Professor Selection

Once the scholarly geezer finished speaking, the acolytes were starting to become a little flustered.

"What now...? What should we choose, Leylin?" -Beirut asked worriedly to the person he thought to be the most reliable source of advice, as he got in whispering distance of the Farlier heir.

'Good thing that idiotic gibbon provoked Ourin at that time. It gave me the perfect excuse to kill him. Otherwise, I wouldn't count on any starting resources to work with here at the academy.' -Thought Leylin, referring to the bully who had beaten the previous owner of his body to death.

"Paying is definitely better than not doing it; this is common sense. We can't allow the Lord Magus' pet to determine our fate in our stead. You should still have some magic crystals, do you not?" -Leylin asked calmly. His composure in this decisive moment caused the redhead to feel reassured and thankful to have him as a friend.

"My father had sacrificed twenty thousand of his best troops just to obtain a meager 14 magic crystals... And given that my admission expense was thirteen crystals, I only have one left!" -Beirut was reluctant to part with his last piece of Magus currency.

[He speaks as if that number were insignificant, when in reality, it is far more than what the majority of nobles on the Chernobyl Islands could ever get their hands on. Viscount John was unable to obtain even one!] -Aralis said indignant.

'These spoiled brats have everything handed to them in life and don't know how to appreciate what they've been given by their wealthy families. Now, don't get me wrong, this is perfect for me. Let him depend on me. Let him trust my judgment. So that he puts a smile on his face when I see it fit to sacrifice him like a lamb.' -Leylin evaluated coldly.

"Alright. First up: Raynor!" -The old man said.

The teen gave a couple of steps forward.

"Which method will you be choosing?"

"I... I don't have any magic crystals... Say, could I buy one on credit? I am a fourth-grade talent!" -Raynor blushed in embarrassment and his voice came out rough.

'Asking the overseer for magic crystals with his talent as an excuse? Such a disgrace...' -Leylin raised his eyebrow in disdain, but immediately his face went back to a stern look.

"Not a bad aptitude. Yet, that is not how things work. A pity." -The old geezer shook his head.

As he pointed at a crystal ball on the table, Raynor's name appeared within along with many other unfamiliar names, flickering as they appeared. When the black python Spotty spluttered out an unintelligible line and dabbed on the crystal ball, the words finally stopped flickering.

"Raynor. Your mentor shall be Professor Gafrin." -The old wizard addressed in a regal tone.

"Take this. A set of acolyte robes and an identification badge. This portable crystal ball contains an elementary meditation technique. Finally, your room keys are there likewise."

The old man threw him a black sack containing the items previously listed and then snapped his fingers.

A black ball of mysterious composition suddenly appeared in the room and floated in midair.

"Follow this shadow slave; it will bring you to where your new mentor is." -The old man made a gesture to send him off, and Raynor helplessly followed the black ball out.

'Slavery is a thing within the Magi society as well, huh? I like the sound of that.' -Leylin suppressed a smirk.

"Next: Rousey!"

The one who had laughed at Dorotte earlier -Rousey- was beckoned. Although her complexion had recovered a little, there were still some drops of cold sweat running down her face.

"Oh, what do I see here? A nightmare hex... It has the signature of Dorotte all over it. What a pitiful lass you are. Prepare to suffer for the next month..." -The wizard told in disinterest.

"Could you remove this hex?! I beg you!" -Rousey's voice shuddered.

"Most definitely! That'll be one hundred magic crystals! And remember, no credit allowed..." The old man agreed crisply.

'The bastard is enjoying it, hahaha.' -Leylin chuckled inwardly.

Rousey shook her head, sighed heavily, and ultimately grabbed a magic crystal from the inside of her small backpack: "*Sigh* I want to choose my mentor."

The old man accepted the magic crystal and handed a compendium that looked like some type of enormous compendium to Rousey: "The professors who are ready to accept new apprentices are listed in there. Do take your time and pick the one who suits your interests and capabilities the best."

Suddenly, an hourglass appeared on the table. The sand began falling slowly, indicating to the girl that she had a countdown timer.

"I forgot to mention it earlier, but magic crystal only allows for one turn of the hourglass. If you exceed it, you would have to pay another magic crystal for an additional turn..." -The old man grinned.

Rousey swallowed her saliva, and looking at the sand grains falling non-stop, she flipped through the pages in a hurry.

[One turn of the hourglass lasts only 5 minutes, Doctor. It is not even enough to skim past half of that compendium... For anyone without an A.I. who can record every single page in an instant, it would be a headache to find the right teacher, for sure.] -Said Aralis in a confident manner.

Leylin only did a half-smile.

"Time's up!" -In accordance with the voice, the thick book closed automatically and made a loud snapping sound.

"And? Have you chosen already, or do you wish to have another look?" -The old man urged her.

"I have decided. I wish to study under Professor Vivian!" -Rousey sucked in a deep breath.

"Take this basic acolyte package and follow the shadow slave to your new mentor." -The old man threw her a sack identical to the one from before and summoned another shadow slave.

Rousey bowed humbly and with quivering legs, she followed the floating slave out the large doors.

[That illusion spell truly hit her hard, it seems.]

"Next up: Kaliweir!" -The old man continued with the selection process, and the muscular blond moved closer to the wizard's desk.

Leylin, on his part, kept scrutinizing the acolytes who went up whilst Aralis recorded everything to the last detail.

Kaliweir seemed to come from the richest House so far, as he paid 3 magic crystals for enough time to carefully look through the compendium before making a choice.

In regards to Beirut, he did not pay the price in the end. His mentor was chosen randomly, and consequently, he did not know if the result was good or bad for him. As he abandoned the office, he could not bear to look at his friend Leylin in the eye.

[Even when you advised him, his greed and insecurities got the best of him.] -Aralis spurned the redhead's decision.

'I honestly don't care. It's about to be my turn.' -Leylin shrugged figuratively.

"Next: Leylin!" -As if on cue, the old man called the Farlier's name.

Leylin inhaled a whiff of fresh air and walked to the front.

"I'll pick my own mentor, Lord Magus." -Without allowing the old geezer to even make the inquiry of which method he wanted, Leylin graciously offered a magic crystal to him.

"You know the rules." -The wizard was caught off guard, but it didn't show.

Sand started falling nonstop as the hourglass flipped over, and time began running out for Leylin. Nonetheless, he had no worries. Aralis already had her instructions, and it was just a matter of carrying out his simple tactic.

'Remember my filtering criteria. I also want each professor's information to be as synthesized as possible.'

[Ready and able, Doctor!] -The A.I. sounded out in predisposition.

The compendium was rather heavy, and the material seemed to be of high quality. Leylin rapidly flipped through the pages, and continuously browsed through the writings and profile pictures on each page.

[Obtaining data...]

The pages flipped, and let out a rustling noise. By the time the last grain of sand fell, Leylin had managed to read up to the last page, not leaving a single one unscanned.

[Data gathering complete! Arranging...]

//

<Professor Lester - Department of Souls>

* Specializes in soul transformation, neurology, and composition of mana radiation.

* Willing to provide knowledge on 3 topics free of charge.

* Requirements: The acolyte must assist in an experiment every month, and cannot be declined for any reason.

<Professor Dorotte - Department of Shadow>

* Specializes in anatomy, conversion of energy, and necromancy.

* Does not provide knowledge for free.

* Requirements: The acolyte must pay a teaching fee of 1 magic crystal per month, and at the same time, cooperate with the mentor's experiments.

<Professor Kroft - Department of Potioneering>

* Specializes in alchemy, medicine, and neutralization of energies.

* Willing to provide knowledge on 1 topic free of charge.

* Requirements: The acolyte must always help with the cleaning of the lab, preparation and handling of various herbs, and assisting the mentor in carrying out herbal concoctions (on the basis that they cause no harm to the acolytes).

<Professor Estelle - Department of Curses>

* Specializes in hex studies and human anatomy.

* Willing to provide knowledge on 5 topics free of charge. The category is chosen by the acolytes, and the mentor can guide acolytes in their studies at any given time.

* Requirements: Cooperate with one experiment.

//

Leylin nodded in contentment, seeing with what ease Aralis had managed to put together the list of the most suitable candidates, out of a pool of nearly 70 available mentors.

"You seem to possess an exceptionally good memory, Mister Leylin. This shall be quite beneficial for you during your studies in the future... So, how is it? Who will you choose?" -The old man smiled and asked.

'I'll go with Kroft.' -Leylin internally decided in an instant.

[But he is only doing experiments on herbal concoctions. What of the others, like the shadow and necromancy experiments? Wouldn't Bones be the best choice?] -Aralis was confused at the Master's choice.

[The requirements given for Kroft are too easy to meet, not needing to give payment for information on one topic. This is obviously just him luring new students who would cooperate for his experimental testing. Although they might not have any adverse effects, it's all over once they do.] -The A.I. expressed her concern.

'Dorotte's temper isn't that bad, and he is definitely the most qualified out of all the Professors. Furthermore, I also have enough magic crystals to pay his teaching fee... However, you are forgetting a not-so-minuscule detail: his rising star personal apprentice. I'm afraid that he would essentially push me aside at best when it comes to lessons. Worst case scenario, he could even order me to be Jayden's servant.'

'Moreover, Dorotte requires his apprentices to cooperate with his openly dangerous experiments and thus, will not ensure their safety. In other words, his offer is a scam. He milks those stupid enough to fall for his ruse out their magic crystals, whilst they serve him as cheap labor for his work. Then, they die in a 'regrettable accident'. And nobody bats an eye, since it is the Department of Shadow. At the end of the day, he will only take Jayden seriously.' -Leylin provided his analysis.

[I see...]

'My only viable alternative would be the alchemy professor. I have enough resources to get me going with acquiring the supplies for my own experiments, and with you, I have the greatest advantage when it comes to academics and research. By following this path, I can positively exploit alchemy to earn a sizable amount of crystals...'

[And then, buy knowledge related to the Darkness element!] -Aralis excitedly interrupted.

'Precisely. I will not only make myself rich, but I'll also procure techniques and advance my own powers as a Magus too.'

To others, Leylin had merely closed his eyes and made his choice right after opening them.

"I have made my selection, Lord Magus. I want Professor Kroft as my mentor." -Leylin declared with a cool demeanor.

"Alchemy?" -The old man was surprised once again, and could not hide it this time: "You wish to become an alchemist? The amount of effort and resources you'd need to invest is extremely horrifying! Do you not want to change? I think Dorotte suits you well."

"I thank you for your observations, my lord." -The brown-haired youth earnestly bowed: "However, I do not doubt that alchemy is my true calling as a Magus."

"The mortal world's perception of alchemy is totally different from that of the world of Magi. You'll regret doing this by the time you begin to conduct research independently..." -The old man shook his head. Discerning Leylin's resolute gaze, he couldn't help but exclaim: "Alas, since you have already decided, then so be it..."

After speaking, the old man took a quill pen, scribbled on a piece of paper, and finished with his ring seal.

"Here are your belongings. Follow the shadow slave to where your new mentor is." -The wizard handed the customary sack over to Leylin.

The Farlier heir bowed deeply and even nodded in acknowledgment to the remaining acolytes, before leaving through the large door of the Administration office.

The black-colored ball floated out into the hallway to lead the way to Professor Kroft, occasionally spinning in a small circle. Its speed was not too fast, and with Leylin's body of a peak Preparatory Knight, he nonchalantly followed along.

[What's wrong, Doctor? I've noticed that look you put whenever something doesn't sit right with you.] -Aralis pointed out.

'It's the overseer. The way he questioned my decision... He didn't show that level of engagement with any of the other acolytes, minus Jayden of course. And I'm not even a fourth-grade... I'm assuming that somehow Dorotte informed him of the circumstances in which he exempted me from the admission test. This has driven the old bastard to take notice of me, and together with his remark about my good memory...'

[Don't you think that maybe you're overreacting a bit?]

'I don't overreact. I simply contemplate all feasibilities and probable outcomes... I must be extra vigilant during my few first months at the academy. I can't risk having that fucker suspect me of anything other than being a moderately above-average student...' -Leylin gravely concluded.