Basileo shuffled into the gymnasium, looking awkward.
I watched him for a moment before dismissing the Wisp in my hand.
Finally, I had succeeded in creating a Wisp out of Mana crystals. It was volatile, but its power made it worth the effort to control.
“How long have you been there?” I asked Basileo.
“S-Since you said, ‘Please, let this work this time,’ Teacher.”
He had seen everything from the beginning.
A little embarrassed, I scratched my head. My Extrasensory Perception hadn’t worked. I was rather shocked, to be honest.
While Extrasensory Perception is excellent at sensing hostility, it doesn’t mean that my general perception is lacking.
It's originally a power that senses all things supernatural, making it a superior version of basic Mana detection.
I even noticed the hidden assassins protecting the Empress in the Imperial Palace, so it boasts exceptional performance.
However, it failed to detect Basileo. Or rather, I should say it detected him, but no alarm bells went off.
I had sensed the Mana outside the gymnasium. But I didn’t pay much attention to it.
If I practiced in the gymnasium, someone was bound to notice eventually. It wasn't like I was trying to hide it. Besides, there was no other suitable place.
But to think it was Basileo…
‘Did I not sense him because he didn’t use any magic and just came here?’
When I first gained Extrasensory Perception, my senses were hypersensitive, making it quite difficult to adapt.
Unlike others who developed their perception abilities gradually, I gained an overwhelmingly powerful ability all at once. So, my adaptation process involved learning to perceive less.
I once compared gaining Extrasensory Perception to ‘a pig looking at the sky.’ At first, the pig might be curious about the sky, but it learns to ignore it. As time passes, the pig stops paying attention to the sky altogether.
That’s how Extrasensory Perception is for me. It's like the sky that I can see whenever I look up. I’ll naturally know if it rains, snows, or if lightning strikes.
‘But I don’t care much about a single cloud passing by, even if I sense it.’
“Teacher,” Basileo called out to me.
“How did you do that just now?”
Ah, the question I expected. I was just wondering how to answer it.
Being honest was out of the question. Putting aside whether he’d believe me or not, I didn't even know where to begin explaining.
“Ah, well, in the process of combining my skills and magic…”
As I spoke, Basileo’s eyes changed.
He dropped to his knees with a loud thud and prostrated himself before me as if performing a deep bow.
“Teacher! Please teach me magic! Be my magic teacher!”
“….But I’m already teaching you.”
And I’m already your magic teacher.
“The skill you just displayed, Teacher, it shook the very foundations of my magical knowledge! If I could learn even a fraction of that realm, I would gladly offer my life and soul, even if it meant leaping off a cliff!”
“You're being so dramatic, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
This guy definitely had a knack for combining grandiose expressions without thinking. Was this also a magical talent? Exaggerating the scale of his words, he’d be a good match for Selena.
‘As expected, he won’t let me off with that flimsy excuse.’
Basileo saw right through my attempt to gloss over it. In other words, even if he didn’t know exactly what I did, he understood the general gist of it.
He was probably struggling because he didn’t know about the existence of Mana crystals and was trying to reconcile what he saw with the theories he knew.
‘I wanted to avoid getting deeply involved with the students of Atlas Academy…’
Teaching students wasn’t my original goal. I just needed suitable accommodation for my comrades, a library for research, and access to knowledge.
Of course, I could still teach the students, but what I was wary of was a different matter.
‘I don’t know who is on the side of good here.’
Unlike Constel, I don't know all the characters here. How they’ll turn out, what they’ll go through, how they’ll change.
Even Basileo, who stood before me now, a somewhat clumsy but passionate student, could change in the future.
If I taught Basileo and he became a villain later, wouldn’t I have made evil stronger?
Lately, I’ve been realizing the extent of my ignorance.
When Belphegor fell and this world reached a point I couldn’t comprehend…
After that, I worried, and about half of my worries came true.
I was caught up in events I didn’t understand, and despite my desperate efforts to figure things out, I ended up being treated like a devil in the Terst Empire and came here.
I am woefully unprepared for unforeseen circumstances. So, I want to be careful not to create any more unexpected situations.
I looked at Basileo for a moment.
At least his eyes seemed sincere. Either that, or this kid had acting skills on par with Selena.
“Unfortunately, I can’t explain what I just showed you.”
Basileo’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
I continued, “It’s not because you lack the ability. Not yet, anyway.”
His eyes sparkled once more.
“Are you saying that if my skills improve, you’ll tell me?”
“Mediocre improvement won’t cut it. You need to achieve growth incomparable to what you have now.”
In the end, I decided to help Basileo grow.
Of course, I don’t possess the heart or qualities of a proper teacher, so I can’t use any outstanding teaching methods to nurture him. Not that I intend to.
“I’ll at least guide you on the path to achieving that growth.”
I’ve never achieved that level of magical prowess myself.
But Basileo would believe it. Because of the magic I just displayed.
He would definitely believe that I possess extraordinary magical achievements.
I wasn’t nurturing Basileo because I was some great mage.
My magical skills were mediocre, I knew nothing about teaching, and I was far from a suitable mentor. I wouldn’t be using any of those abilities to guide him.
“Basileo, you know this, but growth ultimately depends on you. No one else.”
Basileo himself would nurture himself.
Basileo’s eyes shone even brighter at my words.
“Of course, I know that!”
It was a good thing he understood.
Thanks to that, I wouldn’t have to feel even a shred of guilt.