Your Majesty, Wonders are Harmful to the Country!

During Wagner's days in Idar Territory, he would stay up late and wake up early, exhausting himself.

However, he was immensely grateful for being in Idar Territory and was filled with hope for the future of himself and his family.

Here, in Idar, there were no corrupt officials exploiting the commoners, nor were there gangs of thugs robbing and looting. Wagner could fully rely on his own strength to earn the materials necessary to sustain his family.

Although he was tired, he was also happy.

Whether he was mining at the Grand Highlands' iron mines or smelting iron in the newly built foundry, the guiding principle of the Idar officials managing them was always: "More work, more pay; less work, less pay."

Every work point he earned was fair and square, and every wage he received was solid and reliable. In Wagner's eyes, this was the most valuable aspect of Idar Territory.

Of course, it wasn't just Wagner whose life was fulfilling and busy so were the mage apprentices who had previously helped build the iron foundry.

Or rather, the moment those nine mage apprentices formally became students of Earl Bruno of Idar, their daily lives became extraordinarily packed.

Their morning physical training was naturally retained.

After all, these mage apprentices were physically weak beyond belief, and Bruno had no desire to see any of them collapsing from exhaustion.

The production of magic crystal bombs also continued without pause. Even though Bruno had crossed into this world, his deep-rooted fear of insufficient firepower had been etched into his soul, influencing every decision he made. (Author being afraid of America power level being over 9,000)

This was precisely why, when Bruno sent Admiral Mal Cullen on a military expedition to Coral Island, he loaded an entire ship with magic crystal bombs.

After all, magic crystal bombs were Idar's most valuable asset, so their production would never be excessive. As long as they could be made, they should be made.

In his past life, his homeland had suffered far too many setbacks and endured too much pain. The burdens borne by his people constantly reminded Bruno to remain vigilant, as he absolutely did not want to face the same oppression in this world. Compared to those selfless leaders who had dedicated their lives to their nation, Bruno knew he was far less politically astute.

The success of magic crystal bomb research opened a familiar path for Bruno, and so, no matter how many tasks the mage apprentices had, their top priority every morning was producing these bombs.

Apart from the daily production of magic crystal bombs, the mage apprentices were also responsible for:Optimizing existing magic arrays, Researching new magic arrays, Analyzing the performance of deployed magic arrays

Additionally, they had to periodically inspect and maintain operational magic arrays throughout Idar Territory, such as those in ironworks and cement workshops.

Whenever they had spare time, they would also visit their mentor Earl Bruno.

Thus, these mage apprentices soon became Bruno's second set of "tools", following Arnel.

And as proper "tools," they embraced their role with great awareness.

Waking up at six in the morning and sleeping at midnight became their daily routine.

At first, they struggled with the intense schedule. But as Bruno painted a grand vision for the future of the Idar School of Magic, their creativity and willpower exploded with unparalleled force!

The walls of the Idar Magic Array Research Laboratory were soon covered in motivational slogans carefully prepared by Bruno:

"Persevere to the end, never give up!""Go crazy today for a glorious tomorrow!""Endure a hundred days of hardship to avoid a lifetime of regret!""I am strong, I work hard, I can succeed, I will succeed!"

These inspirational phrases, written on plain white paper in the Norman Empire's script, served as constant reminders to the mage apprentices. Whenever their focus wavered, their eyes would land on these slogans, and...

They would feel a deep sense of guilt and unease!

How could they not cherish this opportunity?

Earl Bruno had provided them with such good living conditions and the chance to fully engage in magic and magic array research.

Wasting even a single second would be a betrayal of Earl Bruno, the soldiers of Idar, and the people of Idar!

Thus, under the influence of these slogans and Bruno's unwavering trust, the efficiency and speed of the mage apprentices improved dramatically.

As a moral and just young man of the new era, Bruno would never force these mage apprentices to complete tasks.

They were doing it voluntarily!

However, their self-discipline and dedication led to one minor problem Bruno, who always slept until he woke up naturally, often forgot about his duty as their teacher.

These apprentices, living a three-task routine within their secluded research facility, barely had any presence in Idar Territory.

Unless something related to magic crossed his mind, Bruno rarely remembered he had ten students!

Occasionally, before falling asleep, Bruno would suddenly remember that he hadn't taught them any mathematics that day. He would then make a silent vow to teach them next time…

But once morning came, those thoughts would disappear completely.

Until now, despite being their teacher in name, and the founder of the Idar School of Magic, Bruno had not taught them a single class.

Thus, on the second day after inspecting the ironworks, Bruno finally decided to give these mage apprentices a lesson!

The lecture would be held in the Hanging Garden.

And since Bruno needed to wake up naturally, the first-ever lesson of the Idar School of Magic would begin at 3 PM that afternoon.

However, as soon as the apprentices received this news the day before, they were overwhelmed with excitement.

After all, their mentor, Earl Bruno, though normally low-key and reserved, was at least a Grand Mage level powerhouse!

More importantly, this young Earl Bruno had, with just a few words, established an entirely new school of magic in Idar! Such wisdom was unparalleled!

As they delved deeper into their studies, they increasingly realized that magic arrays were an immensely profound discipline.

It could very well be the most significant milestone in the history of magic!

Thus, they were beyond eager for their mentor's first lesson.

As soon as lunch was over, they gathered outside the Hanging Garden, waiting in anticipation.

After all, no matter the time or place, a lecture from a Grand Mage was an exceedingly rare opportunity!

Bruno, still half-asleep, sat up on his bed with a yawn.

A short afternoon nap usually made him feel refreshed and energetic.

Just then, Lister entered and spoke softly, "Earl, the mage apprentices have been waiting outside for quite some time now…"

Bruno blinked. "Mage apprentices?"

Lister reminded him, "My lord, you were supposed to teach them this afternoon."

Bruno rubbed his temples and said, "Let them in…"

The temporary classroom was located on the first level of the Hanging Garden, right next to a gently flowing stream that meandered through the garden. Beside it was a spacious terrace not very large, but just the right size to provide a clear view of the fish leaping in the water.

This was actually the first time the mage apprentices had entered the Hanging Garden since arriving in the Idar Territory.

From the moment they set foot in Idar, Bruno had arranged for them to be stationed in a secret laboratory deep within the Armis Mountain Range. In fact, they had only been to Idar City once.

Midsummer was when the Hanging Garden was at its most magnificent lush vegetation flourished, and all kinds of exotic flowers and plants competed to display their beauty.

The garden was not only home to the native flora and fauna of the Armis Mountains but also housed rare plants that Bruno had specially ordered from across the empire.

Even the mage apprentices, who had spent years in Saint Lawrence, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe from the bottom of their hearts.

Although the Hanging Garden was not literally floating in the air, its unique geographical position made it appear as if it were suspended in midair.

On one side of the garden, a majestic waterfall cascaded down, making the garden perched on the Armis Mountains look like a divine miracle bestowed by the gods...

The classroom on the first level had already been neatly arranged, with rows of desks, a podium, and even a chalkboard mounted on the wall behind the podium to give it a proper classroom-like atmosphere.

Though called a chalkboard, it was not actually black just a smoothly polished wooden board crafted by artisans.

Nonetheless, Bruno could use his homemade charcoal pencil to write on it.

This was the first time the mage apprentices had experienced this kind of lesson each with their own bench and desk, which made the setting quite novel for them.

They sat upright, just like primary school students, staring intently at Bruno.

After all, in their eyes, today was the first official lesson given by their mentor, so no matter what, they had to leave a good impression on Bruno.

"From the time I agreed to be your mentor until now, it's been at least a month. So… speak freely. What have you all learned during this time?"

Seeing that the apprentices were ready, Bruno cleared his throat and posed the question.

Upon hearing this, the mage apprentices exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

For one, this kind of formal teaching method was uncommon among mages of this era. Most lessons took place outdoors on an open field or inside a wizard's tower training room, where a mentor would personally guide apprentices one-on-one on how to cast spells.

Secondly… ever since Bruno became their mentor, he hadn't actually taught them anything...

For example, the research on magic crystal bombs had taken place before they even officially became his apprentices...

Now, there was an awkward silence in the room.

"Ahem… Lett! Yes… don't look around, I'm talking to you. Stand up and tell me what have you learned these past days?" Bruno randomly picked someone.

Hearing his name, Lett instantly turned pale as a ghost…

Bruno had always managed his apprentices in a laissez-faire style he simply gave them tasks and then left them to it.

So, Lett really had no idea how to answer...

"I… I learned… uh…"

Seeing that Lett was mumbling and still unable to give a proper answer, Bruno let out a long sigh.

This group of mage apprentices… though they were quick to learn how to draw magic arrays, they weren't exactly the brightest…

Pointing at the apprentices sitting in front of him, Bruno spoke with a pained expression:

"You lot… it's been months since you became my students, yet you still haven't grasped my true intentions!"

Shaking his head helplessly, Bruno continued:

"So… what exactly have you all been doing this past month? Arnel!"

Arnel quickly stood up.

"Replying to Mentor every morning, we start the day with running drills. After breakfast, we work on making magic crystal bombs. Near noon, we begin discussions on the next phase of magic array research as assigned by you. In the evening, we attempt to optimize existing arrays. Every weekend, we conduct field inspections to assess and report on the operational status of the arrays across Idar Territory."

"Very good." Bruno nodded, gesturing for Arnel to sit down.

"As Arnel just described, your days have been quite busy. But the most important thing is that all of your magic array research was completed independently through teamwork."

Hearing this, Arnel pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"I only assigned you tasks I never taught you what to do or how to do it." Bruno paused, then continued:

"But why is that? You must understand these magic arrays that you've spent so much time and effort researching, I could draw them effortlessly myself."

Bruno shamelessly declared:

"I didn't do this out of laziness, but because I wanted to train you in independent thinking and team collaboration! And this is what truly matters!"

"Think carefully and ask yourselves why is it that something as simple as magic arrays has never been proposed by any other mage in the past hundreds or even thousands of years?"

As Bruno finished speaking, the room fell silent as the apprentices fell into deep thought...

He had a point!

These magic arrays were so simple that even Lett, Watson, and Arnel ordinary apprentices could draw them, yet before Bruno, the mage world had never seen the slightest trace of them!

Bruno continued:

"The answer is… rigid thinking!"

Rigid thinking?

The apprentices were momentarily stunned.

"You believe that only mages can enjoy the convenience of magic. The extremists from the Sagu School even consider themselves to be a separate, superior, non-human species!"

"You have been conditioned by the long-standing traditions of the mage world. Every day, you simply chant spells and cast magic, never thinking to apply magic in new ways or repurpose it for other uses!"

"And that is precisely why I want to train you to think independently. In my view, life truly begins only when a person learns to think! So reflect on this carefully!"

Finally… the classroom fell into a deep silence...

Because everything Bruno said was undeniable reality!

In the centuries old mage world, not a single new concept like magic arrays had emerged not even the simplest ones!

The only thing that could be remotely related to magic arrays was the magical seal marks sometimes placed on letters.

Just as Bruno was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something.

Reaching behind him, he pulled out a thick book.

The apprentices looked at the cover, and on it were four bold words—"Elementary Mathematics"!

"This book contains just a fraction of the knowledge I have accumulated over the years. This 'Elementary Mathematics' is simple enough for you to study on your own. If there's anything you don't understand, write it on the board, and I'll explain it to you."

Bruno had no intention of personally teaching mathematics—way too much effort!

Moreover… he had already torn out the answer key and detailed explanations!

That way…

When the apprentices inevitably struggled, Bruno could show off his wisdom, solidifying his status as a grand mage!