The Master of Language - T.M.L Chapter 8 (Part 1):

If there were eyes that could kill a person, those would be the ones.

Kalasta bared his teeth.

“Unbelievable. Did you move in the face of my majesty? An apprentice without even a staff?”

Majesty, huh.

So that’s why my body couldn’t move.

I vaguely remember the master calling it confidence. It must be something similar to that.

I stretched my arms straight up.

Then to the sides, and then stood at attention!

Chest out, stomach in.

I spoke boldly.

“I came out just in case, and as expected, you were waiting.”

Kalasta slowly raised his eyes to look at me.

His two eyes were burning.

“No. I had left, but I felt your energy and came right back. By the way, how did you move in the face of my majesty? You shouldn’t have been able to breathe properly… Did Abana give you some defensive treasure?”

“For a moment, it seemed dangerous. I desperately moved my body and entered here. Earlier, I noticed that you couldn’t exert your power inside the master’s domain.”

“Hmph. I believe you’ve only been a disciple for barely a day, but you’ve learned quite a lot during that time.”

“……”

Or perhaps I figured it out well on my own.

When I said nothing, he folded his arms.

His arms looked like dried branches.

“So? Just by looking, I must have seemed higher level than your master, right? Since we’re both human and all. Of course, anyone would want to come under me. But, hmm. Looking at your eyes, it seems you don’t really want to come? Interesting. You seem to be in your mid-teens, but more than half of your thoughts are hidden.”

I straightened my shoulders and said.

“That’s right. I wanted to see you, sir……”

“I take back what I said earlier. Now that I look closely, that elf woman hasn’t taught you properly. Since you’re a novice apprentice who just entered the magical world, let me tell you. Anyone higher level than you is a senior. Don’t use any other title.”

I swallowed dryly and spoke again.

“I wanted to see you, senior, because there are a few things I’d like to ask.”

One of Kalasta’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“So you really don’t want to become my disciple?”

There’s no point in lying.

I nodded.

“Unfortunately, for now, I want to stay under Master Abana.”

“Why? Don’t you think there’s something off, and that’s why you came out to meet me?”

“Yes.”

“But?”

“Because I don’t know exactly what’s off, it’s hard to make a decision.”

Kalasta smiled, showing his teeth.

He spread both hands to his sides.

Suddenly, a huge flame flickered behind him, and from within it, a giant red lizard suddenly jumped out. The lizard breathed fire from its mouth.

It was indescribably magnificent.

To the point where I almost said I wanted to become his disciple immediately.

He sat astride the lizard’s back and said,

“Explain what you felt was off. Why do you think that?”

I recalled my memory and said,

“In return for teaching me magic, she asks me to become the companion of her disciple, Psyche. It seems too advantageous for me…”

Kalasta cut off my words again.

“Kaha. Kahaha. Seeing that you remain by her side even though that felt off, I guess that high elf must be quite pretty, huh? Well, she has to be pretty. That’s what high elves are.”

“……”

He seems to lack patience, just as the master said.

He smiled wickedly, rolling his eyes.

“Do you know? The higher a mage’s level, this, this, this sense! The senses develop tremendously. You start to feel things you never did before. Beautiful things no longer appear beautiful. Heh heh. That’s why something like a high elf is even more valuable.”

Hmm.

Sorry, but I’ll hold off on becoming your disciple.

It seems to be his habit to speak without any consideration for the listener, so it’s clear how he’d be as a teacher.

“What might be my master’s intention? Can you tell me, perhaps?”

Kalasta smiled with his eyes.

Then he spoke in a monotone voice.

“In my lifetime, I’ve seen thousands of mages. Among them, I can say with certainty that your talent is of the highest rank. Your face shows it. Of course, there would be mages who want to raise you as their disciple, but in this merciless magical world, most are bastards who want to exploit your talent.”

“How so?”

“Hmm. By making you into a puppet to control. Or by extracting your soul and putting it into a treasure. Or by engraving you with a slave’s mark to use you. Or by absorbing even a part of your talent. There are various methods.”

“……”

“That elf bitch is no different. She’s probably trying to gain fire and iron magic, which she doesn’t have, through you. Kahaha. You’ll probably be devoured as soon as you reach a certain level.”

“I see.”

Kalasta stared at me intently.

“If you come under me, I’ll appoint you as my chief disciple. You’ll be able to raise your level at an unimaginable speed. Didn’t you not move in the face of my majesty, despite being just an apprentice? Apart from talent, I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

Judging by his expression, he’s almost ready to adopt me as his son.

It must have been a truly remarkable feat to walk under that pressure.

“Is my talent really that outstanding?”

“Abana is probably secretly afraid of you. Afraid that you might grow enough to escape her grasp.”

Come to think of it, the master told me not to contact the Undine.

Seeing that Psyche is hiding something too, Kalasta’s words might be right.

“Then I should contract with an Undine. Just in case she tries to suppress me……”

“No!”

As the world trembled, flames erupted from Kalasta’s entire body.

Dangun

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