271: Chapter 151, A Mischief at the Enthronement Ceremony_1 271: Chapter 151, A Mischief at the Enthronement Ceremony_1 “Detailed Explanation of Beginner Earth-Magic Spells, please pay 100 Gold Coins!”
“Detailed Explanation of Intermediate Earth-Magic Spells, please pay 300 Gold Coins!”
“Detailed Explanation of Advanced Earth-Magic Spells, please pay 800 Gold Coins!”
…
“Detailed Explanation of Basic Magic Formation Knowledge, please pay 200 Gold Coins!”
…
“Introduction to Alchemy for Beginners, please pay 300 Gold Coins!”
…
A stream of payment reminders rang in Hudson’s head, leaving him confused.
“That’s how this library makes money, I warned you last time that you wouldn’t have a pleasant experience here!”
Melissa spoke cheekily.
Watching Hudson make a fool of himself seemed to be a pleasing sight for her.
With an eye roll, Hudson, regretfully put down the canon in his hand, as he hadn’t brought enough gold coins.
This was the Magic Academy, although it wasn’t exactly filled with strongmen, there were definitely plenty of experts.
Getting into trouble here would certainly show that one was tired of life.
“Isn’t this price too expensive?”
Hudson asked in confusion.
He’d heard before that studying magic was like a gold-eating beast, but these prices still horrified him.
The cost to borrow a book that just recorded knowledge was so exorbitant, if he went to class every day, wouldn’t the expenses even reach the sky?
“These prices are for outsiders, within the academy we have a credit system.
You earn credits by completing certain studies or taking up tasks from the academy.”
“You only pay in gold coins when you run out of credits.
As you can see, the prices are outrageous, worse than robbery.
Magic research costs a lot, not only are we students poor, but the lecturers inside the academy, even the school itself, are poor too.”
Melissa half explained, half complained.
Once he received a clear answer, Hudson was left speechless.
He initially thought that the Magic Academy opened its library to display an accommodating spirit.
However, he had overestimated their motives—they were only out to fleece people.
Those who didn’t know would willingly pay the fifty gold coins entrance fee, thinking they could freely read all magic knowledge therein.
Only after parting with their money would they discover the countless additional costs awaiting them.
Regret was futile.
Either give up and take the loss for the 50 gold coins fee, or continue to pay for the magic knowledge.
No refunds were given by the Magic Academy.
If there were any objections, you’d better be sure your fist was strong enough before you tried to argue.
Hudson chose to ignore Melissa’s reference to being “poor”.
Anyone studying magic was no pauper.
This greedy library was a clear testament to the Magic Academy’s ability to rip people off.
Students without substantial family wealth couldn’t possibly survive here.
Perhaps the reason the Magic Academy rarely admits students from the common folk was due to these considerations.
Without financial backing, and ever busy earning credits, no matter how talented one was, without resources to back them up, they would still fall behind in the long run.
The so-called ‘free education for gifted students’ was merely theoretical—the free content was limited to the most basic courses; knowledge beyond that still required value-for-value exchange.
It seems reasonable, but in essence, those with vested interests don’t want to add a bunch of competitors that affect their own interests, so they deliberately raise the entry threshold to an unreachable level.
This Magic Academy in front of him was a real reflection of the times.
It seemed like anyone could enter.
In reality, commoners who did get in still had to spend a lot of time earning credits.
Magic research, that was purely a joke.
Minor experiments cost a few gold coins, more in-depth ones cost hundreds to thousands of gold coins.
What would commoners have to undertake such costs?
The essence of magic was not easy to pursue.
Many things would never be clear without hands-on experience.
Ethereal knowledge, the realm of extraordinary power—much the Magic knowledge could only be understood and not articulated.
Even if the same magical law fell into different hands, the final gain would undoubtedly vary.
Interpretations based merely on texts were nothing more than the author’s own insights.
Those who came after could learn from it, but never reproduce it identically.
“It seems, I shouldn’t have followed you in today.”
Hudson said, clearly gloomy.
Itching for knowledge that he couldn’t afford to learn made his mood grim.
Looking back at this vast sea of books, Hudson doubted if he could learn it all even if he spent everything he had.
The cheapest basic knowledge started at triple-digit prices, one could only imagine how expensive the high-end knowledge was.
Indeed, it was a precise embodiment of the saying—knowledge was the most precious wealth.
“Hee Hee!
Every magician who has entered here has said they shouldn’t have come.
But before they come, they can’t resist the temptation to come.
No magician can resist the lure of the essence of magic.
Would they be content without seeing the biggest magic library in the palace?
Despite the high costs of these resources, unless you’re a noble in the Kingdom, you can’t get them, even if you have the money.
As for basic knowledge, there’s no need to waste money here.
I learned most of it at home.
If you want to know something, you can ask me, as long as I remember.
In fact, the knowledge here is almost collected by every major noble family, albeit not as complete as here.
Especially the new research achievements are unique to the academy.
Even the major nobles would feel the pinch to acquire this knowledge.”