Chapter 1. Apprentice Wizard Brock
The 69th year of the Austin calendar.
Guton Academy of Wizards.
The autumn wind got colder, and Brock, fresh out of class, smelled his delicate magical mantle tighter.
Chatty Chester was talkative as always, but he soon noticed that Brock's mood was not right and asked curiously:
Did something happen?
Baron Mark passed away. His son, Schumann, inherited the title, but after learning of my talent, Baron Schumann decided to end his sponsorship.'
Brock felt heavy on his heart.
Baron Mark was one of the few good men among the nobility.
Unfortunately, this benefactor, whom Brock sincerely appreciated, passed away a few days ago.
The successor, Baron Schumann, checked the family books, found the costs for Brock, and, learning about Brock's talent, decided to cut his losses in time.
Brock didn't hold any resentment about it.
After all, he knew full well that his talent was indeed mediocre.
Apart from the early development that followed from the lives of two people, Brock had nothing.
Then... Brock, what are you going to do next? Chester asked with concern.
Brock replied, 'I'll try to find a job and provide for myself first.'
Studying at the Guton Academy of Wizards cost about 8 gold bucks a year.
This amount was equivalent to the annual net income of an ordinary well-to-do family.
Twelve-year-old Brock, an orphan, couldn't afford it without sponsorship.
Moreover, Brock's average talent meant that he could not compete with real geniuses for academic scholarships, so he had to find another way out.
Brok, if you have nowhere to go, you can come to my family's forge. As a last resort, you can learn a craft,' Chester said seriously.
'Okay, maybe I'll even work for you in the future,' Brock felt warmth in his heart and nodded in agreement.
Old Chester was a famous blacksmith in the Emerald City. If he could become his apprentice, Brock would at least not starve in the future.
Let's eat first, Brock changed the subject.
When Chester heard about the food, he also became animated.
They were chatting on the way to the dining room. After eating, they said goodbye, and Brock returned to his bedroom.
Guton Academy of Wizards, South Dormitory, Room 308.
The high tuition fees meant that the students' living conditions were not bad.
Each student was given a separate room.
Of course, it wasn't very spacious.
Brock opened the door, and a small room appeared to his eyes, similar to a studio apartment from his past life.
There weren't many things in the room.
A bed, a closet, a desk, and a chair are all that.
Brock kept the room in perfect order.
After setting the books aside, Brock glanced at neatly arranged rows of entries on the bookshelf, and a sense of reluctance began to linger in his heart.
He's been studying at the Guton Academy of Wizards for six months.
Brock did his best to become a wizard.
But in the development of magic, efforts without talent were useless.
Unfortunately, Brock's talent was mediocre.
To make matters worse, Brock didn't have any money.
There's still about six months left in this school year. I'll try to raise enough money to pay for tuition.'
It was the world of wizards.
Wizards represented wealth, status, power, and truth.
Even the nobles did not dare to act boldly in the presence of wizards.
The Guton Academy of Wizards was Brock's only chance to become a wizard, and he didn't want to miss it at all.
Squelching his useless reluctance, Brock headed to the balcony.
Many flower pots were placed on the balcony shelf.
Plants with thin stems and small blue fruits grew inside.
They were called 'blue star grass'.
One of the most basic magical herbs.
Perhaps the legacy of farming, which was inherent in his past life, was imprinted in his soul.
Brock was very interested in magical pharmacology, and, being independent, he understood that relying on sponsorship was not a long-term solution.
So after enrolling, Brock, considering his situation, wanted to delve into magical pharmacology, become an alchemist, and quickly master the skill to make a living.
Unfortunately, things changed too quickly. Baron Mark's death put Brock in the face of a major economic crisis earlier than expected.
Fortunately, the academy charged an annual tuition fee, which included meals and accommodation, so at least Brock won't have to worry about food and accommodation for the next few months.
When Brock came to, he put on his gloves and apron and began to observe and take care of the Blue Star grass.
Blue star grass was considered one of the raw materials for making weak recovery potions, it was the easiest to mine, and it was the simplest magical herb.
However, it was not easy to grow it.
Soil, fertilizer, planting density, ambient humidity, and temperature all required careful consideration.
In particular, blue star grass had weak resistance to disease and was prone to root rot and mold.
To solve the problems of growing blue star grass, Brock immersed himself in the library, losing a lot of hair and pestering teachers with questions until he finally made some progress.
The leaves are withered, the skin of the fruit is dark blue, the flesh is soft, and there is a slight pungent smell. The fruit is finally ripe.'
Seeing that the fruits of his caring care were finally ready for harvest, Brock's mood improved significantly.
If he could grow the Blue Star Grass, it would mean that Brock entered the sphere of growing magical herbs.
Then he continued to study magical herbs hard, rapidly raising his level.
By then, even if he couldn't continue his studies at the Guton Academy of Wizards,
Brock could try to get a job with a potion wizard, hoping to get a chance to become a wizard.
This path was more difficult and uncertain than direct improvement at the academy, but at least it was feasible.
'Pick them up first, clean the place, and try planting other magical herbs.'
Brock took out a notebook, wrote down the situation for the last day, and prepared for harvest.
Right now.
A ball of light suddenly appeared on the grass of the blue star.
Brock stopped, puzzled.
However, the light ball entered Brock's body like a meteor.
The moment he touched the light ball, a parchment book appeared before Brock's eyes.
The cover features four strange but understandable symbols that he's never seen before, and they're called 'A Collection of Magic Herbs'.
At that moment, a book called 'The Magic Herb Collection' was floating in the air, quickly flipping through and opening blank pages.
The yellowing pages slowly revealed the Blue Star grass image.
Below was a line of text description:
"Herb Blue Star"
↑ ↑ ↑ "Disciple"
↑ Quality ↑: Low
"The exploratory effect": It contains weak magical power and can be used as an ingredient for potions.
↑Station‑: Mature
←Collected 1 mature Blue Star plant, first stage feedback obtained, total magical force +0.01‑
The next moment, the weak magical power inside Brock instantly increased.
Has my magical power increased?
Brock was a little stunned.
Before he could react.
The Blue Star grass on the shelf matured one by one.
Balls of light rushed toward Brock.
The hints appeared consistently in the Magic Herb Handbook.
←Collected 1 mature Blue Star plant, first stage feedback obtained, total magical force +0.01‑
←Collected 1 mature Blue Star plant, first stage feedback obtained, total magical force +0.01‑
←Collected 1 mature Blue Star plant, first stage feedback obtained, total magical force +0.01‑
More than eighty blue star grass plants added a total of 0.82 to Brock's magical power.
At that moment, Brock clearly felt his scattered magical power condense in an instant.
It was a sign that you were becoming a wizard's student!
Brock was incredulous.
Six months later at the Goodton Wizard Academy,
Even with hard training and practice, Brock would have taken at least four to five years of effort to become a wizard's apprentice.
But 'The Magic Herb Collection' helped Brock break the shackles in a short moment and successfully break out.
Brock reached out and the Magic Herb Collection fell into his palm.
It was very light, no different from an air-holding object.
Brock felt curious, went back to his room, and stood in front of the mirror.
There was a boy with a gentle face in the mirror, but his hands were empty.
Can I only see this?
Brock was holding a Collection of Magical Herbs, thinking it might have been a golden finger of a migrant or perhaps the reason Brock moved here.
However, despite this, the power of the Magic Herb Collection was not in doubt.
According to the text of the Magic Herb Collection:
While the magical herbs were planted and ripened, he received feedback.
That meant Brock finally had hope of breaking free from the shackles of his talent and becoming a real wizard.