Locke opened his door to find that beside Wizard Urien Rich stood a fourteen-year-old third-class wizard apprentice.
Wizard Urien Rich was still clad in a wizard robe embroidered with silver threads, a magic slate floating behind him. The slate bore the esoteric runic magic of the Shaping School's Frost sub-direction, causing frost to creep along its edges.
The mere unconscious Magic Pressure radiating from a Formal Wizard was enough to make anyone tense.
To Locke, it was as if an insurmountable snow-capped peak towered before him—every rock on that peak composed of the mysteries of magic.
After a moment's hesitation, Locke invited Wizard Urien Rich inside. After all, it was hardly appropriate to leave a Formal Wizard standing at the door.
Moreover, the first public lecture Locke had attended upon entering Lilith's Cottage—the foundational Rune principles course—had been taught by this very wizard.
Wizard Urien Rich stepped inside, glanced around the living room, and remarked, "Good taste."
"Potion Master Augustine, this is my grandson, Kavin Ridge."
"Greetings, Potion Master Augustine." Kavin Ridge bowed to Locke. His frame appeared frail, bundled in heavy clothing despite it not yet being winter. His face was pale, his gaze unfocused, and his steps unsteady.
Strangely, Kavin Ridge seemed to regard Locke with unusual respect, lacking the arrogance typical of a First Circle Wizard's descendant toward a background-less wizard apprentice.
Locke found it odd—why did the Formal Wizard's grandson look so sickly and weak?
But wisely, he refrained from broaching the subject. Instead, he gestured for Wizard Urien Rich and his company to sit and poured them cups of rich, fragrant tea.
Locke turned to Wizard Urien Rich with a puzzled expression. "Sir Ridge, what brings you here so late?"
Seated on the sofa, Wizard Urien Rich patted Kavin's head before speaking with a mix of guilt and weariness. "This is my grandson, Kavin. His dream is to become a Potion Master. So, I wish to hire you to tutor him."
Locke stood before him, baffled. "Tutor him? But I'm just an ordinary First Class Wizard Apprentice who recently obtained my Potion assistant certificate. With your resources, you could easily find a far more qualified teacher for your grandson."
"This responsibility is too great for me to accept lightly."
"Why come to me?" Locke couldn't grasp the reasoning and glanced at Kavin, who averted his eyes guiltily.
Quickly, Locke realized the crux of the issue likely lay with Kavin himself—the sole Bloodline descendant of this Formal Wizard.
Wizard Urien Rich smiled amiably at Locke. "No, Locke. You're the most suitable."
With a hint of pride, he added, "Your advancement speed rivals that of a Child of Elements. Locke, you are anything but ordinary."
"From what I know of you, your potential is immense. It's just that your prospects aren't clear yet, and many haven't realized this. Personally, I believe you even possess the potential to become a Formal Wizard."
"Locke, you're a special kind of genius—the most suitable to teach my grandson."
Wizard Urien Rich sighed, "There's also Kavin's own situation. Locke, you know I was once a wizard of the Tower of Frozen and only transferred to Lilith's Cottage five years ago. That was because five years ago, my enemies in the Tower of Frozen, unable to target me directly, went after my only bloodline descendant."
"Kavin fell ill because of it, nearly losing his life. Though I managed to save him, his body was left extremely frail."
"So, I want to fulfill Kavin's wishes as much as possible."
"My coming to Lilith's Cottage was solely to find a way to fully cure my grandson. This old man's only wish is to see his grandson grow up safely."
Wizard Urien Rich looked somewhat uneasy as he continued, "Kavin's aptitude is only level one, with his sub-affinity attribute being Wood Element. Most wizards aren't qualified to teach him, and those I consider qualified aren't willing to take on a student with such poor aptitude."
"Moreover, I specialize in frost magic under the Shaping School. My connections in Potionology are minimal, and the position of Potionology Assistant holds unique status in Lilith's Cottage."
Nearby, Kavin lowered his head guiltily upon hearing his grandfather mention his aptitude. "Teacher Augustine, please accept me..."
Locke suddenly understood, his sharp mind piecing together the key points.
Though Kavin Ridge came from a prestigious background as Wizard Urien Rich's only bloodline descendant, his innate aptitude was abysmally poor, compounded by his frail health.
The senior Potionology Assistants would never accept such a student.
Even if they reluctantly took him in out of respect for Wizard Urien Rich, they wouldn't teach him seriously.
Thus, Wizard Urien Rich turned his attention to the more junior Potionology Assistants.
Coincidentally, Locke had only recently become a Potionology Assistant, and his initial aptitude rating upon enrollment was exceptionally low—merely level 3, unlike other assistants who typically had levels 5 or 6.
Seeing someone with similarly low aptitude rise to become a Potionology Assistant, Wizard Urien Rich concluded that Locke must possess unique talents—perhaps even the ability to help his grandson—which was why he approached him.
Wizard Urien Rich smiled faintly. "If you agree to give my grandson one lesson per week—one hour per session—I can pay you a thousand Magic Stones each month."
"In return, I can help you expedite obtaining an Advanced Meditation Technique. The academy leadership scrutinizes Advanced Meditation Techniques very carefully—this is universal."
"A wizard apprentice without connections would need over a year to complete the approval process," Wizard Urien Rich added. "This is something of an unspoken rule."
"But if the Witch Sophia and I work together to accelerate your progress, I believe you can complete the Advanced Meditation Technique process within ten days."
"Besides, this would count as me owing you a favor."
The wizard Urien Rich looked at Locke gently. "Of course, it would be perfectly understandable if you refused. After all, my grandson's aptitude is indeed rather low."
"Still, I truly hope you'll agree to tutor him."