Charlotte woke up early in the morning, pressed a good morning kiss on the still-sleeping Floleen, and after making breakfast, saw an elegant carriage parked at the entrance of his house.
The emblem on the carriage belonged to the Karen Family.
He immediately understood—Lilia was inviting him to the Duke’s Mansion.
“Looks like Lilia is inviting me to the Duke’s Mansion.” Charlotte was clear in his heart and sighed helplessly.
Though he would have preferred to spend more time with Floleen, since Lilia had come to the residence specifically to invite him, as a Teacher, Charlotte couldn’t easily refuse.
In the study of the mansion, at a long table, Lilia and Charlotte sat facing each other.
In the study of the Duke’s Mansion, at the ends of a long table, Lilia and Charlotte sat across from one another.
Lilia neatly stacked her books on the side table. “Teacher, where shall we begin today?”
Charlotte hadn’t had time to prepare a lesson.
Faced with this scene, he was a little taken aback, and said somewhat flattered, “Lilia… let’s just chat today and get to know each other a bit. Is there really a need to be this formal?”
“Mm, Teacher can be casual, but I cannot.” Lilia shook her head seriously. “This is the rule of the Karen Family.”
“Lilia, you really are a proper noble. Why don’t you just call me Charlotte? You’re only a year younger than me. Calling me ‘Teacher’ over and over feels too… too distant.”
Charlotte suggested, a little uncomfortable.
But Lilia blinked and insisted, “Aren’t you still using honorifics to address me?”
Charlotte hadn’t expected Lilia to be so serious about something like this, as if she was stubbornly holding her ground.
He nodded, “Alright… Lilia, from now on, let’s both drop the honorifics.”
Charlotte had no choice but to help her stack up the books.
“Put the textbooks away. I never use textbooks when teaching. Let’s talk first about your understanding of magic.”
“Okay!” Lilia straightened up, just like a student attending a class at school.
At this moment, Lilia was no longer the dignified, aloof young lady she had once been.
In the past, she had always kept her distance with Charlotte, politely guarded, but ever since Charlotte became her Tutor, she had grown more lively, even dropping the title of “Marquis” when addressing him.
“So, let’s start by talking about the fundamental properties of magic.”
Lilia nodded and began to recite smoothly,
“The basic categories of magic are Fire, Wind, Thunder, Rock, Water, Light, and Dark—seven in total. All types of magic are derived from these seven. Of course, there are also some special magics created by the gods, such as Star Magic, which only those of the Kalishi Royal Family bloodline can use.”
“Everyone has magic types they are good or bad at; this is innate, and is related to one’s Elemental Affinity with the forces of nature.”
“Not bad, that’s generally correct.” Charlotte sipped some floral tea, walked to stand before Lilia, and gently changed the subject, “But there’s one thing that’s not quite right.”
Lilia looked confused. “But that’s what it says in the textbook. What’s wrong?”
“Elemental Affinity can actually be cultivated after birth.” Charlotte affirmed.
“Really?”
“Of course. It’s just that the process is difficult, so most people are unwilling to try, but the rewards are great. That’s why I hope, when you’re learning magic, you don’t think ‘I’m not good at this, so I’ll just not learn it’.”
Charlotte patiently explained.
Lilia understood what he meant and nodded seriously. “I understand, Charlotte.”
Charlotte then posed a new question. “So, do you know how mages are categorized?”
“Below Transcendent, there are first to fourth rank mages. They can use some basic magic, but have little Magic Power. Above Transcendent, there are King Rank, Emperor Rank, Saint Rank, and Legend.”
Lilia sat up straighter, and a trace of longing slipped into her voice—the tail of her words trembling slightly—her own mother had once been an Emperor Rank mage.
“Good,” Charlotte nodded, then shifted the topic.
“But that’s just how people classify mages. I used to think the same. Now, though, I prefer to divide mages into two kinds: one is the Magic Craftsman, creative with magic, and the other is the Magus, who uses magic as a weapon.”
Lilia tilted her head curiously. “Oh? Charlotte, why do you classify them that way? What’s the reasoning?”
“Not everyone is born with absolute magical talent. Some are gifted in the creation of magic, constantly building the theoretical foundations of magic. For example, the headmaster of Kalishi Academy—Movira—is a true Magic Craftsman. Her own strength might not match others, but her achievements in magic far surpass the Professors and Tutors at the Academy.”
“The other kind, they might not understand the principles of magic as well, but rely on their own intuition to use magic—seeing it only as a weapon. Speaking of which, there’s a particularly unique Tutor at Kalishi Academy… but, I’ll leave it for you to find out yourself once you enter the Academy.”
Charlotte ended playfully.
Lilia sighed in mock complaint, but Charlotte told her that if she wanted to hear such stories, she’d have to work hard to get into Kalishi Academy.
After a round of Q&A, Charlotte finally found where Lilia’s problems lay and began to prepare targeted tutoring.
He sat down beside Lilia, pushed the books aside, and cleared a wide space on the table.
“Let’s start with a basic assessment today. I’ll give you some sample questions from Kalishi Academy’s exam. Whatever you get wrong, memorize directly—I’ll make sure you pass.”
Charlotte, confident in his extraordinary memory, picked up a Quill and began writing on Blank Paper.
Lilia stood at the side watching, unable to hold back her question.
“Charlotte, aren’t the Kalishi Academy’s questions drawn randomly each year? I can’t possibly memorize the entire Exam Question Bank, can I?”
“That’s just what they say publicly. If you study closely, you’ll find the Academy’s questions have certain tendencies, but the pattern only becomes apparent over decades, so few notice.” Charlotte explained.
Back when he delved into the Exam Question Bank, he’d sharply noticed this.
Lilia couldn’t help but admire him. “But if that’s the case, isn’t it unfair to others?”
“Lilia, this is also a form of screening. Kalishi Academy wants more than just outstanding swordsmen or mages. If you have enough insight, I’m sure they’ll be glad to nurture you.”
Charlotte patiently said, “Knowing the patterns makes the test easier, but only if you can perceive them—most examinees can’t, and even if they do, the truly capable can pass without relying on this.”
He himself was such an example—he could have passed as the top student even without knowing the pattern.
In fact, last year, he’d practically memorized the entire Exam Question Bank.
“Lilia, have you ever thought about entering the Kalishi Academy’s magic division as the top student?”
Charlotte paused his pen and looked up.
“Top student…?” Lilia was momentarily stunned.
She had never considered this and said, lacking confidence, “I’d be happy just to scrape by… After all, my fundamentals are much weaker than everyone else’s…”
Before this, Lilia had never systematically studied magic; at most, she had learned some spells useful for daily life.
Charlotte encouraged her, “Nothing is impossible. It’s good to at least try.”
“Ah… okay.” Lilia replied hesitantly, but a trace of anticipation quietly rose in her heart.
It wasn’t long before Charlotte finished writing several test papers.
Watching from the side, Lilia couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up, feeling that he was practically a human printing press—the Blank Paper was filled with neat, beautiful questions.
“Let’s finish these all today. I’ll grade them on the spot.” Charlotte pushed the papers to her.
“Alright!” Lilia immediately picked up the Quill with enthusiasm and began answering seriously…
Lilia was brimming with energy as she picked up the Quill and started answering…
On the other side of the wall, outside the door, the Servant holding a tray of tea had watched Ryan pressing his ear against the door, eavesdropping for a full half hour.
The Servant finally couldn’t help but speak up. “Master, I know you’re worried, but from what I’ve seen, there’s really nothing wrong with Marquis Charlotte.”
Only then did Ryan recover, coughing to mask his embarrassment.
“I’m just worried about my daughter being alone with him… Given his abilities, a few Shadow Guards couldn’t stop him from whisking Lilia away.”
The Servant understood that her master was simply being a loving father, but blocking the doorway wasn’t a solution—her arms were sore from holding the tea.
So she suggested, “Master, perhaps Miss Lilia and Marquis Charlotte have finished their tea. Shall I bring in a fresh pot?”
“Oh… Oh…” Only then did Ryan reluctantly step aside.
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