After informing the other three members of the group that the study session would be suspended this week, Xia De had nothing else to do today. Before he went out to kill someone in the morning, he received a letter from his client, Mrs. Lemaire, and his lawyer. Because of what happened in the city in the past few days, Mrs. Lemaire actually went directly to stay with her relatives in the countryside after the martial law was declared.
The citizens had many ridiculous rumors about what happened on Thursday night, and the city hall had no intention of refuting them. So Mrs. Lemaire and some other citizens chose to stay in the countryside for a while. The acceptance of the inheritance was postponed until next Sunday, and a week was enough time for things to calm down.
So, Xia De really has nothing to do this Saturday.
Miss Louisa asked Shad about his plans for the day. After learning that he wanted to go home and read, she suggested moving the weekly class in the evening forward to this afternoon. After all, neither of them had anything to do.
Of course, the study location had to be moved to Shad's house, not because his house was bigger, but because if Shad stayed in Miss Louisa's apartment all day, the landlady who lived on the first floor would be very unhappy.
The two of them took a walk after dinner, talking as they walked back to Quill Pen Street. After helping Miss Louisa get her notebooks and some materials for class, they did not go home immediately, but took a carriage to the De La Rion National Bank to withdraw money.
The banking industry was just starting out at that time, and the National Bank was an asset of the royal family. The services it provided were limited to the exchange of gold pounds and crowns, deposits and withdrawals, and safe deposit services. Even on Saturday afternoons, there were not many people in the bank.
Marble columns stand at the entrance of the bank to support the ceiling of the front porch. This magnificent decoration and architectural style show that this is a place where only the truly wealthy will come. After passing through the magnificent door, the polished, reflective floor makes outsiders miss it very much.
This was the first time he had seen a floor scrubbed so clean since he came into this world. Compared to this, Old John's pawn shop was a garbage dump... ... It was a garbage dump.
Miss Louisa observed Shade's expression:
"Have you been here before?"
"Of course not. Do I look like a rich man to you?"
Shad asked as he looked around the spacious front hall, holding the soft Mia in his arms. The strange new environment made the cat want to "roar" again.
He had just explained the source of the bill for £1,200, so Miss Louisa was not concerned about what he wanted to do:
"I thought you would be shocked by the environment here. I think even the Yodel Palace is not as magnificent as this one."
The blonde girl said with a smile, and seeing that Shad was looking around blankly, not knowing where to go first, she led him inside.
It seems that Miss Louisa is quite familiar with this kind of place.
There was no trouble in the process of withdrawing the money. After all, Miss Carina was not bored enough to issue a fake bill of exchange to Shade. However, after he handed over the bill of exchange with the signature of the Duchess, the middle-aged gentleman who hurried over and wiped his sweat while handling the business for them seemed to always secretly look at Shade's face.
Xia De was confused at first, but soon thought of the misleading statement made by the black-haired maid yesterday in order to leave the city under martial law. Then he thought about how he came to withdraw money with the Duchess's draft the next day...
"Fortunately, Miss Louisa didn't know what the maid said."
He sat on the sofa with the cat in his arms, wondering which was more important: the Duchess's full protection or his own reputation.
Although the bank in the steam age was interesting enough, the two did not stay long. After getting 1,200 pounds in cash, they left. After finally returning to St. Teresa's Square, Shad immediately made snowfall at home. On a hot afternoon, sitting in a snowy room is the right way to dispel the summer heat.
The three major thaumaturgical academies all have exam seasons twice a year, and next week is the summer exam week at the end of July, so they spent some time reviewing the study materials they needed to check and sharing the troubles they encountered.
Xia De's study progress is not bad. He has decided to pass at least seven exams during the summer exam week. If he is lucky, he may be able to pass nine (note). Now he has been promoted to the second ring, but if he wants to be promoted to the second grade, he needs to meet the requirements of these courses.
The written examination for the correspondence ring sorcerer will be conducted by a group at a unified location and time, and the college will send at least two teachers to supervise the examination through a projection ceremony. Therefore, Ms. Xia De and Miss Louisa need to inform the doctor of the courses they choose to take the examination before next Wednesday, and let the doctor tell the college so that they can prepare the examination papers in advance.
Miss Louisa enthusiastically helped Xia De choose the exam subjects. When she heard that he was preparing to take nine exams, she praised his good progress:
"You are able to read so many books in a month. Even a true scholar would find it difficult to be as serious as you are. In order to allow ordinary people who are new to the field of occultism to adapt to the learning environment, the first-year courses are a bit simpler. But the fact that you have learned so much is enough to prove your hard work and wisdom."
The highly educated foreigner from a foreign land was slightly pleased with himself:
"It's hard to memorize this information, but it's interesting enough."
"Hmm? You memorized it yourself?"
Instead of choosing a study room, they studied in the living room, which was filled with natural light. The coffee table was covered with open books and densely written letters in notebooks, most of which were ancient texts that Shade had helped the blonde translate.
"Of course, besides doing commissions, I spend most of my waking hours reading. After all, I don't have much other entertainment."
Xia De is very satisfied with his self-discipline.
"Meow?"
The cat that was playing with the Huasheng Ring with its tail meowed.
"Oh, and part of the time I spent playing with Mia."
The teacup and teapot were placed on the floor under the sofa. Shade bent down to pour himself some tea. Miss Louisa, who was swinging her pen, asked hesitantly:
"Did you really memorize the contents of so many books by yourself?"
"Of course, otherwise there would be no one to help me carry it."
Shade said as a matter of course.
"but... ... "
The blonde frowned slightly:
"What about your other self? Doesn't he help you?"
A light laugh came into Xia De's ears. He paused holding the teacup and asked in confusion:
"Excuse me, Miss Louisa, do you mean the other one I can help memorize?"
Miss Louisa nodded, her expression as if Shade had asked a stupid question:
"What you can see, the other you can also see. He is you, and you are him. The memory of the ring warlock is amazing. On the one hand, it is because our mental power is strong, but more importantly, it is because there are two minds working together to remember. This is not cheating, because the other self of the ring warlock is really me."
Xia De blinked and did not comment on the second half of the sentence:
"The books I've read..."
Of course I'm watching too.
"So you..."
I have memorized them all. I remember at least 90% of what you have seen.
"Then why..."
What you seek is understanding, not carrying around lots of books, isn't it
Xia De nodded, then looked at Miss Louisa:
"In my first year, there are 19 required courses in total."
"Yes, I remember. Why?"
the blonde asked.
"In addition to the exam, the course "Basic Alchemy" also requires the preparation of the standard potion - Joy Potion and the standard potion - Sleeping Water. In addition to the written exam, the course "Introduction to Elementary Alchemy" requires the submission of a simple homemade alchemical item. In addition to the exam, the course "Containment and Management of Relics" requires the submission of a report on the containment of relics in which the course participated. "Time Travel Practical Training" is a completely practical course and requires the submission of a report. In addition to these four courses involving practical content, the other courses are all purely written exam courses."
Shade said again.
You can take a quick lesson on potion making from Father Augustus; as for the making of alchemical items, you can ask Iluna or Father John for advice; as for the collection of relics, Shad, you can also write a story for the small bottle of mercury.
“That’s it…”
Miss Louisa still didn't understand what Xia De meant.
"I changed my mind. I want to take all 18 exams at once!"
Although he relied on the woman in his head to help him remember, he was promoted to the second grade only to be able to enjoy the second grade treatment in advance and get those textbooks. He would continue to study the first grade books, so this could not be considered as a weak foundation.
The blonde girl blinked at him and said after a long while:
"The academy has sufficient means to detect cheating effects that are not limited to relics and potions."
Xia De knew that she had misunderstood, so he put down the teacup in his hand and explained:
"No, no, no, I have an amazing memory. I mean, my other self has an amazing memory. Doesn't my other self have some insignificant little talents? My other self's little talent is an amazing memory."
Compared with the various abnormalities she had already shown, her amazing memory was completely insignificant, so Xia De didn't even bother to ask her how she did it.
"You want to move up to sophomore year this summer?"
Miss Louisa finally fully understood Shade's intentions.
The summer exam season is just for exams, and the winter exam season is for promotion. But Shade is the focus of the History School, and has a good relationship with Professor Garcia of the History School, and even with Miss Danister, the librarian of St. Byron's. Therefore, as long as he can meet the promotion requirements, the school will not refuse him to enter the second grade early.
"Yes, promoted to the second grade!"
Xia De's face was full of smiles. He had thought that it would take at least one or two years to enter the second grade as Dr. Schneider said, but he didn't expect that he could do it in just one month.
In addition to their own progress, the condition for the group to go to Saint Byrons is that the group has five ring warlocks, and at least one sixth ring, one fifth ring, and one fourth ring warlock. Now the doctor will soon be promoted to the sixth ring, and the lowest level Shade is also the second ring like the August priest. In this way, they are really one step closer to that unattainable goal.