After two months secluded inside his room, Max finally came out and his first destination is the lecture hall. Mage Apprentice is entitled to go to free lecture every day but the topic taught is randomly chosen because different Mage teaches every day.
The public lecture hall can fit over a thousand people is brimming with apprentices. Not only new apprentices attend, even rank 2 and rank 3 apprentices also present. Because it free and random topic taught can widen their horizons.
Max managed to squeeze inside and sit near Bucca and others. The lecture last for four hours.
"I barely understand anything he said! How we supposed to understand the reactivity of mana when we still haven't mastered the magic language?" Dorothy whining.
Every place has different languages. Even in the Central Continent, there is a different system. Even though everyone sounds the same, the letters are different but the magic language is universal. Every Mage uses magic language and it is very complex. Even a simple sentence filled with letters and runes only conveying simple meaning.
"You right. I saw many of the seniors writing down notes everything the Mage said. I'm sure they don't understand too but at least they can go back and study again. We need to learn from them."
"For a loud mouth, you got good perception. Hmmph! I buy a lot of papers and come early to sit at front row tomorrow!" Dorothy raised her small fist.
"Haha! You right. Max, I noticed you concentrate the whole time. Did you get it?"
"Fortunately I managed to understand most of it. I was born with a good memory." Max humbly said
"Wow! You must teach me later too. I heard you gave tuition for other apprentices." Bucca exclaimed.
"No problem but with a price"
"Of course. Mage honor transaction! Even though I still not a Mage. Haha!"
"I gave a discount to fellow friends. One magic crystal for every three tuitions. We cannot teach others about paid lectures but the free one, no problem"
"Haha! I must do the mission to save magic crystal now"
"Don't forget about me!" Dorothy jumped.
Mage Apprentice can also decide to go to specialized lecture but with a cost. Specialized lecture cost one magic crystal for every lecture.
Among the specialized lecture, there are advance lectures that cost more because apprentice can hire the lecturer for the personal lecture. Max planned to hire Rank 3 Mage Apprentice Merlin as his personal tutor.
Beside Mage level, high-level apprentice also can be a lecturer inside the academy. Apprentice need to take the exam first before qualified to be a lecturer. Some Mage Apprentices that have mastered their own specialty usually took this exam and become lecturer to earn more magic crystals.
Rank 3 Mage Apprentice Merlin is a veteran apprentice that already been in the Ivory Tower for more than 30 years. He has mastered the advance level alchemy and earns recognition from his personal instructor.
"I need to learn alchemy to make a bomb from scratch from materials from this world. Previously I postponed this though because to learn alchemy required huge amount of magic crystals. It basically a process of trial and error"
Even though Max already has more than advance knowledge to create a bomb from earth but the material in this world is different from earth. He needs to test a lot of different materials and synthesize them to create the reaction he wants. Because that Max plans to master this world alchemy.
Alchemy is not a strange thing even back on earth. It is philosophical and photoscientific tradition aims to purify, mature and perfect certain objects. Modern chemistry is derived from alchemy.
Max already went to administration office and request for Merlin personal lecture. It cost him 15 magic crystals but he can learn from Merlin for five sessions. Extra lesson cost extra magic crystals.
He arrived at the laboratory when Merlin will conduct his lecture after separated with Bucca and Dorothy. Merlin already waited inside there. He knocked on the door. "I am Max. I'm here for the personal lecture"
"Max, huh? Enter!"
"Yes!" Max pushed opened the doors of the laboratory.
A sweet and spicy aroma filled the laboratory room, mingling with the odor of poisonous fumes and liquids, which made Max furrow his brows.
A huge table took up space almost half the lab, and placed on it were various test tubes, flask, and beakers, as well as some apparatus Max could not identify.
'What a nostalgic sight' Max sighed.
In front of the laboratory table, there stood a middle-aged man who wore white robes. His hair show sign of white and tired eyes stared at Max.
"I'm Merlin, and I heard the details from the office. I heard about you, Max. A genius that took less than a year to become rank 2 apprentice. They said you can be a Mage within ten years and now you want to learn alchemy too." Merlin said grudgingly.
Merlin is already at his peak year and past his prime age to become Mage. If apprentices exceed certain age and fail advance to Mage, the academy will cancel their status as the apprentice and if they want to still stay inside the Ivory Tower, they need to submit a certain amount of magic crystal every year.
'From the record, Merlin is a grade A talent chosen under Alchemist Master Fork as an apprentice. He shown great talent in alchemy earned his instructor's recognition but because he dwelled into alchemy too much, he only managed to become rank 3 apprentice after more than fifteen years. Now he passed his prime still cannot promote to Mage level.' Max can understand Merlin's attitude.
Max still smiling despite Merlin's attitude and acted he didn't understand his hidden meaning.
"Yes, I heard Senior Merlin is an outstanding alchemist master and I hope to learn from you."
That a lie. There are many more alchemy lecturers inside the academy and Merlin is the cheapest one. The rest is too expensive because to hire a Mage for personal lesson cost more than a hundred magic crystal.
Max already learn basic alchemy from specialized lecture from Mage but to master alchemy, he needs more information
"The art of alchemy is extremely complex and complicated, the slightest mistake will result in a failure. All Alchemists have spent a vast amount of resources to accumulate their experience. Are you ready for this?"
Max nodded.
Merlin started to teach Max alchemy. He slowly explained everything to him and answered every single question. Merlin's attitude during the lecture is not surprising. He already contracted to teach Max and the transaction is monitored by tower spirit.
If Merlin failed his job properly, Max can issue a complaint and Merlin's qualification as a lecturer will be revoked. He also is penalized heavily.
The session last for two hours. "We stop at this part for today. Come again tomorrow. You chose the schedule for five days straight."
"Thanks for today Senior Merlin. See you again tomorrow. Good day." Max exited the laboratory and left Merlin alone.
"Just you wait. Sooner or later you will end up just like me!" Merlin snickers.