So here, scholars led by mages actively strive to live wealthy and respectable lives. Many young mages even go into debt to put on a show and attend various social events, trying to appear well-off to earn greater trust from potential sponsors.
After all, it's relatively easy for alchemists to make money, whereas mages have a harder time—even if the most advanced projects are theirs, mages are notoriously reluctant to monetize their work, fearing disdain from their peers. Yet research costs money... someone has to foot the bill eventually.
To convince those "generous benefactors" to shell out, mages often invest a significant part of their future research funds into their appearances, crafting an air of mystery akin to that of a legendary Great Mage.
—In Aiwass's view, Professor Bard seemed just a little mischievous.
