Chapter 280: Please Call Me Master Duke

Kael'thas also considered himself exceptionally gifted, but his leveling speed was nowhere near Duke's. His current strength was accumulated over the long life of a high elf, forged with time.

Kael'thas felt ripples stirring within his heart, while Jaina, who still retained a bit of a little girl's temperament, excitedly jumped up and congratulated Duke.

Jandice's expression was somewhat complicated. She didn't know how to describe her relationship with Duke, which seemed both close and yet not necessarily connected. All she could do was offer a faint congratulations.

Within the Barov family, Jandice felt suffocated.

The noble-blooded Barov family was a typical great noble family. Her father, Alexei, had extraordinary means and capabilities, and wielded unparalleled influence in the entire Alterac Kingdom. Yet, he was very indifferent when it came to family affection. He had almost no time to care for his own children.

Her mother was a mage, busy with various experiments, and similarly had little time to care for her children.

Jandice's two younger brothers, Alexi and Weldon, were like sharks in the womb, already engaged in constant open and hidden struggles for the position of the next Barov family leader at a young age.

Fleeing to Dalaran was the best solution Jandice could think of. However, she knew she could not escape the Barov family. An unmarried noblewoman was always an important political bargaining chip, and perhaps only when she was married off in a union by her family would she be able to relax somewhat from their controlling grasp.

The only consolation was that her father, although indifferent to her, had never been stingy with her living expenses and funds for her magical experiments.

Today, things seemed a little different.

Jandice knew that for a long time, her fate would be linked to the young man before her, who looked like a big boy and was named Duke.

"Kael'thas, I'm not familiar with Dalaran, but since you said that any mage can take classes, publish papers, or do various things related to a mage's identity to expand their influence in Dalaran, and I have the time, I might as well hold a few open classes."

Kael'thas' eyes lit up when he heard this, "Oh? Really? That's great! What classes do you want to take? What's the subject?"

Duke gave a mysterious smile, "Basic Training for Multicast Supremacy," "Practical Exercises in Multicasting," and "The Theory of Heat Transfer in Fire Elementals."

Duke saw Jandice shudder.

Because these were the exact excuses her mother had given for her to follow Duke and learn from him.

The young lady of the Barov family raised her head in confusion, not knowing why Duke had suddenly taken on the role of a guest lecturer at this time.

Kael'thas knew that it was precisely because of his suggestion that Duke had decided to expand his influence and work towards rebuilding the Stormwind Kingdom's Mage Corps.

Dalaran had academies open to the public, where low fees could be paid to teach basic magical knowledge to apprentices with magical aptitude.

After a few years of screening, those tested apprentices would become high-level apprentices or novice mages, allowed to enter higher-level academies for advanced study.

At this point, learning and research in Dalaran would become quite liberalized.

Novice mages could study various subjects according to their talents and preferences and could also choose any mage registered in the academy as their mentor.

...

There's a premise here— the concept of equivalent exchange is highly valued by mages.

Aside from the public courses used for advertising, all classes require payment. The academy combines various factors such as practicality, theoretical basis, and the teaching level of the subject to make an evaluation and set a price.

Apprentices must pay for this.

Of course, deeper and more advanced content often comes at the cost of becoming a disciple of the instructor.

Instructors have various requirements for accepting disciples, including money, providing spellcasting materials, and most commonly, serving as their experimental assistants.

While children from wealthy families have it easier, those from poorer backgrounds often have to work. Apprentices find various ways to earn the necessary funds. For example, the simplest method is to sell themselves to the Dalaran mage organization by signing a contract, trading years of service for money. Others become mercenaries or manufacture and sell magical items.

There are opportunities and responsibilities.

This is Dalaran.

It's not an exaggeration to say that if Duke demonstrates enough strength, it's not impossible for him to reassemble a mage organization.

After all, the Stormwind Kingdom's mage organization has practically ceased to exist, with fewer than 12 combat-ready mages. This is only a small team, among which, aside from Duke and Norton, who wants to retire, are all Earth Mages.

Duke smiles and writes down a few advertising slogans:

"Magic duels aren't as simple as you think. Still thinking about casting bigger fireballs to defeat your opponents? You're outdated! Learn 'Multi-casting' from the legendary mage Duke Marcus, who once burned a hundred thousand orcs. Master it, and dominate mages of the same level."

The three spectators read it, and their faces reveal their astonishment!

Arrogant, conceited, and absolutely subversive.

In traditional Dalaran mage education, instructors mostly teach students to construct magical shields and bombard each other with larger fireballs to break their opponents' shields and achieve victory.

What's that? A big fireball can't solve the problem? Then your fireball isn't big enough.

There's no enemy that can't be defeated by a single large fireball. If there is, use two.

Now, Duke has overturned all the arguments of these academic instructors. If this isn't subversive, what is?

Anyone else would be accused of courting controversy, but Duke has an impressive track record to back him up. Whether it's battling demons and slaying Medivh at Karazhan, burning Elwynn Forest, saving fifty thousand elite soldiers with ice ships, or recently rescuing four kings from a large group of orc Blademaster assassins.

All are dazzling achievements.

Until there's better and more convincing evidence that Duke is unfit, no one can refute him.

No one would foolishly treat Duke as an academic mage. Duke is classified as a typical combat mage.

No, calling him a combat mage is an understatement.

A combat mage can often defeat ten academic mages. Duke… Duke gives people the impression that he's the kind of guy who wants to fight a hundred!

In the shortest time, the news that Alliance Deputy Commander Duke Marcus would be teaching practical magic courses in Dalaran spread throughout the city like wildfire.

...