Wizard:Starting from Synthesizing Gems

Locke waited in Mentor Sophia's office for a full two hours before the witch Sophia had time to attend to him again.

However, Locke didn't feel particularly aggrieved by this.

After all, Sophia was a Formal Wizard. He believed that none of the other Wizard Seedlings who had arrived in the Southeast Corner by ship with him had even glimpsed the hem of a Formal Wizard's robe yet.

During these two hours, Locke's waiting wasn't completely in vain.

Though he couldn't understand any of the diagrams in Witch Sophia's hands, he at least gained some early exposure to the complexity of first-circle level potions.

Two and a half hours later, Mentor Sophia picked up the five glass vials of potion that Locke had prepared using the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method to isolate specific Bloodline Essences. "Hmm, you've become quite proficient," Witch Sophia observed, looking at Locke. "For a third-class wizard apprentice of your background, this could even be called outstanding."

"Your mana fluctuations are more stable than those of ordinary Wizard Seedlings. This might be a special talent - stable mana fluctuations mean you have significant advantages when brewing Magic Potions."

"From now on, you'll handle the simpler separation and extraction tasks in my laboratory."

Locke glanced at his left hand. By consuming the Deep Blue Gem, he could indeed maintain exceptionally low mana fluctuations in his normal state.

After some consideration, Sophia said, "As compensation, I'll pay you three Magic Stones daily. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

"Yes, Mentor. I'll follow your arrangements," Locke replied. He wasn't sure what the standard pay was for a lab assistant, but he chose to trust Sophia.

As a first-circle wizard and his mentor, Sophia had no reason to cheat him in this matter. Even if she paid him nothing, what grounds would he have to refuse? The opportunity to work alongside a Formal Wizard in potion brewing was something many would clamor to do for free.

His current opportunity existed solely because the academy had assigned him as Sophia's student - and because he happened to be Witch Sophia's first student since her promotion to Formal Wizard.

Witch Sophia nodded. "I've calculated your pay based on what an outstanding Second-Class Wizard Apprentice assistant would earn."

"I understand your current difficulties," she continued. "So within the bounds of the rules, I'll do what I can to help you."

"Also, I've taken the liberty of arranging a tuition loan for you. Sign this contract - it's for a loan of one thousand Magic Stones, repayable over fifty years with an interest rate of half a percent, which is exceptionally low."

"Standard student loans carry fifty-year interest rates of five percent."

"These funds can only be used for tuition, so you won't receive the stones directly - the money goes straight to the academy."

"Under normal circumstances, no one would loan this amount to third-class wizard apprentices like yourselves."

Locke looked at Witch Sophia with confusion.

Witch Sophia explained, "Attending Lilith's Cottage still requires payment."

"You third-class wizard apprentices don't fully belong to Lilith's Cottage yet, in principle."

"You're merely paying to learn, and Lilith's Cottage is giving you this opportunity to study."

"Only Second-Class Wizard Apprentices are fully considered part of the academy."

"Therefore, you'll need to pay tuition fees to Lilith's Cottage annually, along with specific course fees. This amounts to one hundred Magic Stones per year."

Sophia the Witch explained, "Of course, the one hundred Magic Stones per year is already a reduced rate. Otherwise, just one public course would cost at least over a hundred Magic Stones."

"This counts as a benefit Lilith's Cottage is providing you during these five years."

"Similarly, you'll also need to pay one hundred Magic Stones annually to your Wizard Mentor as compensation for specialized courses. In other words, over five years, you'll pay a total of one thousand Magic Stones."

Sophia adjusted her monocle. "Generally speaking, Wizard Seedlings from overseas or those whose local families can't afford it will choose to take out a loan from the academy."

"Locke, do you have Magic Stones?"

Locke shook his head decisively.

So that's how it was. He had thought Lilith's Cottage was offering him free classes.

Turns out Lilith's Cottage isn't a charity—it wouldn't provide free education.

And even the current arrangement is already heavily discounted.

Sophia pointed at the contract on the table. "Then sign this."

"This is the lowest-interest loan contract I could arrange for you. Don't worry—I signed a similar contract back in my day, and my interest rate was five percent."

"These matters should have been explained to you by your freshman mentor. It seems he chose to be lazy and didn't tell you anything."

Sophia continued, "So I contacted the higher-ups at Lilith's Cottage via Magic Ring and requested they penalize this year's freshman mentor."

"Honestly, a Formal Wizard's time is so precious, yet here I am explaining this to you."

"And if you weren't properly informed, many of you might end up signing harsh contracts from outside the academy."

Sophia tapped the table impatiently. "We can't rule out the possibility that this was deliberately kept from you."

Locke chose to sign the contract. After all, a Formal Wizard had no reason to deceive him.

In her presence, he was no stronger than a fragile infant or a mosquito.

Locke remembered the Formal Wizard from Four Seasons Garden he'd seen on the Wizard Ship. Under that wizard's [Magic Pressure], he'd felt like his entire body was melting—even though the Formal Wizard hadn't been targeting him specifically.

Seeing Locke finish signing, Sophia added her own name to the contract. "Since only a loan under my name can secure such low interest, I need to sign as well."

Locke felt touched. "Thank you, Mentor."

Sophia gave a faint smile. "You are, after all, my first student."

"Naturally, I'd pay more attention."

"Besides, for me, this is just a trivial matter. Ultimately, while one thousand Magic Stones is a fortune to you, to me, that amount is insignificant."

Sophia the Witch said, "I will help you raise your mental power to 50 points as soon as possible. I estimate that within four years, you'll become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice."

"Starting tomorrow, you'll come to me every day at 4 PM to learn the follow-up complementary cantrips for Vine Hand—[Green Cleansing Grasp] and [Poison Berry Catapult]."

"You must also attend all three public courses."

"Additionally, I've recently taken on a batch of Emerald Potion brewing. Using the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method, you'll help me extract at least fifteen vials of [Dryad Bloodline] daily."

Since Sophia the Witch was very approachable with him, Locke asked directly, "Teacher, what is the Emerald Potion?"

Sophia glanced at Locke and actually explained. "It's a first-tier healing potion that purges negative energy from the body. Typically used to cleanse curses from the Hex Branch path of Black Wizards in the Spiritualism School."

"It's currently the most effective specialized potion in the southeastern region against Rotting Flesh Curse, Terror Curse, and Thousand Holes Curse."

"The primary ingredient is the Bloodline Essence of forest-born dryads."

"Lilith's Cottage sells various Magic Potions as their main products. I've recently taken on a batch of purification tasks for Rotting Flesh Curse."

"So I'm quite busy these days. Unless absolutely necessary, don't disturb me outside class hours. I can only spare one hour daily for your lessons."

(End of Chapter)