To be honest, this was quite a monumental challenge. Casting spells required immense concentration—but who could stay fully composed in such a situation?

  Leoric tried several times in succession, but the spells that floated through his mind were fragmented and disjointed, eventually turning into a complete blank. He couldn't even recall any of the magic he had prepared that morning. Wave after wave of pleasure assailed him, growing stronger with each passing moment, making it impossible to successfully cast a spell under these circumstances.

  "No... I can't do this anymore," he panted, eventually deciding to give up and sitting back against the headboard. "Slow down... not so fast..."

  "You're the one who said you wanted to train your focus for spellcasting," Freya replied vaguely. "I'm just helping my boyfriend with his training."

  "Uh... yeah, training... but it has to be gradual..."

  "You didn't specify that earlier," Freya replied matter-of-factly. "So of course I had to give it my all."

  "Aaaah!"

  Anyway, that was how things stood. But after numerous failures,Leoric gradually adapted and developed some resistance. Eventually, he was actually able to successfully concentrate and complete his magic.

  Freya looked at him in disbelief. "That's incredible," she remarked. "How did you manage it?"

  "Well, it just goes to show how strong my willpower is," he said.

  "Oh... no, it must be because I didn't go all out this time," she protested. "Let's try again."

  "Wow!"

  Life was really wonderful. If it could stay like this forever, it would be like heaven on earth.

  Of course, that was impossible.

  Graduation exams were approaching day by day. There were probably around five months left. It seemed like a long time, but it would pass quickly.

  As they lingered in bed,Leoric and Freya couldn't help but discuss this topic. "So, what exactly is the background of this so-called Higher School?"Leoric asked Freya.

  There were rumors among the students, but no one could really say for sure, or perhaps they didn't want to. Freya came from the Monica family, where generations had been wizards. Logically speaking, she should know some inside information.

  "I don't know much either," Freya nestled inLeoric's arms. "I think I heard Father mention once that Mr. Hogarthana personally serves as the principal and teaches the ancient magical techniques of the Netheril era."

  Leoric stiffened.

  "The magical techniques of the Netheril era?"

  "Yeah, Father mentioned it like that," Freya replied.

  Spiritshade City was the last vestige of Netherilian civilization, but the wizarding school taught students the new magical techniques discovered by wizards in the Material Plane after the fall of the Netheril Empire, including the eight major schools of magic that were formed later.Leoric had always wondered why the school spent so much time teaching these instead of the presumably more outstanding, subtle, and powerful magical techniques of the Netheril era.

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  Could it be that the magical techniques of the Netheril era had been lost? That couldn't be possible. Besides, Lord Spiritshade City, Hogarthana, the twelve Princes of Shadows, and countless other Grand Arcanists had survived from the Netheril era. How could they allow the magical techniques to be lost?

  If what Freya said was true, then this secret Higher School taught the ancient and secret magical techniques of the Netheril era. Presumably, it was too profound and difficult to master, which was why it was not open to ordinary students.

  Only the top graduate of the graduation exams could enter that school.

  "It's not just the top graduate from the wizarding school," Freya said. "I heard from my sister that the Temple also selects one outstanding student each year to attend that school."

  "The Temple?"Leoric asked in surprise. "Isn't that school supposed to teach the secret magical techniques of the Netheril era? Why would clerics go there?"

  The Netheril Empire was renowned for its magic, specifically for its arcane magic and wizards. It made no innovative contributions to the divine magic practiced by clerics. The so-called secret magical techniques of the Netheril era referred to arcane techniques, which had nothing to do with divine magic. Why would the Shar Temple send someone to learn this? Could it be that those clerics wanted to switch sides?

  Of course, that was impossible. If the clerics dared to think like that, Shar's divine wrath would descend upon them first.

  Regardless, "So if I want to get into that school, the only way is to rank first in the graduation exams?"

  "Yes, there's no other way," Freya replied.

  "Hmm."

  "I heard," Freya shifted into a more comfortable sleeping position, snuggling closer toLeoric, "that the Higher School is called the School of Arcanists."

  "The School of Arcanists?"

  Wizards from the Netheril era were called Arcanists, and the most outstanding among them were known as Grand Arcanists. Lord Spiritshade City and Hogarthana had both held the title of Grand Arcanist. After the fall of the Netheril Empire, the term "Arcanist" gradually faded, and they were more commonly referred to as "Wizards."

  Since this school taught the magical techniques of the Netheril era, it made sense to name it after the ancient title of "Arcanist."

  "The curriculum is longer, I think it's around ten years," Freya continued, sharing the information she had vaguely heard before. "If you graduate, you're eligible to receive the title of Arcanist... and there are some special privileges too, but my father wouldn't say specifics."

  "Has anyone from the Monica family ever attended that school before?"

  "I heard about two," Freya said. "One was a long, long time ago, when Spiritshade City had just moved here. The other was my great-grandfather."

  "Your great-grandfather? Is he still alive?"

  "No," Freya said. "He ranked first and entered the School of Arcanists. But he didn't graduate successfully... I think it was two or three years later when he was expelled."

  "Wow."

  Leoric didn't expect that the School of Arcanists had an expulsion system, just like the wizarding school. "They only recruit one student each year... no, two if you count the Temple, and they also have elimination?"

  "More than two," Freya said. "Sometimes, there are special individuals who are discovered to have exceptional arcane talent from a young age and are selected by the Decision Makers for secret training. They can also enter the School of Arcanists."

  "Oh."

  "I don't know the specifics, but I heard it's very strict. It's not elimination based on a percentage; there are certain standards. If you don't meet them, you're out.Leoric, think about it. Spiritshade City has been established for almost two thousand years. The School of Arcanists was probably established soon after arriving in the Shadowfell, around seventeen hundred years ago. At least two students can enter each year, but how many Arcanists are there in Spiritshade City now?"

  She lowered her voice. "At most, I estimate there are only two or three hundred, definitely not more than four hundred."

  Leoric nodded silently.

  If what Freya said was true, then the elimination rate at the School of Arcanists was astonishingly high. Assuming there are currently three hundred Arcanists in Spiritshade City, but seventeen hundred years ago, with at least two students entering each year, that totals three thousand four hundred students.

  Out of three thousand four hundred students, only three hundred became Arcanists. That's an elimination rate of over ninety percent.

  It was indeed difficult to distinguish oneself. Spiritshade City's commitment to "elitism" was perhaps a bit too thorough.