Chapter 12: The Selection (II)

When the twelve mentors take turns selecting the freshmen they fancy, the remaining students left unclaimed are evenly distributed among the teaching assistants based on their interview scores. To put it bluntly, mediocre students are paired with rookie teachers! These poorly performing students already have a weak foundation, and the teaching assistants assigned as their mentors are too young and lack teaching experience. Furthermore, the assistants themselves must expend a great deal of energy striving to advance their professional ranks and secure tenure. Very few are willing to invest major effort into devotedly teaching the students. The poor wretches who fall into the hands of the teaching assistants can do nothing more than pray to the gods that they successfully graduate after five years!

Thomas shrugged and sighed with exaggeration.

"Speaking of the draft, even among full professors of the same title and rank, gaps still exist. Teaching seniority is an important factor in determining one's status, but an even more influential factor is academic achievement. For instance, our Arcane Branch's most senior full professor is Master Walter Lee, nicknamed the 'Old Owl'. Yet his draft pick can only rank fifth, whereas the 'Father of Scarecrows', Master Robert Rawls, is only forty years old this year. Both his age and teaching experience fall far short of Walter Lee's, but he holds the number one draft pick. This is because Master Rawls's academic achievements are so extraordinary that even Midgard University has sent him an offer letter, offering double the salary to invite him to teach there. It is just that Master Rawls is a bit eccentric and actually refused Midgard University's invitation!" Thomas shrugged and spread his hands.

"Master Robert Rawls, why would he refuse Midgard University's offer?" Qiao An found it hard to believe.

Midgard University was the highest institution of learning in the New World, and Leyton College was practically a "little brother" by comparison. After achieving his aspiration of being admitted to Leyton College, Qiao An's next dream was to obtain a letter of recommendation written by the president upon graduation, thereby earning the opportunity to pursue advanced studies at Midgard University.

"Master Rawls's eccentricity lies right there. When others asked him why he refused to go to a better school to collect a higher salary, he gave three reasons." Thomas raised three fingers. "First, Master Rawls claims to be a hopeless direction-blind soul; if his home is too far away, he is afraid he will get lost. Second, he believes his own level is fairly decent at Leyton College, but at Midgard University, which is brimming with talent, he would appear very mediocre, and he does not want to experience the psychological gap of going from a star to a nobody. The last reason is the most ridiculous... Master Rawls said that once he goes to Midgard City, he won't be able to regularly eat hometown dishes like tomatoes stewed with beef brisket and golden trout caviar. Such a life would make him feel that living is worse than dying, so he'd rather not go."

Clearly a young and promising academic star, yet burdened with the triple, farcical traits of lacking directional sense, being a glutton, and having no grand ambitions—this Master Rawls was indeed rather eccentric.

However, Qiao An felt that this eccentricity made him rather endearing. No wonder Mr. Javier also said that Robert Rawls was the best arcane mentor at Leyton College. He wondered if he would have the good fortune to be recruited under Master Rawls's tutelage...

Just as he was lost in thought, an unusually intense fluctuation of magic suddenly erupted ahead.

Twelve portals rose in the center of the playground, and the twelve mentors of Leyton College's Arcane Branch holding draft picks stepped out of the "dimensional doors" one after another, appearing before all the freshmen.

The students present were all so startled that they ceased their conversations, secretly sizing up the various mentors with gazes filled with awe.

The lead mentor looked the oldest, being tall and lean with snow-white hair and beard, and a bald crown. The hair on either side of his forehead was quite lush, standing upright from his ear roots like two small brooms, looking very uncoordinated. Set against his glowing eyes and hooked nose, this appearance involuntarily reminded Qiao An of a barn owl. Once he learned that this elderly gentleman was none other than Master Walter Lee, the chief examiner of this year's draft, it was not hard to understand why the students privately joked about him as the "Old Owl".

The "Old Owl" Walter Lee took a roster from a teaching assistant and immediately began calling the roll. All ninety-six freshmen of this year's Arcane Branch answered one by one, every single one accounted for.

After roll call, Walter Lee exchanged low murmurs with his colleagues for a while, then turned to face all the freshmen. Without changing his expression, he instructed all students who had signed the "Student Loan Contract" to step out of line and gather around him, as he had some matters to impart specifically to these "contract students."

Qiao An looked around and noticed that about thirty students had detached themselves from the ranks, walking nervously and apprehensively toward Master Lee.

Qiao An hesitated for a moment, then followed the flow of people and moved his feet, intentionally or unintentionally hiding in an inconspicuous corner at the back of the crowd. As soon as he stood firmly, he suddenly heard a light chuckle by his ear. Turning his head, he saw Thomas Chapman had actually followed them over as well, standing not far behind him.

"Thomas, did you sign the student loan contract too?" Qiao An asked suspiciously.

It was evident that Thomas's family should not be short of money, so logically speaking, there was no need for him to borrow money to raise tuition fees.

Thomas chuckled, shook his head, and replied, "I didn't sign."

"Then why did you follow us over?"

"Shh." Thomas pressed his index finger against his lips, his smile revealing a trace of cunning. "Don't make a fuss. I'm just a bit curious and want to hear what the Old Owl has to say to you lot."

Qiao An speechlessly shook his head, finding it hard to comprehend the boring behavior of a wealthy city youth with too much time on his hands.

At first, Walter Lee did not seem to notice that a "wolf in sheep's clothing" had mingled into the crowd. Having summoned the contract students to his side and taken roll once more to confirm everyone was present, he activated "Greater Arcane Sight" and scrutinized these youthful faces in great detail. Upon discovering Thomas Chapman, who had brazenly blended into the crowd, he could not help but furrow his brows and let his expression darken.

Walter Lee recognized Thomas, knowing that this young master hailed from a prominent family in Leyton Port with vast familial influence and was not someone to be trifled with. He forced down his displeasure and looked away. Yet when his gaze fell upon Qiao An's face, he could not help but raise his eyebrows, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes as he lingered a few extra moments on this rural youth from Delin Town.

After silently observing the circle, Walter Lee cleared his throat and addressed these impoverished freshmen in an amiable, earnest, and private tone, advising them to act according to their capabilities during the draft and preferably not to show off. In the event that they provoked the jealousy of classmates from noble backgrounds, it would bring many troubles to their upcoming years of study.

"Children, most of you come from the countryside. Your parents pin their hopes on you to achieve academic success and ideally make some influential friends at school, not for you to court trouble by showing off for momentary attention. The most important thing in life is to recognize your own status and find your proper place, understand?"

"Understood!" the contract students chorused in unison.

Qiao An echoed along insincerely, vaguely feeling that Walter Lee's words were mostly directed at him.

Walter Lee nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand to signal everyone to return to the ranks.

Qiao An heard the surrounding poor kids who shared his background whispering among themselves, mostly expressing gratitude for Master Lee's guidance, yet he could not help but suspect Walter Lee's true intentions.

He remembered Mr. Javier mentioning that among those mentors notorious for obstructing students' graduation and ruthlessly exploiting them was none other than this Master Lee. Would such a person genuinely care about poor students?

Just as he was secretly doubting this, an irrepressible scoff from Thomas sounded softly by his ear.