That instant, he had already prepared himself to face doubts.
But unexpectedly, Cedric did not show much surprise.
He sighed quietly. “I see.”
“I wasn’t thorough enough in my consideration. My apologies.”
There was none of the sharpness Harvey had expected in his tone.
This mage, whom he had only known for less than a day, was voluntarily expressing his apology.
Harvey’s expression froze for a moment.
“No… it’s my fault for not informing you in advance. Thank you for accepting it.”
Cedric gave a helpless smile.
He casually set the signed documents aside and looked toward the half-closed window.
The morning sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtain, casting long, thin streaks of light across the old pages and book spines in the room.
“This isn’t really that surprising. You don’t need to be so tense.”
“It’s hard for commoner families to afford to support their children in going to the Magic Association for a formal Mana Sensing.”
He muttered to himself in a heavy tone. “It’s not some profound or complicated ritual.”
“In the end, it just comes down to needing money.”
Harvey didn’t know how to respond. He could only reply quietly.
“…Yes.”
Cedric quickly shook off the complex emotions.
“Your family at least taught you to read and write. You write so beautifully—that alone is enough to make many people envious.”
Why is he the one comforting me now? Harvey was a little dazed, but his instructor continued.
“As for magic—”
He failed to maintain his usual smile.
“For most people, that thing is too far removed from having enough to eat.”
That was not an exaggeration.
Even in a kingdom as famed for magic as Rune, not everyone truly had the right to touch it.
For nobles, magic was an extension of bloodline and status.
For most students at the Academy, magic was a future to rely on.
But.
For even more people—those living on the edges of towns, in remote villages, those who had to count every loaf of bread for tomorrow—magic was just a lofty concept.
And yet, this very concept had once stirred the people of Rune into agitation.
—Maybe I, or my child, could actually change our fate through this.
Such a saying had sprung up from nowhere, spreading rapidly through this closed and rigid kingdom. Eventually, it was no longer just private gossip, but a frenzy that could barely be suppressed.
The agitation nearly escalated into uncontrollable riots.
In the end, the Royal Family and the Magic Association had to step in together, severely punishing those who scammed people under the guise of “Awakening Talent,” and temporarily opening centralized sensing in several major cities.
The results were clear.
Most people would never receive a response from the elements in their lifetime.
The fever was suppressed.
But what was suppressed was not just the frenzy.
It was also the already pitifully thin hope of many people.
The usual gentle smile in Cedric’s eyes faded completely.
Back then, someone had proposed free sensing for commoners.
But that idea had barely surfaced before it was quickly crushed.
He turned his head and looked at the black-haired youth sitting quietly on the sofa.
Harvey sat very properly, his back a little stiff.
Even now, he hadn’t relaxed in front of Cedric.
And yet—this person, who had never even undergone a formal Mana Sensing, could understand the basic theories in class that would make any beginner dizzy, and even followed up with questions about Node Imbalance and Structural Connection.
He asked accurately and in detail.
Someone who should have been stopped had already walked this far on his own.
If it had just been ordinary curiosity about magic, Cedric wouldn’t have specifically kept him behind.
But now, he had actually developed a rare interest.
And even a vague, inexplicable sense of anticipation.
“So, you don’t need to make that face.”
When Cedric spoke again, his tone was even gentler than before.
“Not having undergone a formal sensing is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“On the contrary—”
He paused, studying the youth before him.
“To have grasped the basic theory to this extent without systematic guidance is already remarkable.”
“You will definitely become the pride of your family.”
Harvey’s heart trembled.
After a moment, he murmured quietly.
“…Thank you.”
Cedric had already returned to his usual warmth. “It’s fine. I can help you find an opportunity to sense mana.”
He tapped his fingers on the desk, as if he had finally made a decision.
“But since we’ve come this far, I can give you an opportunity.”
Harvey was momentarily stunned, then looked up at him.
Cedric met his eyes, a smile at the corner of his mouth.
“I think you’re looking forward to it.”
“A formal chance to try sensing mana.”
Harvey felt as if something had struck his chest hard, and even his breathing faltered for a beat.
More than surprise,
What surged up first was a kind of instinctive joy.
It was an opportunity he had imagined countless times.
“…Why?”
Cedric looked at his excited expression and smiled.
“The Academy has its own sensing Magic Array, but it’s not open freely.”
“If I apply on your behalf and arrange a temporary test, it won’t be too difficult.”
Harvey pressed his lips together. “That’s not what I’m asking.”
“I mean, Instructor, why would you go this far for me?”
After the joy, a belated sense of unreality slowly surfaced.
He had no reason to offer help.
Cedric looked at him and suddenly laughed again.
“Of course—”
“This isn’t without a price. I also need something in return.”
Harvey looked at Cedric and was silent for a moment.
His first thought was—This really isn’t some random kindness.
But strangely, he didn’t feel much disappointment.
He was more used to things that required an exchange than favors that fell from the sky.
Having conditions for exchange actually made him feel at ease.
The slight boyish awkwardness on Harvey’s face gradually turned serious.
“Then, what is the price?”
He looked at Cedric, no retreat in his eyes.
After that brief hesitation, there was instead a kind of stubborn determination.
If this really was a door, then no matter what stood behind it,
he would at least push it open and take a look first.
To see the world of magic with his own eyes.
Cedric watched him, not surprised by this reaction.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a slow, sly smile on his face—like an old fox who had finally waited for its prey to walk into the trap.
“Very simple.”
“I want you to become my disciple.”
Harvey was clearly stunned.
He had already imagined many possibilities in his mind.
Money? Labor? An oath? Some condition he had to agree to?
But he never expected Cedric to say something like this.
“Dis…ciple?”
Cedric looked at him with a smile and patiently nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I can arrange the sensing for you, and then continue to teach you the knowledge of magic.”
He spoke with quite some momentum at first, but his next sentence suddenly—
“Ah, though in terms of strength, I naturally wouldn’t dare compare myself to Instructor Meli.”
“But just to guide you through the basics and help you build a solid foundation, I think I won’t mislead you.”
As he said this, a slightly embarrassed smile appeared on Cedric’s face.
After all, he was poaching a student.
If that Duke’s Daughter was willing to take him on, Harvey could have verified his magical aptitude and then become a disciple under Instructor Meli.
A Mid-rank Mage.
Even just the scope of dual-element magic control and the depth of spellcasting far surpassed what he, a Lower-tier Magician, could offer.
Cedric earnestly advised, “As for where you want to go in the future, you can make that choice then.”
Having said that, he fell silent and just looked at Harvey with a smile.
As if he was leaving the decision entirely in Harvey’s hands.
Harvey took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He couldn’t see through Cedric’s true intentions.
But if he agreed, the world of magic would open for him.
And for the first time, he would have someone he could call an “instructor.”
He lowered his eyes and looked at his hands resting on his knees.
His fingertips were still tense from the sudden joy.
His heart was still beating very fast.
All of this had come too suddenly.
It was as if fate had suddenly cracked open a slit for him at this moment.
And on the other side of the crack, there was a faint, distant light.