The Mage’s Gaze and an Unexpected Encounter

The ability of this mark was an inherent power, acquired after obtaining Dragon Island. For Ai Ou, it was an unexpected boon. An extra ability meant an extra trump card, and for someone who only knew two types of magic, the more abilities, the better.

After returning to his room, Ai Ou tidied his attire. He then glanced around, and finding no issues, opened the door.

Ai Ou then saw a stern-faced old man. He had half-white, half-black hair, and was dressed in a black robe with a six-starred badge pinned to his chest. The man was staring at him with a curious expression.

This was Provence, the teacher of this group of mages. Having learned from Aaron that Ai Ou could instantly cast spells, Provence was immediately intrigued. The fact that Ai Ou intended to report to the Capital Academy of Magic only deepened his curiosity. Thus, after arranging everything for the others, he didn’t even return to his own room, instead heading straight to Ai Ou’s door and knocking.

After all, instant spellcasting was a technique that required a complex fusion of extremely high mana control, precise allocation of mana flow, and the aggregation of mana nodes. Even Provence himself, a formidable Sixth-Tier Mage, could only instantly cast Second-Tier spells. Anything higher would exceed his mana control, necessitating the aid of incantations.

‘What a handsome young man!’

This was Provence’s very first impression upon seeing Ai Ou.

Within the mage community, there were distinct hierarchies. Mages believed that their magical talent represented a divine gift, proof of their superiority. Consequently, the mage community placed great importance on etiquette and appearance. Among mages of the same rank, those with higher yan value (looks) were more popular and more likely to represent the image of the mage community.

Therefore, at first glance, Provence gave Ai Ou an excellent score in his mind. In his opinion, only truly handsome individuals could possess such exceptional talent.

‘Such a strong scent of fire elements!’

When he meticulously used his mental power to observe Ai Ou, he was instantly startled. He perceived an incredibly potent aura of fire elements emanating from Ai Ou. The fire elements in the surrounding magical energy became remarkably active as they approached him, as if they had encountered their king. This was a phenomenon he had never witnessed before.

He had mentored countless students and met many mages, including numerous exceptionally talented ones. Yet, he had never encountered anyone who attracted fire elements with such intensity as Ai Ou. It seemed he had stumbled upon a treasure—no, a raw jade had presented itself!

As Provence was lost in these thoughts, Ai Ou felt a strange unease. Why was this person just staring at him silently after opening the door, with a peculiar light flickering in his eyes, occasionally even chuckling lewdly? ‘Could he be an old pervert?’

When Provence snapped back to reality, he smiled at Ai Ou. Seeing the old man smile at him, Ai Ou instantly shivered, goosebumps rising all over his body.

“Hello, young man,” Provence said. “I am the owner of this ship. My name is Provence, and I am a Sixth-Tier Mage.”

To demonstrate his goodwill, he deliberately bared his teeth, smiling more sincerely, and extended his hand towards Ai Ou. However, in Ai Ou’s eyes, this was merely an old nantong’s self-performance, aimed at his body.

‘Alas, a man must protect himself well when out and about. You never know which man might take a liking to you.’

“Hello, and thank you for the invitation. I’ve just boarded the ship. My name is Ai Ou, male, heterosexual, and I like beautiful women, not men. We can be acquaintances, but nothing more intimate.”

Upon hearing Ai Ou’s words, Provence’s expression instantly froze. As mages, their brains were highly developed, and after listening to Ai Ou, he understood immediately. This blonde youth before him had mistaken him for a man who liked other men.

‘Do I really come across as gay?’

Provence began to doubt himself. However, his mage’s composure prevented him from becoming angry. Instead, he calmly stated:

“Young man, your name is Ai Ou, right? You’ve misunderstood. I actually like women; I don’t like men. So rest assured, I have no designs on you. I merely wanted to see the talented youth Aaron spoke of. Indeed, the moment I saw you, I sensed a strong elemental aura around you, especially a very potent fire element. It seems your affinity for fire elements is exceptionally high.

By the way, you’re heading to the Capital Academy of Magic, aren’t you? I’m a teacher at the Capital Academy of Magic. Given your circumstances, you’ll likely be admitted with a hundred percent certainty, so I might be one of your teachers in the future. Excellent, young man, you have great potential. Since you’ll be attending the Capital Academy of Magic, I’ll tell you this: your ship fare is waived, and you can eat and drink as you please. There will be a buffet dinner in the restaurant later; you and your servants can go eat. Have a pleasant journey!”

With that, he patted Ai Ou’s shoulder and left in a cheerful mood.

‘How wonderful! I found four promising talents on the island, and now a top-tier talent has come knocking on our door! It seems the academy’s strength will increase significantly in the future!’

Ai Ou: “…”

‘This guy… that’s it? He just took a few glances and left? I thought there would be some other story. It was just that simple!’

****

Days passed, and Ai Ou realized that this ship wasn’t heading directly to the capital. Instead, it would stop at a port in every city. Two people would stay to guard the ship while the others disembarked. In the evening, they would always return with new recruits. Only when the number of these young faces reached fifty or sixty did Provence finally speak:

“Alright, we’ve visited many cities. It’s time to return. I’m very pleased that our group has grown so much this time. You should feel honored. You are different from others; you are talented, capable of becoming mages. You have already embarked on a different path from everyone else. Soon, we will return to the Capital Academy of Magic, and then, you will have the opportunity to become mages!”

Most of the people brought back were very young, between fourteen and twenty years old. Along the way, Ai Ou had seen a few people older than him, placing his own age somewhere in the middle of the group.

Upon hearing Provence’s words, everyone grew excited, beginning to fantasize about the glory of becoming mages.

“However, not everyone can enroll in the Capital Academy of Magic! While our academy recruits talented students, we also have tests. And even after enrollment, there will be further assessments. If you fail too many times, then you will have no choice but to withdraw.”