I let out a deep sigh which didn't match my youthful age.
"Weak grey soul." She flinched - clearly caught off guard. But the worst was yet to come.
"No affinities." Her deep red eyes widened in surprise. There's still more though.
"Inferior mana pool." The nail on the coffin. She wrenched suddenly, her arms wrapping around her stomach before she burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Hahahahaha! How unlucky! To be so talented but also so unlucky!" I could feel my face twitch in annoyance.
How rude. And you call yourself a teacher?
Nonetheless I tried to keep a somewhat neutral smile but anyone could tell I was irritated. After a good ten seconds of laughter she stopped and introduced herself.
"My name is Cindy. I'm a travelling mage looking for an apprentice. You didn't make the cut."
"Oh...so can you let me go back to my parents now?" is what I wanted to say but what I actually said was "Oh...okay." while continuing to nod along to her statements meekly.
Taking that as disappointment, Cindy continued. "Don't be disappointed just yet - you didn't make the cut but you have potential. And more importantly, I like you." She paused, suddenly switching the topic, "I can tell your evaluation is really getting to you boy so listen up.
That evaluation doesn't matter at all. If you work hard enough and earnestly desire to be a great magician - you can do it.
I've seen magicians with the same 'talentless' evaluation as you touch on the secrets of the apex of magic so don't be ashamed. You can make it there too.
If you can try you can succeed because the only way to fail is to stop trying."
Most of what she said I was mindlessly nodding to like an unskippable cutscene in a video game but her last comments resonated with me. Her words carried some weight to them since she seemed like a top notch mage.
Perhaps the earlier display of magic made me quite biased but I did believe her. That there really was great magicians she knew with the same evaluation as me.
Between the two of us, she was definitely more knowledgeable when it came to magic. Maybe someone with an evaluation like mine could still become a great magician. Seeing my conflicted expression, she sighed, even more heavily than I did earlier.
"I've changed my mind. What's your name boy?"
"It's Reno. Reno Frostworth."
"Worth? One of the Worth series? Just my luck."
"Huh?"
"It's nothing." She shrugged it off her tone switching to a serious one. "Reno - I want you to be my disciple." She stared directly at me her voice warm and sincere. The sudden switch in her voice caught me off guard.
So she's just a big softie. Maybe she'd actually make a good teacher.
I panicked - not knowing how to respond.
"Why do you seem hesitant?" She asked me but it seemed more like she was asking herself.
Maybe because you almost killed me earlier and literally held me hostage.
"I guess I forgot to show you why you should want to be my disciple. Fine I'll show off a little."
"No no no no I believe you. I saw that big wave you used earlier. I don't want to experience something like that again please."
"That? That was nothing." She said emotionlessly, like that wave I thought would definitely kill me was just a lowly afterthought.
Strangely enough, now that I'd calmed down it didn't seem like a bad idea for her to be my teacher. She's clearly insanely good at magic and her stunt earlier clearly wasn't malicious since that wave wasn't anything for her. Which is both cool and scary. Insanely scary.
Holding me hostage like she did also wasn't ideal but I could look past it if she taught me how to use magic like she did earlier. And kept her sincere, warm tone. That being said I had one more doubt. Something which made me feel unworthy.
"It's not about your ability, I know you're a super powerful magician. But why me? Aren't I...talentless?" I questioned hesitantly, voicing the one doubt I had left. I hadn't realised it but she had. She noticed extremely quickly. I had let a single evaluation decide my self worth.
I wasn't talented. Surely a mage like her should look for some genius or someone exceptional to match her ability.
A deep sigh echoed, followed by an 'oh boy'.
"Reno, come here." I listened and walked closer slightly. She reached out towards me and placed her arm on my right shoulder.
"Hmm, let me do the evaluation. I'll do it properly."
"I mean okay I don't think the result will change though...." I'm pretty sure Glyffe and Silvia did it the way it's supposed to.
"Wait, what is this—Superior soul strength, Rainbow soul quintuple element affinity , Boundless mana pool! You're a genius Reno!" Her voice was bursting with excitement and her expression portrayed the sense she'd encountered something she never would've expected.
"Pffft!" Without realising it I burst out laughing. "Cindy, lying isn't good." Her joke may have been in bad taste if I believed it but I got what she was trying to say. The evaluation is just arbitrary. It's not worth being hung up on it. It's all a bit ridiculous honestly.
Her eyebrows twitched at me seeing through her scheme, her fake excited smile fading, "Reno, has anyone ever told you that you're too smart to be a five year old?"
"You're the first." I chuckled - I was quite the perceptive five year old admittedly. "So which one of us should actually be auditioning for a role in the Cloud Theatre?" I continued jokingly.
Cindy flinched then began laughing too. "You got me." When the laughter faded I voiced my decision.
"If I become your disciple Cindy, can I become one of the greatest magicians in the world?" I looked at her dead in the eyes - the first time I'd willingly looked right into the inferno.
"Yes." Her reply was steady and full of confidence.
"Can I become the greatest?"
"No." Her reply was quick. "Because I'll be the greatest in the world. The number two spot is already taken too - so you'll have to settle for third Reno."
"Pffft! Okay Cindy - I want to be your disciple."
"Good. I want you to train hard and not rely on me too much. My number one philosophy is hard work beats talent. And now that you're my disciple it's your philosophy too."
"Yes, master!"
"I don't want to see you moping around because of your evaluation anymore. All those things are just labels, just words - they don't matter. They don't matter one single bit. Only you decide what you can and can't do. Nobody else can decide for you, not even me. Remember that."
"Okay, I will remember that!"
"Also just call me Cindy. It feels weird to be called master by someone so young." She cringed slightly.
"I'll leave you with this." She handed over to me a small book.
"This is called a coupled-book. I have a personal copy too. Right now they're both empty. Whatever you write in one is transferred to the other. It's a treasure. Write down any questions or problems you have when practicing your magic and I'll write back."
"Woah this thing is probably quite expensive right?"
"In this region - I'd say it's not cheap. Maybe one billion Teaves?"
"ONE BILLION?"
"Probably. Or was it a trillion?"
"..."
"Anyways, your parents are looking very worried now so I'll send you on your merry way. I'm sure they won't mind us having a little chat. I'll visit you later when I have time Reno - and formally become your teacher. Good luck Reno."
With those last words, like I'd warped back in time, the crowd and street vendors from before came back. A gust of wind blew by lifting me into the air where I easily noticed Glyffe and Silvia who were basically the epitome of panic right now.
Once the gust of wind brought me back to the ground floor, I charged straight towards them now that I knew where they were. I couldn't help but look back but she had disappeared like she was never there in the first place. With big strides I made my way towards them - their faces a mixture of surprise and gratefulness.
Silvia charged towards me and gave me a big heartfelt hug.
"Oh thank goodness." Silvia sighed heavily, her face the picture of exhaustion. "What happened Reno? Where were you?"
"Well I...I got lost. I just spaced out and then I didn't know where I was anymore. Luckily a young lady helped me find where you two where. I think she felt bad for me."
Their eyes widened at my explanation clearly they weren't expecting that.
"Sorry Reno it was our fault completely." Glyffe said sternly. "Are you okay?" He asked clearly very concerned. "That young lady didn't do anything to you right?"
"She held me hostage. I couldn't escape."
I was tempted to say that, but since Cindy was my teacher now, I didn't want to give her a bad reputation. Instead, I said, "No she didn't do anything weird she just gave me a free book and said to get going to not worry my parents."
It was only then that they noticed the small book in my hands, their expressions slightly puzzled. "Well it's good that nothing happened - cases of crimes or things like that are extremely rare in Butter Town so don't worry Reno." Silvia added - but I wasn't sure if she was reassuring me or herself.
Honestly, I kinda felt bad for how worried they were but it wasn't like it was their fault I was missing. Cindy probably used some sort of ability to keep me trapped there and to evade their detection.
"Stay close to me Reno. Promise me you won't let go of my hand."
"Okay mom, I promise." I look straight at her and promised as earnestly and sincerely as I possibly could.
"And remember Reno don't talk to strangers. Especially if they look or act weirdly and suspiciously. Not everyone out there is good and nice like that young lady you met."
If only you knew Silvia.