For those people that needed large amounts of spirit ores mined by the others, there are only two methods of getting them.

The first way is to purchase already extracted ores.

Whichever type one needs could be found separated by their purity, and purchase at this mining centre is definitely cheaper than elsewhere. After a spirit ore has several changes of hands, the prices will multiply by more than ten times.

Of course, even coming to the mining station, it is impossible for regular folks to get it that cheaply, since there have already been at least one change-of-hands. After all, the shops must ensure their profits.

Many miners also refuse to deal with outsiders directly and rather deal with shops that are buying extracted ores in bulk. Maybe today they could undercut the merchants and sell you at a price that makes both parties are happy, but tomorrow after you left, the miner will have a big problem at hand.

It is not as if they have all the free time to stand around waiting for buyers. Who will extract the ores from the mines for them if they are out here?

Still, anyone that make their way to a spirit ore mine will have substantial saving, no matter if they bought it from a store or managed to find a miner that is willing to sell them.

The second way is even more expensive; gambling stone eggs for ores.

Depending on their exterior, and the place that the stone egg was found, an appraiser will determine the stone egg’s value.

Of course, no matter how skilful and experienced the appraisers are, without opening it, there is no way to tell what exactly is contained within, but only make educated guesses.

If there is any spirit ore within.

After all, purchasing stone eggs are gambling in the end. Many believe that within the next stone egg it would be a high-grade spirit ore that would be worth a hundred, or a thousand times, the value they paid for.

The price for the stone eggs is a fair bit more than the average spirit ore, since what is contained within is not just a spirit ore but a hope, and the selling price of hope has always been on the high side.

After all, gambling always makes one poorer, otherwise, how could the gambling business survive?

To find a treasured spirit ore is exceptionally difficult, not many people could venture into a treasure trove like Kairos and his gang.

Led by their instructor, the student group soon arrived before the largest stone gambling shop.

Unlike the smaller shops that have a large crowd of people gathered around a shoddily-made table filled with stones eggs of different sizes, this place felt like a high-class establishment.

The business may be the same, but the exterior design is truly extravagant.

“Such a place is more suitable my status,” Calculus snorted and took a step towards the reception lobby.

“Wrong place boy. Over here,” Er Tian waved him over to a small backstreet next to the grand stone gambling shop.

“What? You want us to enter this stinky, dark, wet, alleyway?”

“Stop complaining and follow. Only this place has the best collection. Those beautiful shop fronts you see are only for suckers… like you.”

Calculus’ face turned beet red, but he was tongue-tied. Indeed, he has gone into a great many shops that gave him such ridiculous prices that he suspected at being overcharged. What the instructor said was like a slap which woke a sleeping man. The proud young heir wordlessly followed, bickering with an instructor in the school is never a good thing, and it looks like Er Tian is not the kind that would fear the Devilheart family.

The alley ended in front of a dirty wooden house, although it is big, the structure is worn down, and it made the place look seedy.

“Are you sure we won’t be kidnapped inside?” One of the more outspoken girls questioned the teacher.

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In the blacksmithing class, no girls act like the little princess of their house. When one is often smeared with coal and showered with sparks, it is difficult to have a soft and fluffy character.

Er Tian shrugged then disappeared through the dark entrance to the shop, and despite the frowns on their faces, everyone went right in following him.

Fire torches lighted the inside, and the air was filled with the smell of grease, smoke, and sweat. Its four walls were cluttered with stone eggs on shelves, and a pointed-face man with sharp eyes who looked like a shady merchant approached the group.

“Oh, lookie here, a bunch of whelps here for our killing,” he said unreservedly.

“I… instructor?”

“It... couldn’t be that our instructor and this place is running a scam... could it?”

“The stone eggs in this place is probably all third-rate.”

“I bet they charge an arm or a leg… but… I better buy some so that the instructor would be happy.”

Most of the students held such thoughts in mind when they heard the conversation between the shopkeeper and their teacher, but none dared to back out. The cost of stone eggs might be expensive, but for nobles, it is a cheap way to get into good books. In fact, they welcomed it.

On the other hand, the commoners in their group were already more than upset. If the class already has enough material for their lessons, then paying more is only a waste!

“Come on now, old chap, don’t frighten these new-comers. Moreover, they need a lesson to baptise them as blacksmiths,” Er Tian said with a laugh.

“That’s it. They are definitely in cohorts.”

“I’ll just buy one… it's good enough right?”

“Alright, stop standing there like stunned ducks. The exercise you are doing is to think of the object you want to make and pick thirty stone eggs out from this shop. I will be judging your ability to choose your own materials. Then… begin!”

“So many eggs, how are we to pay for it?!”

“That’s impossible…”

“And because of that pointless bet, we will just end up losing everything!”

“Hah… these commoners sure are noisy. Thirty eggs are nothing.”

The Academies are all set up by the state to train their youths to become combatants. Regardless of gender or social status, every person that comes of age will be taught at least a year. During that time, all their expenses are paid for, and they will also be receiving a small sum of money every month as their pay.

This amount is barely enough for their living expenses and training, so as to gain more, the students will need to take up ‘risks’.

Such money-making opportunities are present in most class and are sometimes introduced as missions. For example, in the Combat Class, students can sign up for the Adventurer Guild’s monster suppression quests to earn extra money and be graded at the same time by their results. But for the Blacksmithing class, the opportunity to make extra cash is done traditionally in the blacksmiths’ way: Gambling Stone Eggs.

“Listen you young’uns, a good smith will be able to tell the source and characteristic of each material he works with, it is the only way to use its potential fully. The old smiths of the northern savage lands spend ten years to learn each type of ore before their masters allow them to work with it. That is a decade for each ore!

Our Saint Empire is far behind them in their arts, but that doesn’t mean we can skip steps. To help you remember and strengthen you up nicely, you have to put something on the line. Those of you who cannot afford to pay for thirty stone eggs will enter into debts! Don’t worry, as I said, there will be no interest. HAHA HAHAHA!”

“Waittt…. How are we judged?”

“Yeah… Sir? How are we given our grade and how much points are we given?”

“Gah… you youngsters always ask too many questions. Must you always look before you leap? Well, okay… You guys have studied well, right? You will need to show me how knowledgeable you are in finding the stone eggs that contains spirit ores and judged by your accuracy.

Anyway, don’t worry. The bar for passing is low; the Academy is more interested in your improvement after all.”

“Well, thanks for the purchases… once again. Hehehehehee…” The storekeeper laughed like the wicked money-grubbing merchant he is.

“Kairos, are we going to let them rip us off like this?” Jim asked angrily.

Although only a few followed Kairos during the mining, there were other members from the Snowdrifts in the blacksmith class, and they openly agreed with Jim. The courses were assigned to each student by what they are good at. For commoners, most of them are weaker in combat and the related arts when compared to nobles.

The poor seldom interact with things like Runes Weaving, Formations & Arrays, and Seal Creation where extensive knowledge is required. While, Talisman Creation, Pill Creation, and War tactics & Commander Classes have absurdly high entry requirement, and is difficult to pick up.

Blacksmithing, on the other hand, remains a popular choice for them, followed closely by Beast Taming, and the Runic Engraving classes.

Hammering out tools has a certain practical attractiveness to commoners, while Beast Taming depends more on one’s affinity with creatures than the background a person has, and carving runes can make one an easy buck. All three crafts are difficult to master but easy to start.

It wasn’t surprising to have these many of them in this place, and most were frustrated at the prospect of wasting money, even if they do not have to worry about living expenses anymore. Being overcharged by merchants is the worst offence for many of them.

This is the difference between those who had seen the evils of poverty and those of normal or higher birth. Even if they suddenly gained wealth that they do not know what to do with it, it is unthinkable for them to splurge it all away.

Of course, there are always exceptions, and not everyone is good. A few of them had their eyes gleaming. Ahhh… gambling. A talent that is decided from birth. It doesn’t matter how well one’s ancestor did, nor does it take a lot of skill and intelligence. While most of them were reluctant, the few believed this time it is the perfect time to show Kairos who’s boss.

However, Kairos only smiled, and before anyone moved, he went forward to pick his first stone egg.