Unsurprisingly, the development of the tourism industry also benefits the construction of the Magic Academy, or rather, all schools in Gotham.
The most important goal of industrial development is to liberate productive forces. The income that previously required the hard work of three people can now be earned by one person. The remaining two can naturally explore other paths. When family income increases dramatically, children are naturally the first to be liberated.
In the past, Gotham didn't have any stipulations against child labor. As long as a child was old enough to run and jump, they could help out at home with cooking, assisting, and even delivery.
However, manning a stall, especially selling tourist souvenirs, doesn't require much labor. These items are not heavy, and aside from being a bit tidy, they are not physically or mentally exhausting. Most of the time, you only need one person to keep an eye on the stall. Even during busy times, one person can sell goods and another can manage the payment, so children can naturally go to school.
The desire for a better life is the driving force for advancement. Even though running a stall is good now, nobody does not want their child to be the one buying goods in the future.
Wearing a sophisticated and expensive shirt, with an equally well-groomed and beautifully-dressed wife and fair, lively, and adorable children, the family leisurely travel, buying dozens of dollars worth of souvenirs without batting an eye. Although not everyone achieved this life by studying, at least they have to go to a technical school in order to have the possibility of having working days and holidays. Quitting school to join the mob does not allow for such benefits.
In any case, the enrollment day for the Magic Academy has arrived. Teachers and professors have already prepared bats to be released from the school. They will fly to the real world via Gotham and dedicated magical channels, delivering admission notifications to the children.
This process can't exactly be described as beautiful, because bats are hardly considered cute, but it effectively lowers the children's expectations and prevents them from having too many beautiful fantasies about the magic world, because whether now or in the future, magic in the DC world is invariably accompanied by pain.
The number of children in Gotham who have received acceptance letters from the Magic Academy is surprisingly high. This City of Darkness always breeds many dark seeds. As long as the mysterious dark curse persists, Gotham will always be the eternal home of the Dark Magic Master.
The high acceptance rate in Gotham also has to do with how accepting the parents are. The city gets invaded by darkness every three days and attacked by monsters every five. The citizens have seen too many scenes related to magic.
They are well aware that magic truly exists in this world, but because they know too much, they don't hold much awe for it. To put it bluntly, most of the devils that invade Gotham end up leaving crying. Seeing this, it's hard to feel reverence.
The parents in Gotham mostly view magic as a means of survival. If studies don't work out and they end up joining the mob, wouldn't knowing magic help deflect bullets? If studies turn out well and they become a Master of Magic, then wouldn't that mean no more worries about food and clothes?
With pragmatism in mind, eighty percent of the parents agree to enroll their child. Although there are some complaints about the boarding school system where the students only get to go home every semester, thinking about the accommodation, meals, and learning opportunities provided, the parents still purchase the items listed in the enrollment checklist and send their children to the designated gathering spot, which is a small square by the Gotham River.
There's hardly anything to buy for enrollment. Clothes, bed sheets, quilt covers, and spare clothes are all provided by the school. A few sets of underwear for change are enough. The most important thing is to bring a note with the home address written on it, otherwise the bats won't be able to find their way when it's time to send letters back.
The gathering starts at eight in the morning, with the weather still looking gloomy and sunlight nowhere to be seen, the children, like hatchlings, are herded into lines by the parents and teachers.
Most of the children here are between seven to eleven years old. There are also some gifted individuals who are only five or six. They will be divided into three grades to undergo seven years of basic education and three years of advanced education, graduating at seventeen or eighteen years old.
As far as the current information is concerned, at least for the first ten years, the career direction of the graduates will be to restore the order of the magic world and maintain the Earth's Magical Defense Network. After that, they might form an official organization in the magic world, stay at the school as a teacher, build schools, etc.
Because the first day of enrollment is inevitably chaotic, many professors from Gotham University came to help, including Victor and Anna. Although they know nothing about magic, they are quite experienced in managing students.
The children were taken to the river bank of the Gotham River in the city center. The Master of the Dark Night waved his hand lightly, and the river surface fizzled. He then took the lead in stepping onto the water surface. The children widened their eyes in surprise, not understanding why he suddenly wanted to jump into the river.
But when Jim stepped down, his clothes didn't get wet. He slowly disappeared below the water surface, not like sinking, but like entering a new world.
Following him were Constantine, Zatanna, and other members of the magical realm, while the professors from Gotham University led the children in a line to follow.
The children from other places looked somewhat frightened, unable to understand what was happening before their eyes, but many local children from Gotham were raring to go. After all, they often swam in the river when the weather was hot, and they were much bolder when they dove in.
The slightly older children from Gotham marched forward with their friends. As they stepped onto the water surface, they were shocked to find that they didn't feel the usual chill of the river water. It was more like stepping into some viscous substance. As they moved forward, the viscous sensation grew stronger, soon followed by a dizzying sense of weightlessness.
The feeling of weightlessness lasted less than a second, almost imperceptible to the human brain. The next second, their feet landed on solid ground, and they found themselves standing on another mist-covered river.
The entire inner world was filled with white mist, it appeared incredibly humid but not gloomy, in fact, it was significantly brighter than the outer world. This white mist seemed to emanate its own light, making the world feel lightweight and dreamy.
The children felt a little lost as they walked from the solid water surface onto the shore, looking at the familiar yet alien buildings in the distance. Even the most audacious children became a little cautious.
More and more familiar faces appeared, and the arrival of the professors quieted the children a bit. They assembled in teams on the lake surface, which resembled ice, and were led by the professors towards the Magic Academy.
Gotham Magic Academy was a courtyard-style manor castle. As Strange had assessed, Shiller had partially referenced the structure of Hogwarts, but hadn't added as many fantasy elements. After all, the magic of this world wasn't as wonderful.
Upon entering the castle's gate, the children saw a spacious Gothic hall. There were over three hundred children assembled, divided into three teams based on their grade level, forming neat lines in the center of the hall.
"I'm delighted to meet you, kids. I'm Jim, the Master of the Dark Night, and currently the acting headmaster of Gotham Magic Academy, for we can't elect a qualified headmaster at the moment. Perhaps one of you will be the future headmaster,"
Jim was patient with the children. He stood on the lectern at the front, smiling and his words immediately sparked a flurry of conversation among the children.
"I believe you have already seen some guidelines for entering the academy in your admission letters. However, there are some details I want to emphasize. You now have about three hours to visit your dormitories, settle your luggage, collect your school uniform and daily necessities. After you get settled, there will be a welcome banquet at dinner time. Then, you'll get to meet the professors of every course."
"Trust me, it will be a fascinating encounter. You've never seen so many peculiar people from the magic realm before. There may even be some familiar faces, especially for local spirited youngsters. Just don't be so surprised that you spit out your food."
Some of the bolder kids laughed. Others shouted, "Do you think we are 3-year-old children?" The atmosphere became more lively, dissipating the previous restraint and tension.
"Now, our task is to divide you into different schools. You will go to one of the three schools based on your basic education. Each school has a headmaster who teaches a special course, different from the other schools'. Everyone can attend any headmaster's class, but students from their own school will have some advantages in their specialized field."
"Now, you might be interested in one school or the other. If so, feel free to apply."
"But for the first three months of study, everyone has to take all courses. After three months, there will be assessments. At that time, you can re-adjust your school based on your interests and capabilities. The headmasters will also select you based on your performance. This is a two-way choice."
"A year after you start studying, you will have another chance to change schools. However, this time, changing to another school will be harder, and starting from scratch in a new school is not an easy task."
"Let's begin." Jim nodded at Lady Shangdu standing next to him. Lady Shangdu waved her hand gently, and one by one, blank papers flew out from the door of another room, landing in front of the children.
"Write down the name of the school you want to go to with your finger on the paper. Listen carefully, the schools you can choose are the School of Magical Power, the School of Magic Arts, and the School of Magic Theory…"
The names of the schools were straightforward, even these children could understand the general inclination of the majors. Some raised their hands and confirmed again that they could attend any class in any school, and then the children started chattering about which school to choose.
Lady Shangdu cleared her throat and said, "Kids, I must remind you that the teaching conditions and dormitories in each school differ. The School of Magic Arts often conducts experiments and preparations, and the school's labs and alchemy warehouses are all underground. So, their dorms have been arranged underground."
"But don't worry, because of the magic, the dorms will not be damp or cold. Furthermore, the dorms, classrooms, and labs of the School of Magic Arts are the closest in distance. If you're quick enough, you can get to class within three minutes of getting out of bed."
Immediately there was a buzz among the children. At their age, their greatest challenge during schooling is getting up early. Some local Gotham children who did not care about seeing the sun were especially tempted.
"The dormitories and classrooms of the School of Magic Theory are located in the circular French tower section on the easternmost side of the courtyard. The dorms are on the top floor of the Mage Tower. The advantage is that they offer a wide view and plenty of sunlight. But until you learn to fly, you'll have to climb the stairs."
Instantly, more kids were excited, chattering with their classmates about whether climbing so many stairs every day was worth it for a bright and clean dormitory.