Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Chapter 370 Mist Empire’s Rise- 369: What Profession to Choose

Sebastian also childishly joined the scramble: "No, I should be vice-captain."

He even gave three reasons.

"First, I live off-campus. I'm better informed than you at the academy."

"Second, I'm a mage. My cultivation level is higher."

"Third, I'm your senior. I have more social experience than you."

"Tch," Theodore scoffed. "You're just relying on being older than us, old guinea pig! If you've got guts, fight me without using magic!"

See if he wouldn't wrap him to death with eight tentacles!

"Octopus junior, not every problem can be solved with violence."

Sebastian put on his senior airs to lecture: "A baby octopus like you who just came ashore—human scheming is still too complex for you. You should listen to your elders."

"Old guinea pig!" Theodore's eyes bulged with anger. "Who are you calling a baby! You're the baby! You're a toothless guinea pig baby!"

"Pfft—" Luo Wei burst out laughing.

Theodore and Sebastian simultaneously turned to look.

Luo Wei tried hard to hold back her laughter: "Sorry, carry on."

Theodore said angrily: "What are you laughing at?"

Luo Wei waved her hand: "Nothing, just thought you two seemed like you were flirting."

At these words, both Theodore's and Sebastian's faces turned green. Turning to see each other's faces, they violently started retching toward the ground.

Luo Wei hadn't expected such a strong reaction. She quickly apologized: "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Are you two okay?"

Sebastian pressed his churning stomach and looked up: "I'm fine, junior. Not your fault."

He couldn't control his imagination. Images of him flirting with a slimy, bulging-eyed giant octopus floated through his mind, disgusting him.

Luo Wei looked at Theodore. Theodore also said he was fine. She relaxed.

Problems should be solved at the root. Luo Wei proposed to everyone: "How about this—since Hol, Theodore, and Senior Noel all want to be vice-captain, let's vote by show of hands."

"I won't compete with the two seniors," Hol voluntarily yielded, smiling lightly. "Just choose between the two seniors."

"Okay," Luo Wei said again. "Then we'll choose between Theodore and Senior Noel. Those who agree Theodore should be vice-captain, raise your hands."

As her words fell, she looked at everyone. Theodore also looked left and right.

One second, three seconds, five seconds...

Not a single person raised their hand.

Theodore immediately exploded, jumping up to demand: "What do you mean, what do you mean!"

Sebastian pushed him down: "Be good, junior. You're not suitable to be vice-captain."

The result was already obvious. Theodore lost. The one chosen was Sebastian.

But for fairness, Luo Wei still had everyone vote a second time: "Those who agree Senior Noel should be vice-captain, raise your hands."

Swish swish swish—six hands went up.

Theodore turned his head and saw, getting so angry he shouted: "Old guinea pig, you're shameless! I was wondering why there was an extra hand—who votes for themselves!"

Sebastian held up his hand with a smile: "I agree with myself. Who told you not to raise yours?"

Hessel's ears hurt from Theodore's loud duck-like voice. She spoke up for Sebastian: "He didn't raise his hand, which shows even he thinks he's unsuitable."

Theodore jumped up to retort. Laura tugged his sleeve, her voice soft: "Don't be angry, Theodore. We're fine just like this."

Theodore's bristling fur was smoothed by this one sentence. He sat down beside Laura, glancing smugly at Sebastian.

See that?

Laura felt sorry for him!

Sebastian shook his head. What a childish guy.

He turned his gaze to everyone. Looking around, his face showed a trace of surprise: "What a coincidence—the juniors together just happen to cover all six magic professions."

The six were stunned. Their gazes swept over the companions beside them. Counting in their hearts—it really was true!

Theodore was a spellchanting apprentice, Laura a magic rune apprentice, Hessel an alchemy apprentice, Luo Wei chose astrology, Hol chose potions, and Gladys chose swordsmanship.

They hadn't deliberately pursued diversity, yet miraculously complemented each other's weaknesses, turning the Death Penalty Squad into a truly balanced team.

Perhaps this was heaven's arrangement—fate predetermined, Luo Wei thought.

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However, the Death Penalty Squad had seven people. Guinea pig senior's profession overlapped with Theodore's. He was now a mage, but before graduation was a spellchanting apprentice.

Luo Wei said jokingly: "No wonder Theodore and Senior Noel don't get along. Turns out they're competitors in our squad."

Hol smiled, showing two dimples: "Wonder which senior has stronger magical talent?"

"Need you ask?" Theodore couldn't resist provocation, especially with Laura beside him. He raised his chin. "Just wait. When I graduate next year and test my magic power, I'll definitely be an advanced mage!"

"Advanced mage," Hol exclaimed. "Senior Theodore is too amazing. Many people can't reach advanced mage in their whole lives."

Theodore said proudly: "That's because their talent isn't good enough. With my excellent talent, even breaking through to archmage won't take long."

Luo Wei couldn't bear to listen. Theodore had just been stepped on by guinea pig senior one second ago, then fell into Hol's trap the next. Now talking such big game—she'd like to see how he'd save face next year.

Someone like Troy with exceptional talent and cheats from the God of the Undead still took five years to go from mage to junior magic swordsman.

Theodore... not that she looked down on him, but the longer a race's lifespan, the slower their cultivation.

Krakens had all their talent points in vitality. Their magical element affinity might not necessarily be stronger than guinea pig senior's.

Thinking this, Luo Wei became curious about guinea pig senior's magical talent. She asked: "Senior, which magical element do you have the strongest affinity for?"

"Strongest, huh," Sebastian answered. "Earth and water elements, I guess. My affinity for these two elements is about equal."

Theodore boasted: "My water element affinity is strongest. Professor Pence said I'm the student with the strongest water element affinity he's ever seen—one hundred percent affinity!"

"One hundred percent affinity—how did you measure that?" What Luo Wei really wanted to ask was how to measure affinity values.

"I didn't cheat," Theodore said. "This is the affinity value Professor Pence measured for me, also using the academy's testing tools."

Sebastian: "Octopus junior probably isn't lying. Magic apprentices can all apply for one magical talent test. It's just that our academy's professors don't recommend students do this."

Luo Wei: "Afraid of affecting their mindset?"

"Right," Sebastian nodded. "Some students who learn their affinity is low become self-destructive. Those with high affinity slack off in cultivation. The academy also doesn't want us to only study one type of magic."

Luo Wei understood. Siria Magic Academy wanted to cultivate well-rounded talent, not top geniuses.

Top geniuses were built with resources. Siria was a commoner magic academy—couldn't do that. All-around development was more practical for commoners.

"What about you all—which element has your highest affinity?" Sebastian asked everyone.

"I haven't tested," Luo Wei thought. "Should be fire element. I can release many fireballs at once."

Hessel said: "I have affinity for fire and wind elements. Both affinities are about the same."

Laura: "I'm most affinity with wind element, then earth element."

Gladys: "Most affinity with lightning element!"

"I also haven't tested. Should be earth element." Hol said with a smile. Of course he couldn't tell everyone his highest affinity was dark element.

Theodore wasn't satisfied after hearing: "How are there only five magic elements? We seven people should have seven affinity elements! Don't any of you have affinity for light or dark elements?"

Sebastian said helplessly: "Being able to just happen to gather six magic professions is already very difficult. You still want to gather seven affinity elements? If any of us had affinity for light or dark elements, the Church would have taken them away long ago."

Hessel snorted coldly: "Light element affinity holders are all being the Church's lackeys. Dark element affinity holders—one appears, one dies. You still want to have light-dark element affinity?"

Luo Wei and Hol looked at the sky and ground. They kept silent on this question.

The secret of dark element affinity—they'd probably take it to their graves.

Maybe not, Luo Wei thought. If they became grand archmages, or the Church fell, or she became a deity, the secret being exposed wouldn't matter. No one could beat them anyway.

But all three conditions were harder than the last.

If their leveling speed was as fast as Troy's, maybe in ten or twenty years they really could cultivate to grand archmage.

But looking at their current situation, being able to cultivate to archmage in twenty years would already be good.

Actually, with each Death Penalty Squad member's talent, they were more suited to noble magic academies' elite education.

Noble magic academy students took full-time courses. One professor taught at most five students, ten hours of classes daily—noble students didn't worry about making a living, didn't need to work part-time half the day.

If the Death Penalty Squad's seven had their affinity values tested upon enrollment, then studied single-mindedly after enrollment, specializing in one magic—they'd probably become mages in one year.

But noble academies wouldn't accept people like them. No matter how outstanding their talent, in nobles' eyes they were just lowly commoners.

How could lowly commoners deserve to study noble magic?

Only Siria Magic Academy was willing to accept them.

The educational resources Siria provided weren't the best, but within his capabilities, Headmaster Morrison provided the fairest and richest education for every student.

Many people mocked Headmaster Morrison, finding his educational philosophy laughable. "Break class prejudice, cultivate the continent's most outstanding talent"—it sounded like a child's dream.

This phrase, placed in this era, clashed with everything around it. Some would even mock sarcastically, demanding explanations.

After their sarcastic mockery, they'd clutch their bellies laughing for ages.

Headmaster Morrison heard such words often. Even students graduating from Siria were frequently stopped by people demanding they explain this phrase's meaning.

The medieval period indeed had no concept of "class." Everyone most commonly said "rank." The Western Continent only had three ranks—clergy, nobility, and commoners. Slaves weren't people, naturally not counted.

Headmaster Morrison didn't say rank, but instead used a different term to replace it, precisely because he refused to acknowledge people had rank distinctions based on bloodline.

Nineteen years since Siria's founding, his philosophy had achieved small-scale success. Commoner mages graduating from the academy being granted lifetime noble titles was one achievement.

Breaking nobles' knowledge monopoly was the goal. This was the best path forward.

Luo Wei thought it over and felt she couldn't be as lax as now in the future.

Last semester, external pressure was too great. She constantly faced danger of exposure and execution. Her desire for power was urgent—stealing magic books to learn advanced spells, divining fortune daily, secretly learning dark magic, staying up every night. Her magic power grew quickly.

This semester she had several powerful subordinates. Time spent on study decreased greatly.

Every afternoon either sleeping or sitting in the courtyard growing flowers, sleeping earlier and earlier at night.

Thinking carefully, this year besides some progress in magic arrays, other aspects—except that bit of knowledge learned in class—she had nothing!

She'd barely even visited the academy library!

This wouldn't do. No matter how strong subordinates were, they weren't as reliable as being strong herself.

The dark elf believed in her to save his people. Troy followed her to regain freedom. Patrick obeyed her orders bound by constraints.

If she never grew strong and they abandoned her, wouldn't she become helpless again?

Fear from insufficient power made Luo Wei's neck feel cold.

No way!

Even Theodore had confidence to break through to advanced mage in one year. Why couldn't she have confidence to break through to archmage in two years?

Decided—she'd set a third small goal: become an archmage within two years!

Oh no, the first two small goals seemed unfinished.

The first was to recruit one hundred children this year—only one-third complete. The second was opening a spatial passage to the Misty Plains before semester's end—only half complete.

Luo Wei felt anxious. The first goal still had half a year. The second should end these next few days. Wonder if the dark elf had opened the mineral vein yet.