Chapter 364 The First Lesson Called "Science"
His Highness Colin moved into his luxurious suite, and Barrett, after a busy day, also returned to his student dormitory.
He felt that he was extremely unlucky.
He didn't seize the great opportunity that fell in front of him. If he had swallowed his pride and had the nerve to talk to His Highness Colin, it would have been much better.
I guess everyone has forgotten about him now.
The dormitory for preparatory students is a standard eight-person room with bunk beds.
The students who lived there came from all over the world, some from the neighboring Kingdom of Rhodes like him, and some even from the Port of Saldo in the New World.
The environment here is very crowded, but relatively speaking, it also has a "smoky atmosphere". Even with the door of the room closed, you can hear the noise from the dormitory next door, and even smell the smell of cooking porridge and cigars.
Didn’t this guy eat enough in the cafeteria?
And cigars...
What do these guys think of Xuebang!
Barrett muttered to himself, wanting to offer some advice, but he didn't know who to turn to, so he could only bite the bullet and open the thick "Basic Theory of Magic", temporarily pouring out his energy that had nowhere to go into the ocean of knowledge.
It is said that this book is the only way to become a sage.
He sucked each element symbol eagerly, but somehow, once the element symbol entered his head, it either turned into a sage, a professor, or an assistant. Occasionally, there would be a silver coin, a white thigh, or a shovel for digging the soil.
After swimming the butterfly stroke in the ocean of agony for an unknown amount of time, he finally raised his head with a sad face and pushed down the upright textbook.
It’s too difficult!
He thought that becoming a preparatory student would lead to a smooth road ahead, but he did not expect that he was just standing under another tall tower and continuing to run at a new starting line.
Maybe it will be better when I become an assistant teacher.
While he was daydreaming, the classmate from Porto Saldo suddenly opened his luggage and distributed candy to everyone in the dormitory.
It was a kind of dark sugar, very common in the New World. It tasted bitter at first, but after careful savoury, it was sweet with an endless aftertaste... just like the adventures of the past year.
Barrett took a bite and savored it slowly. He found the sweetness addictive, but he didn't have the courage to ask for another piece.
He thinks this thing must be very expensive, right?
So he couldn't help but ask.
"...I don't understand. Your family is so rich, why do you want to come to this bitter cold place to suffer?"
It was a little impolite to ask about a stranger's family background, but it was commonplace for the blacksmith's son.
He has always been a straightforward person, as people like Phoenix and Leo know.
The young man who seemed to come from a well-off family was stunned for a moment, then a gentle smile broke out on his face. He didn't take it to heart, but chatted with the other young men who were equally curious about his family background.
"Being rich... is not a big deal in the Empire. My father was an ordinary citizen. He was a shoemaker at first, then he opened his own workshop and used the money he saved to open a factory."
"What happened next?" A freckled young man poked his head out from the upper bunk and asked curiously.
He had never been to the New World, but he heard that there was gold everywhere there and if you threw a pig there it would dig up a pile of gold coins.
"Later... the flames of hell burned there and burned all our property. His life's hard work was in vain, and the Empire did not compensate him. In fact, it even sent the construction materials that were originally going to be shipped there to a place called Deadwood Port. I think it was General Hamelton, but I can't remember exactly."
The young man shrugged his shoulders.
Although the story behind it is very cruel, his expression is very free and easy, and he doesn't seem to care about the huge gains and losses.
Barrett widened his eyes, feeling deeply sorry for him, and couldn't help but speak.
"By the grace of Saint Sith...those demons are so abominable."
"Yes, but scolding them is useless, isn't it?"
The young man from a good family nodded, then smiled and said.
"Fortunately, we still have some savings, and my father invested in some real estate in the port of the Duke of Castellón, so we moved there and became residents. It happened that at this time, an accident caused me to fall from the roof. I should have broken my legs, but a gust of air caught my body a second before I landed... Thanks to Saint Sis and my open-minded father, he immediately decided to send me to Xuebang for further studies."
"But you could have lived a comfortable life in the Empire, right?" the freckle-faced young man couldn't help but say, "If I had a little money, I would never come to learn this."
After all, the lifespan of mortals is limited. Even the superior extraordinary beings cannot achieve immortality, they can only live longer.
Pursuing a breakthrough in the soul level is more about using hard training in this life to exchange for blessings in the next life.
For example, a bronze-level soul still has many choices even if it is reincarnated into the "home of leeks".
If you reach the silver level, you can become a knight or a wizard at a higher level, or an adventurer who enjoys taking revenge, or a child from a wealthy family.
However, people's joys and sorrows are not the same, and the young man from a well-off family shook his head after hearing this.
"I have some money... How much is considered rich? Maybe as you said, I can live a comfortable life in the empire, but no one can guarantee where I will be reincarnated in the next life. I want to climb up a level, whether for my family or for myself."
Anyway, there are only two paths to choose from: go west to the New World or go east to Xuebang.
Their family moved back from the New World, and they couldn't go back to the old way, so they headed east.
At least it's safer here in Xuebang. I don't have to fight the devil on the front line, nor do I have to rack my brains to deal with those officers who take advantage of their high position and far away to do whatever they want.
When the topic turned to reincarnation, the young men looked at each other and gradually lost interest.
That is a topic beyond their horizon, they don't want to think that far ahead, at least not before they have lived their lives well.
Barrett secretly took a deep breath and prepared to review for a while before lights out, but at this moment he heard the footsteps of the dormitory manager outside, along with a haughty roar.
"Silence! Shut your mouths and get under the covers!"
The young men climbed onto the bed and lay down in a hurry like ducks returning to the cage.
The same goes for Barrett.
He buried his head in the quilt, enduring the dormitory manager's loud yelling, and cursed in his heart -
Why are you pretending!
When I become a professor, I will kill you!
pity.
He still overestimated his memory. Not to mention whether he could become a professor, if he really became a professor, he would have forgotten all about it.
But there is no difference.
He could also vent this evil fire, which had nowhere to be released and came from, onto the heads of other apprentices.
…
The magic crystal lights in the dormitory went out, but the energetic young men didn't fall asleep so quickly.
The roommates were all chatting in bed, talking about life and ideals, forming a circle.
Barrett didn't want to get involved in those childish topics, but was forced to listen for most of the night and didn't sleep well the whole night.
The next morning, he dozed off, ignored everyone, and came alone to the apprentice cafeteria where efficiency was paramount, where he found an unclaimed seat and sat down.
The bread sprinkled with icing sugar automatically flew in front of him, saving him the trouble of thinking about what to eat.
He had just picked up the bread and took a bite when he heard an excited shout from the side.
"...You will never guess what happened. The respected His Highness Colin is going to teach us in person!"
Prince Colin's class?!
Barrett, who was biting the bread, was stunned for a moment, so much so that the bread he was chewing almost fell into the plate.
Why didn't anyone tell me?
He felt like a blinded hyena, lost in the vast snowfield.
Fortunately, God favored him, and the opportunity to change his destiny once again fell into his hands.
Barrett quickly pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the conversation in the small circle next door.
At the same time, Kurth, who was showing off his "intelligence", saw Ilana looking up and noticing him, so he showed off even more vigorously.
"...I got the news from the teaching assistant. It is said that his open class will start later this morning! There are four credits in total, and it is not too late to sign up now. Although these four credits are of no use to us mages, they are still very useful to you preparatory students! I heard that his class is not too difficult, and he is a very easy-to-talk to person. It would be a waste not to take these four credits!"
Having said this, he took a breath and continued to talk.
"By the way, that prince is really generous. I heard that an assistant teacher only helped him lead a section of the road and received a magic crystal of good purity as a reward... That thing is not easy to buy in the market. You have to go to the Adventurer's Guild to offer a reward."
"Oh? That sounds interesting." Ilana's eyes flickered slightly, and a rare curiosity appeared on her face.
Finn looked at Kurth with bright eyes and asked excitedly.
"What does Your Highness intend to teach us?"
Kurth hooked his finger proudly, motioning the boy to come closer, and uttered a new word word by word.
"science."
Finn was stunned for a moment, and Ilana also had a strange expression on her face, looking at him in confusion.
"What is that?"
This question stumped Coors. He only knew that His Highness Colin was going to teach the apprentices himself, but he had no idea what science the prince was going to talk about, so he could only make random guesses.
"Uh... I guess it's probably some advanced theory that originated from the Imperial Court. It's probably the abbreviation of 'Theory Created by His Royal Highness Colin'. Regardless of whether it's useful or not, the credits are real. If you're curious, you might as well go and listen... I'm going to take a look if I have time."
"Colin's theory..." Finn muttered to himself, his eyes full of longing for the prince he had never met.
In his opinion, being able to name a doctrine after himself was something that only legendary sages could do.
"Then let's go and take a look." Ilana said concisely while stirring the milk in the cup with a spoon.
This was what she had originally planned, but she did not expect that the prince would be so approachable, and she did not expect the opportunity to come so soon.
Not far from their table, a certain King of Rolls named Barrett could no longer sit still.
He swept away the food on the plate like a whirlwind, then jumped up from the chair and ran out of the cafeteria.
Like an isolated island, he could not hear the complete conversation over there, but key words such as Prince Colin, open class, lecture hall, and four credits still drilled into his ears like hooks.
Becoming a respected professor is his only obsession. He will never let go of any opportunity to climb up or any knowledge that may make him stand out!
There was a raging fire burning in his eyes, a fire called ambition and desire.
“It’s not too late to sign up now!”
Not just registration -
He also has to try to grab a front seat!
There is more than one person who has the same idea as Barrett, and they are everywhere in this "wide yet narrow" cafeteria.
Everyone is talking excitedly about "science", although they don't really know what science is.
But no matter what, there is always a chance that the seeds sown will germinate.
In this way, this strange and mysterious new word spread rapidly like a plague in the invisible shadows under the tower...
…
His Highness Colin's class was not to begin in ten minutes, but the huge lecture hall was already in a state of near-out-of-control chaos.
This is one of the largest lecture halls in Xuebang. The crescent-shaped tiered seats are enough to accommodate 500 apprentices listening to lectures at the same time.
However, at this moment, there are at least a thousand people crowded here, and there is even a trend of continued increase.
Not only the preparatory students who had not yet been assigned to the Mage Tower, but also the senior apprentices and mages came in droves. They squeezed together with acquaintances, or simply sat on the ground or in the aisles.
Even in the shadows of the back row, one could see several graduates who had already achieved “magician” status and were preparing to leave or stay on.
These self-righteous chosen ones now looked at him with scrutiny and curiosity, wanting to see what was so different about this new mentor.
The seats were already occupied, and Barrett discovered in despair that no matter how early he arrived, there was always someone earlier than him, and even the aisles on every stone step were filled with people.
But he was lucky, because soon the corridor was crowded with people.
Relying on his status as a senior, Kurth opened up a passage among the vast crowd and escorted Ilana to a relatively forward position like a flower protector. Finn was brought along by him because of his sweet words and diligence.
As an "apprentice helping the admissions assistant," Coors's face wasn't always easy to get, but there were people willing to lick his laurels.
Ilana thanked the classmates who squeezed in for them, while Kurs complained about the turbid air while trying to straighten his wrinkled robe.
When the time came, the side door of the classroom was pushed open, and the noisy voices instantly died down, turning into whispers of excitement or expectation.
Guided by an assistant, the Honorable Prince Colin arrived on time.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark scholar's robe, without any fancy ornaments to show his status. He had a calm expression and a gentle temperament, as if he was born to belong to this academic hall.
The moment she saw that face, Ilana was stunned for a few seconds and her breathing involuntarily paused for a moment.
Kurth glanced at her secretly, his eyes instantly alert, and when he looked at His Highness Colin again, the look in his eyes was no longer just admiration, but also mixed with a hint of jealous hostility and helpless panic.
Finn's expression didn't change much. This simple young man just wanted to climb the tower of academia.
Barrett, who was standing in the corner, was excited and clenched his fists, but unfortunately he couldn't move his hands, otherwise he would have raised his arms and waved them a few times.
Who knows, His Highness Colin might even recognize me, the one who once stood in front of him with a war hammer in hand to protect him!
It’s a pity that there are too many excited people here and he wouldn’t be missing.
For example, the teaching assistant following behind His Highness had an eager expression on his face.
The opportunity to serve as an assistant to this respected prince was something he had fought hard for among dozens of competitors!
He straightened his chest and tried to appear as professional as possible, at least not to disappoint His Highness in terms of etiquette!
Soon, he noticed the chaos inside and outside the classroom. These unrespectable boys and girls actually squeezed out of the classroom and into the corridor!
If they really want to listen to His Highness's class, they should find out about it earlier and register in advance, instead of waiting until the class is about to start to join in the fun.
He walked quickly to the heavy oak door of the classroom and prepared to close it.
However, just as his hand was about to touch the cold brass door knocker, a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.
"No need to close the door, just leave it open."
At some point, Luo Yan was already standing behind the assistant coach.
He didn't look at the teaching assistant, but instead looked inside and outside the door, looking at every young face filled with desire, nervousness and curiosity.
The voice was clear and gentle, not very loud, but enough to quiet the entire noisy classroom.
The teaching assistant was stunned, and turned around to look at His Highness in confusion as he did not play by the rules.
"But Your Highness, if they disturb your sacred class..."
"What is sacred is not the classroom, but every soul that pursues knowledge. How can we shut out children who are eager to make progress for the sake of illusory majesty? It's a pity that I don't have the ability to build 10,000 wizard towers, otherwise I would definitely fit them all in instead of letting them squeeze in the corridors."
Luo Yan smiled kindly, looked at the stunned teaching assistant, and continued.
"It is an honor that they are willing to listen to my teachings. Let them listen, and I trust them and will not interrupt me at an inopportune time."
The noise inside and outside the lecture hall really quieted down, and everyone looked at him in disbelief, as if looking at a candle flickering in the darkness.
They were all people who had fought all the way to get the qualification to sit here, and no one had ever said such unorthodox words to them -
'What is sacred is not the classroom, but every soul that pursues knowledge.'
'It's a pity that I don't have the ability to build 10,000 wizard towers, otherwise I would have put them all in here instead of having them crowd in the corridor.'
For the first time, pure surprise flashed in Ilana's eyes. She stared at the tall prince on the podium. For the first time, she was not moved by the face that had nothing but handsomeness, but by other things - such as the noble soul.
Kurth curled his lips in disdain, but Finn, the junior sitting next to him, was so excited that his face turned red.
Stepping on a cockroach to death was not enough to make him feel the greatness of Xuebang, but the thunder he heard in silence made him feel for the first time that he had come to the right place.
The same goes for Barrett.
His fists clenched unconsciously, then loosened unconsciously, and his tense shoulders also relaxed along with it.
He encountered obstacles everywhere when he came to this tower, and experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature and the confusion of being alone. However, this was the first time he was treated as a "seeker of knowledge", so much so that he almost forgot why he came to this place!
It wasn't just the innocent boys and girls whose hearts were in turmoil; Sgain, who was wearing a mask and lurking in the crowd, also felt confused for a moment.
His eyes were filled with astonishment, his mouth slightly open, and it was as if a bolt of thunder had struck his heart, splitting the softest part of the wall in his heart.
Looking at the younger students around him, he suddenly felt a little envious.
What a pity...
If only the person standing before him when he first stepped into this ivory tower was not Professor Hector, the "Staff of Truth", but this prince.
He will probably retain the purity of a scholar and explore what really interests him.
Maybe he won't become a great professor, but at least he won't let his noble soul be covered with dust. It has nothing to do with happiness or pain, but being born as a human being, one should live like a human being.
But it's too late to say that now.
Considering the dirty work he had done and the more darkness he might encounter in the future, if he was not reincarnated into a pigsty in his next life, there were only two possibilities: either Saint Sis was too kind, or he finally "climbed ashore" and became a great professor.
Sgain didn't know why the prince's casual words made him feel so many inappropriate emotions.
He shook his head slightly, turned his attention back to the notes spread out on the table, picked up the quill and prepared to listen carefully.
This was the task assigned to him by Professor Alister.
He wanted to play the role of a good student who was studious and inquisitive, and approach the elegant, easy-going and amiable prince in the most harmless manner.
"Well, let's get started."
Luo Yan shook the lesson plan in his hand, or rather the script he prepared for "His Highness Colin", and spoke on the podium in a voice that was not loud but extremely clear.
“I named this class ‘Science’, but before everything starts, I don’t want to tell you what science is, because you will have your own answer.”
"For the first class, I will talk about 'light'."
Under the gaze of countless curious eyes, he gently placed a prism on the podium and then waved the magic wand in his hand.
An inconspicuous beam of light fell on the transparent prism, just like a scene that happened at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, England, on another planet nearly four hundred years ago.
It was not some magical power, nor was it some mysterious technology; rather, it was one of the starting points of the Enlightenment.
Xuebang used an unreachable tower to force these children to crawl at their feet.
And he wanted them to stand up——
In the shadow of this tower!
"I'm sure many of you know how to illuminate, and you can even do it easily."
"But I bet none of you have ever thought that light can be dissected."
(End of this chapter)
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