A Hospital in Another World? C.167

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After the lively event and the delightful feast, the atmosphere among the mages became more animated as they chatted.

Seated around the table were five young men and one woman, six young mages in total. Garrett Nordmark and Bernard sat with them, enjoying their meal and conversation. While the mages engaged in lively talk, Bernard, on the side, happily devoured the remnants of the two golden roast geese selected by Garrett, specifically the remains after extracting the goose liver - crunch, crunch, he relished every bite.

Envious glances shifted from the barbarian to Garrett. Most of these individuals hailed from noble families, and though they hadn’t fully grasped Garrett’s recent display, they understood one thing: this was a type of magic they had never seen before.

To create a new spell as a Level 1 mage indicated limitless potential for Garrett’s future.

Ignoring the focused gazes, Garrett smiled faintly, choosing to remain silent. If it were Elder Elwin or Elder Wood, or even Priest Matthew, he might have shared this extraordinary ultrasound magic. But for these mages, what use would sharing it serve?

Pretending not to notice the admiration from the crowd, Garrett continued to smile. After a moment of quiet, Anthony, the highest-ranked mage present, cleared his throat, raising his glass.

"Firstly, let’s congratulate Corin on successfully advancing to Level 2."

Garrett raised a glass of water, while the others each held a cup of red wine. Bernard, on the other hand, lifted a large beer mug, and they exchanged nods before taking sips. Corin smiled, nodding to the group, and Anthony raised his glass again.

"Next, congratulations to Garrett for the successful publication of his paper in ’Arcane.’"

Another round of toasts ensued. Garrett accepted the congratulations with a smile, seemingly oblivious to his water-drinking amidst the wine-drinking crowd. Then, Anthony raised his glass once more.

"Let’s also wish everyone success in publishing their papers, achieving good results, and completing the training program."

"That’s too difficult..."

"Publishing a paper is not that easy..."

Lamentations filled the air. Anthony’s fork and knife trembled on his plate, creating an unpleasant noise. Corin, with his wine glass near his lips, accidentally spilled some liquid as he sighed. Miles slumped onto the table.

"Ah..."

"I don’t even know what to write..."

"At this rate, I might get sent back..."

"I want to stay in Nevis..."

Garrett looked around, perplexed. Left and right, faces of the young mages, except for the two locals, bore expressions of distress. Trying to recall, Garrett couldn’t remember any relevant information from the teachers in class or the library after class. He whispered inquiringly:

"Sent back? Is it possible to be sent back if the training is not passed? I’ve never heard of that!"

A moment of silence fell. Anthony, clearing his throat, spoke first, holding up his cup.

"Like us low-ranking mages, there are generally three paths ahead. First, study at the local mage tower for a certain period. For example, a Level 1 mage has a time limit of 3 years to advance to Level 2. If one cannot progress within the time frame, they can’t stay. After reaching Level 3, there’s a required period of service at the mage tower."

So, if one can enter the headquarters’ mage tower, it’s not bad. If they initially study at an out-of-town mage tower, local learning and employment become challenging, especially when it’s hard to transfer to other places - transferring to the headquarters’ mage tower is even more difficult. Garrett nodded, understanding.

"Second, find work at the headquarters of the Magic Council. The council offers many positions, like copying scrolls, crafting magical items, and making potions. Also, administrative tasks like registering mage levels and exchanging magical items. Various mage towers, academies, and magical organizations have research work that requires personnel..."

Sounds good. Garrett’s eyes lit up, but Corin sighed beside him.

"The problem is that making things is quite hard work. After working for ten or eight years, there’s no guarantee of progress. As for research work—low-ranking mages are seldom recruited. It’s usually higher-ranking mages leading apprentices. Administrative work? For someone like me without connections, forget about it..."

Is it similar to working in a factory, taking the exam to enter public service, or going to university and a research institute? Oh, forgot, there’s no civil service exam in this world. Garrett silently crossed out administrative work as an option: "What about the third?"

"The third is finding your own way! Become an adventurer, take on tasks assigned by the Magic Council, become a family mage sponsored by some wealthy aristocrat... All of these are possible. But honestly, having a stable job is better than going down this path."

Also becoming a palace mage, joining the military, or being employed by a wealthy merchant. Like the one a few days ago outside the theater, using magical tricks to paint promotional art. It’s just unclear if he’s employed long-term or occasionally takes odd jobs...

Garrett nodded in understanding. Anthony’s evaluation was also understood: as an intellectual, try to work within the system as much as possible, right?

It was the same in his previous life, whether as a doctor or researching medicine, either working in a public hospital or entering a university.

Go directly to a private one after leaving school?

Congratulations, you’ll be cut off from academic development for a lifetime.

And this world emphasizes academic development even more. The higher the mage level, the higher the status. If you can’t advance in level, your strength and status remain stagnant. Want to level up? The broadest and smoothest path is to join a magical organization, like a mage tower at headquarters or a magic academy, and continue researching magic...

"So how do I find research work?"

Garrett poured wine for his fellow mages, sincerely seeking advice. The table fell silent for a moment, then five or six people spoke up simultaneously.

"Garrett, you should be fine..."

"But it’s better to have a few more papers... Well, you already have one in ’Arcane,’ so you should be fine. But having more would certainly be better."

"Right, you should submit your papers to the Magic Council, gain academic points and an academic rating. With this, it’s easier to find work at the headquarters, especially in teaching and research positions."

"Act quickly; the training program and magic academy both graduate at the end of June. Usually, organizations start recruiting around March or April. It’s already February now..."

Understood, the recruitment season for recent graduates is about to begin. During this time, there are many job openings and favorable conditions. Finding a job after the recruitment season would be challenging.

However, does the Magic Council’s recruitment season start in March or April?

In the previous life, the autumn recruitment for recent graduates usually kicked off around July of the previous year... So, is it because the population is scarce, resulting in fewer mages in this world?

Tonight, I’ll go back and write my paper!

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