Translator: Yang_Wenli
Sansa woke up from her sleep. She was woken up by her close friend Hyrlan seated next to her.
“Ough... it’s... it’s over?”
Sansa rubbed her drowsy eyes and took a glance at the classroom’s window. It seemed like it was approaching dusk. She remembered that she came to the classroom at two or three in the afternoon.
“You’ve slept for three hours,” Hyrlan said to Sansa as she wrote something on her notebook with her quill pen.
“There’s nothing I can do about that. The magic runes system I study in is the Holy Light system. I simply know nothing about the runes and inscriptions from the Order system. As for this ‘programming’ course, it would be even more of an impossibility for me to understand it.”
Sansa quietly complained to her friend. She actually wanted to present herself as a devout-to-learning believer before Desireless. Unfortunately, the ‘all new knowledge’ Joshua started talking about was simply too hypnotic.
Sansa even doubted whether she was listening to some sort of mind-affecting spell. After only a short period of time, she started feeling sleepy. After an hour passed, she fell asleep on the desk.
“What’s... going on now? It’s still not over?”
Sansa looked around. She discovered that the mages were still sitting there. From the excitement on their faces, they seemed to not be tired from the lecture at all.
This lecture has gone on for over three hours now! Even when Sansa goes to offer her prayers in the chapel, she would not spend this much time. Furthermore, from the way things look, the end to this lecture is nowhere near.
This girl from the Nation of the Holy Church had the desire to leave the classroom like those nobles.
“It’s now the time to ask questions,” Hyrlan quietly said to Sansa.
Ask questions? Sansa grew interested. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask Joshua. Of course, none of them had anything to do with ‘programming.’
She had a faint idea that Ynor, the person who played Belle, was a performer under Joshua. If she wanted to know more about Ynor, asking Joshua was most definitely a right choice.
Regretfully, Joshua was currently talking with a mage. Sansa knew that mage...
That mage was a teacher in this advanced magic academy. Because of that, she could only quietly listen to the discussion between that mage and Joshua while seeking an opportunity to question Joshua herself.
Unfortunately, after listening to their conversation for only a short while, Sansa felt a spell of dizziness... What the heck are ‘basic data structures?’ What the heck is a ‘common substring? Also, why do all the different cities need a tree?
“Hyrlan... can you understand them?”
Sansa poked her friend seated next to her. She hoped that Hyrlan would be able to understand her confusion.
Unfortunately, Hyrlan nodded her head and said ‘somewhat.’ Then, Hyrlan raised her hand and asked Joshua a new question.
“Mister Joshua, when I attempted to compile the code for ‘Pong,’ I ran into some issues...”
Holy crap... Seated next to Hyrlan, Sansa covered her face as she quietly listened to the conversation between her friend and Joshua. She discovered that her close friend had ascended to a new world. Even though she could understand every single word her friend said, she can’t understand a single thing as to what her friend was saying.
Most terrible of all... Sansa felt what Hyrlan said to be completely confusing and seemingly very high-level like someone talking about their research of the ancient magic from the lost civilization or discussing whether space-time and chaos runes will be able to destroy a city.
If, at such a grave atmosphere, Sansa was to suddenly ask the question ‘I want to know what day is Belle’s birthday,’ she would most definitely be kicked out on the spot...
Suddenly, Sansa heard a voice from the back. Sansa turned around and saw that the person who asked the question was not dressed as a mage. Instead, he seemed like a merchant. Finally, Sansa was able to understand someone’s question.
“Mister Joshua, I am very interested in the future of the magic network you’ve brought up earlier. May I know if you’re willing to engage in cooperation with our Klia Trading Company?”
The person who asked that question was none other than the merchant Fritt from the Nation of Steel.
Fritt’s full name was Fritt von Klia. He is the owner of the Klia Trading Company that controlled all of Norland’s stage stations.
When the other merchants still present in the classroom saw Fritt taking the initiative to turn the topic of conversation around, they were unable to sit tight anymore either. Disregarding what the mages might think of them, they all stood up from their seats.
There were a total of four merchants that stood up. Joshua doesn’t know all of them. The only person he knew from the four was that Fritt.
When he was filming ‘Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale,’ he purchased the stage station they used for filming from none other than this merchant from the Nation of Steel.
“I know that you all are very interested in the future of the magic network.”
Joshua made a gesture pressing his hand downward. He indicated for the four merchants to not become too excited.
“I also wish that you all will become participants in the construction of the magic network. That is the reason why I’ve accepted Gray Mage’s invitation to give a lecture on programming-related knowledge in this academy.”
“Mister Joshua, frankly speaking... compared to the construction of the magic network, I am more interested in its ability to reach people. I myself am a user of the Mage Forum... I know very well that the Mage Forum is more powerful than any announcement board in the history of the world,” said a merchant all of a sudden.
The discussion caught the attention of many mages too. It was no wonder. After all, he had compared the Mage Forum with an ‘announcement board.’ Such a comparison incurred the dissatisfaction from the mages present.
“No one will be interested in an announcement board. If you are to change the headline to ‘Discussion about the application of arcanotech vehicles,’ I believe more people will be interested in it,” Joshua turned his eyes to the merchant called Fritt.
Fritt was the person who held the patent for the arcanotech vehicles. After hearing what Joshua said, he lightly nodded his head to express that he understood what Joshua wanted to tell him.
Joshua knew what this merchant wanted — advertisement. Advertisements had actually appeared on the Mage Forum already. They were advertisements for ‘Hearthstone’ and ‘Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale.’
Both of them were ‘merchandises’ Joshua needed to advertise. Like him, these merchants also possess ‘merchandises’ that they need to advertise.
“I would be happy to accept everyone’s investment and exhibit your proud merchandise on the magic network. However, this is a transaction.”
Joshua wouldn’t go out of his way to advertise for these merchants for free. Since they wanted to have their merchandise reach a greater amount of audience, it was only natural that they’ll have to pay a corresponding price.
“To my Klia Trading Company, money is no issue,” said Fritt.
“Money? No... Mister Fritt, to me, money is no longer that valuable. What I need is this.”
Joshua pointed at his head. His action caused the expressions of the merchants to change strangely. They most definitely thought that since Joshua was a demon, he wanted to demand for ‘souls,”lives’ and such.
“Human... brain is a very good thing. Using brain tissue, one will be able to cast many fascinating magic.”
A mage seated in the classroom suddenly spoke with an eerie voice. From his outfit, he seemed to be a member of the Necromancy Association.
His words completely horrified the merchants. Joshua immediately spoke to pacify the situation.
“I’m talking about knowledge. Everyone... I did not come here to give this lecture for free. Gray Mage has allowed me to recommend a group of students that yearns to learn magic to study in this academy in exchange for me giving lectures about ‘programming’ to you all.”
Joshua once again turned his eyes to Fritt, “The knowledge of arcanotech devices are also fascinating... I wish to recommend a group of apprentices to study in you all’s arcanotech factories. Of course, all of this will have to abide by Norland’s laws.”