Chapter 17: Major Classifications of the Steam Age Academy of Higher Learning

After agreeing on a time for their meeting, Dr. Schneider handed Shard a file envelope containing information about the academy. He then left the room in a hurry, appearing to have urgent business to attend to.

Once the doctor had left, Shard did not open the envelope. Instead, he leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. Just as he had said, he could not make a decision immediately. He mentally summarized the events of the day, recalling every detail from his memory

"The worst-case scenario is that everything is a scam, and the doctor is actually a cultist looking to sacrifice me. But that possibility is slim..."

He thought to himself and tapped his head.

"What do you think?"

【You can trust him.】

"But can I trust you? For example, can you tell me who you actually are?"

【I am you.】

"You are definitely not another 'me' inside a Circle Practitioner's mind; I am certain of that."

Shard looked gloomily at the ceiling pattern, which was composed of colored blocks and geometric shapes, and then glanced at the rather fine crystal chandelier. He began to speculate about Mr. Bill Schneider's income, realizing just how massive a sum of gold pounds that would be.

"In any case, I still have too little information—or rather, I have no information channels at all, so I can only rely on what others say."

In Shard's own estimation, the doctor was trustworthy. All the information gathered from this morning until now was consistent and logically sound.

Furthermore, the doctor made sense; finding a faction willing to guide an ordinary person into the realms of the extraordinary and the mysterious was no simple feat. Shard had gained a preliminary understanding of this era: the extraordinary and the mystical were not overt; instead, the light of human civilization allowed the steam industry to flourish. Mystery and the supernatural were merely small shadows cast by that civilization.

From this perspective, Shard actually felt grateful to the doctor for revealing such precious knowledge without asking for any money.

Shard knew he was tempted by St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy, and he would not deny it. The three Great Thaumaturgy Academies and the five Orthodox Churches were the only formal pathways for training Circle Practitioners, and he would only consider such methods.

The academies and the churches each had their own pros and cons. Currently, the academy had approached him first, and Shard was also wary of his own identity as a transmigrator. Compared to the more loosely managed Circle Practitioners, the churches were more likely to see through his identity—especially since the doctor had explicitly stated that gods truly existed.

While he did not yet know the power of the deities, he could not rule out the possibility that they were "omniscient."

"I can accept St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy, but I still need to see what information that so-called 'Relic' can provide."

He made up his mind. He knew such a choice might not necessarily be the best, but Shard would not regret it; it was his own decision.

"Now, let's see this."

Thinking this, he prepared to open the envelope. However, the door suddenly swung open. Because it opened without a knock, Shard assumed the doctor had returned early. But the person entering was a young woman, and she looked quite surprised to see Shard sitting there.

"I'm sorry, I thought Dr. Schneider—"

She appeared to be around twenty years old and was the most beautiful girl Shard had seen since arriving in this world. She had long blonde hair and green eyes—a genuine "blonde with blue eyes" aesthetic. She possessed a quiet, refined temperament, looking like a student or perhaps a teacher. She wore a very ordinary dark blue dress, with her only accessory being a butterfly-shaped hair ornament.

"My apologies."

The blonde lady apologized immediately after her initial surprise. She moved to close the door again but suddenly paused, her emerald eyes looking at Shard with a hint of confusion, which made Shard feel somewhat embarrassed.

"That glow... are you an awakening Talentist?"

Now Shard understood why the doctor had recognized him instantly at the newspaper office yesterday; it seemed a Circle Practitioner's vision was different from that of an ordinary person.

"A real Talentist?"

Despite her surprise, the blonde lady maintained her composure. She studied Shard with those beautiful eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

"Bill actually found a Talentist? Since when did his luck get so good? Did he use a strange 'Relic' to borrow some luck?"

"I..."

Shard tried to say something, but she shook her head at him.

"Sorry, in our study group, only fifth-year doctors have the authority to recruit. Therefore, I cannot disclose any information to you before you are officially enrolled. This is part of the academy's contract; we must abide by the rules."

She took a step back, her hand gripping the doorknob, and a kind, smiling expression appeared on her face.

"But the conditions at St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy are truly excellent. It was quite lucky for you to run into the doctor within 72 hours; you should consider it carefully. Oh, and one more thing: if you really join St. Byrons, remember, do not choose the Chemistry major."

With that, she gave a slight nod of farewell and closed the door from the outside.

"One of the four members of the correspondence Circle Practitioner group where Dr. Bill Schneider belongs... Was this a genuine coincidence, or was she acting for my benefit?"

Sometimes Shard thought he was being paranoid, but having arrived in a completely foreign world, he believed this mindset would help him survive better.

"Still, a school that teaches mysticism actually has a Chemistry major?"

He unwound the string of the envelope and saw the more detailed academy materials. At the top were the promotional flyers the doctor had shown him this morning, followed by the academy's actual enrollment documents.

As Shard flipped through the thick stack of information, he finally understood. St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy consisted of ten specialized colleges, each with different learning methods and professional knowledge

The College of Chemistry, specializing in herbs and potion making;

The College of Mechanics, skilled in mental abilities and cultivating alchemical powers;

The College of Astronomy, the training ground for Diviners and Stargazers;

The College of Ancient Literature, focused on the interpretation of spiritual runes and the inheritance of ancient languages;

The College of Mathematics, the college for rituals, incantations, and thaumaturgy;

The College of Folklore, researching history prior to the Sixth Era, collecting ancient and modern literature, and mastering the [Enlightenment] element;

The College of History, training Investigators and Time-Travelers, mastering the [Profane] element;

The College of Library Management, the training college for Keepers and Watchers; the containment of [Relics] was the academy's primary responsibility and its strongest specialty, mastering the [Whisper] element;

The College of Theology, teaching theology and researching the history of the Old Gods, mastering the [Miracle] element; cooperation with the Orthodox Churches was usually handled by this college;

The College of Politics and Economics, which was not open to correspondence Circle Practitioners, so there was no information on it.

The reason they used ordinary academic names for the specialized colleges under St. Byrons, rather than simple names like "Containment College" or "Thaumaturgy College," was to allow correspondence Circle Practitioners to reasonably explain their studies and lives in the ordinary world, reducing the possibility of the academy being exposed to commoners.

It was through these materials that Shard realized the system of Circle Practitioners explained by the doctor had actually omitted some important content.

For instance, once a Circle Practitioner fully awakens, they produce a spiritual rune unique to their soul based on their soul's characteristics, also known as a "Core Rune."

The Core Rune is engraved in the hollow center of the Fate Ring, rather than upon the ring itself, which is crucial to a Circle Practitioner's advancement. The content of the Core Rune also serves as the basis for the academy's recommendation into a specific specialized college.

For example, regarding Dr. Schneider, Shard guessed that his Core Rune was likely related to "Mind," meaning the doctor likely belonged to the College of Mechanics.

"So, before becoming a Circle Practitioner, I cannot decide what I will study. But, to think one can even travel through time?"

He shook his head; these enrollment documents once again made him feel the culture and systems of this steam era.

He flipped through them carefully, noting down the important information, then placed the documents back into the envelope and stood up to put it on the desk in the room.

This parlor was only for important guests. Many papers were scattered across the desk; the doctor likely hadn't had time to tidy up, and he probably wasn't afraid of Shard snooping, as most of it concerned the clinic's operations, and a small portion was written in a language that was not the common tongue of the Northern Kingdom.

Unluckily for him, for some reason, Shard could actually understand those strange characters; he indeed possessed the unique ability to comprehend various scripts.