"So, you're saying we don't have to do the homework?"

"Yeah! She said it’s just for what we’ll need in class later."

"Whew, that’s a relief. I already had so much other homework!"

"So, we can just play now?"

"Yeah! What should we do for fun?"

"Shouldn’t we at least do the homework for the other classes?"

"That’s not mandatory either, is it?"

"Guess not?"

Sigh—

Lulu, formerly known as the Clay Witch, let out a long sigh along with a puff of mana cigarette smoke as she watched the children celebrating.

This is getting ridiculous.

They were still just kids, so talk about disappointing their parents or how it might affect their future careers didn’t resonate with them at all.

Do they have any idea how precious this opportunity is?

All Lulu had to do was meet the bare minimum requirements of her contract with Arad and act as a teacher.

But doing just that left her feeling oddly guilty.

The tuition, textbooks, meals, uniforms, and dormitories are all free! There’s nowhere else on the continent like this!

She lamented silently, frustrated and saddened by how these young students were squandering this golden opportunity.

At least one of them seems promising—that Daisy girl.

Lulu glanced at the serious-looking girl sitting attentively in the middle of the front row and smiled faintly.

If she had discovered Daisy earlier, she would have taken her on as a personal apprentice. The girl brimmed with potential and intelligence.

I need to get at least ten kids in this class to focus like Daisy!

Only then could she hope to send four or five of them to the Renslet Mage Assembly in the future.

She realized she needed to find a way to inspire these students at their level.

Is this why scholarships exist?

She recalled something she’d recently heard from Arad Jin about a certain system.

"Oh! Did your homeroom teacher mention this? If you make it into the top five of the class, you’ll get a prize."

It was a system of effort and reward.

"Twice a year, right before the vacations, your grades will be tallied. And if you’re in the top five, you’ll get a scholarship."

Concrete rewards tended to work far better than vague or abstract promises.

"First place gets two silver coins, second place gets one and a half, third place gets one, and fourth and fifth get half a coin each. How about that? And guess what—they’ll give it directly to you, not your parents."

"Gasp! S-silver coins?!"

"And that’s not all. The top five will also receive a beautifully crafted certificate of achievement. Imagine how happy your parents will be when you take it home."

"!!"

"Oh, and there’s even a special badge you can pin to your uniform! Mr. Jin himself designed it—it’s a magical badge, and I hear it’s super stylish."

"A magical badge!!"

"And the subject that will weigh the most in your grades is magic studies. Even if you fail every other subject, getting a perfect score in magic studies could still land you in the top five."

The effect was immediate.

The children’s eyes burned with newfound motivation.

Especially Daisy—she was already starting to memorize the runes taught in class that day.

***

Together with Mary and Theo, the two pillars of the company, I stepped out of the academy building.

"The night air is still chilly. Hard to believe this is April weather."

"That’s just how it is at the High Citadel," Mary replied.

The crisp northern air of the night helped clear away my lingering fatigue.

"At least it’s shaken off my drowsiness. I like it."

"You’ll get used to it. Eventually, you’ll find it refreshing. That’s the one advantage of cold air," Mary added.

She wasn’t wrong.

At first, the cold was biting, but breathing in the clean, dust-free air of this fantasy world left my body and mind feeling lighter.

"Thank you for your hard work today, Mr. Jin," Theo said.

"Is Sir Eothe on guard duty tonight? I’m counting on you."

Sir Eothe approached, leading my prized steed.

"I’ve also brought the horses for Lady Mary and Sir Theo," he said.

"Thank you, Sir Eothe," Mary and Theo replied in unison as I nodded my appreciation.

I mounted my horse, and the two followed suit.

"It’s cold—let’s head out quickly," I said.

"Where shall we go?" Mary asked.

"We’re heading to the commercial district outside the High Citadel for a company dinner," I answered.

Riding through the Arad industrial complex, we enjoyed the scenery like a casual stroll.

Though it was cold at night, the streets weren’t dark thanks to light magic stones illuminating every corner.

Our procession wasn’t small—fifteen people in total.

In addition to Sir Eothe, other knights accompanied us as guards.

Security had been heightened ever since the recent attack on the Arad industrial complex.

Soon, we left the complex and arrived at the commercial district filled with restaurants and taverns.

What had once been a modest area with a few inns and pubs had blossomed into a thriving hub after the industrial complex was built.

"Hm?"

As we approached the carriage station to leave our horses, I noticed some familiar carriages.

"The Bishop Company is already here?"

A luxurious array of carriages was parked outside an inn on the outskirts of the High Citadel.

"Judging by the wheel marks, they just arrived," Sir Eothe remarked, inspecting the area.

"Brave of them to travel this late. The Red Wolf guards must have had a hard time," I said.

There were twenty large carriages in total, ranging from cargo wagons to passenger carriages, broughams, and troikas. The common thread among them was their size and opulence.

This display of grandeur was characteristic of the Bishop Company, the only imperial trade guild capable of traveling with over twenty carriages in the North.

"The coronation must be making Entir anxious. He’s rushing here like this," I mused.

The Bishop Company’s visits were always large-scale, but this time the carriages were even more extravagant. It was clear Entir Bishop himself had come.

"Shall we go over and pay our respects?" Theo suggested.

"No, we deserve a break too. If I get caught by Entir Bishop now, my precious day off will vanish," I replied quickly, turning my horse away from the inn.

"Let’s have our dinner elsewhere. Or, how about going back to the main office? I could cook something myself," I suggested.

"Really?"

"Oh, this is going to be a treat!" Mary and Theo visibly perked up at the idea, and even the knights, including Sir Eothe, seemed pleased.

"What do you all want to eat?"

"Could we have fried chicken and beer?"

"Of course."

The dinner was perfect—aside from the minor inconvenience of disturbing the building manager, Jarvis, late at night.