Edith flatly refused her.
The requirements for a sponsored tutor were always exceptionally high. Not just any warrior could become a sponsored tutor at Rune Academy, and Chiling, you should know this well.
“I know,” Chiling replied, “but she meets all the requirements to be a sponsored tutor.”
Hearing Chiling’s confident assertion, Edith couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity.
“Who is she?”
“I’m sorry, I cannot say.”
“The reason I came here is to arrange for her to become a sponsored tutor anonymously.”
Chiling’s movements were rarely known, so Edith had no idea that she had also been in Vidona before coming to Hunterston. Naturally, she wouldn’t connect the warrior Chiling spoke of with the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
Chiling, for her part, would not reveal this information to Edith. While the academy dean usually served as their mentor, their time together was relatively short, making it difficult for Chiling to trust that Edith wouldn’t betray Silverbloom.
“Anonymously?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this request, Edith leaned back slightly, a hint of disdain creeping into her stern expression.
In her eyes, those who used connections to gain backdoor entry were typically incompetent. Thus, Chiling’s claim that the warrior met all the requirements for a sponsored tutor was utterly unbelievable.
Moreover, not only did this person seek backdoor entry, but they also demanded special anonymous treatment, which only made Edith look down on the warrior even more.
“Why does she want to become an academy tutor?”
“Because all the juniors she has mentored have come to participate in Rune Academy’s entrance examination,” Chiling answered truthfully.
“Heh, she’s quite confident in her juniors, believing they will definitely pass the exam?” Edith sneered.
“They do possess that capability.”
Chiling’s certainty made Edith look at her for a few extra moments. However, she quickly seemed to recall something and stated indifferently:
“Since its establishment, Rune Academy has never had an anonymous warrior serve as a sponsored tutor. This is clearly a violation, and I hope you understand this.”
“But—”
Chiling intended to argue further, but Edith cut her off the moment she began to speak.
“I can make an exception this one time, but there are conditions.”
She adjusted her glasses. Although Edith smiled, Chiling felt no warmth in it, and unease gradually began to swirl within her.
“Conditions?”
“Precisely.”
Edith declared in a deep voice:
“Academy sponsored tutors must at least be renowned Tier 7 warriors. If she doesn’t wish to disclose her information, then she must undergo a Tier 7 magic power test and pass at Level 3.”
“Level 3?!”
The surge of emotion caused flames to spontaneously appear around Chiling. She stared coldly at Edith, her expression turning grim.
“A Tier 7 magic power test not only assesses a warrior’s magic power level but also their ability to guide magic power. Generally, reaching Tier 7 in magic power level is sufficient to be considered a Tier 7 warrior, with no particular requirements for the latter.”
“After all, most warriors’ ability to guide Tier 7 magic power remains at Level 3.”
“To improve one’s magic power guidance ability, accumulated practice and innate talent are both indispensable. Once Level 2 is achieved, it signifies a significant increase in the warrior’s strength. Therefore, even among Tier 7 warriors, there are distinctions in power.”
“However, this isn’t absolute. Take Skyfire, for instance. She is at Level 1, but the forbidden spells and combat techniques she learned all came from Chiling, so Chiling must be judged by her level.”
Their true strength did not differ significantly from lower-tier warriors. Moreover, a weaker guidance ability did not prevent a warrior from advancing to Tier 8; it merely meant their practical combat ability was somewhat inferior.
Chiling’s intense reaction, however, stemmed entirely from Edith’s mention of Level 3.
That was the highest level of magic power guidance. Those who could reach Level 3 were as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns. Even many Tier 8 council members, when they were still Tier 7, couldn’t achieve Level 3 magic power guidance.
Edith herself was one such example, having only reached Level 2 when she was Tier 7.
In the past, Chiling would not have doubted Silverbloom’s ability to pass Level 3 at all. But after so many years of neglect, did she truly still possess such guidance ability?
As Chiling fell into thought, Edith unhurriedly continued to list her demands:
“Not only that, but as a tutor, she cannot lack teaching ability. If her juniors successfully enter Rune Academy, then they must achieve first place in the academy’s final exam for their first semester.”
“Before then, if she passes the Level 3 magic power test, I can recognize her as a temporary sponsored tutor for the academy and will not make things difficult for her.”
*Whoosh—!*
Chiling stood up, placing her hands on Edith’s desk, and spoke with suppressed fury: “These demands are utterly impossible!”
Passing a Level 3 magic power test was already incredibly difficult. Now, they also had to become the academy’s top students?
She knew perfectly well how many geniuses were in Rune Academy. While Celia and her companions possessed decent talent, Chiling believed they had no ability to contend for first place, even with Silverbloom’s guidance.
She finally understood. Edith had no intention of letting Silverbloom become a sponsored tutor; she had been toying with her all along.
“Impossible? Then she should abandon any thoughts of becoming a sponsored tutor.”
Facing an enraged Chiling, Edith leisurely picked up the nearby kettle and brewed herself a cup of tea.
“Allowing her to become a sponsored tutor anonymously already violates the rules. Don’t expect it to be an easy path.”
“What if she became a regular tutor?”
“She is not qualified to be a regular tutor,” Edith rejected without a second thought.
Sponsored tutors, due to their own fame as warriors, were not considered a formal profession. While they enjoyed freedom and certain privileges at Rune Academy, regular tutors were different; they needed to provide complete personal information before employment and could not remain anonymous under any circumstances.
Chiling understood this well, so she did not dwell on the point.
“Edith, those demands you’ve made are simply impossible to meet!”
“I’m only saying this out of respect for you. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t even entertain their demands; I’d simply kick them out.”
Edith took two sips of her tea, then issued a clear dismissal.
“If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”
After staring intently at each other for several seconds, Chiling knew Edith wouldn’t budge. She let out a cold snort and turned to leave. Yet, before she fully departed, Edith’s voice drifted eerily from behind her.
“Consider it carefully. If you still insist, just head to the magic power testing area. I will notify them to be prepared. If she can pass the Level 3 magic power test, no one will question her strength, even if she remains anonymous.”
“If she cannot, there’s no need to force it. She can simply return to where she came from. Rune Academy does not welcome her.”
Despite the seemingly calm tone, Chiling detected a subtle hint of mockery, which undoubtedly reignited her fury.
“I hope you won’t regret this.”
Stopping dead in her tracks, she left those words hanging in the air before slamming the door shut with a resounding *thud*.