Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
At the end of the Month of Scorch (August), in the civilian district of Rentato…
After his parents went to work in a seafood company and a workshop of lamps respectively, Longman read the books that he bought recently alone at home, while he thanked the God of Truth and the arcanists from the bottom of his heart.
Ever since the wicked, radical clerics were banished by the Congress of Magic and the moderates came into power, the previously expensive books were much cheaper. Even the boy of a common household like himself could afford one or two books every couple of months. That was an unimaginable luxury in the past. As a lover of books, he felt that even the sun was brilliant and warm nowadays.
From Arcana Voice, Longman learnt that paper had been invented hundreds of years ago. After a long time of modifications, their price had been significantly lowered, and so was the printing technology. However, to monopolize knowledge and the channel of communication with the Lord, the radical clerics blocked the printing technology and encouraged hand-written copies, thereby keeping books at an extremely high price. Apart from the nobles and the great merchants, it was terribly difficult for the common civilians to learn words and knowledge. It was thanks to the secret dissemination of the Congress of Magic that the average knowledge level of Rentato reached this standard.
Now, times had changed. While knowledge was precious, it was not entirely unaffordable anymore, because the workshops and the major nobles are in dire need of laborers who had basic knowledge.
He browsed his books. It was a book that described the common creatures in nature with life-like illustrations. Longman, who had learnt to read from his father, was quite interested. His father had been promoted to be a middle-level manager of his company from a common worker. After that, his father had been taught how to read as well as the knowledge about the fishing industry.
“Werewolves, kobolds, goblins, giants, barbarians, Dudu birds…” Reading the book, Longman felt that he was now in the great outdoors appreciating different creatures who shared similar parts but had their own fascinating idiosyncrasies. “It’s totally worth it to buy this book with my months of savings!”
Dum, dum, dum. Somebody knocked on the door, waking Longman up from the ocean of knowledge.
“Who is it?” He asked loudly, sitting straight and feeling rather anxious. I’m a boy alone at home. If it was a burglar, a thief, or a brutal ‘night watcher’ as described by ‘Arcana Voice’…
Dum, dum, dum. A male voice echoed as he continued knocking the door. “Open the door. I’m a mailman of the kingdom. You have a letter!”
Longman was immediately relieved, laughing at himself for listening to so many horror stories from Arcana Voice that he was apprehensive even during the day. Didn’t burglars, thieves and night watchers only appear at night?
Opening the gate, Longman saw a young man who was smiling gently. He was wearing a dark green suit and carrying a heavy bag. There were two letters in his hands.
“Your letters.” The mailman said with a smile.
Longman took the letters. He saw the delicate stamp on the envelope first. Those were among the first batch of stamps that the kingdom issued, on which the images of Her Majesty and Mr. Evans, as well as the amount, were painted.
“This stamp is beautiful. I need to cut it out for collection…” Thought Longman subconsciously. Then, he saw the sender, realizing that the letter was written by his aunt who was married in Paphos County. He immediately felt very happy. His aunt had always been closest to him before she was married. However, her husband worked in Paphos County. Although it was not very far away from Rentato, correspondence hadn’t been easy because they had few trustworthy friends who were willing to carry the letters for them. They often communicated on a yearly basis.
Now, everything was different. Longman saw the amount on the stamp on the envelope and discovered that he could afford one letter every month with his allowance.
Thank the Lord, thank Her Majesty, thank Mr. Evans, thank Prime Minister Russell, and thank the postal department of the kingdom… He drew crosses on his chest and read the second letter. His eyes were immediately widened. “Admission notification? The First Generic School of Rentato?”
Ah? Ah! I’ve been admitted!
Longman felt such enormous ecstasy that something seemed to have exploded inside his heart. He kept saying thank you to the mailman, his eyes turning blurry.
Since it was only experimental, the royal family and the Congress of Magic had established merely two generic schools in Rentato, which were named as ‘First’ and ‘Second’. Therefore, since the tuition fees were affordable for civilians, too many people were dreaming to go to the two schools. The rate of enrollment was probably less than one percent!
Thankfully, Her Majesty had set up the fairest way of admission: the College Entrance Exam. That was how he could distinguish himself.
“I can finally study the real knowledge and learn the real arcana and magic…” Stunned, Longman found it impossible to calm himself down. Too many thoughts were rolling inside his head.
“Please sign here as confirmation. Leave your fingerprint if you can’t write.” Having delivered many admission letters today, the mailman had already been used to the situation.
Longman was finally back to himself. He took over the fountain pen, which was said to have been invented for the general public, from the mailman’s hands and signed his name on the receipt solemnly.
“Thank you, uncle, for bringing such a great surprise today.” Longman thanked the mailman sincerely when he returned the fountain pen.
The mailman smiled. “I feel happy that you are happy. After I have enough savings, I would like to go to the general schools, too. Chances are that we will be schoolmates in the future.”
His face flushing in excitement, Longman asked, “May the Lord grant your wish. Uncle, is it a tiresome job to be a mailman? You need to carry many letters and packages every day.”
The mailman replied with a smile, “It is a bit exhausting, but things will be better soon. We’re told that we will be given a vehicle named bicycle.”
“Bicycle?” Longman frowned in confusion.
After seeing the mailman off, he opened the admission letter eagerly and read it while referring to his father’s dictionary.
“The common tongue, basic mathematics, introduction to history, introduction to nature, common sense of magic, logic basics, emblem identification, body exercise… Those are the most elemental courses and are mandatory. Music, fencing, painting, documentation, introduction to electromagnetism, introduction to elements, psychological common sense, medical basics, semiotics, ancient magic languages, politics, economy… Those courses are for selection. I can choose the elemental knowledge of different directions according to my own situation in the third year of my generic education…” Longman read the contents of the courses and read their introductions carefully, envisioning his future.
“Am I going to be a secretary, a politician, a musician, a painter, a squire, a doctor, or an arcanist…?” Longman knew that he did not have the best magic talents. So, he considered arcanist as his last choice.
Without him knowing it, the day was already over. His parents came home and saw the admission letter.
After reading the admission letter, Longman’s father nodded slightly. “It’s still too early for you to consider. You will only know what you are good at and what you are not after you start learning for real. Of course, I suggest you start learning riding, fencing, music, economy and fishing knowledge in the fourth year. After you join my company in the future, you will be able to become a manager very quickly with such knowledge and make friends with the nobles and big merchants. As for magic, you should know your talents very well.”
He naturally hoped that his son could grow under his protection.
Longman’s mother, however, didn’t quite agree with him. “Alchemical workshops are the trend. Even though Longman is not talented in magic, he should learn more about magic and alchemy. It will be much more rewarding to be a manager of an alchemical workshop than to be one of a seafood company.”
The two of them had a heated debate on the issue until Arcana Voice began.
Longman, who had been silent the whole time, sat in the square and listened to the program of ‘Church Revelation’, both excited and somewhat at a loss…”
“…After the exploration in the World of Souls, the legendary sorcerers have confirmed the existence of Mountain Paradise. They have reasons to believe that the God of Truth has fallen asleep, and that His power has been stolen by the pope!”
“…Speaking of the pope, we have to say something about his real identity. He is in fact Viken, the bloody, brutal legendary sorcerer from the ancient Magic Empire. He blended into the Saint of Truth and stole the God of Truth’s power…”
“…Viken once trapped a city and cut the food supply so that the people inside would brutalize each other in one of his experiments. It is said that the cries and screams did not die out until half a month later. To this day, many ghosts are still lingering there…”
In a daze, Longman thought to himself, “Is the pope really an ancient sorcerer? There seemed to be similar theories in the past, but there are also other rumors…”
As more and more programs were broadcast, Longman gradually got rid of his concerns and focused on his favorite shows.
“…The Holt Magic College held the first ‘Flight Contest’ today. It’s a competition of speed and style. Some of the contestants are experts who count on their strength, and some are low-rank sorcerers who are good at controlling their staffs…”
A flight contest? Longman listened to the new program with great interest. It was a news channel that introduced the fun incidents in the Congress of Magic.
Hearing those interesting events, Longman was suddenly stunned. A voice seemed to be roaring inside his heart.
It’s true that I’m not talented in magic, but it does not mean that I’m not gifted at arcana! Mr. Evans said that one is capable of studying arcana as long as his spiritual power is enough to control the simplified alchemical items! The field that studies the truth of the world is just like mathematics. Magic talents are not a threshold!
The voice in his heart gradually became clear:
“My dream is to be an arcanist!”
……
Inside the Kingdom of Electromagnetism, Brook had a paper in his hands. It was the paper on electron spin, which was submitted by Sprint and Annick. He was greatly inspired. When he constructed the wave function of the electron, he seemed to have overlooked the problems.
The quill in his hands moving nonstop, he found the correct path to build a new function.
The silver electric currents and dark magnetic field seemed to be simmering impatiently.
Inside the Theater of Destruction, the collapse and destruction of the stars were suddenly frozen. Inside his magic tower, Oliver couldn’t help but show untamable excitement, because he seemed to have found the correct wave function of the electron through mathematical approach.
The ‘real world’ surfaced, resulting in the changes in his cognitive world…
Lucien, on the other hand, was working on the integration of quantum mechanics and the special theory of relativity in his library.
