One had to admit, the old man before her was truly the most powerful individual Leya had encountered since transmigrating to this otherworld. Hmmm.
Yet, Leya couldn’t shake the feeling that a faint yet dangerous magical aura emanated from him, demanding her utmost caution.
‘Is he testing me?’
The thought startled Leya, prompting her to instinctively prepare a transformation card.
“Hehe, my apologies, young lady. I was momentarily overcome with excitement at the sight of potential, losing my composure. If I startled you, I sincerely beg your forgiveness! Please, grant me your pardon!”
As he spoke, the dangerous magical aura that had enveloped the old man swiftly dissipated.
‘But… “excitement at the sight of potential”? What does that even mean? If I’m not mistaken, I shouldn’t be emitting any magical fluctuations right now. Or could it be that this old man can see through appearances to the essence, detecting the divine power hidden within me?’
‘But that’s absurd! To break through my divine power barriers with mortal strength and glimpse all my secrets—that’s no longer human, is it?’
‘And what’s with that laugh? It feels… inexplicably lecherous.’
“Young lady, are you perhaps unwilling to forgive me?”
The old man, seeing that Leya remained silent, couldn’t help but ask, a hint of urgency in his voice.
“No, you are an elder, and a great master of magic. There’s no question of forgiveness, really. Please, quickly rise!”
“Hehehe, I knew it! You strike me as a kind young girl. And… what is your name?”
“Leya…”
“Hmm? Are you of noble birth?”
“…………I apologize, but I’d prefer not to say.”
For one, Leya hadn’t even thought of a surname. For another, she found this old man incredibly annoying. So familiar, so quickly—did his family even know about this?
If it weren’t for the crowd and the need to maintain appearances, hmph…
“What? That girl actually refused Grand Sage Edwin!”
“Holy moly! Is this girl insane?”
“You’re the one who’s insane! Haven’t you seen her exquisite beauty, refined demeanor, and extraordinary eloquence? She might be the daughter of some prominent family!”
“But I heard that even the City Lord shows utmost respect to the Grand Sage. How could a mere junior from a family dare to…”
“Exactly! It’s a good thing the Grand Sage is so mild-mannered, otherwise that girl would surely bring trouble upon herself!”
[The crowd buzzed with chatter.]
Leya’s delicate brows furrowed slightly at the murmurs. She hadn’t expected this old man to have quite the background, and was likely not someone to offend lightly.
As a newcomer, though she wasn’t panicking too much with the Saber transformation card, there was no reason to immediately make dozens of enemies for herself, was there?
“Heh heh, no matter. Everyone is entitled to their privacy and secrets, Leya. You needn’t worry about it!”
Fortunately, the old man did not seem particularly bothered, speaking to Leya with a smile.
“Mmm…”
She nodded in response, though in truth, Leya hadn’t really taken it to heart anyway.
“Leya, you’re a newly registered member, aren’t you? Are you perhaps hoping to become a mage?”
Leya gently nodded, still unable to fathom what the old man was truly after.
“But do you know how much knowledge and resources an excellent mage must accumulate, how many trials and tribulations they must overcome, to finally achieve mastery?”
Leya shook her head.
Yet, inwardly, she scoffed: ‘With the divine power of a hundred thousand gods backing her, and the system providing virtually endless resources, would any of that truly be an issue?’
“Indeed, especially for a young newcomer like yourself, resources and knowledge aside—those might not be problems for you. However, since you’re not choosing to attend a school, I presume you wish to learn magic at a much faster pace, am I right?”
“Yes, essentially as you’ve stated.”
Leya continued to answer evasively.
“Then, for you right now, the most crucial thing is undoubtedly finding a sufficiently excellent and distinguished mentor who can help you avoid detours and swiftly enhance your strength… Heh heh, I, for one, could certainly guide you.”
“…………”
‘Was this a self-recommendation? He certainly thought highly of himself, leaving Leya speechless.’ Though he appeared formidable, far beyond her current league, Leya, long accustomed to solitude, still felt a sense of impropriety.
Just as she was about to decline, she suddenly heard the system’s cold, indifferent voice say:
[Successfully become Edwin’s disciple. Reward: One low-grade Divine Power Storage Card, several various potions.]
“Uh…”
Leya felt a pang of confusion.
“System…”
[Host, please do not harbor doubts. All system judgments are made with the premise of the Host’s better future development. Edwin is powerful, a rare elite mage among humans. Learning from him will bring a hundred benefits and no harm. Furthermore, even if you refuse, there will be no penalty; it is entirely at the Host’s discretion.]
“…………”
Leya actually understood the logic. Though she still couldn’t figure out the old man’s true intentions, his cultivation was undeniable.
While he certainly wasn’t strong compared to Saber, at a fundamental level, becoming his disciple would be a very worthwhile endeavor, indeed!
It was just that Leya previously felt she couldn’t simply agree to learn from him just because he asked; wouldn’t that make her seem undignified?
But since the system had now spoken, and there were rewards to be gained, why not go along with it as a favor?
Having quickly come to a decision, Leya no longer prevaricated. She spoke openly and generously:
“Alright then, you’ll be my teacher from now on!”
“………”
‘This…’
‘It seemed a bit too understated, didn’t it?’
Even Edwin remained rooted to the spot, his expression a little awkward.
‘After all, he was a Grand Sage! What was with her casual demeanor, as if picking cabbages from a street stall?’
‘Did she think he was so worthless?’
Regardless of Edwin’s inner thoughts, Leya maintained her willing expression and said:
“So… Teacher, shall we begin practicing magic now? If so, I’d like to learn something powerful for self-defense.”
“………”
‘This…’
‘Alright then…’
‘Old, he truly was old…’
Shaking his head, Edwin finally sighed. For the sake of this promising talent he had so fortunately encountered, well…
He would tolerate it!
And so, he immediately said:
“Leya, your teacher here hasn’t taken a student in over a decade, having intended to enjoy my twilight years as a Sage of leisure. But today, I simply couldn’t refuse such earnestness, and considering the serendipitous connection between us as teacher and student, I shall make an exception this once! Since you wish to learn magic, I can certainly offer you some guidance shortly.”
“Mmm, alright, thank you very much, Teacher.”
‘What the hell? That forced, fake smile, so utterly artificial! No matter how beautiful you are, you could still evolve into a yandere or Sadako, you know! Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! Tsk, tsk…’
“Very well, very well… But you must remember, if you ever become arrogant with your talent, cease striving for progress, or use magic to commit atrocities… I, your teacher, will show no mercy, whether for the public good or for personal reasons!”
“Mmm, alright, please rest assured!”
Behind her seemingly boundless excitement, Leya secretly sneered: ‘I wonder if destroying the world counts as committing atrocities? Though, I don’t have any such plans right now.’
Only then did Edwin finally nod in satisfaction, enthusiastically taking Leya’s arm and helping her to her feet.
This drew gasps of astonishment from the rest of the onlookers.
Person A: “Oh my goodness, Grand Sage Edwin actually took a disciple!”
Person B: “Could that girl be someone of extraordinary talent?”
Person C: “No way, I see this girl is quite young. Is it really that exaggerated?”
Person D: “Exactly, exactly! I heard the Grand Sage is fond of taking female disciples of exceptional beauty. I wonder if it’s true or false.”
Person A: “No way? Is the Grand Sage really that kind of person? Besides, hasn’t the Grand Sage not taken a student in over a decade? This girl must have insisted on becoming his disciple, and the Grand Sage had no choice but to agree, right?”
Person E: “Oh, what do you all know? Just because she’s young doesn’t mean she can’t be powerful! A few days ago, I even encountered a blonde female Knight in the forest who, with just one sword, single-handedly repelled our caravan of several hundred people!”
Person A: “Hiss—could that be the [Golden-Haired Sword Princess]? Isn’t the Rose Orchid Merchant Guild still posting bounties for her these past few days?”
[The crowd continued to chatter.]