Chapter46-Who Would Hate Having More Money?

After the list of those who passed the first round was published, reactions were mixed.

Some were happy, some were disappointed, and some felt it was unfair.

They couldn't understand why their four-element mana core didn't pass, while those with just two elements, or even a single element, made it through.

In response, Owen made the screening criteria public.

The hard rule against accepting basic elemental mana cores left some people seething with dissatisfaction, but there was nothing they could do about it.

"I'm not discriminating against the basic four elements," Owen began, addressing the crowd. "It's just that those with basic elemental mana cores are better suited to other schools. Even if I allowed you to join the 5th School, it would only waste your precious talents. So, I ask for your understanding.

Now, for those who passed the first round of screening, please proceed to the 5th School. I've already prepared the second test for you there."

As Owen turned and walked away without hesitation, the crowd erupted in chatter once again. Most of the noise came from those who had passed, mocking those who hadn't.

After all, everyone here was a person of status, and many had private rivalries.

If their child passed while someone else's didn't, what better time to gloat?

Of course, Owen paid no attention to their squabbles.

It didn't concern him.

Besides, these people might be enjoying their victory now, but once the second round of testing began, very few would still be smiling.

Soon, the break was over.

Owen arrived fashionably late, though the crowd had been waiting eagerly, and despite his tardiness, no one dared express any dissatisfaction.

"Apologies for the delay, everyone," Owen said with a sigh, discreetly exchanging a glance with Fiona, who quickly caught on and motioned for a man in a robe to step forward.

"Master Owen, our discussion isn't finished. Why did you leave so abruptly?"

A voice from behind Owen caught everyone's attention. He frowned and turned to face the speaker, his voice low and stern. "Didn't I already tell you? I'll raise the money soon. Is there a need to press me this hard?"

"Master Owen, please don't blame me. I'm just following orders. If it were up to me, I wouldn't keep bothering you over a mere 20 million gold coins."

"I've already proposed a solution. I'll auction off two of my treasures and repay you with the proceeds. Do you really want to embarrass me in front of all these people?"

The man shivered under Owen's glare but remained stubborn. "Master Owen, when you borrowed the money, you said you'd return it within a week. We lent it to you without interest because of your reputation, but now a month has passed. We're a small bank, and 20 million is no small sum for us. Today, I must take the money back, or neither of us will be in a good position."

Sighing deeply, Owen turned back to the crowd, apologizing, "I'm sorry, everyone. I have a personal matter to deal with. The assessment will have to be postponed for now."

"No, Owen! How can you be so inconsiderate? It's just 20 million, and you're making such a fuss! Which bank do you belong to? If you mess up my plans, I swear I'll tear your bank down!"

As Owen made to leave, the crowd began to panic.

Though they hadn't fully understood what was going on, it seemed that Owen owed money and couldn't pay it back immediately.

This wasn't too surprising, given the expensive nature of Owen's research.

Those groundbreaking inventions of his—it was no wonder that 20 million gold coins were involved.

In fact, if they could share in the technology, they'd be willing to pay even 200 million!

"Get lost! Stop interfering with our business!"

"Please, don't make things difficult for me. I'm just following orders. If I don't bring the money back, I'll be in trouble too. Could you please let Master Owen settle this matter first?"

"Damn it, it's just 20 million, right? I'll pay it! Lord Owen, don't worry—this 20 million is my personal donation to you, with no strings attached!"

Owen's eyes lit up at those words.

See? There's always someone willing to hand over the money!

But of course, Owen couldn't make it too obvious. He quickly shook his head, refusing, "No, no, I can't let you do that. This is my debt, and I can't ask you to pay it off. Absolutely not! Please wait a little longer—within three days, I promise I'll resolve this and give you all a proper answer."

"Owen, why be so formal with me?

Here's an idea: I'll give you the money, but not for free. My child passed the first round of assessment, but I'm worried about the second round. Let me use this money to buy him a trainee position.

He can stay in the 5th School, and if you feel like teaching him, give him some pointers.

If not, that's fine too. When he meets your standards, you can promote him to a full student. How about that?"

"Hey, I think that's a good idea! I've traveled all this way, and I don't want to take my child back home empty-handed. I'll also pay for a trainee position. After all, whether it's one sheep or a flock, Owen, isn't that right?"

As the crowd's murmurs grew louder, Owen's heart was practically singing with joy.

He'd been worried about finding a suitable excuse, and here it was—handed to him on a silver platter.

By creating a trainee position, Owen could pocket the money with a clear conscience.

After all, as long as they weren't official students, Owen wasn't technically auctioning off student slots, right?

And who had the final say in the difference between a trainee and a student? Owen did.

"But... I really can't accept so much money."

Twenty million gold coins! To put it in perspective, the academy's annual budget for the 5th School was only two million gold coins. That's a tenfold difference—a small fortune!

Of course, asking for 20 million per person was excessive.

Even if they could afford it, Owen couldn't accept it all.

If his mentor found out, he'd definitely face a harsh reprimand.

"How about this: two million each—surely that's not too much? I'll take the payment now, not for anything else, just for peace of mind. Owen, focus on your research, and if you ever run low on funds, you can come to me. The Fabre family may lack many things, but money isn't one of them!"

"Since everyone's so eager... I'll reluctantly agree. But even two million is too much. Besides, the academy can't accommodate that many trainees at once. How about this: I'll open up one hundred slots, with each slot costing one million gold coins as tuition. Every three days, I'll give all trainees a lesson, ensuring that your efforts as parents don't go to waste.

Of course, if you miss this opportunity, don't worry.

The 5th School will be expanding soon, and there will be more chances in the future.

Please hand over the payments to Fiona—he's our school's treasurer and will record everything properly."

Watching the crowd eagerly scramble to secure a spot, Owen smiled to himself.

This was exactly what he wanted—sustainable resource utilization!

He wasn't just raking in money; he was ensuring that everyone felt they were getting their money's worth.

One million gold coins for lessons from a sage-tier level 9 master?

Regardless of what he taught, would it be wrong for a sage-tier master to teach anything?

Of course not!

If a trainee performed well, they might even be promoted to a full student. Wasn't that one million well-spent?

They might even think Owen was being too generous.

Owen got his money, and they got peace of mind—a win-win situation if ever there was one.

"I really am a genius!"

One hundred people, one million each—that's a total of one hundred million gold coins!

The annual budget for Crossbridge Academy was only thirty million gold coins, and Owen's single school had just raised one hundred million.

This spoke volumes about Owen's influence.

And this influence was something no one else could replicate.

After all, there wasn't another dean at Crossbridge Academy who could match Owen's level of authority and skill.

"Where's the money? Let me see it!" 

Owen, making sure no one was watching, sneaked over to Fiona, eyes gleaming with excitement. "That's a whole billion! I've never seen that much money in my life!"

"Master Owen, you're getting a bit too obsessed... Since when were you so focused on money?"

"It's called understanding the value of money when you're in charge! I never thought much about it before, but now that I'm a school dean, I realize that everything costs money! Even the daily expenses in the cafeteria are astronomical! Come on, let me take a look!"

"Face the facts! I've already secured the money, and every financial decision at the 5th School needs to go through me—something you, Master Owen, insisted on. Are you going back on your word? Besides, a billion gold coins might sound impressive, but it's not that much in reality. For example, if you were to start from scratch and raise a genius like yourself, it would likely cost ten times as much, if not more. So, you'd better put your mind at ease. At the rate we're spending, this billion will only last us a few months."

"A few months... That's still enough for now. We'll figure out the rest later. Fifi, are you sure I can't just take a quick look? Just a peek?"

Seeing Owen's earnest expression, Fiona blushed slightly. 

"How adorable..." Fiona thought to herself, but she remained firm and shook her head. "Nope. I'm the treasurer, and I say you can't see it, so you can't."

"Fine, fine, no need to look then."

Owen knew he couldn't win against Fiona, so he gave up on the idea and turned his attention back to the school. 

"Sorry for the delay, everyone. My personal matters are resolved, and now it's time for the second round of testing to begin. Let me give you a brief overview. This second round consists of three small challenges. The area is ready, and I'm sure you've already seen it. A word of advice: while these challenges may seem simple, they contain hidden difficulties. Don't let your guard down, or you might find yourself failing unexpectedly. Virgil, please activate the formations."

Virgil was one of the new students who had recently joined the academy.

He had great potential, with an S-ranked lightning-shadow dual-element mana core, making him one of the most promising students at the 5th School.

More importantly, he was capable and often handled tasks with precision.

"Yes, mentor." 

Virgil nodded and calmly walked over to the formation, activating it with a deep voice. "The test may now begin."

With that, the eager crowd surged forward, rushing to the narrow bridge.

These 18- and 19-year-olds were full of energy and arrogance, not considering the simple-looking test a real challenge.

Unfortunately for them, stepping onto the bridge meant they couldn't back down so easily!

"Parents may not understand what's happening, but I'll explain. Beneath this narrow bridge, there's a gravity formation that increases gravity by 30 to 50 times, depending on the situation. This test primarily assesses the basics. Before becoming a mage, having a strong physique is essential. Long periods of meditation can cause physical fitness to decline, and I believe that's wrong. Meditation and physical training are equally important. Some may not be able to cross the bridge if their foundations are weak.

Virgil, keep an eye on everyone. If anyone can't continue, help them off the formation. We don't want anyone getting injured over a simple test."

"Yes, mentor."

Virgil responded quickly, moving into the formation where the gravity magic seemed to have no effect on him. He walked effortlessly, helping those who struggled to leave the area.

"Oh, and one more thing—once you step onto the bridge, a 30-minute countdown begins. If you haven't crossed the bridge within 30 minutes, you'll fail."

Seeing more people hesitating and inching along the bridge, Owen added a bit more pressure.

This simple yet effective test separated those who could from those who couldn't. This wasn't something you could bluff your way through.

When the 30 minutes were up, Owen glanced at the students who had crossed the bridge.

To his surprise, nearly half—about 200 students—had passed the test.

It seemed that, while some families may not have impressive reputations, they certainly took their descendants' training seriously.

The physical fitness of these young people was impressive.

"It's unfortunate, but the first round is over. Those still on the bridge or who have left it have not passed the test."

"Damn it! What did I tell you? I told you to get some exercise at home, but you said it was pointless. Now look! You can't even walk across a bridge!"

"Daughter, you were so close! Couldn't you have held on a bit longer?"

"Dad, it's not my fault! The gravity magic was too intense. I couldn't move a step up there!"

The failed students left the formation, heads hanging low as they rejoined their parents, their faces full of disappointment.

But there was nothing to be done.

No one expected Owen to design the first test in such a way.

If another school had done this, they would have been harshly criticized.

After all, over 70% of mages have only just passable physical fitness.

Years of meditation and elemental communication lead to inevitable physical decline. Most mages simply don't pay attention to this.

In common terms, what do mages seek?

Faster casting speeds and more powerful spells.

But Owen believed this approach was too extreme.

Even if you don't actively train, you shouldn't let your body deteriorate.

"Next is a 30-minute break. Afterward, we'll begin the second test. See that herb field over there? It contains over a thousand medicinal herbs. Your task is to transplant as many of them as possible into the test field within 30 minutes.

Of course, it won't be that simple.

You must transplant the herbs without damaging their roots.

If any root damage occurs, even the slightest tear, you will be penalized. I won't disclose what the penalty is just yet.

To pass, you must successfully transplant at least two herbs within 30 minutes. The more herbs you transplant, the higher your evaluation will be. Use this break to rest up."

Owen had come up with the second test on a whim. He had set up micro-trigger formations on the roots of the plants.

If a root was damaged, the formation would activate, triggering small explosions, minor electric shocks, or mini gravity fields—harmless but highly disruptive.

In short, this test was all about patience and attention to detail.

When it comes to practicing magic, patience and meticulousness are crucial.

Whether it's studying magic or conducting alchemical research, nothing happens overnight.

Those who are impulsive and overconfident aren't suited for the 5th School.

As the break ended, the second test began.

With Owen's approval, Virgil activated the formation in the herb field.

As everyone entered, the 30-minute countdown started.

Almost immediately, the herb field lit up like a fireworks display, explosions going off one after another!

"What the hell is this...?"

One student, startled by the explosions, tugged a bit too hard on a delicate root, snapping it.

The next moment, a current of electricity surged through them, sending a tingling, slightly painful sensation through their body, causing their fingers to tremble and further damage the roots. This triggered even more formations.

Similar scenes were playing out all over the herb field, much to Owen's delight.

He didn't care what the participants thought—he was thoroughly enjoying the show.

Watching these once-arrogant young men and women struggle was the most satisfying thing imaginable.