Chapter 482 - 307: Educator Zog (2)

As his body grew older, he was starting to get a little desperate.

Whenever a rumor of a magical prodigy surfaced, he would rush over to see for himself.

Furin said hesitantly, "But this..."

She was a little worried that Zog had only found these children to make her happy, forcing them to learn knowledge they might never use in their entire lives.

While it was wonderful to have such students, Furin didn't want to hold others back because of her hobby.

In her view, with their aptitude, they could achieve great things if they enrolled in a science-focused school instead.

"But what's the problem with that?" Zog countered.

"Huh?"

"You're worried they're learning useless things, that Magic will hold them back for their entire lives."

Furin nodded.

"Have you ever considered why only Mages can work in Magic-related fields?"

"Because it's always been..."

Furin was about to blurt out the answer, but she suddenly realized "it's always been that way" wasn't a very good reason.

After all, no one had ever believed an Ancient Red Dragon could build a fortune by selling toys, either.

"As long as they can learn it, it's worth teaching. This knowledge is definitely useful. It's just like the Magic literacy classes we've started for adults in the city—haven't they greatly improved their efficiency when operating magical equipment?"

Furin knew about this.

On the construction sites of Deepwater City, many workers who seemed to have no connection to Magic at all—dressed in coarse work clothes, covered in dust—held little notebooks filled with magical terms and basic Runes.

These people studied very diligently, even staying behind after their shifts to study for a while longer under the construction site's lights.

"That's not quite the same, is it? They're just learning to use their tools more easily."

What she had taught in class today went far beyond the scope of simply using tools.

"It is the same," Zog replied firmly. "Magic itself is a tool, just a slightly more complex one. Understanding the principles doesn't require one to actually 'use' it. I believe that in the future, the contributions these children make to magical research will be no less than those of the most outstanding Mages. Magic will eventually transform from a tool for Mages into a tool for the masses."

Furin blinked.

She suddenly realized that a part of the future Zog described had already come to pass.

Magic, once lofty and unattainable, was now used to make toys, Magic Vision Devices, and networks, entering thousands of households.

"Besides, the junior class is free of tuition and includes room and board. These kids have to produce results, or else all my money would be wasted."

The moment he said that, Zog transformed from a Red Dragon with grand ambitions into a materialistic business Dragon in the span of a second.

But for Furin, that last sentence was far more believable than his earlier, high-minded speech.

"Well then, I'd better teach them well, so you don't lose that little bit of money."

"What do you mean, 'a little bit'?! That's..."

Furin and Zog walked home under the starlight, with Zog chattering on and on about just how "large" a sum of money the junior class would cost.

Furin hummed along noncommittally.

Only then did she realize she was a bit tired from talking so much during class earlier.

The "large sum" Zog spoke of was, of course, nothing compared to his total wealth, but the conditions he provided for the junior class were indeed excellent.

Every meal was guaranteed to be nutritionally balanced, and they could eat as much as they wanted.

He remembered reading a study that proved a strong correlation between intellectual development and nutritional conditions.

Some things couldn't be solved by effort alone.

Perhaps many scholars who could have possessed outstanding talent were born into poor families, suffered from malnutrition in their youth, and failed to develop properly, ultimately becoming adults of mediocre ability.

Zog wanted to prevent this situation as much as possible.

And so, Zog's "Charity Nutritional Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner" was born, provided to students from poor families and those in the junior class.

Where there were non-profits, there were naturally for-profits. Deepwater City also had schools that charged tuition.

These corresponded to the high school and university levels.

The tuition wasn't cheap, but Zog "thoughtfully" offered student loans.

If a graduate found a decent job, they could probably pay it off in ten to twenty years.

It was a loan that toed the fine, subtle line between conscientious and unscrupulous.

But it received a lot of positive reviews online.

It was all thanks to the competition making him look good.

In most other schools on the Continent, poor students didn't even have the opportunity to take out a loan for their education.

The high tuition had to be justified by teaching quality that matched the price.

The school's faculty could be considered world-class, and it had absolutely cutting-edge teaching facilities.

The requirements for teachers in the regular schools weren't as high as for the junior class, so they were a bit easier to recruit.

Although the entire campus was not yet complete, the first round of admissions had already begun.

This was probably the first school to advertise for students on the network and on Magic Vision.

Most of those who came to take the entrance exams were from families that weren't particularly wealthy.

That student loan, with its slightly "trap-like" nature, was still very attractive to commoners by comparison.

Many students who couldn't afford to attend more prestigious schools, but were unwilling to give up the chance for higher education, flocked to Deepwater City.

For this reason, Zog specially arranged with the railway company to add a dedicated train for the exam candidates.

For the past few days, the station had been filled with plainly dressed young people.

This made one young man—dressed in a suit of expensive fabric, wearing a delicate chain watch, and followed by an attendant—stand out conspicuously.

"Young Master Craig, must you really attend school in a place like this?" the attendant asked, carrying a heavy suitcase.

He didn't particularly like this city; he had heard there were many Devils here.

Although everyone now said Devils weren't that scary, he was still a little worried.

"Of course. This was Mr. Benz's suggestion," Craig replied.

Ever since Benz had demonstrated a bit of mechanics in front of him, he had become the young master's new idol.

It made Craig feel the magic of science.

Young Master Craig, who for over a decade had lived his life just for fun, had found his purpose for the first time.

'I'm going to be a scientist!'

"But Mr. Benz's advice was for you to study hard and then pursue advanced studies at the Deepwater City Deep Research Institute later, not to come to Deepwater City from the very beginning."

"Studying is studying no matter where you do it. Besides, isn't this to get closer to the Deep Research Institute sooner?"

Like the other candidates at the station, Craig was also aiming for Deepwater City High School.

He couldn't take the university entrance exam yet.

In order to successfully get into the high school, he had undergone several months of special training.

During this time, he had frantically crammed science knowledge.

In his entire life of over a decade, Craig had never worked as hard as he had in these past few months.

His diligence shocked even the members of his clan.

But the person in question didn't feel tired at all; he only felt that his days were fulfilling.

The master and servant boarded a bus.

'Another new contraption.'

Less than an hour after entering the city, Craig discovered that Deepwater City was unlike any other city he had ever visited.

There were new things everywhere.

For example, this thing called a "bus." For the cost of One Copper Coin, this giant vehicle would take you all around the city.

Twin Tower City had public carriages, but they could only carry a fifth of the people a bus could, and the fare was more expensive.

"Why do you think everyone on the bus is looking at me?" Craig asked in a low voice.

"Am I not fitting in well enough?"

Ever since deciding to go to school, Craig had been looking up tips for new students online.

Many people mentioned that you had to fit in at school.

He took that to heart.

Therefore, he had put on the plainest clothes he owned and took the commoners' mode of transport.

"You're fitting in perfectly," the attendant replied perfunctorily.

"I thought they'd seen through my identity."

"Impossible. Definitely impossible."

"I think so too."

It was his first time being around so many adult commoners, and Craig was still a little nervous.

He fiddled with the ring on his finger, upon which the Craig Clan's crest shone brilliantly on a twenty-carat Ruby...

The two arrived at their inn, dropped off their luggage, and rested for a day before heading to the examination site early the next morning.

Deepwater City's high school program was already divided into simple tracks.

The department Craig was applying for required exams in four subjects: Common Tongue, Mathematics, Physics, and a Physics Lab.

The examination site was set up in the affiliated elementary school.

There was no choice; the other schools were still construction sites.

Craig took a deep breath and entered the examination hall.

'You can do this. You're Young Master Craig, you'll definitely pass,' he encouraged himself.