Although the golden-haired writer Miss Dorothea Luyisa had also arrived, the academy would still send over the items Shade needed to collect after enrolling, according to the original schedule. Therefore, the four of them had half an hour to continue their conversation before that.
Dr. Schneider, as the nominal host of the correspondence Circle Sorcerer group, was eager to initiate the topic.
Shade thus learned more about the common knowledge regarding Circle Sorcerers. For instance, under normal circumstances, encountering unfamiliar relics would not immediately trigger a prompt from the "other me." Therefore, relying on the "other me" to find relics was unrealistic; the identification of relics was a key area of study in the library management major.
Clearly, Shade was not normal.
[Outsider, your soul is particularly sensitive to the four elements, which allows me to easily discern relics. This is not my uniqueness; it is your uniqueness.]
The whispering voice in his ear explained this way. Initially, Shade thought it was an excuse, but as he pondered, he found the explanation quite reasonable.
Even he himself was unsure whether the uniqueness of the "other me" was truly unique or merely a characteristic of an outsider.
The middle name "Suren" could be interpreted as indicating that the other party had preemptively obtained knowledge of his core rune; the "Northern Common Language Package" provided could also explain that the other party had gained memories of the original host that they had not received due to the characteristics of the "other me"; the reminder from the gaze ring was simply because she discovered that peculiar relic.
As he thought about it, Shade became even more confused...
"Wait, why is your voice female?"
Shade almost got himself tangled up in confusion.
[Perhaps even you cannot fully understand your own character.]
"Don't say that."
Shade thought the other party was hinting that he had some feminine traits.
Aside from the fact that relics were not easily discovered, Shade also learned that Dr. Schneider's group typically met every Saturday afternoon to share learning insights, ask questions, and communicate with the academy through Dr. Schneider's manuscript pages.
Even without urgent matters, they could share intelligence, exchange items, or complain about the heavy workload of their studies. This last point was usually the main focus.
The group did not impose mandatory tasks on its members, but if someone needed help with tasks that could earn practical credits, others had to consider whether they had time to assist right away.
As the clock approached ten o'clock, everyone tidied up the coffee table and had Dr. Schneider place the poet-grade relic page there. When the wall clock began to strike ten for the first time, a rolled-up piece of parchment bound with a red ribbon appeared, shimmering with light from the page.
Shade was quick to seize it, untying the ribbon and unfurling the parchment, which contained his first-year training plan for the correspondence course.
St. Byron Academy conducted unified assessments for grade promotions every winter, and since Shade enrolled in the summer, he certainly wouldn't be able to complete all his studies this year, so it would likely take him more than a year and a half to finish the courses tailored for him on the training plan.
"Actually, the first year usually takes 1 to 3 years to complete, as it focuses on foundational courses... Oh, you're in for a lot of work."
Father Augustus, sitting beside Shade, clearly saw the list of required first-year courses he needed to complete:
"Familiar Herbs"
"Introduction to Basic Potions"
"Introductory Alchemy"
"Introduction to Astronomy"
"Introduction to Mysticism and Rituals"
"Fundamentals of Rune Theory (Part I)"
"Basic Course for Circle Sorcerers - Wonders"
"Basic Course for Circle Sorcerers - Spells"
"Introduction to Ancient Languages (Epoch 5, 0-2000)"
"Introduction to Ancient Languages (Epoch 5, 2000-4000)"
"Introduction to Ancient Languages (Epoch 5, 4000-5793)"
"Ancient Literature" (serious literature, popular literature, or others, choose one. Must be completed before fifth year.)
"Folklore and Religion and Civilization"
"History (Part I)"
"Fundamentals of Time Travel Theory" (Core Course)
"Practical Training in Time Travel" (Core Course)
"Containment and Management of Relics" (Core Course)
"Fundamentals of Theology (Part I)"
"History and General Education of St. Byron Academy"
A total of 19 required courses, with 53 required credits; if Shade earned 15 credits by the end of this year, he could pass the year-end assessment and continue with the remaining first-year studies in the next year.
The subsequent books sent over exceeded 100 volumes, including textbooks, required readings, and supplementary materials for various courses.
Shade, along with the other three, continuously removed textbooks that appeared from the poet manuscript page, stacking them aside.
Looking at the ever-growing height of the "mountain of books," the outsider's anxiety about future life suddenly vanished. He felt as if he had returned to his homeland, back to school life.
"So, how do you feel about the £50 tuition? It's well worth it, right? These required courses have been tailored for you and are quite foundational, as the first year is about building a base. But don't worry; besides the core courses, you have three opportunities to fail in the other courses. Failing three times means you must postpone the exam for a year and pay the tuition again; you won't be expelled."
Father Augustus thought Shade was intimidated by so many books and tried to reassure him. In this age of steam industrialization, the illiteracy rate remained high, and as an ordinary citizen, one might not encounter so many books in a lifetime, which was why the priest comforted the "naive" young detective.
However, the outsider was precisely familiar with such a life.
Shade's first-year 19 required courses would necessitate submitting several papers or assignments after self-study, with some requiring examinations or practical assessments.
The assessments at the end of the year took place at the year's end, but the examination seasons were in July and December. If Shade progressed quickly, he could take some exams in a month at the end of July.
All of this was just the content of the correspondence course for Circle Sorcerers; to complete an entire year of study, he also needed to obtain sufficient practical credits.
The requirement for practical credits in the first year was 40 credits, but there were strict regulations from the History Academy regarding the sources of these 40 practical credits. At least 10 credits must come from "Time Exploration" activities.
The History Academy was the one with the fewest students in St. Byron Academy, and most students transferred into it in higher years.
This was because the core of the History Academy relied on the relic of the Old God Father of the Infinite Tree, the Time Key, to conduct time travel, which required time-related concept runes.
Shade's core course, "Practical Training in Time Travel," involved using the key provided by the academy to conduct a time travel under guidance; submitting a report afterward would complete the course. However, safely traveling through time using the course would not earn practical credits.
Finding relics or purchasing different grades of the Time Key from the academy and bringing back valuable information, history, and knowledge would earn significant practical credits and other rewards, such as relics or rare knowledge from the vast library of St. Byron.
Thus, the History Academy and the Library Management Academy, time travel, and relic containment could be considered the easiest ways to obtain practical credits and rewards from the academy.
"Although these foundational courses seem complex, once you get started, you'll find the difficulty isn't too high. Look, this is the list of elective courses you are allowed to choose."
After all the 100-plus books were finally delivered, a new piece of parchment appeared on the table. The doctor helped Shade open it, glanced at it, and handed it to him:
"Elective credits can be converted; 10 credits can be exchanged for 1 practical credit. And these elective courses are truly valuable; they are the real skills of those professors. Of course, elective courses require gold pounds..."
"Elective courses require gold pounds?"
Shade exclaimed, quickly realizing this was not the world of the past. Moreover, even in the past world, elective courses in his hometown did not cost money, but some schools in Western countries did charge for elective courses.