Prince was a delicate and pretty youth, who looked to be about 15 or 16 years old. Glory was a middle-aged, bearded man, and Vonn was a handsome man with blue hair. Tyrion instantly realized that the apprentices at the civilians’ side were much friendlier.
“I’m Lickeden, a self-schooled Chemist. I just got a letter of recommendation, so I’m here to try my luck,” Tyrion said, smiling.
“You actually got a letter of recommendation!” Taergarien’s expression was one of surprise. The others could not help but look over.
“Hahaha, to think that, other than our Prince, there was another apprentice who got a letter of recommendation!” Glory laughed and said.
Tyrion was stunned for a moment, then asked, “Is it very hard to get a letter of recommendation?”
…
“Brother, do you have any idea how hard it is to get a letter of recommendation?” Taergarien ranted. “In our civilian camp, there are no more than ten apprentices, who are eligible for letters of recommendation, and they are all true geniuses!”
Tyrion now realized how valuable a letter of recommendation really was. Although a certified Chemist would be qualified to write a letter of recommendation for others, not every Chemist would want to do so.
To get a letter of recommendation, a certified Chemist had to attest that a student truly excelled in the areas of strength and talent. As such, getting a letter of recommendation was akin to being under the tutelage of that Chemist, thus sharing a relationship similar to that of a mentor and a disciple.
If that mentor had his own laboratory, the disciple would have to work and learn in the laboratory for a period of time after he assumed the role as a certified Chemist. A Chemist must be impressed with the person’s talent before he would issue him a letter of recommendation. Otherwise, bringing in someone inexperienced would only damage his laboratory.
At the same time, whether a student accepted a letter of recommendation was also a choice.
Accepting a letter of recommendation was tantamount to working in the mentor’s laboratory. But, the positives that brought included the convenience of following a famous Chemist, learning from his knowledge and resources.
Of course, this whole process was aimed at civilian apprentices. As for the apprentices with the privileges of a noble, they had their own family Chemists and research laboratories.
However, for a civilian apprentice, a letter of recommendation was a necessary stepping stone, allowing him to directly participate in the Chemist certification examination. Once he became a Chemist, he could also learn from the renowned Chemist, access the required resources, and be nurtured.
Even though this would mean being an employee for a period of time, it was all worthwhile. After all, there was a huge difference between being taught by a renowned mentor and having to learn on your own.
“Brother, which certified Chemist did you get your letter of recommendation from? Let me tell you, it’s important to choose a renowned mentor,” Taergarien said with a serious look.
Tyrion smiled and said, “It’s a secret.”
They were not surprised and did not continue to probe further. Usually, before an apprentice becomes a Chemist, a mentor does not wish their apprentice to reveal to others that their letter of recommendation came from them.
The reasoning for this was, if the apprentice received a letter of recommendation but failed to become certified, the mentor himself would also be disgraced and ridiculed by his peers.
A group of people were chatting warmly with Tyrion. As the civilian camp in the Alchemy Guild was relatively weak in power, it made them feel more united. Through listening to their conversations, Tyrion found that a total of eight people had received letters of recommendation in this certification examination, including Prince and himself.
“Prince and Kayla have the best chances of passing this certification examination, as they are the most gifted among the civilian population,” Clay said with a sigh.
Clay was more than 40 years old. He had failed to pass the certification examination, even after countless attempts.
“Prince is such a great talent.” Tyrion was surprised, when he had found out that Prince was shorter than him by a head’s length.
“What is it? Don’t I look like a genius?” Prince touched his nose and gave him a proud look.
“Just 16 years old! If he can really become a Chemist at this age, it would break Stanlos’ record as the youngest certified Chemist,” said Tobian enviously.
Prince had his hands crossed and a smug look on his face. Tyrion smiled, as he knew the heart of a young man was often filled with tendencies to show off. However, it could be seen that Prince’s character was not bad, just a little proud.
“Who is Kayla, then?” Tyrion asked.
“She’s the one over there. Kayla doesn’t like to talk to anyone. She’s always got her head buried in her books, just like a nerd,” Prince said, while pointing. His words, however, had a tinge of envy.
In the corner of the crowd, a bespectacled girl was looking through an old handwritten book. She was wearing a long white, flowery dress and her long black hair was pulled behind her glasses ears.
Her aura was serene and quiet, which kept other people from bothering her.
She looked a little older than Prince, had a pretty face, and looked gentle.
When Tyrion saw her, he suddenly had an image of his previous life flash in his mind. It was a picture of a quiet afternoon, with a dark-haired girl quietly reading a book on the lawn of the house next door.
It was an oriental girl, who had moved next door to become Tyrion’s neighbor during his teenage days. Tyrion had never seen such a quiet temperament as hers. Though she had moved away after living there for only a few months, her appearance in his life was deeply engraved in his mind.
“Kayla was ill last year, so she did not take part in the certification examination. Otherwise, she would have been the one to break the record as the youngest Chemist. This was the reason why Prince was unhappy,” Clay said, then laughed.