—This child is truly blessed by magic! A Child Prodigy!
The sheer depth of Albert von Kronstadt’s talent sent a thrill through Claude, a man who was a renowned mage in his own right.
However, that joy had been shattered in an instant.
"Don't give me such tedious, incomprehensible explanations!"
The moment Claude had tried to teach him advanced theory, Albert’s face had twisted in disgust.
In contrast to his vast potential, the boy’s desire to learn was pitifully meager. Because of his natural aptitude, Albert mastered simple spells in the blink of an eye and grew insufferably conceited, yet he felt no desire to reach any higher. He found satisfaction only in maintaining a slight lead over his peers and looking down on them without having to put in any effort.
(What a waste!)
If he only reached out his hand, he could pluck the fruits of the highest peaks!
Desperate to cultivate the boy's talent, Claude had exhausted every word he could find to encourage him, but he was met only with verbal abuse and, occasionally, flying objects—
Eventually, he simply gave up.
Having lost both his passion and his hope long ago, Claude had spent his days listlessly fulfilling his duties as a tutor, until—
"Could you give me more advanced lessons?"
Albert had suddenly made this request.
For a brief moment, Claude felt a spark of his old joy as a mage, but he immediately suppressed the rising emotion.
(In the end, it is surely just a whim.)
Or perhaps a particularly cruel prank.
Even if he rallied his spirits to answer the boy, he would surely be met with a painful backlash. Claude’s feelings toward Albert had cooled so thoroughly that he could already foresee the disappointment.
A few days passed in that state of wary skepticism—
And Claude found himself utterly bewildered.
During their lessons, Albert’s attitude had undergone a complete transformation.
(The young master... is being this serious?)
His concentration was on a different level entirely. He listened to every word with earnest intensity while taking meticulous notes. His questions were precise, and his level of comprehension was astonishingly high.
Even his manner of speaking was sensible and polite, perfectly within the bounds of noble etiquette.
He was like a completely different person compared to the boy who used to listen with half an ear and zero focus while hurling insults.
The change wasn't limited to their lessons, either.
Claude began to hear similar stories from the maids.
"The young master has been so kind lately."
"He actually said 'thank you' to me! He's never done that before!"
"Ah, me too! I hadn't even done anything special, so it actually made me feel a bit bashful!"
"He always used to have such a nasty look in his eyes, but his expression has suddenly softened."
"Do you think he hit his head?"
"I just hope he stays like this forever!"
Rumors of Albert’s change in character had already spread throughout the entire mansion.
Could this really still be a trap? A long-term ruse designed to mock anyone foolish enough to believe him?
No. While Albert was a child capable of low cunning, he didn't possess the perseverance to play a role so far removed from his true self for so many days.
This change of heart had to be the real thing.
Once he was certain of that fact, Claude felt a heat rising from deep within his chest.
(If it is now... then perhaps my dream is finally within reach!)
That dream was to forge the "Strongest Mage" with his own two hands—
For someone devoted to magic who had ultimately ended up as merely "reasonably excellent," it was the ultimate, burning desire.
When he had first seen Albert's natural gift, the ambition to raise the "Incarnation of Magic" had flared up in Claude’s heart. That nearly extinguished flame was now beginning to smolder once more.
(Fuhahahahaha! That dream, once again!)
This would not be some refined, polite education for a noble child—
I shall drill the education of a true, magic-obsessed fanatic into his very soul!
Claude’s lips curled into a smile, like a man who had just been served a choice cut of meat.
"Albert, very well. I shall drum the Essence of Magic into you!"
A predator’s grin surfaced on Claude’s face.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
One week after I implored Claude for "advanced lessons"—
"Young master, the other day you expressed a desire to raise the level of our lessons. Do you still feel that way even now?"
Oh, here it is, here it is!
I desperately suppressed the urge to grin. This is the part where he finally takes me seriously, right?
"Of course. I want to find my limits. I cannot be satisfied with things as they are."
"Oho!"
A cry of pure joy leaked from Claude’s mouth. Then, with eyes shining brilliantly, he continued.
"Very well. Then, starting today, I will increase the difficulty of the lectures. There will likely be parts you find difficult to grasp, so please ask questions as they arise."
"I understand."
I nodded with a dignified air, though inside I was practically dancing.
Yes!
I’ve cleared the first hurdle! The trust I’ve been steadily building has paid off. Now I just have to throw myself into Claude’s lessons and build the foundation I need to master Ancient Magic.
Everything is going exactly according to plan, but—
For some reason, the way Claude’s eyes are sparkling is starting to weird me out... He's breathing pretty heavily, too.