetent wizards, not unsafe spells. It seems I was right."
"But you didn't tell me to close my eyes." Zheng Qing lowered his head and wiped his eyes, sounding dissatisfied.
"I thought that would leave you with a deeper impression of spellcasting safety. It will be very useful to you in the future." Thomas patted his shoulder with great irresponsibility. Returning to this world seemed to have made him less cautious, and he appeared spirited and carefree. His crisp suit had also turned into a loose gray robe.
"This is the market you mentioned, isn't it?" Zheng Qing touched his nose awkwardly, straightened his clothes, and turned his gaze to the surroundings. The ahoge atop his head sprang up again.
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