On the training grounds of the Flaming Rose Knight Order.
Today was a special day for the Witcher Academy.
Witchers, who previously relied on trickery and the legendary Law of Surprise to recruit one or two apprentices, finally had a grand day.
They could select a batch of the most promising apprentices from over three hundred war orphans on the training ground.
You see, in the past, when Witchers chose apprentices, or rather, it wasn't really a choice at all.
Except for a few children destined to become Witchers due to the Law of Surprise,
Most of the apprentices found were either abandoned by their parents, scrawny war orphans, or children with physical disabilities who couldn't survive on their own.
In short, most of them were rejects, their quality definitely not high.
This is also why Witchers who survived the Order era often appeared exceptionally powerful.
Being able to select apprentices from hundreds of children like this was probably only possible during the early days of the Order, when the genius mage Alzur was still alive and could negotiate cooperation with kings of various countries.
As mentors for selecting apprentices, whether it was Ged from the School of the Bear, Berengar from the School of the Wolf, or Gaetan from the School of the Cat, they were all excited, exclaiming that they had found the right organization.
Of course, the most excited one had to be Letho from the School of the Viper.
Although this bald, muscular man, resembling a python, maintained a serious expression, the slight upward curve of his lips and the glint in his eyes still made Guilliman find him somewhat amusing.
"Aren't you going to choose your own apprentices, my dear Master?"
Princess Adda, wearing a deep red long dress, sat languidly on the high platform, asking Guilliman beside her.
Guilliman shook his head; although there was a smile on his face, his eyes clearly showed no interest in selecting apprentices.
"I already have an apprentice named Alvin; he's a very diligent boy."
"If Your Highness is interested, I can bring him to see you next time."
"Mainly, I'm too busy and don't have time to calmly teach apprentices; even my only apprentice is being looked after by someone else."
"Letting these children follow me would delay their future."
Guilliman spoke some high-sounding words, but in reality, he himself didn't like taking apprentices, nor was there any need for it.
The reason Alvin received special treatment was not only due to a debt concerning the Elder Blood but, more importantly, because Alvin had high enough talent and special bloodline, which might be helpful to him in the future.
He was a very pragmatic person.
As he grew stronger, Witchers with limited ordinary talent would become less and less useful to him, serving only as cogs in the organization, not worth his effort.
Soon, the apprentice selection assessment on the training ground began.
Because there were enough candidates, this time the Witcher Academy would not simply accept any child, unlike in the past.
Only children with talent, endurance, and satisfactory temperament would be accepted.
Talent, in essence, referred to a strong physical foundation and potential for development; disabled children, of course, were out of the question.
This was difficult to discern and could only be judged by the four old men, who had lived for decades, relying on their own experience.
As for endurance, or perseverance, this was also a test of temperament.
Later, they would hold various physical training exercises that consumed stamina; this was both a part of testing their talent and a measure of their endurance and perseverance.
Regarding temperament.
Guilliman, based on modern psychology principles, devised a dozen questions, similar to those for civil service exams or prestigious schools, testing intelligence and logical thinking. Although there were no fixed answers, their responses could reveal a part of their temperament.
After all, a person's temperament might show some signs in childhood, but it couldn't be fully discerned at a glance.
Not only that, due to the importance placed on this assessment, even Keira, the royal advisor stationed in Vizima, was invited.
She was there to test the children's magical talent.
Although there were no strict requirements for a Witcher's magical talent, years of practice had shown that Witchers with stronger magical talent also achieved effects commensurate with their talent when using and learning Signs.
With over three hundred students and multiple assessments, the test lasted a long time, even until dusk.
Of course, neither the four Witcher examiners nor the children being assessed felt overly fatigued at this point.
This was an assessment that would affect their entire lives, so no amount of seriousness was too much... Two more days quickly passed.
The Witcher Academy selected only thirty of the most outstanding apprentices from over three hundred orphans, a chance of roughly one in ten.
They were then taken directly to Stygga Castle on Swallowtail Island aboard the Black Hawk, where they began their basic Witcher training.
This was just the first batch of war orphans; in the future, as the Maribor War progressed, and even as wars in other northern countries continued to spread, more and more war orphans would appear.
As for the remaining orphans, some might be adopted, some might be placed in orphanages, and some might be trained as servants or the like.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"