Apprentices have long suffered in the Tower of Secret Techniques!
No apprentice from any other academy or Mage Tower could possibly understand the bitter tears of an apprentice from the Tower of Secret Techniques. The long curriculum and easy path to delayed graduation were one thing, but the Tower also deliberately held them back from graduating.
It was downright sadistic.
Perhaps it was related to its extreme elitist philosophy, and how the name "Secret Technique" was thoroughly integrated into its teachings. First, it assumed that everyone who joined the Tower was a young genius. While it was true that anyone with Magic Talent would be considered a "chosen one" out in the world, the Tower demanded that all its apprentices meet the standards of a genius among Casters.
