Chapter 316

Chapter 316

The pet store hosted an open day that lasted five consecutive days, which naturally caught the eye of the outside world.

After all, before this, Blue Star had been surprisingly reluctant to hold open days. Not only were multi-day open days unheard of, but even bi-weekly open days seemed to be something they were unwilling to do.

Therefore, people were very curious about the specific content of this open day.

However, everyone who walked out of the pet store remained tight-lipped about the details, with no one willing to spill the beans about the specifics.

Yet, the broad smiles on their faces hinted that they had gained a lot during the open day.

For these Beast Tamers, they were all people who had gained the recognition of their pets, so naturally, a sense of pride swelled within them, and they were more willing to consider the pets' needs. After Lorant explained the reasons and hoped they would keep the contract details confidential, everyone unanimously agreed.

Lorant didn't expect the pet contracts to remain secret for long, and in fact, he didn't need them to be secret for too long.

Because only a few groups of people had taken the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs home early. At that time, to give the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs ample time to personally assess their potential owners, Lorant made this decision.

But later, when the Blue Star territory in Kamkua was established, although people couldn't take their pets home early, they could have extended contact with them. Therefore, the time pets left the pet store not only didn't need to be moved forward but was actually pushed back by Lorant.

Now, for Beast Tamers to take their pets home is no easy task. Not only do they have to pass exams, but they also have to wait a long time. For pets like the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs, which only have a six-month juvenile period, they must wait until they are adults to take them home.

After all, before that, if Beast Tamers truly value their pets, they should have had a full three months of interaction with them, which is enough time for the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs to make their choice.

Therefore, Lorant thinks it's a good idea for the pets to sign contracts before leaving the pet store.

Of course, the pet store doesn't require Beast Tamers to interact with their Glassy Ice Flame Dogs while they are in the Blue Star territory. However, if Beast Tamers truly neglect their pets, they'll eventually reap what they sow.

Whether it's being blacklisted by the pet store or losing a long-awaited pet, it's enough to teach them a lesson.

However, during this period, the majority in the Blue Star territory were not the Beast Tamers who came to stay long-term for their pets.

From cities across the empire, and even from major cities of the elves, orcs, and dwarves, a highly publicized enrollment selection had just concluded.

All children aged eight to seventeen who wished to enter the 'Brudasta' Academy, established by Blue Star, could participate in the selection.

Originally, Lorant thought of lazily using the name 'Hogwarts', but then he reconsidered. Since this was entirely his academy, it should bear a name unique to him.

Thus, 'Brudasta', a name very characteristic of Lorant's naming style, was officially decided.

As long as they were selected, Blue Star would offer different tuition standards based on the students' family situations. For children from truly impoverished families who couldn't afford tuition, Blue Star would initiate a 'scholarship system' to help them complete their studies.

This policy caught everyone's attention the moment it was announced. The pet store didn't even need to promote it; soon, everyone knew about it.

Learning, schooling—these are among the most heart-stirring words in the world.

For children in the slums, there is no shortage of intelligent minds, but 'learning' often comes with exorbitant costs that ordinary families can't afford. Even families with some assets might face bankruptcy from sending a child to school.

But now, things are different. Blue Star will pay the tuition for selected children from impoverished families, meaning that all eligible children of the appropriate age can participate in the selection.

The selection process lasted a full twenty days, allowing Blue Star's representatives to screen all children who wished to enter the academy.

For older children, Lorant naturally had more requirements. They needed to have a certain foundation, be literate, quick-witted, and preferably have some schooling experience.

This is because these children would enter as upperclassmen and would graduate in a few years. Without any foundation, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the teachers' pace.

For younger children, there is ample time for cultivation, so the focus is on their mentality and willpower.

Lorant isn't concerned with whether they are the smartest. Differences in intelligence, when not too significant, are not decisive in education.

Moreover, encountering a group of exceptionally intelligent individuals is itself a rare event. In most cases, children's intelligence levels are quite similar, so effort becomes the key factor in standing out.

Adhering to this philosophy, after multiple rounds of selection, *Brudasta* finally welcomed its first batch of students.

These children differ in age, gender, and even race, but they all share a burning desire to learn.

Some of these children come from well-off families, and some were already studying in other institutions, but chose to transfer here after hearing about Blue Star's school admissions.

Most of these students are older, and as family backgrounds are disregarded, the proportion of younger, uneducated children grows. Children from the slums, it turns out, significantly outperform their peers.

This was somewhat expected by Lorant. While some slum children learn to be cunning and deceitful from a young age, skilled in theft, robbery, and deception, others grow up in such environments to take on family responsibilities.

Naturally, Lorant's focus is on these children. The reason for enrolling older students is primarily to allow the school to trial all grade levels.

Moreover, the animal companion shop can select suitable Blue Star employees from these students who are willing to start anew at *Brudasta*.

This is also the main reason why these older students are willing to go through such a process.

As one of the leading organizations, Blue Star truly has this kind of allure.

Some of these students come from well-off families, so after receiving their admission notices, many chose to come to the Blue Star territory early to adapt to the new environment.

The advanced state of the Blue Star territory leaves every newcomer in awe.

No one expected to find such a pristine place hidden in the barren lands of Kamkuo.

Even in the empire's central city, Holland, known as the center of the world, and the magic council's headquarters with the most magical facilities, people have never seen such a town.

Clean, tidy, and orderly.

The people living here are completely different from the drifters in the minds of the wealthy. If not for the introduction they heard upon entering the village, they would hardly believe the former identities of these people.

Not just drifters, even the freemen do not exhibit the same confidence and poise as these people here.

Munny is fifteen years old. His family has been running small businesses for generations, accumulating a fair amount of gold coins, making them a well-off urban family, hence able to afford a student's expenses.

Munny has not disappointed his family. He was consistently among the top ten performers each year at the Kentucky Middle School.

Thus, when he participated in *Brudasta*'s selection, he naturally passed the tests smoothly.

Currently, Munny follows his father, both wearing azure wristbands, having just completed their learning session at the Blue Star Hall, understanding some essential knowledge required to enter the Blue Star territory.

The contents of the booklet in his hands seemed like a fantasy to Munny, but as they stepped into this magical territory, the young boy found everything turning into reality.

Munny and his father felt like wide-eyed country folk in the city, marveling at everything around them.

The high-rise buildings flanking the mountain walls, the grand hall sealing the mountain pass, and the beautiful blue-and-white village were all novelties they had never seen before.

Even the carrot-shaped trash bin by the roadside caught their attention for a long time.

The villagers passing by smiled kindly at their curious behavior. Guests with blue wristbands, no matter how oddly they behave here, are not surprising.

After finding a hotel as per the booklet, they felt even more like unsophisticated country folk.

"This is the bathroom for your suite. The water from the faucet here is not drinkable. If you need drinking water, you can get it from the faucet in the hall," the hotel attendant, noticing their brand-new blue wristbands and confirming it was their first visit to Blue Star, led them into the room and began a detailed introduction.

"All facilities in the bathroom are standard models. You can use them according to the manual. If you have any questions, feel free to come to the hall and ask me," the attendant maintained a proper smile, leaving the two self-proclaimed upper-class guests with no complaints.

Not just no complaints, Munny and his father felt somewhat inferior in front of these people who could skillfully use a host of facilities they had never seen before.

This made them feel quite uneasy.

"Blue Star has many things that are different from the outside world," the attendant said with a smile after introducing everything in the room. "But I believe once you get used to it, you'll definitely appreciate the convenience of Blue Star."

"I hope you guys have a great time at Blue Star."

After closing the door, Munny and his father looked at each other.

"This place, this place is indeed Blue Star territory," Munny's father couldn't help but exclaim. "There are so many things we've never encountered before!"

Munny was indeed very happy about this. Teenagers are always more open to new things. He excitedly pulled open the curtains and looked out at the street: "Right, Dad? I told you Blue Star is really amazing. Now you understand why I insisted on enrolling here!"

"Wow! The windows here all have glass panes!" Munny exclaimed in surprise. "Those two glass mirrors at our house cost a fortune, didn't they?"

"Blue Star, of course, isn't short on funds. They can introduce creature companions and so many other novel things, which shows they have the capability," Munny's father sat on the bed, looking at his son with some concern. "But just because they're strong doesn't mean they can set up a top-notch school!"

"A newly established academy, whether it has qualified teachers, whether it can provide you with better resources in the future, all of this is uncertain!"

"With your grades, you're a shoo-in for the Imperial University later. But this Brudasta, it requires you to graduate at seventeen, which means you will just miss the time to apply for the Imperial University!"

He didn't agree with his son's decision to come to Brudasta, but his son was indeed very determined. He directly persuaded the two elders at home and eventually dropped out to come here.

"Dad, not to mention that Brudasta is grade-based teaching, and by the time of graduation, it will be the same level as the Imperial University. Even if it's not as good as the Imperial University, I am willing to come here!"

Munny was very firm about his own thoughts.

"But this is Blue Star's own institution. Graduates from here will naturally be more aligned with Blue Star than those from elsewhere, which means there's a high chance I can directly enter Blue Star after graduation!" Munny's eyes sparkled as he imagined.

"That's Blue Star for you! Even the top talents from the Imperial University only get a shot! If I graduate from here, I might be favored by Blue Star. What if I can directly join them? That would be perfect!"

Munny's father shook his head, not wanting to continue arguing with his son on this issue that had been bothering them for a long time.

"You've got it all figured out, but we've pretty much seen the whole village today. Where is the school?" His question left Munny speechless.

"Your admission letter says Brudasta is in Blue Star territory, but have you seen it?"

The Blue Star village is not large, and the father and son had almost finished exploring it in a day. However, what puzzled them was that they didn't see any place that looked like a school.

"This... Blue Star will definitely have arrangements!" the boy said seriously. "I believe in them!"

Munny's father silently rolled his eyes, but since they were already here, what could he do?

Could he really kidnap his determined son back home?

He thought about the start date on the admission letter: "Anyway, there are only three days left until the start of school. Tomorrow we need to buy all the things you need for school. We also found that 'Deer Horn' today. In three days, we'll see if Blue Star truly values its students!"

In Blue Star territory, Deer Horn Alley doesn't require finding a shabby bar and then locating a specific brick on a dirty backyard wall to tap on.

Here, Deer Horn Alley is the most prosperous commercial street in Blue Star territory.

Although the territory doesn't seem large, about the size of a village, when stepping into this commercial street, people will be surprised to find that the quality of the shops here is no less than those in the commercial streets of super cities.

The most high-end shops from all over the world are gathered here. Everything people need can be found here, presenting a scene of prosperity.

Munny and his father quickly found a place to buy textbooks for the new school year.

It was a bookstore with a Blue Star sign. The storefront was not large, and books were piled from the shelves to the floor. Through the clean glass window, they could see the bookstore's promotional slogans.

By the time the father and son arrived, the store was already packed and bustling with activity.

The two of them had to push their way through the crowd to finally get inside the bookstore and manage to buy the books.

The staff here had clearly prepared in advance. Upon hearing the words 'Brudasta', they immediately asked Munny about his grade impatiently.

After confirming the grade, they skillfully picked up a pre-packed bundle of books from the messy pile on the floor and shoved it into Munny's arms.

"Three silver coins, thank you for your patronage!"

Munny, in a daze, took out the money and was then pushed out of the store by the crowd. Both father and son exchanged a look of relief and, without a word, walked to a nearby outdoor seating area of a candy rabbit shop, where they ordered a warm bowl of sweet dumplings to catch their breath.

It was truly terrifying, even more so than the annual lantern rush during the cold festival in Kentucky!

Munny eagerly opened the net bag with a torn corner and pulled out a book titled 'Introduction to Beast Pets' to start flipping through it.

As soon as he opened the book, Munny sensed something unusual. He had been to school before, and compared to most people who hardly ever touched books, Munny had daily access to those precious volumes.

But this was the first time he had seen a book like this.

All his previous books had been hand-copied. There were many people with excellent handwriting known as 'scribes', whose daily job was to manually copy books for sale.

A scribe often needed many days to complete copying a single book, which is why book prices stayed high for years.

It's important to note that these scribes were not unskilled individuals; many of them could even be considered 'scholars', and scholars, they commanded high prices!

But the book in Munny's hands now was a bit unusual.

The more Munny flipped through it, the more he felt that the 'scribe' of this book was a strange individual. He had controlled the spacing between each character to be exactly the same, making it look exceptionally neat.

Moreover, although each character was clearly and neatly written, it was evident that these characters lacked the 'artistic flair' that many scribes prided themselves on. They were not at all elegant or beautiful, even somewhat rigid.

It's worth noting that many scribes could sell their products at a good price precisely because of their elegant handwriting.

A scribe who didn't practice calligraphy couldn't fetch a good price.

Munny shook his head, now starting to understand why he had spent only three silver coins on so many books today. However, even so, the price was somewhat too low.

After all, a renowned scribe would charge at least five silver coins for a book of this thickness. From this perspective, the current price of these books was shockingly cheap.

When Munny opened the second book, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

This book was clearly copied by the same person as the previous one, with identical handwriting, spacing, and copying habits!

This made Munny feel even more peculiar. Generally, scribes would only copy the same book, as this allowed them to become more familiar with the content and reduced the chance of making mistakes over time. But now, this scribe with mediocre handwriting had copied two books, both of which he had bought.

This sentiment turned into confusion when he opened the third book.

Because the third book, like the first two, was also the work of the same 'scribe'.

What kind of probability was it to encounter such a strange scribe, and all by himself?

A somewhat crazy idea began to form in Munny's mind. He quickly pulled out all his other books and spread them out together.

Then, the boy's eyes widened in disbelief.

"This! What is this?" Munny couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. No matter how unimaginable it was, he could now see that these books were definitely not the work of any scribe.

The handwriting and character spacing in each book were exactly the same. At first glance, they seemed rigid, but rigidity also meant uniformity, so when these books were neatly arranged together, they looked quite pleasing.

A waiter delivering desserts to the next table was startled by Munny's loud voice. He turned around and saw Munny and the books on the table.

"Guest, you might not know this!" The attendant turned around with a smile. "This is the latest printing technology Blue Star has rolled out! It's said that even an ordinary person who can't read can print several books in a day without the need for a copyist!" He was brimming with pride, as if he had a personal stake in this achievement.

Munny looked at him, surprised: "Really? Wait, how did you know what I was thinking?"

The attendant smiled slightly: "We are close to the bookstore, and you are not the first guest to be surprised by this matter recently, so naturally, I know."

"This technology is no longer new in Blue Star," the attendant said proudly. "Thanks to this technology, books in the bookstore are not expensive now. Blue Star has also released simple textbooks, and many people around me have bought them to learn to read by themselves!"

Not only that, but the Blue Star territory also holds night classes one evening each week, where specialized teachers come to teach, helping the residents to learn to read using that basic textbook.

So now, while not fully literate, the people of Blue Star territory can at least write their own names.

After the attendant left, Munny remained captivated by the attendant's proud demeanor, unable to shake off the impression.

This was a demeanor he had never seen among residents elsewhere.

They were also ordinary people, but the residents of Blue Star gave him a different feeling from the freemen of Kentucky.

The people here had a light in their eyes; they genuinely felt proud of their hometown. No matter where they came from or what their status was before, they now had the proud spirit of the pet shop flowing in their veins.

So even just an attendant could be so confident, even when facing some practitioners, he remained neither humble nor pushy.

This was the power that Blue Star had given them, and they were also giving their energy back to Blue Star.

Such residents completely overturned Munny's worldview.

As the son of a merchant, Munny had seen many people since childhood and understood that there was never a fairy tale of equality at birth in this world.

In his mind, practitioners were meant to be superior, while ordinary people were destined to struggle from birth, with class acting as an insurmountable barrier.

Even he, after clearly not having the talent to become a practitioner, had only one goal in life: to become a qualified merchant. For the rest of his life, he would have to bow his head when he saw practitioners.

But Munny refused to accept this fate; he believed he was as good as anyone else and wouldn't let this be his end.

So after learning that the legendary shop owner of the pet shop was also someone who could not become a practitioner, just like himself, Munny was filled with longing for Blue Star.

Those ragged ordinary people in Munny's impression were always bowing their heads, looking numb.

He had never seen such a radiant appearance on these people before, which made Munny's eyes light up involuntarily.

Blue Star, indeed, is different from other places!

...

Munny pulled open the curtains of the hotel, letting the warm sunlight spill into the room.

Today was the day he was to officially start school, but strangely, many students like Munny who were preparing to enroll had come to Blue Star these days, yet no one had found out where their school actually was.

People could only guess that Brudasta was actually in a very remote place within the Blue Star territory, and they were just gathering here, waiting for Blue Star to send the students over at the start of the school term.

Munny and his father had plans today; they had already made all the preparations in advance over the past two days, just waiting to enroll.

They had also toured the entire Blue Star village, visited every shop in Deerhorn Alley, and even cautiously experienced the pet ranch outside the village.

Munny was even lucky enough to pet a Glassy Ice Flame Dog!

But today held something even more exciting for the father and son.

Enrollment officially began at six in the evening, but beforehand, Blue Star would transport students from other areas who couldn't make it here on their own.

For this purpose, the Floating Giant Duck route of Blue Star will officially launch for the first time in front of the world.

When Munny and his father went out, they saw many people in the village walking out just like them, including guests with wristbands and the residents of Blue Star territory.

Emerging from the Blue Star Hall, the once-wilderness area has now been completely transformed.

To the left here is the yet-to-mature cottonwood forest, which is also the Beast Tamer ranch of the Beast Tamer shop, where various beast pets are now living freely.

Even if you're not a Beast Tamer, any Blue Star guest can choose to walk in and personally interact with the beast pets.

The condition is not to fear being hurt by the beast pets, as although they do not actively harm people, their attack power is not to be underestimated, and provoking them would not end well.

The staff at the Blue Star Hall have already stated that they will not be responsible for those who get injured.

To the right here is a broad road.

This flat stone road stretches straight into the distance, with the farmland of Blue Star territory on both sides. Since it's winter, the fields lie barren, but the astonishing area here can also imagine the magnificent scene of everything growing next spring.

Now, many people are moving forward on this road, and Munny and his father also join them.

Starting from the morning, they walked until noon when everyone reached the end of this road—the dock by the Holy Shield River.

Although it is wilderness, in the Blue Star territory, any area clearly designated as free to move around is extremely safe, a point that has now been recognized by everyone.

No one feels the least bit of panic walking along the Holy Shield River.

After all, according to Blue Star, as long as you don't go into the river, it is absolutely safe here.

Some daring individuals even stand just a meter from the river, looking at the Holy Shield River that they usually avoid.

Munny and his father arrived just in time, finding a good spot by the river, enjoying the rare riverside view and munching on the white bread sandwiches from their backpacks, then they heard the commotion around them.

"Look! Over there!"

Munny eagerly tugged his father forward.

In the distance on the Holy Shield River, a group of tiny black dots was slowly floating towards them.

This obviously abnormal phenomenon on the Holy Shield River naturally made people realize that this was the Floating Giant Duck's inaugural voyage they were waiting to see.

Sure enough, accompanied by strange 'jiga' sounds, the huge body of the Floating Giant Duck appeared in people's sight, with dozens of giant Floating Giant Ducks and a large number of Wingless Flywheels around them slowly approaching the dock.

This time, because many children needed to be brought along, the vacation cabins like those Lorant used before were naturally unsuitable, so a two-layer wooden frame was erected on the Floating Giant Ducks.

Except for the outermost circle of the terrace, the entire wooden frame was sealed, inside which lived the children who were about to enroll.

This is also what the Beast Tamer shop prepared for the Floating Giant Duck's passenger route, as most cities require one or two days to reach, and just sitting would be too unbearable, so Lorant thought about it and chose the sleeper version.

However, there is no consideration for single rooms here, a large bunk bed with upper and lower berths can at least ensure passenger capacity.

Such an environment seems harsh to Lorant, but to these poor children who cannot come to Blue Star on their own, it is nothing.

Their homes are much worse than this!

From the moment they passed the selection of Brudasta, it was as if they had opened a door to the world that was originally hidden from them.

Some children were not even free people before, they were the people or slaves of some noble lords, but after passing the selection, these children were surprised to find that their former masters, who always seemed fierce, suddenly became gentle overnight.

Although they became free people with the help of Blue Star, their original masters were not angry, not only not angry but also provided them with many supplies and some travel expenses to take with them when they left.

The overly attentive manner was quite intimidating to behold.

And when the people from Blue Star gathered them in the city, many children were seeing the beautiful side of the city for the first time.

They discovered that in the city, people could stay in such comfortable inns! They could eat soft, sweet white bread without any stones for every meal!

It felt like heaven!

While waiting for everyone to gather, even many children who had grown up in the city were experiencing the beautiful side of the city for the first time.

However, these beautiful things were quickly forgotten by the children when the 'Brudasta Express' sent by the beast pet shop arrived at the dock.

Not just the children, everyone was seeing such an astonishing sight for the first time.

The huge Floating Giant Ducks slowly swam from the distance of the Holy Shield River and docked at the newly built city pier. The massive beasts exuded an intimidating presence, and these giants would occasionally tilt their heads to look at the amazed people on the shore, seemingly very interested in them.

This was the first time most people truly experienced the existence of beasts and the significant changes they would bring to their lives.

According to the announcement from the newly built large 'Dock Management Office' not far from the pier, these Floating Giant Ducks would connect cities along the Holy Shield River in the future, just as they do now, and their backs would be filled with people ready to embark on new lives.

This thrilled many people, who also wanted to try new lives and seek opportunities in other cities. Previously, they didn't have such conditions, but seeing the ticket prices released by the Floating Giant Duck Company, many were stirred.

By saving money diligently, perhaps they too could leave here and visit those distant cities only heard of in the tales of bards.

However, before the first voyage of the Floating Giant Ducks began, the 'Brudasta Express' had already taken countless children eager for new lives to the Kamku area.

Traveling down the Holy Shield River, crossing the entire empire into the Kamku wilderness, the children on the backs of the Floating Giant Ducks not only saw many fascinating cities and landscapes but also encountered some beasts on the shore that angrily tried to attack them.

These beasts generally had only two outcomes: either they were completely ignored, as the Floating Giant Ducks only needed to swim to the middle of the Holy Shield River, rendering it impossible for the beasts on either shore to attack them.

The Holy Shield River was the best barrier.

And if the Wingless Flywheels around the Floating Giant Ducks happened to be in the mood when the beasts provoked them, they would face a high-altitude bombardment from a large group of flying beasts.

Eventually turning into a delicious dinner.

The children, having tasted meat twice, couldn't help but drool at the sight of the beasts on the shore.

When the Floating Giant Ducks finally docked, the crowd that had come specifically to watch couldn't help but cheer enthusiastically.

Although it was just a group of beasts docking, it evoked many different feelings in these people. Most importantly, they witnessed the first official voyage of the Floating Giant Ducks, and the thrill of witnessing history was indeed very exciting.

Soon, with the help of Blue Star staff, a floating bridge extended from the pier to the back of the Floating Giant Ducks, and a group of timid children carefully walked down.

These children had obviously received some simple education while on the Floating Giant Ducks. After disembarking, they did not panic but instead stood in a line obediently, waiting to be led away.

The Brudasta Express only transported students; parents were not within their responsibility.

Thus, these children had already spent an unforgettable journey without their families, so even in the face of so many strangers, they remained very composed.

Here, the noise of the crowd gradually subsided, and Munny noticed that the people around him had consciously parted to both sides. He turned around in confusion and saw a group of guards dressed in beast pet shop attire, shouting to part the crowd and forcefully creating a path.

These guards were a unique presence in the Blue Star territory. Most of them were not even practitioners, just some relatively strong ordinary people.

But in daily life, it was these people who maintained the peace of Blue Star, a place frequented by many practitioners. Even powerful practitioners would not easily try to provoke them.

This was not only out of respect for Blue Star but also because each guard was accompanied by at least two buzzing Wingless Flywheels. These little coal balls, whose fur would be flattened by the wind when flying, making them look silly, were not to be trifled with.

Although only C-level beasts, incomparable in strength to the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs, when there were enough of them, no one dared to underestimate them.

And even if they truly encountered something that the Wingless Flywheel could not handle, the lazy Furious Ragdoll Bears and Glassy Ice Flame Dogs within the guard could finally take the stage.

After the guards parted the crowd and positioned themselves sideways in front of the people to form a human wall, several figures clad in strange robes emerged.

They were dressed in ankle-length robes, and on their backs, they carried an unfamiliar and mysterious emblem that people had never seen before.

Translator's note:

'Hogwarts'----'Brudasta'

'Diagon Alley'----'Deerhorn Lane'