Chapter 480 - 306: Zog Really Knows How to Give Gifts (2)

Chapter 480: Chapter 306: Zog Really Knows How to Give Gifts (2)

"Oh, is that so? But your tail is swishing back and forth. It always does that when you’re lying and getting flustered."

"No way. The base of my tail is just a little itchy."

"Then tell me what day it is, quick. You’re not trying to trick me, are you? Answer in three seconds and I’ll believe you. Three..."

Zog’s mind was starting to overheat.

"Two..."

Zog’s mind was on the verge of overheating.

"One..."

"I’ve got it!" Zog declared like a victorious general. "Today is the 1,400th anniversary of the day we met!"

’Genius!’

Zog practically wanted to give himself a round of applause.

’He really was a genius.’

He’d even managed to remember such an obscure date.

It was all thanks to Furin, who had mentioned it offhandedly a few days ago that their 1,400-year mark was coming up...

Zog glanced triumphantly at Furin, his expression clearly saying, ’I remembered. What are you going to complain about now?’

"Since you remembered," Furin asked cheerfully, "where’s my present?"

"..."

A few minutes later, Furin left, completely satisfied.

She hadn’t received a gift from Zog, but he had used the "grand promise" technique on her.

According to Zog, "I’ve prepared a huge surprise for you, but it can only be revealed tonight!"

And that was that.

So, had Zog really prepared a huge surprise?

Of course not.

Back in his room, Zog was pacing frantically.

He was in a panic. ’How am I going to come up with a surprise that will satisfy Furin in just one day?’

Little Zog watched Zog in confusion, not understanding what was wrong with its new owner.

"What are you lookin’ at?"

"Koo?"

When it came to gifts, especially those exchanged between partners, the important part was the thought behind them, not their intrinsic value.

Take Little Zog, which Furin had made, for example.

Its actual production cost wasn’t high; it was essentially no different from the now mass-produced Digital Monster Golems.

But Furin had designed and built it herself. It had some practical value, and most importantly, it was fun.

That made it the perfect gift.

If one person in a relationship just blindly demands expensive gifts, then it’s best to run.

Run as fast as you can.

You’re just being treated as an ATM.

Finally, Zog came up with a brilliant idea—at least, he thought it was brilliant.

He made his way to the area near the Deep Research Institute.

The area around the Deep Research Institute was all empty land; this was Deepwater City’s planned high-tech and education district.

Besides the Deep Research Institute itself and its affiliated elementary school, a host of other buildings were also under construction.

These included an affiliated middle school and Deepwater City University.

If a city wanted to attract new residents, economic opportunities alone weren’t enough; education and healthcare had to keep pace. Otherwise, it would only be seen as a place to come and make money.

The schools’ teaching staff was sourced mainly from within the Zog Group, along with renowned teachers poached from other regions of the Continent at a high cost.

More than teachers, what they really lacked was students.

Before the schools’ reputations were established, the only hope was to attract a group of people by waiving tuition.

So what did these schools have to do with the gift?

That led to another plan currently being implemented.

The Junior Class Program.

What was most important in the ninth century of the Third Era? Talent.

Special talents required special educational conditions. As the saying goes, one must teach according to the student’s aptitude.

Therefore, Zog planned to screen a group of exceptionally talented children to receive a high-level education from a young age.

The screening pool primarily consisted of local school-aged children in and around Deepwater City, talented children from the Augustine Refugee Camp, and an open online examination.

The focus was on the first two groups.

Not many people would apply to a school they’d never heard of, one that simply claimed online that it would be a prestigious institution in the future.

The most prominent feature of the Junior Class Program was that all students would be taught a great deal of magical knowledge, regardless of whether they had an aptitude for Casting.

In the past, only those who could perform Casting were qualified to become Mage Apprentices and study the relevant subjects.

It wasn’t hard to understand. What kind of Mage can’t cast Magic?

But times had changed. Creating Magic models within Divine Remains or using Inscriptions for academic research didn’t require one to actually cast the spell.

The other Mage Schools on the Continent hadn’t realized this yet and continued to recruit students with an aptitude for Casting, as was tradition.

An aptitude for Casting and an aptitude for Magic, however, were two completely different things.

Few possessed both, which was why most Mages, even after many years of study, only became second-rate Mages who could perform a few Tricks and, at best, one or two One Ring Spells.

But if they disregarded the ability to cast and only selected those with an aptitude for Magic, the pool of promising candidates would be much larger.

Zog went to find the chancellor of Deepwater City University.

He was an old Mage recommended by the Elf Mage, El. According to El, the man was brilliant, especially in the field of Magic Materials research, and was one of the greatest contributors of the current era.

However, due to his poor Casting ability, he was over Sixty and his power had stalled at the level of a Level Seven Mage, so he wasn’t highly regarded by society.

Zog had poached the chancellor with ease.

He had found the old Mage in a Mage Tower in the Royal City, still working as an assistant to a Transformation School Mage, and offered him a simple "little" condition.

"Come work for me, and you’ll have a blank check for your future research funding."

The old Mage resolutely resigned and headed north, becoming the chancellor of the currently student-less Deepwater City University.

"How is recruitment for the Junior Class Program coming along?" Zog asked.

"Currently, sixteen children have passed the assessment for the Magic Junior Class. The youngest is nine and the oldest is twelve. They’re all exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, none of them can perform Casting."

The chancellor specified the *Magic* Junior Class because the Deep Research Institute had a separate training program for young geniuses on the science side, which was another matter entirely.

"No, it’s not a pity. Being unable to cast won’t affect their ability to achieve great things in Magic research later on. May I see their exam results?"

"Of course."

Zog was quickly handed sixteen exam papers.

These children had been through many rounds of testing. The initial exams only assessed basic logic and general knowledge. Those who passed were given reference Magic Books and told to study on their own.

Anyone who could pass round after round was undoubtedly one of the elite.

So elite, in fact, that just looking at their exam papers gave Zog a headache.

The entire exam had no multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions that one could guess on; it was composed entirely of major theory and application problems.

The questions had been provided courtesy of the Mage Association. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Zog gave them a cursory glance and, based on his limited magical knowledge, came to one conclusion.

He wouldn’t be able to pass it.

’Truly talented kids.’

"Excellent. Has the teaching team been finalized?"

"It’s mostly finalized, but..." The chancellor looked hesitant.

"But what?"

"The teachers for the other subjects are all in place, but we still haven’t found a teacher for the Introduction to Magic course."

Just like with the education of a Mage Apprentice, there are no specializations into different Schools at the beginning. Therefore, the Introduction to Magic course, which connects the fundamentals of every School, is exceptionally important.

Teachers of this subject also commanded the highest average salaries and were the most respected magic instructors in society.

The chancellor continued, "Although we’ve offered a very generous package, no sufficiently qualified teachers have accepted a contract yet. They’re all rather hesitant about moving to an unfamiliar city. I’m confident we’ll find a suitable candidate eventually, though."

"No need. As it happens, I have a person for the job... no, that should be a *dragon* for the job. Let her give it a try..."

「That evening.」

Zog led a mystified Furin to a classroom.

"What is this big surprise, anyway?" Furin asked curiously.

"You’ll see in a moment."

Zog pushed open the classroom door.

"Ta-da—"

Inside the classroom, sixteen pairs of wide, innocent eyes stared toward the door.

"This is...?"

"Your future students."

"My future students?"

"Yes." Zog stepped up to the lectern and began his introduction. "Good evening, everyone. Congratulations on passing the rigorous assessments to become members of Deepwater City University’s Magic Junior Class. You are all exceptionally bright children, but I hope you won’t grow complacent. The path of magical exploration is, after all, a difficult and long one."

"I believe you’ve already met your other teachers during the day. Now, allow me to introduce your instructor for the Introduction to Magic course, Lady Furin."

"Hello, Teacher—"

Zog pulled Furin up to the lectern and whispered, "Just teach the way you normally do."

Furin’s expression was a little hesitant.

’Really teach in her own way?’

For the past few years, she had been studying Lori’s teaching philosophy, trying to make all her content as simple and easy to understand as possible. Although many students still complained they couldn’t follow, it was a huge improvement over before.

In truth, she much preferred her own style, but she’d had no choice but to compromise with reality.

Now Zog was telling her to use her own style, and on a group of young children, no less...

Furin looked toward Zog, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Very well. Let’s begin our first lesson. We’ll start to understand Magic by examining the oscillation principles of the fundamental Elements..."

Zog almost lost his composure.

He knew Furin’s teaching had a high bar for entry, but he never imagined it would be *this* high.

’Who in their right mind starts learning about Magic from *that*!’