I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 217 The End
The nearly one hundred parents brought countless attempts to dissuade them, and those who couldn't find their children cried out in heart-wrenching sobs.

This harsh reality made Robert realize something: if his parents were here, would they also try to dissuade him in the same way?
Was Lillell wrong?

Of course, he firmly believed that what they were doing was not only right but also just. Whether in public or private matters, the Harua Council should not target these apprentices, who have the lowest abilities, the most limited means of making money, and who already live very hard lives, with the goal of accumulating wealth.

This is not only exploiting the apprentices' blood and sweat, but also their future, and also Harua's future.

It's fair to say that taxing apprentices is an incredibly short-sighted thing to do, and he simply can't believe how the legislators passed this new policy.

But was Lillie's mother wrong?

That's also true.

Harua is a land of mages, but compared to the hundreds of thousands of apprentices, the more than 400 registered grand mages are the backbone of this land, not to mention the many times larger number of high-ranking mages. The apprentices, though numerous, can only be called the foundation.

It's fair to say that if the great mages of Harua weren't used to traveling all over the universe, and if they didn't stay in Harua every day, the surrounding countries probably wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

It can be said that those apprentices who cannot graduate from the magic academy even if they are delayed and end up leaving with only an apprentice certificate are destined to be stuck in their current situation if they do not dare to take risks or have any fortuitous encounters. Their fate is to copy low-level scrolls for the rest of their lives. The only advantage is that as long as they pay off their school loans, they can live a much more comfortable life than ordinary people just by copying scrolls.

But if you've already become a professional, why would you compare yourself to ordinary people? Wouldn't that be a waste of all the divinely bestowed talent you received, and all those years of hard study and youth wasted?
Becoming a Grand Mage is the dream of all apprentices, and they have been striving for it. Their rebellion today is also for this purpose.

And the consequences of opposing the Archmage.
It's safe to say that if this were an academy, no one would dare to disobey such a high-ranking mentor. Even becoming his plaything would be something many apprentices would be eager to do.

But the reason why the apprentices are so obedient is that their mentors can become their support and can also help them avoid the academy's exorbitant taxes. This council is directly making unreasonable demands and issuing an unfair contract. Who can tolerate this?
Although the parliament made it sound very nice, saying that this was not a tax but the purchase of national bonds, and that the principal and interest would be fully refunded after three years.

But there's a saying that historical documents have no practical significance. If the senator who came up with this idea were to die in another world, who would they turn to for their money?
Gambling someone's reputation with glittering gold coins is, unless the other party is a member of the Church of Woking, no different from throwing a bone at a dog.

But since the other party has already been so shameless in amassing wealth and even resorting to poisoning them, it seems that being even more shameless and sending in the army to replace the guards or a bunch of masked men to arrest them all wouldn't be a problem.
But are we just going to accept it like this?

Robert clenched his fist.

How could I possibly accept this!
He didn't believe that Speaker Commadil would issue such a foolish decree, and he also wanted to show those high-ranking members of parliament that these young mages were not lacking in courage.

But the priority now is to get these people back to their original lives, instead of having them stay here and walk with us toward that dark fate.

Just thinking about the future of these thousand or so people on his shoulders made him feel so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

“Go back, Lillie.” Robert helped the woman up and looked at his classmate: “Go back, there are still many of us left, it’s okay if a few are missing.”

Liliel shook her head. Although she didn't understand what morale was, she knew that if they really left, the remaining people would definitely weigh the pros and cons, and at that time the team would inevitably fall apart.

Not to mention that when he returns to the academy, he'll have to carry the label of coward for the rest of his life: "This won't do, how can I leave you here alone..."

“It’s alright, the number of people doesn’t matter. We just want to express our attitude, not to mention there will be many more of us.” Robert smiled gently, looking confident. “I’m really worried about you, Auntie. If you cry yourself sick, it will be too late to regret it.”

Hearing how sensible the boy was, the woman nodded repeatedly. She took her daughter's hand and left together, but paused for a moment before leaving behind a thought-provoking remark.

"Child, you should hurry. Those sorcerers can fly and disappear in an instant. Your family might be notified soon. If you wait until dark, it will be too late."

Robert nodded and then persuaded the other apprentices, who had also been brought in by their parents, to leave. During this time, some people secretly slipped away. What was originally a long line of over a hundred meters had quickly dwindled to just over 400 people.

"Gentlemen," Robert forced himself to calm down, intending to give a speech to boost morale, but unexpectedly another group of people came to the main road and blocked their way.

"Hey you young people, stop thinking about causing big problems all the time!" An elderly man wearing blue-rimmed glasses walked over. He had a scholar's badge hanging on his chest, which is usually the symbol of an academy that trains ordinary people.

“You keep saying that you are being treated unfairly, but have you ever thought about how you are already receiving such extraordinary treatment? Compared to us ordinary people, you are practically living in a goddess's kingdom. What more could you possibly want!”

"Exactly!" A drunk man looked at the crowd with an unfriendly expression: "We work hard for a month and don't even earn as much as you copying two scrolls. You're so lucky but you don't know how good you have it. You won't even do it if you have to pay more. What are we ordinary people supposed to do?"

"You've never experienced hardship!" Another man, dressed in simple clothes and covered in dust, stepped forward. "You dare complain about being tired? Have you ever done any physical labor, like carrying cargo at the docks? I can't sleep without drinking to numb my body every day, and I only earn a dozen or so gold coins a month. You sit in those beautiful academies, sitting in soft chairs, doing paperwork and making huge profits, and you're still not satisfied?"

A woman dressed in simple linen clothes also raised her spindle indignantly: "I work hard every day to weave mage robes, and I even have to pay for the silk thread myself, I can't buy it on credit, but when I sell it to the magic shop, I only get a few silver coins. The value you create in a day is more than I do in a month, so it's only right that you pay more, why are you complaining here?"

“That’s right! Besides, you’re not just paying taxes for nothing, you’re buying national bonds, and Parliament will pay you back in the future!” A man dressed as a servant with a lawyer’s badge spoke up. “Don’t you trust Parliament’s credibility? We are one of the most powerful nations in Faerûn! You’re trampling on the dignity of our fathers and the law. Isn’t that something to be laughed at?”

The scholar exclaimed, "That's right! I think they've been bewitched by some followers of evil gods. All they think about is causing big trouble. They're so naive!"

The apprentices were completely bewildered by what he had just said. Tyrannosaurus Rex jumped up from his horse in frustration: "We're talking about magicians. You're not magicians, so what are you meddling in? Go back to your place!"

"What do you mean we're meddling? We're just enthusiastic citizens who came here voluntarily!" The lawyer immediately seized on the Tyrannosaurus Rex's weakness: "This is our home, we're protecting our country. On the contrary, where are you from, you dwarf? I bet you dwarfs are spies sent by an evil god, otherwise why would you interfere in our internal affairs?"

Upon hearing this, Tyrannosaurus Rex immediately shrank back, causing him to disappear from everyone's sight: "Nonsense! My faction is pure and transparent; you are slandering me!"

"Whether it's slander or not, you'll have to pass a magical test," the lawyer said, straightening his back. "Otherwise, as a foreigner, you're already violating our laws, and nothing I say will make a difference!"

"Let's do it!" Tyrannosaurus Rex and the group of dwarfs were naturally unafraid of the test, even ignoring Robert's dissuasion: "It's alright, don't worry, how could we be cultists? Who's conducting the test?"

“That’s the church, of course.” As he spoke, a man in a priest’s robe stepped forward from the group of ordinary people: “I am a monk of the church. Although my rank is not high, I can still represent the church’s credibility. Please follow me, my foreign friends.”

More than twenty dwarfs left chatting and laughing, as if it were not a trap but an invitation of friendship. Robert's arm, which had been reaching out to stop them, was still frozen in mid-air when a half-elf girl approached him somewhat uneasily: "Robert, although we're a little embarrassed, we have to go too."

"Are you leaving too?" Robert looked at the half-elf apprentice, behind whom were dozens of other half-elves, as well as some of the silent elves.

Robert's lips trembled slightly: "You are also the ones being charged money, not to mention the elves. The council won't do anything to you."

The half-elf girl nodded with some difficulty, then shook her head: "Our sword chanting instructor, Cui Xing, just sent a message saying that this is your Harua's internal affair and has nothing to do with us elves. If we act rashly and start something, it could very well cause a diplomatic crisis between Evergrande Island and Harua. She told us to go back to our dormitories and wait quietly for news."

Upon hearing the name of the Verdant Star, Robert nodded somewhat in realization, forcing a smile, "Then what the mentor said is true. You should leave. If things really escalate to the point of causing a diplomatic incident between the two countries, that's not our intention." "I'm sorry, Robert." The half-elf girl shook her head in shame. She gently kissed the boy's cheek, turned, and left, saying, "Fortune favors the courageous. We support you."

The warmth of the girl's lips seemed to linger on her cheek, but in the blink of an eye, more than 100 elves had left. The Tiflins, who had been watching the spectacle without a care in the world, realized something was wrong and turned to leave without saying goodbye.

Even some Asmos sensed something was wrong and tried to slip away, but were stopped by others.

“We’re almost at the council, why are we leaving?” An Asmo girl stopped her fellow countryman: “Victory is just around the corner.”

“There are only a little over 100 people left now. With so few people, even if those guards recover, they could easily suppress us.” The apprentice of the divine race who had been stopped was a little embarrassed, but he still argued his point: “Doro, let’s face reality. How can we expect to see victory? The morale of those humans was already wavering when their families persuaded them to leave. Our defeat is already inevitable!”

“That’s impossible. Even if we only have a little over 100 people, we are still a powerful force.” The girl of divine lineage had a firm gaze, but the boy opposite her shook his head.

"Go ahead and go crazy if you want. We've already been more than generous by accompanying you. You should know that we are warlocks, not mages. Your disputes won't affect us, and we don't have all the benefits you enjoy. If you want to fight, fight for it yourself."

After speaking, the divine sorcerer quickly left, and more than twenty other divine descendants also covered their faces and slipped away, leaving only the divine descendant girl's slowly drooping arm and the disappointed look in her eyes.

The divine descendants, led by the good faction, were defeated. The apprentices, who had already sensed something was wrong, were immediately filled with fear. Many muttered to themselves as they walked away into the distance.

"I'm sorry, Robert."

"I'm not feeling well and can't continue walking with you."

"It's getting dark. So much has happened this afternoon. I don't even want to think about what will happen when it's completely dark. Robert, I'm leaving now. You guys should leave too."

Watching the people leave one by one, Robert opened his mouth as if to say something, but he couldn't say anything because of a lump in his throat, so he simply closed his eyes.

Robert slowly opened his eyes, not knowing how much time had passed, and found only four figures in front of him.

Some of them were their classmates, some were their seniors, some were freshmen who had just entered the university, and there was even a dwarf with a beard that was more than ten inches long.

"you."

"Since we're already here, we need to get some results, otherwise we'll just slink back like this?"

The senior student smiled nonchalantly: "Anyway, I'm graduating soon, and the college can't control me anymore, so what am I afraid of?"

“I believe the councilors will listen to our voices, and I also believe the archmages will not abuse violence.” The divine-born girl’s gaze remained firm: “I’m not leaving.”

“Exactly, it would be so embarrassing to leave halfway through this,” the dwarf stroked his beard. “I can’t bring shame to our clan. I’ll just go home and work as a blacksmith.”

"Thank you." Looking into their clear eyes, Robert's gaze became slightly moist. "Thank you for believing in me."

"There's no need for thanks. I chose this path myself, and I'd regret it if I didn't take it." The girl of divine lineage looked at the enthusiastic citizens who were quietly leaving: "Even if the ending isn't good, so what?"

“Let’s go.” Robert nodded, clenching his fist.

Although the number of people had decreased significantly, perhaps because he no longer needed to bear the fate of those people, he felt much more relaxed and even had extra energy when walking.

They set off again, all of them somewhat cautiously. However, the guards who were expected to arrest them did not arrive. It wasn't until the sun was casting its last rays that they spotted the shadow of a young apprentice and a long table about five miles from the academy.

"Welcome everyone, please have a seat." DuPont looked at these people with admiration in his eyes.

Although the final step of his plan was not used and the scale of the previous schemes was much smaller, the effect of each step was unexpectedly outstanding, and the chain reaction it achieved even surprised him.

But those who still have the courage to come here after going through all that must be people with unwavering determination, regardless of their talent for learning magic.

This is an essential requirement for those who achieve great things.

Thinking of this, DuPont lowered his eyebrows slightly.

Perhaps I should try to give them a way out. In any case, in Yarakh, the future of these people is no different from a death sentence.

Robert looked at the boy in front of him, who seemed much younger than himself, with some hesitation: "You are...?"

“I am the messenger sent by Parliament to resolve this protest, apprentice DuPont.” DuPont produced his parliamentary token, a small silver token that emanated a powerful magical aura.

Harua MP token

Quality: Legend

Effect 1, Magic Power: Once a day, choose one attribute and gain a +6 bonus. This effect is temporarily disabled when leaving the Harua region.

Effect 2, Refuge: Three times a day, as long as you are on Toril, you can be teleported to the Harua Council District.
Effect 3, Spell Master: When equipped, increases spell resistance by 20%, spell recognition by +6, and all knowledge levels by +6.
Note: Every Harua councilor possesses a token, which is said to have been personally crafted by the Mage King. Although there are over a hundred of them, they only have the greatest effect in the Harua region.

Warning: Once you leave Toril, this token can only trigger the Spellmaster effect.

"This is..." Looking at the miracle token that emitted a seven-colored light, the apprentices' faces became serious. They bowed together to DuPont, or rather, to the token, performing a mage's salute.

After bowing, the five apprentices looked at DuPont with complicated expressions, only to see him smile nonchalantly: "Sit down. You must be tired from the journey. Would you like some water and a rest?"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, all five people who had just sat down became alert and answered without hesitation, "Absolutely not!"

"Why are you all so nervous?" DuPont shook his head and poured himself a cup of tea. "Alright, let's get down to business. What do you all want to say to the council? Why are you making such a big fuss?"

(End of this chapter)