Chapter 40: Xia De's Compulsory Course |
Although the golden-haired writer, Miss Dorothy Louisa, had arrived, the academy would still deliver the items Xia De needed to collect after his enrollment at the scheduled time. Thus, the four of them had half an hour to continue chatting.
Dr. Schneider, as the nominal leader of the Correspondence Ring Warlock Group, was happy to initiate conversations.
Through this, Xia De learned more about common knowledge regarding Ring Warlocks. For example, under normal circumstances, when encountering unfamiliar 【relics】, one would not immediately receive a prompt from the "Other Me." Therefore, relying on the "Other Me" to find relics was impractical. The identification of 【relics】 was a key research topic within the Library Management program.
Xia De, however, was evidently abnormal.
【Outsider, your soul is particularly sensitive to the Four Mystical Elements, which is why I can easily discern relics. This isn’t my uniqueness but yours.】
The whispering voice in his ear explained. Initially, Xia De thought it was an excuse, but upon further reflection, he found the explanation quite plausible.
Even he was unsure whether the uniqueness of the "Other Me" was truly exceptional or simply a result of being an Outsider.
The middle name "Suellen" could be explained as the other party having prior knowledge of his core runes. The "Northern Kingdom Common Tongue package" given to him could also be interpreted as the "Other Me" accessing the fragmented memories of the original owner that Xia De himself had not retained. As for the ring observation prompts, they were merely the result of her noticing the peculiar relic.
Thinking along these lines, Xia De became confused.
Xia De almost tied himself into knots over his thoughts.
【Perhaps even you cannot fully understand your own personality.】
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Xia De felt this was a subtle insinuation about his having a feminine side.
Apart from the difficulty in discovering relics, Xia De also learned that Dr. Schneider's group usually met on Saturday afternoons to share learning experiences, ask each other questions, and communicate with the academy through Dr. Schneider’s manuscript pages.
Even without important matters, members could exchange information, trade items, or simply complain about the heavy academic load—often the main agenda.
The group did not impose mandatory tasks on its members. However, if someone needed assistance, such as completing an academy task to earn practical credits, others were expected to consider whether they could spare the time to help.
As 10 o’clock approached, they cleared the coffee table and let Dr. Schneider place the Poet-grade relic page on it. When the grandfather clock in the corner began to chime the hour, the page glowed faintly, and a scroll tied with a red ribbon appeared.
Xia De swiftly grabbed it, untied the ribbon, and unrolled the parchment. It was Xia De’s first-year correspondence study plan.
St. Byrons College usually held year-end advancement exams in winter. However, as a summer enrollee, Xia De could not possibly complete his studies this year. His customized curriculum would take at least a year and a half to finish.
“Typically, it takes 1 to 3 years to complete the first year, as it’s all foundational courses... Oh, you’ll be busy.”
Father Augustus, sitting next to Xia De, glanced at the study plan listing Xia De’s mandatory first-year courses:
- "Herbs We Know"
- "Basic Potion Studies"
- "Introduction to Alchemy"
- "Astronomy Fundamentals"
- "Mysticism and Rituals: An Introduction"
- "Basics of Rune Theory (Part I)"
- "Ring Warlock Basics - Miracles"
- "Ring Warlock Basics - Arcane Arts"
- "Ancient Languages (Fifth Epoch 0~2000): Fundamentals"
- "Ancient Languages (Fifth Epoch 2000~4000): Fundamentals"
- "Ancient Languages (Fifth Epoch 4000~5793): Fundamentals"
- "Ancient Literature" (Choose one from serious literature, popular literature, or others; to be completed before the fifth year.)
- "Folklore, Religion, and Civilization"
- "History (Part I)"
- "Basics of Time Travel Theory" (Core Academic Course)
- "Time Travel Practical Training" (Core Academic Course)
- "Relic Containment and Management" (Core Academic Course)
- "Basic Theology (Part I)"
- "St. Byrons Comprehensive College History and General Education"
In total, there were 19 required courses, accounting for 53 credits. By year-end, Xia De would need 15 credits to pass the end-of-year assessment and continue his first-year studies in the second year.
The books delivered afterward exceeded 100 in number, including textbooks, reading materials, and supplementary documents.
Xia De and the other three continued retrieving books from the manuscript page, piling them beside them. Looking at the growing "mountain of books," Xia De's initial anxiety about his future dissipated. It felt as though he had returned to his hometown, back to his school days.
“Well? The 50 pounds you paid was worth it, right? These mandatory courses are tailored for you and are quite basic. The first year is all about building a foundation. Don’t worry, aside from the core academic courses, you have three chances to fail the exams. If you fail three times, you’ll need to retake the year and pay the tuition again, but you won’t be expelled.”
Father Augustus assumed Xia De was intimidated by the number of books and reassured the "inexperienced" young detective. In this Steam Age, illiteracy rates were still high, and ordinary citizens might never encounter such a vast collection of books. The priest’s comfort was unnecessary, though—this lifestyle was exactly what the Outsider was familiar with.
Xia De’s first-year curriculum required him to write papers or complete assignments for most courses, while some required exams or practical assessments. Final exams took place at year-end, but there were also mid-year exam periods in July and December. If Xia De progressed quickly, he could attempt some exams at the end of July.
These were just the mandatory courses for correspondence Ring Warlocks. To complete the year, Xia De also needed to earn 40 practical credits. The History Department mandated that at least 10 of these credits come from “Time Exploration” activities.
The History Department was the smallest in St. Byrons and typically attracted upper-year transfers. Its core focus was time travel using relics like the Old God’s 【Time Key】, which required time-related core runes.
Xia De’s core course, "Time Travel Practical Training," involved using a key provided by the academy to conduct a supervised time travel and submit a report. However, such safe travels didn’t yield practical credits.
To earn credits, one could find or purchase relics of varying grades, such as the 【Time Key】, and bring back valuable historical information or knowledge. These could result in significant practical credits and rewards, such as relics, spells, or rare knowledge from St. Byrons’ vast library.
Hence, the History and Library Management departments—focusing on time travel and relic containment—were the most rewarding for earning credits and academy incentives.
“These foundational courses may look overwhelming, but once you start, you’ll see they’re not too difficult. Look, here’s the list of elective courses you’re allowed to take.”
After the mountain of over 100 books was finally delivered, a new parchment appeared on the table. The doctor opened it, glanced at it, and handed it to Xia De:
“Elective credits can be converted—10 credits equal 1 practical credit. And these electives are where the real value lies, showcasing the professors’ true skills. Of course, electives cost gold pounds…”
“Electives cost gold pounds?” Xia De exclaimed, then quickly realized this wasn’t his old world. Even in his past world, electives weren’t always free, especially in Western institutions.