Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 43 Transaction Completed
At this moment, Chen Mo was completely unaware that the little toy he gave to someone else had already subtly pushed the trigger of history, killing a beastman leader who might have originally been a meritorious figure, or even one who would later shine brightly.

Of course, conversely, the medicine given to him by the young princess may have also slightly altered the original historical trajectory of Dongxia.

This was truly a special journey, a two-way trip between two worlds and two representatives.

Three days have passed since the last time I reached a preliminary agreement with Deputy Director Vincent at a clinking of glasses on the price for "admission to the school."

Chen Mo was getting impatient. He had wasted another three precious days on his cultivation path, which meant he had wasted several dozen hours.

Although he still insists on meditating for two hours every day without fail, his progress is as slow as a snail climbing a rock due to the lack of magical materials.

Fortunately, Mr. Vincent finally sent an invitation, and in the spacious and enclosed room of the Skill Level Assessment Center, Chen Mo received the good news he needed.

"Fortunately, I live up to my fate!"

The doors and windows inside were tightly shut, and heavy curtains completely blocked out the outside light. The magic lamps embedded in the walls emitted a soft, cold light, casting a hazy glow on the dark wallpaper.

Vincent still held that "not-so-worthy" wooden smoking paraphernalia, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a long plume of smoke. The smoke rose gently under the magical light, casting a distorted, alluring shadow on the wall.

"I still need to reiterate, there's no hope for the three major cities on the West Coast. This isn't something money can solve!"

The so-called "Three Great Towers on the West Bank" refers to those three particularly conspicuous towers standing on the riverbank at the northern foot of the mountain.

Chen Mo rubbed his fingers against his watch and nodded slightly: "You already gave me that hint last time, I completely understand!"

"Alright, this time we can operate Master Hal's reserve magic tower."

Well, the magic tower was also prepared; this was the first time Chen Mo had known this.

The magic tower, or mage tower, is not only a symbol of status and position, but also a symbol of wealth.

Even if the Federation is willing to approve land for magic towers at extremely low prices in order to give preferential treatment to these mages, the towering towers, the intricate magic arrays, the indestructible walls... which of these is not made up of astronomical sums of gold coins?

For the vast majority of magic masters who lack family background, although they are qualified to build a tower at the fourth level, eight or nine out of ten still need to endure a long period of time to gradually raise enough money to build the core of the main tower.

There are only a few ways for monks to make money: taking on missions, accepting commissions, and taking on students.

Different paths, different skill levels, and naturally different speeds of making money. Some mages who lack economic foundation and are not good at combat may not be able to slowly collect all the buildings around the main tower until they are over fifty years old.

“Master Hal is quite skilled, but he has been unlucky, so we can only ask you to make do for now,” Vincent said with just the right amount of regret. “However, the master’s skill is well-known, and the students trained by his instructors over the years have had a very high success rate.”

Seeing that Chen Mo had no objections, Vincent leaned forward slightly and patiently explained the difficulty of the operation to Chen Mo again.

"According to federal regulations, mid-course enrollment is not allowed. If this is done everywhere, it will lead to many magic-based professional apprentices breaking free from the mercenary guild's supervision, which is not conducive to the kingdom's long-term prosperity and stability!"

Chen Mo understood.

The claims of "springtime revival of all things" and "magical elements echoing each other" are all just ways to fool outsiders and entertain children.
The core reason is to ensure that everyone with extraordinary potential is under the kingdom's watchful eye.

This is similar to how, even on Earth, the supposedly "free" bald eagles need to be checked for gun licenses.

The lords are indeed uneasy about high-level military force going unchecked. To give a simple example, what if a remnant of a noble family, whose clan was wiped out by a noble lord, wanted to learn magic and thus threaten the stability of the Xiyue Federation? As long as there is an identity verification process led by the Mercenary Guild at the front end, this possibility can be nipped in the bud to the greatest extent.

Of course, where there's a will, there's a way. After judging that Chen Mo wouldn't pose any threat to the stability of the Federation, Vincent naturally had a way to circumvent this obstacle.

Vincent put down the starlight conduit, picked up the tea beside him, gestured to Chen Mo to invite him to drink, tilted his head back and took a sip, a rather sunny smile spreading across his face.

Judging from the "humanoid micro-expression analyzer," this deputy director now seems to have a strong sense of control and is quite pleased with himself.

"There are only two ways to enter the Mage Tower outside of the Springtime ultimate skill window: one is through the recommendation and guarantee of a nobleman of earl or higher, or a powerful figure of city lord or higher; the other is..."

"It's a case of sleight of hand!"

"But changing people isn't as simple as just calling out the original student and letting you in!"

“Throughout the entire Mage Tower, from the archmage’s vassals to the instructors, from the apprentices in the same group to the guards associated with him, I have to feed everyone who could potentially cause the leak.”

“If even one person doesn’t get their money or doesn’t get enough money, it could lead to serious trouble.”

"Think about it, how many connections do you have to navigate? How much effort do you have to put in? Without enough real money, could this even be done?" Vincent spread his hands, his face full of unfathomable wisdom.

Chen Mo was deeply moved by the deputy director's heartfelt words. According to him, the price offered was indeed very reasonable!

One question remained, and after thinking for a moment, Chen Mo asked, "Then why would any student be willing to quit? People who can study in the Mage Tower shouldn't be short of money, right?"

"Yes and no!"

The deputy director was extremely satisfied with Chen Mo's reaction; the smarter the person, the less trouble there would be when cooperating with them.

“Most of those who can enter the Magic Tower are indeed not willing to give up their future for money. But,” Vincent changed the subject, “there are always some people whose talent is really limited. Even after three or five years of hard work, they may not even be able to touch the lowest rank threshold.”

"Rather than being kicked out in disgrace later, it's better to get a generous compensation now. I can also arrange a menial job for him in the union or the appraisal institute. That way, things will be feasible."

Vincent put down his teacup, leaned back in his high-backed chair, and said earnestly, "To be honest, it's only because you, young master, have such an extraordinary demeanor and look like someone with a bright future that I'm risking everything to do this for you."

"Otherwise, no matter how much money you offer, I still can't do this!"

Chen Mo immediately expressed his gratitude to Master Wen for his timely help and said he would definitely repay him in the future.

With the business settled and the atmosphere pleasant, Vincent warmly invited Chen Mo to sample his "miraculous" refreshing smoke. Looking at the swirling smoke, Chen Mo recalled some unpleasant experiences and could only awkwardly wave his hands repeatedly, making an excuse to "contact his family to raise money," before hurriedly taking his leave with Little John, who was waiting outside the door.

Standing by the window, Vincent lifted a corner of the curtain and silently watched Chen Mo and Little John leave in a hurry. He then rang the doorbell, and a man in a gray robe pushed open the door and stood silently by the door.

"After you collect the money tomorrow, take him to number nine, switch him out, explain everything clearly, and be careful not to cause any trouble!"

"Don't worry, Director. I will handle everything perfectly and there will be no mistakes."

(End of this chapter)