Chapter 17: Private Tutoring

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Private Tutoring

Lilia sat in her chair, looking up at him. Even though she was looking up, her gaze carried an undeniable air of condescension. It was as if she was the one in control of everything.

"There will only be more Practical Magic classes from now on," Caius said. "If you want to maintain your current grades, you need to practice diligently."

"I know. I don’t need your reminder."

"Are you sure you don’t need my help?" Caius stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Lilia. "I can be your sparring partner. You can use me however you like, until you’re completely satisfied."

As if to demonstrate his sincerity, the youth leaned in slightly, looking straight into her eyes. At this moment, they were extremely close. Close enough to hear each other’s breaths. Close enough for Lilia to clearly feel the heat radiating from his body, intruding into her personal space without reservation.

Lilia tilted her head back to look at him, her fair neck forming a somewhat fragile curve. "You’re too close."

"...You were closer than this with that new student this afternoon."

"Was I?" Lilia lied through her teeth. "I don’t remember."

Caius almost let out an exasperated laugh. However, he straightened up, putting some distance between them.

Lilia shifted her posture, turning her side to him as she reached for a textbook in the corner. "I don’t need you to be my sparring partner."

"Why not?"

"Because I’ve already found someone to teach me."

"That new student?" Caius didn’t even bother to mention his name.

Lilia fell silent. In Caius’s eyes, this was a tacit admission. He clenched his jaw tightly.

It wasn’t as if Lilia had never left him to make new friends in the past. She was an ordinary girl, not a machine that only knew how to study. Occasionally—and only occasionally—she would accept invitations from her classmates to attend banquets hosted by their families. She didn’t seem to go just for fun; it felt more like she was looking for something. But whether it was because she couldn’t find it or for some other reason, she would always eventually lose interest and toss those so-called "friends" back into the corner. She was like a playful little girl casually discarding toys she was tired of, blinking those lively eyes as she went to find her next amusement.

Caius stared at her delicate profile. She seemed to have forgotten there was someone else standing right there, her head lowered as she focused on her book. The dim light spilled across her face, making her look like a statue of an Angel bathed in the morning sun.

He thought, "When will you get tired of playing with him?"

For a brief moment, Caius almost thought he had asked the question out loud. But he held it in. Giving her one last look, he was about to turn and leave when the girl’s sweet voice rang out from behind him once more.

"You don’t have to wait for me to eat together tomorrow," she said casually.

With his back still turned, Caius asked, "What about at night?"

"Of course we’ll still come back together."

"..."

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing... Get some rest."

"Mhm, goodnight, Caius."

Caius stood at the door, taking a long, deep look at her. It was as if he were looking at a bird that could not be caged. He withdrew his gaze and left her with a few parting words before closing the door.

"Goodnight, Lilia.

"Sweet dreams."

The next day.

During the lunch break, Lilia arrived at the place she had agreed upon with Victor.

Lien Academy covered a vast area with numerous buildings, many of which had never even been put to use—just like this particular teaching building. A staircase on the top floor led straight to the rooftop, which was quiet and offered a great view, making it the most suitable place for teaching.

Lilia glanced around her surroundings. "I can’t believe a place like this exists in Lien Academy."

"Yeah, I stumbled upon it by accident," Victor said, standing beside her.

As a commoner, he was heavily ostracized in Class A. No one would ever approach him or speak to him. And yet, this was already the most measured behavior he had encountered from the Noble students during his time at Lien Academy. At the very least, they wouldn’t mock him to his face. Nor would they resort to physical violence just because he outshone them in class.

In the past, to avoid those Nobles, Victor had learned to seek out his own sanctuaries within the academy. This rooftop was one of them. He looked at Lilia. "Shall we begin?"

"Sure." Lilia nodded obediently, watching as Victor pulled a seed from his pocket.

It was the exact same "teaching prop" their teacher had handed out during yesterday’s Practical Magic class. Noticing her curious gaze, Victor explained, "You can buy this at the school store. It’s probably to make it easier for students to practice privately."

However, perhaps due to low demand—as Nobles usually had their own channels—the store’s inventory was limited, and the pricing was absurdly high, far exceeding the item’s actual value. This single, tiny seed was worth a whole week of his living expenses. Not to mention the other practice props.

Of course, there was no need to say any of this out loud. And so, Victor looked at Lilia and began their first lesson.

"In the early stages of Magic studies, the main test is your level of Magic Power control. Teachers generally value this more when grading," Victor explained. "Even a Mage with relatively low talent can achieve a very high level of Magic control as long as they practice diligently and find the Key Points..."

Victor’s explanation was simple yet profound. He had clearly put a lot of effort into studying Lien Academy’s teaching policies thoroughly in private. After explaining the tricks to controlling Magic Power, the next step was practical exercises.

Lilia’s initial performance was quite rusty, showing that she hadn’t been exposed to this kind of training much. But she learned quickly. Her [85/100] Intelligence allowed her to rapidly understand and digest the knowledge Victor imparted to her, no matter how abstract or obscure it was.

After two weeks of private tutoring, Lilia’s proficiency in Magic Power control had grown significantly. Now, the ash tree sapling nurtured by her Magic Power was absolutely perfect. Even that Practical Magic teacher—who was extremely demanding and sought nothing short of perfection when it came to planting trees—would likely find no faults with her assignment.

This improvement was also reflected in her daily practical classes. Although she still couldn’t compare to Caius and Victor, Lilia could stably maintain third place in the class, regardless of what topics the teacher assigned. This was no easy feat for a student with a C in talent, and even the teachers began paying more attention to her.

Meanwhile, during these two weeks, Victor never stopped observing Lilia. She really was smart, and she really was hardworking. If it weren’t for her poor talent, she could have become an exceptionally outstanding Mage.

But in this world, there were no "ifs."

"If I’m not mistaken, the next practical class should be about learning Practical Magic."

On the rooftop, Victor’s explanation was as patient as ever, but a hint of worry unconsciously crept into his eyes as he looked at Lilia.

"For you..." He paused, then spoke the truth anyway. "It might be very difficult."