LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 20 Academy Mission
"Is Teacher Pranli leaving?"
Standing in the courtyard, Tilan and Annelli watched the soon-to-depart head maid.
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"Exactly, Miss Tilan has already received enough training, and now the results of the etiquette course have basically been integrated into your habits; my job here is also coming to an end."
"I will return again in six months, and then a year after that, to check once more whether Miss Tilan has been neglecting her training." She pushed the glasses up on her nose and held a metal suitcase in her other hand.
"Next time, I will teach Miss Tilan some new courses, but it is not suitable to learn too much in a short period. It would be better to first digest the content you have now."
After that, she gave some instructions to Annelli and then formally bid farewell and left.
Shortly after, a small flight vehicle took off from Edith Academy, flying towards the distant sky. It was headed to the spaceport orbiting the Jade Skirt, from where ships depart to other star systems.
After Pranli left, Tilan's life at Edith Academy gradually became stable, and it was time to rotate to Yuanting Academy.
"Following consultations and communications between Yuanting and Edith Academy teachers, Tilan's courses are arranged this way." Annelli handed her the new timetable.
The girl glanced over the schedule, nodded slightly, and then continued to read further. The two academies had set up a series of tasks and rewards for her, much like a gamified educational system.
Edith Academy:
Establish a Club: Create your own club and recruit at least ten members; reward 10 Credits.
Advance in Sequence: Advance to Sequence 4 by the end of this semester; reward 6 Credits.
Top Rankings: Place in the top three in any exam this semester; first place 6 Credits, second place 4 Credits, and third place 2 Credits.
Forge Alliances: Befriend students listed below during this semester, becoming familiar and friendly with them. (Most on the list come from families with profound backgrounds) For each special student, 6 Credits; for the others, 2 Credits each.
Valedictorian: Become the valedictorian in next year's evaluation; reward 30 Credits.
The Credits mentioned in the tasks above are not actual academic credits, but a special token set by the Academy's board, which can be exchanged for certain resources within the Academy. For example, the T2 level AI she requested previously cost her 50 Credits, and now her balance was in the negative.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Since Edith Academy was willing to invest so much in the early stages, they certainly had some demands and regulations. Otherwise, if she spent her three years at the Academy idly, much effort would be wasted. Fernandi later also discussed this with her.
Tilan understood this all too well. If it were her providing a stranger with a costly, multi-billion T2 level AI core, she definitely would have many demands as well. These tasks were not harsh and were quite considerate. Any student would be overjoyed for a lifetime to get such a return simply for performing well in school.
Reality is not like school, where you are not rewarded simply because you have good grades. Instead, it follows the law of supply and demand and return on investment.
Really incredible, wasn't it? Tilan put down the paper, sat back in her chair, and sighed with her eyes closed.
Reflecting on that day's experiences, she still found it somewhat unbelievable because Edith Academy had invested so much in her early on, and whether she could grow enough to repay this investment was still completely unknown.
Too many young talents whom people had high hopes for ended up being no different from the rest as adults or met untimely ends. Talent alone cannot determine everything; the encounters in one's life are just as critical.
"I understand. I will strive to complete the tasks listed above," she said, opening her eyes and sitting up to continue reviewing the next form.
The task list from Yuanting Academy was much more relaxed and simple.
Raising Young Birds: Hatch a bird egg provided by the school within this semester and raise it to meet the standards, for a reward of 4 Bird Feathers.
Handmade Booklet: Start from scratch to make a booklet of no less than 30 pages, and fill it with content so that it isn't empty, for a reward of 4 Bird Feathers.
Try Fishing: Catch 20 different types of fish in Fragrant Leaf Lake, for a reward of 3 Bird Feathers.
Mastering Sprinting: Ride a Transcendent animal and complete a circuit around the Academy within an hour, for a reward of 4 Bird Feathers.
Fighting Apprentice: Before the end of the first year, train four Transcendent animals and pass the combat assessment to obtain a Beginner's Combat Medal issued by Yuanting Academy, for a reward of 20 Bird Feathers.
Pet Breeding: Raise a pet that is popular in the market and achieve a Comprehensive Evaluation of Silver Level or above from the Federal Pet Market, for a reward of 20 Bird Feathers.
The tasks from Yuanting Academy had nothing to do with the Songstress, but to complete them, utilizing the Songstress's Ability was the most efficient and practical method.
After clarifying the requirements from both academies, Tilan also noticed that her course scheduling had also changed significantly. For instance, Yuanting classes were mostly scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, while Edith Academy classes were mostly on Friday and Saturday. As for Wednesday and Sunday, those could be considered her days off to control her time freely.
Taking courses from both academies seemed like a lot, but many of them were actually duplicates, such as some theory classes and knowledge dissemination, which only required attendance at one of the academies. With this consideration, her course load was only 30% more than a normal student from Edith Academy, which was not much. Moreover, if she learned quickly, the classroom time for many theory classes could also be condensed.
Not long after figuring this out, Annelli also directed the maids to help Tilan pack, because she was to take a flight to Yuanting Academy that evening.
Annelli would not accompany Tilan to Yuanting; instead, she would stay at Edith Academy. She had some classes to attend as well, and there were also affairs to manage with her family business. Although not numerous, they still required her frequent attention. This way, when she graduated, she would take over smoothly rather than being deceived and fooled by underlings.
High school life sure was full and busy. Annelli often thought so, but she was happy because she clearly saw herself climbing the ladder to her dreams, without confusion or hesitation.
That night, after packing, Tilan boarded the flight waiting for her and took a nap in the seat by the window, with the maidservant by her side draping a thin blanket over her.
In this way, as she woke up leisurely, she had arrived at a small airstrip within Yuanting Academy. Then, the plump flight vehicle, resembling a daisy bird, took off again, vanishing into the depths of the night sky.
[Jade Skirt, Northern First District, Saturday evening 8:31]
It's this time already, Tilan thought, flipping open her personal terminal to check the displayed moment.
The night at Yuanting Academy was lit by warm orange streetlights, offering a cozy ambience. Occasionally some students could be seen chatting as they walked along the gravel-paved paths, with small animals at their sides and the occasional sound of flapping wings in the sky.
It seemed like a secluded paradise here, unlike the hustle-bustle and competition of the South First District.
Walking alone under the shadows of trees and streetlights, the girl spread her arms and tiptoed lightly, as if playing hopscotch over the large paving stones beneath her feet, heading towards the hill in the distance.
In the night, three towers were lit up with beautiful red, yellow, and green lights, their brightness punctuating the darkness. From the windows of each one, the sounds of occasional chatter and laughter from the students could be heard.