The study was unusually quiet. Grand Duke Shirakawa attentively reviewed documents, his pen scratching lightly on the paper for quite a while.
They seemed to be important matters regarding the territory's management. He didn't take anything lightly, carefully considering every detail. He lived every day like this, completely immersed in his work.
After signing an urgent document, the Grand Duke didn't look up, merely dropping his words as if speaking to the air:
"You are very young."
"Yes."
"Fourteen years old, correct?"
"I am only thirteen, Your Grace."
The Grand Duke turned to the next document, his pen making a few short strokes. While handling his work, he asked in a deep, heavy voice.
"To what extent... can you control magic?"
Twirling his quill slightly, he asked. Zero answered immediately, without hesitation.
"Unfortunately, I have yet to master even one-star magic."
"Hmm... Haha..."
The Grand Duke let out a soft laugh. The sound was dry, sarcastic, and laden with exhaustion. He wasn't mocking Zero, but laughing at his own helplessness. After so many failures, was his daughter now so desperate that she brought a commoner home to try? The last fragile shred of expectation seemed to have just shattered.
Even so, his eyes remained pinned to the paper. The Grand Duke knew very well that the family's precious jewel never acted in vain. A genius like Aiselin would absolutely not go out of her way to bring a completely useless person to be a tutor for herself and her younger sister.
"So, you utilize magic through some special method or anomaly, correct?"
Zero tried to adjust his breathing, replying in the most cautious tone possible.
"It is nothing special, Your Grace."
"Do not pretend to gloss over it."
At some point, the Grand Duke had stopped his pen. He looked up, and a pair of sharp eyes, blazing like a predatory beast, locked directly onto Zero. The massive volume of mana circulating in those eyes created an invisible pressure that crushed the space.
Under the true pressure of a five-star mage, Zero felt his respiration being suffocated. His psychological defense layer seemed to become completely transparent, a tingling chill running down his spine exactly as if he were being scanned directly by a high-power X-ray machine. Every secret was at risk of being exposed.
The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly, his deep voice ringing out word by word.
"Humility... in front of me, is not always a good virtue. However, I understand why you behave this way. Indeed, talent accompanied by overly exceptional ideas will sometimes devour its own master."
The mana pressure in the room suddenly vanished. Grand Duke Shirakawa said no more. He continued to lightly stroke his quill, resting his chin on one hand, as if he completely understood the reason Zero hid his true capabilities.
Zero furrowed his brows slightly. Regardless, he did not sense any malice from the Grand Duke.
Every noble had their own way of treating commoners, so for now, it seemed he didn't need to actively put up his guard. Even so, deep down, a vague sense of vigilance arose within Zero. He still couldn't completely see through this Grand Duke.
"If my concealment made you feel offended, please forgive me, Your Grace."
"No. The fact that a thirteen-year-old can stand firm and speak articulately against my mana proves you are no ordinary person. That makes me somewhat more reassured about Aiselin's choice. But judging by your age and attire, you do not look like someone who makes a living teaching magic."
"I am a farmer."
"I see. So even a farmer has been able to step into the Shirakawa estate."
The Grand Duke's voice was colder than Zero expected. In that moment, Zero understood he was being evaluated.
For someone leading countless subordinates, holding immense power, below one person but above ten thousand, the ability to quickly see through the value of others was an essential skill.
"Aiselin has chosen you, so I will not interfere deeply. I grant you permission to enter and exit the quarters where Aiselin and Cecilia reside, the first-floor library, the training grounds, or any area Aiselin allows. Of course, the guard detail will always keep an eye on your every move. You may leave now."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"You may leave now."
With that, the Grand Duke waved his hand indifferently, his gaze immediately returning to the stack of documents on the desk. As the head of the nobility, he had too many things to consider and process.
However, Zero did not leave.
Zero remained standing in the middle of the study, hands clasped behind his back, his posture sturdy and unwavering.
After turning a few more pages of documents, the Grand Duke finally looked up, his expression clearly revealing his displeasure.
"Why are you still standing there? I told you to withdraw."
"Your Grace, before officially commencing my work, there is one matter I must absolutely clarify."
"What is it?"
"To me, the thorough completion of the assigned task is my highest priority objective," Zero spoke up. His voice was very deep, incredibly composed. This time, he slowly raised his head, shifting his gaze to directly face the most powerful man in the territory.
"Lady Aiselin has entrusted me with two heavy responsibilities: passing on my special knowledge to her, and simultaneously training Lady Cecilia in magic, so that she can hold her head high and step into high society as a true noble."
"Why must you waste words stating the obvious to me?"
"Because, in order to accomplish that mission, I respectfully ask for your permission to ask you a bold question."
Grand Duke Shirakawa furrowed his brows, the massive aura of pressure once again pouring toward the young man in front of him. For a lowly commoner to dare stand straight and speak on equal terms with a Grand Duke was historically rare. If the upcoming question was merely a trivial matter, this arrogant attitude alone was enough to be charged with insolence. That was the iron boundary of the class order.
However, Zero's unwavering gaze, completely devoid of fear, somehow magically succeeded in persuading the lord to linger and listen.
(Scene cuts here lmao)
After bidding farewell to the Grand Duke, Lady Aiselin returned to her private quarters. Sitting thoughtfully in a corner of the room, Aiselin looked just like a solitary flower. The dress she wore today was simple, but every draping fold exuded elegance, further highlighting her beautiful features with her raven-black hair and tranquil sapphire eyes. However, the trace of anxiety lingering at the corners of her eyes made that haughty aura fade somewhat.
A knock on the door broke her train of thought.
"Come in," Aiselin said softly.
The door opened, and Head Butler Sebastian entered, bowing slightly.
"My Lady, Young Master Zero is currently still lingering in the study for a direct audience with the Head of the family. It seems the dialogue between them will last longer than expected."
"I understand," Aiselin sighed softly.
Seeing that, Sebastian hesitated for a moment before speaking up:
"Forgive my abruptness, but may I take the liberty to ask you something, My Lady?"
Aiselin nodded.
"I know Young Master Zero possesses incredibly bizarre streams of knowledge, and he has also passed our test. But to immediately choose him as your tutor, and later for Lady Cecilia as well, is that not too hasty a decision?"
"Not at all," Aiselin replied, her eyes regaining their resolute look. "Though we have only just interacted, I can clearly see his composure and reliability, something that completely exceeds his actual age."
Sebastian narrowed his eyes slightly. "I am merely curious... whether My Lady saw the same thing I saw?"
"Well... although Zero comes from a commoner background, oddly enough, he has quite a solid grasp of noble etiquette and culture. The majority of commoners lack refinement and patience. But he is very measured and polite. For me, everything is fine, and as for Cecilia, I have a premonition that he is capable of handling her."
Indeed, Zero looked very mature and decent, especially when compared to other commoner teenagers of the same age. His magical capability might not be outstanding at all, but the bizarre theoretical systems he proposed were incredibly special, sharp, and refined. Even if everything was only at a foundational level, considering the age gap between him and Cecilia wasn't too large, it was an absolute advantage. Four-star mages and above, who were accustomed to cramming magic according to templates from decades ago, often found it very difficult to lower themselves to understand the mindset of a beginner child. Therefore, a person with a novel mindset like Zero was considered the most perfect puzzle piece right now.
Hearing Aiselin's explanation, Sebastian laughed softly.
"Lady Aiselin is truly straightforward and sincere. That direct and serious gaze of yours is exactly what makes others always want to trust and pledge their loyalty."
"You flatter me too much."
"Not at all, My Lady. But... please allow me, someone who has wandered through countless battlefields, to take the liberty of saying a few more words."
Sebastian's comfortable smile receded. Although his expression retained its respectful demeanor, the atmosphere in the room had begun to drop, gradually becoming more serious and oppressive. Aiselin knew very well that before Sebastian retired to become the diligent head butler of the Shirakawa estate, he was a warrior, a highly experienced combat mage. His current leisurely, polite demeanor was just a perfect shell concealing the cold, hardened experience within.
"What quality does My Lady think that commoner boy possesses that caused my magic shield—even if it is only a one-star defensive magic—to be pierced with a small hole?"
"... I am not sure."
"It is persistence... or in other words, the courage to dare to think and dare to act, to dare break every conventional rule. That is a core trait no one can teach, no matter how hard they try to cram it in."
He paused for a beat, his eyes sharp as knives looking straight at Aiselin.
"Someone who calls himself a mud-caked farmer, yet possesses anomalous theories with terrifying destructive power, along with a head cold enough to precisely calculate every weak point to shatter a mana shield. Does My Lady truly believe that a person bearing that many contradictions could peacefully survive and step into this estate solely based on elegance and a harmless exterior?"
"What... what do you mean?"
"Lady Aiselin, you are exceedingly outstanding, but perhaps you need to further hone your ability to see through people's hearts. That Young Master Zero... is absolutely not a lost little sheep."
(Zero actually just wanted to cling to a sugar patroness)
End of Chapter 8.
End of Volume 1.