I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Chapter 254 The Final Test

Except for the students whose names were called, everyone else started tidying up their desks, preparing for the end of get out of class.

As Phillips passed by Richard, he winked at him:

Looks like I won't get a spot. Good luck!

Richard smiled and waved to him.

Montagu walked over from the left seat, unhurriedly.

His composure remained largely unchanged even in the presence of two highly skilled individuals.

Catherine, carrying her books, walked from the back row to the front.

Pendleton turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Only two professors and three students remained in the large hall.

With no outsiders around, the two masters were no longer so restrained in controlling their ether.

Richard keenly noticed that the seawater pressing down on his head swayed twice.

McFee looked at Catherine first: "Your last name is Blackwood, which is a Highland surname."

Catherine straightened up: "Yes, Professor."

McFee: "Where in the Highlands?"

Catherine: "North, west of Inverness."

McFee's face softened: "A Highland girl from Cheltenham, that's quite a rare find."

In recent years, nine out of ten girls from the highlands have been admitted to girls' colleges to learn things like flower arranging and playing the piano.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, I'm quite familiar with your surname."

Blackwood, a family that has been hunters of the North for generations, and has produced several tough guys.

Catherine's body trembled slightly, as if she remembered something.

"What was your great-grandfather's name?" McFee asked.

Catherine thought for a moment: "I have never met my great-grandfather, but he is recorded in the family genealogy."

His name is Alpayne Blackwood.

"Alpayne Blackwood".

McFaye pondered those words, a flicker of reminiscence crossing his eyes:

"It really is Lao Ai. I've been on field missions with him before."

Catherine's eyes widened.

"In which year did a great upheaval occur north of the highlands?"

McFee lowered his voice: "Too many people died on the side of an ancient battlefield, and filth is seeping out of the ground."

At night, without exception, all of the shepherd's flocks knelt down and worshipped in the same direction.

So the guild sent people over there. I was very young at the time, and I went along to work on the inscriptions.

And your great-grandfather, Elpayne, was the hunter who led the team.

As he spoke, he seemed to be lost in memories, and his tone changed.

"At that time, everyone huddled around the fire, trembling, but he stood up, picked up a silver blade, and walked toward the dark ground."

Before he left, he turned back and said something to me.

McFaye's voice was rough, and it had taken on a northern accent:

He said, "Kid, you just keep reading, I'll just keep killing."

If you can't understand it, I'll break it down for you; if I can't break it down, you can make it understand for me.

Catherine was also engrossed in it, listening without moving.

Richard could tell that this red-haired girl, who usually maintained a cold demeanor, was actually quite unsettled inside.

Her father died early, and the glory of those "hunters of the times" in her clan was probably just a few dry names to her.

Today, a great expert who has lived for over a hundred years is personally recounting the story from back then.

This made her gradually understand what it means to be a "generational hunter".

But in truth, Richard had something else on his mind that he didn't say aloud.

If he remembered correctly, there was a mortal feud between the Blackwood and McPhee families.

This professor, named McFee, has a surname that differs from Maggie's by only one syllable.

No one can guarantee whether this professor has any connection to a blood feud from generations ago.

Maggie at the time didn't seem to care about the past grudges, and Catherine probably didn't either.

Richard shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

At this moment, McFaye had already shifted his gaze from Catherine to someone else.

"Montague, how has the old count been lately?"

Montagu nodded: "Professor Lau is concerned. Grandfather is doing well."

The conversation sounded polite, but it lacked any genuine emotion.

The two professors were polite to him because of what the Montagu surname meant.

Montagu... for the time being, there's no way to make them look at him differently.

Professor Mortimer, who had been silent until now, moved.

He put down the teacup he had been holding and said to Richard:

"Little Richard, I wrote you a letter, remember?"

Richard felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that something was about to happen.

"Yes, thank you for your kind words, Professor."

Mortimer waved his hand: "It's not a favor. That letter was written out of consideration for little Hutton."

I'm getting old, and my memory is failing.

I'd completely forgotten all the kind words I wrote for you in the letter.

He changed the subject and moved on to something else:

"What you just said made some sense, so I'd like to ask you one more question."

Since what's inside the door can be "seen" back through your eyes, why do so many people in our line of work keep going in to study?

Richard steadied himself.

This question gets to the heart of the matter.

He pondered for a moment and said, "The student believes there are three reasons."

First, it's essential to read it.

Over time, the seal will loosen and the text will corrode.

If no one reads or catches up on what's been learned today, it will eventually seep out and harm those living people outside the door.

Secondly, because by the end, what's inside the door isn't really a mystery anymore.

He quoted Mortimer himself: "People in our line of work read in order to turn 'unintelligible faces' into 'understandable stability'."

"As for the third reason..."

Richard paused for a moment: "I'm afraid what I said wasn't very good; it's just some of my own humble opinions."

"Speak."

Richard nodded: "I think that in one's life, if one stands at the edge of a cave, torn between two options and hesitant, it's a bad thing."

In the end, it will only harm yourself.

He recalled the Aeneid he had discussed with Phillips in the library of the Imperial University.

"Since retreating is dangerous, advancing is dangerous, and remaining in the same place is also dangerous..."

Then why not choose a direction and take a step forward?

It might not be safe inside, but what you want is in there.

This statement actually reflects Richard's own feelings.

After listening, Mortimer looked at Richard for a long time.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "You're quite good, kid."

Montagu was also nearby, his eyes darting around, and he had a new understanding of Richard in his mind.

Catherine maintained her aloof demeanor, making it impossible to discern her inner thoughts.

McFaye laughed and said, "Old Mo, this letter of yours really paid off."

Mortimer: "I've never written a letter in vain."

"Yeah?"

McFee brought up an old story: "In 1872, you wrote a letter to a young man, but it was all for nothing."

Not only did he write it for nothing, but he also stole several rare and ancient books from the third floor of the library.

This includes the book "Seven Chapters of the Wind," which still hasn't been returned.

Mortimer lowered his head to hide his embarrassment: "It was just an accident."

McFee persisted: "They stole so many, and they were all unique copies. You call that an accident?"

Mortimer: "That kid wasn't one to follow the beaten path, which is why he became a star later on."

Richard felt that the story sounded somewhat familiar.

Mortimer pointed at Richard: "This time is different from last time, this kid is very steady."

After that topic ended, the two professors asked some questions about coursework.

Richard's answer was thorough and flawless.

The same applies to Catherine and Montagu.

The matter remained unresolved.

McFee cast some kind of spell, which was unknown, and wrote out a small roll of parchment.

He walked over to Catherine and handed her the roll of parchment:

"Take this."

Catherine was somewhat at a loss: "Professor, this is...?"

"These are rubbings of the standing stones from the ancient battlefields north of the highlands."

McFee explained, "I picked it up casually when I was young, during a field trip with your great-grandfather."

"You're from the Blackwood family, and you're in this line of work, so this is perfect for you."

Catherine took the parchment and remained silent for a long time.

Her father died young, leaving her little.

I never even met my great-grandfather.

Now that I have this roll of parchment, I feel...

Catherine: "Thank you, Professor."

McFee waved his hand: "It's not easy for kids from the Highlands. If you encounter any insurmountable obstacles in the future, feel free to come to my office."

Catherine nodded emphatically.

Then, the group left the classroom.

The sunlight outside is exceptionally bright today.

The corridor was still empty, with almost no one around.

Richard walked along the stone slabs and, when he reached the corner, was startled by a figure.

It's Phillips.

Unaware of this, the man retrieved another pot of tea and was now drinking it while leaning against the corner railing, basking in the sun.

He looked up at Richard: "Oh, all the questions answered?"

Richard sat down on the railing next to him: "It's over."

Phillips poured a cup of tea for his friend: "What did they all ask you?"

Richard: "He asked about reading, but not in a particularly deep way."

Phillips said smugly, "What did I say?"

When it comes to reading, you're all as tense as bowstrings, but I'm the only one who truly savors it.

Richard glanced at the teapot, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

It really tastes good.

This guy's skills are never displayed at his desk.

"Oh, right."

Suddenly, Phillips said, "I've noted down the location of the distillery that Professor McFee mentioned. I'll ask someone to buy a bottle after my training is over."

"Let's try it together then and see if it tastes as amazing as they say."

Richard glanced at him: "Are you an adult?"

Phillips blinked: "Just turned eighteen."

My birthday was last month.

"Okay, I'm not an adult yet... but never mind, I'll drink with you if you want."

Richard leaned against the stone railing, looking up at the June sky over the capital city outside the corridor.

The sky in the capital is clearer than in Briston.

It has clearly undergone some degree of management.

"I'm gone."

After a while, Richard finished his tea and stood up: "I have class this afternoon."

Phillips poured Richard another cup: "What's the rush? I haven't finished the tea in this pot yet."

…………

Friday.

The last formal class for the special class.

Croft stood on the podium and told the story of a small island in the Spice Islands.

The Reskinned Wizard.

After telling the story, he put down the chalk:

"Okay, that's all for today. The assessment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. next Monday."

There are four sessions: Classical Languages, Epigraphy, History, and Folklore.

He then changed the subject: "Two weeks ago, I sent each of you a supplementary document."

Those of you who have finished, you should now have a good idea of ​​what's going on. As for those who haven't...

As he said this, he glanced at the students who were clearly slacking off and smiled maliciously.

Croft packed up his lecture notes: "get out of class dismissed, everyone go home and get back to prepare for the exam."

Richard finished packing his things and glanced at Phillips.

This guy clearly didn't take Croft's words to heart, completely ignoring them.

At that moment, he was drinking tea with the classmate next to him, chatting and laughing.

Time flew by and the day of the assessment arrived.

The examination was held in a separate examination building of the Department of Classics.

There aren't many students to begin with, so each candidate has a separate examination room.

The interior is equipped with surveillance systems, and the supervision is very strict.

Richard entered the examination room half an hour early.

He remained calm and composed, unlike some other test-takers who would study supplementary materials outside the exam hall and only come in a second before the exam started.

Richard found his examination room, which was at the very back on the third floor.

Once you push the door open, you'll see there's only one table inside, with a stack of white paper and four exam papers on it.

The examiner looked at Richard: "Mr. Williams."

Your assessment will last four hours, with a ten-minute break in between.

Richard: "Understood."

He sat down in the chair and began the exam.

The first subject was classical languages.

Richard opened the exam paper, and there was a question about translating Thucydides.

The original text is from the third volume of "History of the Peloponnesian War".

Mithryn's speech debating Ricoeur.

It was the same passage Croft threw at him on the first day.

Richard was already very familiar with this, and he immediately began to write.

The second event was on inscription.

One of the questions tested the understanding of Celtic three-part closed structures.

This was Professor McFee's work.

Richard had personally studied the text in Whitcomb's Boundary Stone, and later his aunt did some special reinforcement for him.

In addition, the customized materials happened to include a question from the same source, so it wasn't difficult for Richard either.

The history section of the third event and the folklore section of the fourth event were quite similar.

After each exam, Richard felt like he had done something similar before.

He finally understood the purpose of customizing the materials.

The assessment questions were not presented on the spot, but had been covered in class beforehand.

The lesson covered the basic structure of the problem.

The custom-made material is the meat used to fill the skeleton.

Those who have attended the lectures and worked through the material question by question will write fluently and with ease.

Because I already had a good idea of ​​what to expect, having encountered similar situations before.

However, it will be difficult for those who have attended the lectures but haven't carefully read the materials.

Richard pulled his thoughts out of his head and continued answering the questions seriously.

Four hours seemed like plenty of time for him.

They didn't even get to use their rest time.

When Richard walked out of the examination room, he could still see through the small window that several students were struggling to stay awake inside.