Chapter 81: Last Lesson
Leonard tilted his head to the side in intrigue.
To be honest, he had gotten so absorbed in studying the sigil that he had completely forgotten Cassandra’s promise to take any scholar who managed to replicate at least half of it as her apprentice.
"May I ask what being your apprentice actually entails?"
Although the proposal itself sounded appealing, he needed to understand the details before making a decision.
After all, it would be bad if accepting now somehow locked him out of other opportunities in the future.
Cassandra blinked slowly in surprise.
She wasn’t blind to the truth and was aware that every year, her course started off filled with scholars, mostly because of the rumors surrounding her appearance. Not that it was surprising, considering that the scholars tended to be young adults.
However, just from a glance, she knew that Leonard was different. He had not only displayed exceptional talent in learning sigils, but he also hadn’t blindly jumped at the opportunity without first considering his options.
"Becoming an apprentice means you have a professor of the academy as your personal tutor. Generally, it’s done to further a scholar’s expertise in a subject through private lessons, special missions, and more. Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a limit to how many professors you can have as mentors, though it risks splitting your attention too thin."
She explained in her usual melodious tone.
"Additionally, you will receive a monthly allowance of credits and merit points based on your performance to aid your learning journey, alongside prestige that may come in handy if you wish to join the Academy Council in the future."
From the blank stare Leonard gave her, she understood that he hadn’t yet been informed about the Academy Council.
’So, in a nutshell, I get lessons that I’m actually paid to attend? Not to mention it doesn’t lock me out of being tutored by others? This is an offer with no downsides.’ Leonard knew it was a no-brainer.
Perhaps most scholars would have to consider the offer carefully before deciding, but in his case, the Primordial Bloodline he bore would allow him to keep up with the difficulty of any private lessons.
"In that case, I humbly accept." He replied with a warm smile.
Their conversation was overheard by the scholars who had remained in the lecture hall.
"Did Professor Cassandra really just offer him an apprenticeship on the very first day?!"
"Who is that genius, and how did he replicate half of the sigil?!"
"I heard he is part of the Elite grade!"
"Ah, that must be why..."
Cassandra silenced the chatter with a clap of her hands.
"Wise choice, child. I’ll handle the paperwork and contact you later about the specifics."
"Child?" Leonard murmured. It felt weird being treated as a kid when he had already passed eighteen years of age.
’Now that I think about it, my Mana wasn’t even enough to draw a single sigil, while she is able to draw several in seconds... Her insane Mana pool must have been built through years of hard work, so no wonder I appear as a child in her eyes.’
He coughed. Of course, he wasn’t about to ask Cassandra for her age outright.
"Dismissed. I hope to see you all at the next lesson."
Cassandra finally brought the lecture to an end, giving the scholars some much-needed time to recover after their attempt to comprehend the sigil.
After her announcement, she proceeded to leave. Miranda, who followed after her, gave Leonard an encouraging thumbs-up before following suit.
"That went better than expected..." Leonard mused, throwing a quick glance at his status screen.
Name: Leonard
Level: 12 [Experience: 700/2,200]
Bloodline: Primordial
Classes: Viking, Brawler, Runesmith
Vitality: 25
Strength: 25
Agility: 25
Endurance: 28
Magic: 50 (x2) → 100
Mana: 1,000
Skills: Lightning Strike, Dimensional Storage, Dragon Slayer, War Cry, Draconic Eyes, Shock Absorption, Fireball, Sigil Library
Attribute Points: 0
Evolution Points: 9,310 → 310
Traits: Accelerated Manaflow, Hardened Physique, Devoted Summons, Silver Blood, Thunder Blessing, Axe Mastery, Light Footwork, Hand Combat Mastery, Expansive Mind
Titles: Lumberjack, Inquisitor, One Man Army, Lone Diver
Although his reserve of Evolution Points had dried up in the blink of an eye, he didn’t regret it one bit. His arsenal of Skills and Traits under his possession was steadily increasing.
"Let’s see... One mandatory lesson remains before the end of the day. This one is called Monster and Dungeon Identification, Behavior, and Adaptation... Quite the long name."
Making haste, he hurried, not wanting to be late.
He encountered William and Winston, who had been waiting for him at the exit of the chamber.
"So... how did it go?" Winston asked.
"Got an apprenticeship." Leonard answered with a grin.
"Where did you get all that charm from?!" William bellowed, utterly dumbfounded by Leonard’s abilities.
"Ah... forget it. Let’s just go."
The three met the girls returning from the Healer’s specialization course.
"This was so complicated! Casting a simple healing spell is much harder than I expected!" Harley exclaimed. Her lack of the appropriate Class meant she wasn’t really able to keep up with the lecture.
"Y—You did great for a first-timer!" Cassie tried to reassure her. "I—If you keep it up, you can learn a Skill or two!"
"What about you guys?" Samantha’s eyes narrowed as she looked at William, sending shivers down his spine.
"Keeping up was hard, though I somehow managed to secure an apprenticeship." Leonard said calmly.
"T—That’s great!" Cassie beamed in delight. "Maybe Professor Cassandra has taken a liking to you?"
The suggestion seemed to worsen Harley’s mood. She folded her arms and glanced to the side.
Chatting along the way, they eventually reached the designated lecture room.
The rest of the Elite grade gathered promptly.
Soon enough, their instructor arrived.
"There are elves besides humans this year? That’s a surprise."
The room fell silent, and everybody’s eyes fixed on her.
Scarlett, the Chief of the Fifth Gradeless Unit, stood before the scholars, scanning them one by one.
"Before you ask, no, I don’t normally teach at the academy. This lesson is usually led by different awakeners with experience in handling dungeons and surviving in the Void."
Her voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Although, due to the Void Believers’ interference, you all have gained some deal of experience that doesn’t mean you know everything about the Void... Far from it."
She raised her head slightly, her crimson eyes shining intensely.
"Let’s start with something basic. The main types of monsters that exist..."