Two days after tutoring with Patty Aisa, Locke bid her farewell, left the dormitory, and headed to Dean Tongus’s residence.
At the academy, deans and professors had private suites and received generous monthly stipends.
The academy’s tuition was exorbitant, after all.
But a few steps down the corridor, Locke saw Angel approaching, dressed in a linen-lined white wool skirt.
Her face showed fatigue, with heavy dark circles, as if she hadn’t slept in days.
Locke recognized that look: it mirrored the original Locke’s expression while working for Professor Alder.
Spotting Locke, Angel said with displeasure, “Professor Alder asked me to tell you to work for him again.”
“Locke, I don’t get why you refuse. Don’t you know that building a good relationship with him means we can stay at the academy?”
“Not just me, other Anjou students are working for him too. You know the academy has sent us multiple notices to settle this semester’s fees, right?”
“Locke, don’t ruin things for all of us just because of you. Besides, the professor means well.”
Locke knew about the notices urging him to pay tuition and course fees, already delivered to his dorm.
That’s why he was rushing to see Dean Tongus, with history class looming tomorrow.
Glancing at Angel, who kept following him, Locke pointed to his notebook to shake her off, “I’m working for Dean Tongus now.”
Angel froze, stopping in her tracks.
She watched Locke’s direction, stomping her foot in frustration. “Weirdo. Just work for Professor Alder, and you’d have his protection to stay.”
“I hope he doesn’t get mad over this.”
Meanwhile, Locke quickened his pace toward Tongus’s residence, wary that Professor Alder might intercept him.
For some reason, Alder seemed fixated on him, repeatedly sending Angel to probe and invite him back to work.
Soon, Locke reached Tongus’s residence. He knocked, informed the doorboy, and waited ten minutes before being allowed in.
Following the doorboy, Locke entered Tongus’s lavish Baroque-style suite, resembling a palace.
The corridor was lined with paintings by renowned artists from Corfu’s seven kingdoms.
At its end, the reception room was simple and bright, with a long table, two chairs, and a water glass on a wooden table.
Dean Tongus, in casual gray attire, sat in one chair. “Sit, Locke Augustine.”
“I expected you’d come, but not that you’d finish my assignment in just two days.”
Locke hesitated, then admitted honestly, “Dean, I had Miss Patty tutor me to complete it.”
Tongus chuckled. “I know.”
“Patty’s part of my secret society. She told me everything. But she only taught you. You learned the material and finished the assignment in two days.”
Tongus flipped through the notebook. “Your accuracy is higher this time.”
“You can go, Mr. Locke.”
Locke was stunned. This wasn’t how he expected things to unfold.
Tongus said, “What’s wrong, Locke? I gave you a regular assignment, you completed it, and brought it here.”
“I’ll grade it. You can leave.”
Locke frowned, heart racing, but quickly calmed himself.
He might have miscalculated something, perhaps the Outstanding Graduate quota wasn’t tied to linguistics.
But history class was tomorrow.
That would be tricky.
Locke sighed softly, bowing politely to Tongus as a student to a professor. “Sorry for the disturbance, Professor Tongus.”
At the reception room’s door, Tongus suddenly asked, “One question, Locke Augustine. You never took classes seriously before. Why complete a class assignment in one day and my special assignment in two and a half?”
“What made you do this?”
Locke’s heart skipped. He turned and said, “Dean, you know my situation. I heard about the Outstanding Graduate status, so I want it.”
“I deduced it’s likely tied to the linguistics course.”
Tongus nodded. “I see. I thought someone tipped you off, but I was wrong.”
“You’re smarter than I thought.”
“Worthy of learning an ancient language so quickly.”
Tongus continued, “The Outstanding Graduate status is indeed tied to linguistics.”
“I gave you the assignment to test you. The ancient languages I teach are complex. Those without aptitude can barely keep up, even with effort, and only hover at passing.”
“It’s long been known that the more gifted someone is, the faster they learn these ancient languages, which carry special information.”
Tongus added, “Testing aptitude requires resources.”
“This academy was founded to find gifted individuals on Corfu Island.”
“We set courses to screen potential candidates for testing.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Tongus looked at Locke curiously. “You shouldn’t have understood my classes before, lacking aptitude. But sometimes, people awaken their potential at a certain age.”
“That’s why Aurelian is a seven-year academy, accepting those under twenty-two, as they may still have potential.”
Locke was confused. “Dean, what potential? And what’s Corfu Island? Isn’t it Corfu Continent?”
In his understanding, Corfu Continent was about two-thirds the size of Earth’s Eurasia, clearly a continent.
So he thought the seven kingdoms were this world’s protagonists.
And Aurelian was its premier academy.
Tongus crossed his hands, eyeing Locke. “As I said, Corfu Continent is actually Corfu Island, just a small speck in the Endless Mystic Sea.”
“With a population of mere tens of millions, it’s insignificant and lacks occult resources.”
“Professor Alder and I aren’t natives of this island.”
“Aurelian isn’t a top academy, just a branch of the true university, Virdantia University, tasked with selecting its new students.”
Tongus said, “Since you completed my assignment so quickly, you must have the aptitude.”
“I mean the aptitude to become a great wizard, to pursue the path of truth.”
“That’s the truth behind the Outstanding Graduate status.”
“You don’t need to work for Alder anymore, Locke.”
Locke raised an eyebrow, realizing he’d underestimated this world.
The seven kingdoms and Corfu were just a tiny corner.
Knights, nobles, and kings’ struggles were child’s play to lofty wizards, who didn’t bother intervening, only establishing Aurelian to find those with magical aptitude.
But excitement stirred in Locke.
This might be better.
If he could enter the wizarding world, the Horadric Cube’s potential would soar.
He could achieve far more.
Locke’s goal shifted instantly from staying at Aurelian to leaving for the true world beyond Corfu Island that Tongus described.
First, though, he needed to undergo the wizard aptitude test.
Seeing Locke’s quick acceptance despite his surprise, Tongus was mildly astonished but didn’t elaborate further. “Locke, I need a drop of your blood.”
“Then, you’ll drink an [Emerald Element Potion] mixed with it, revealing your specific talents.”
“This potion is costly, but fifty years ago in the wizarding world, it was a decent testing method.”
Locke asked, “Dean, fifty years ago? Does Aurelian rarely connect with the wizarding world?”
Tongus glanced at him. “The Endless Mystic Sea is perilous. Beyond Corfu’s near shores, dangers abound, even formal wizards can’t cross, let alone us.”
“My last contact with the wizarding world was fifty years ago, when I first came to Corfu.”
A flicker of sadness crossed Tongus’s face. “It was my choice.”
“Aurelian is a safe, comfortable place.”
“The wizarding world is harsher than anywhere you’ve seen. Wizard apprentices who can’t survive there are sent to remote corners to live out their days, contributing to their wizard organization.”