C17 This Mentor Is Really Longwinded!

"Stop right there!"

The middle-aged mage called out to Zhang Xing.

He chuckled to himself, seeing the boy stubbornly challenge the Magic Sphere, and couldn't help but admire Zhang Xing's tenacity.

Ignorance is not a sin, after all!

The Magic Sphere was crafted by the esteemed President himself. Not just any Intermediate Mage, but even a group of Great Magisters wouldn't be able to make it explode.

"Zhang Xing, with your exceptional magic power and mental energy, stand behind me. We'll make arrangements for you after everyone else has completed their tests."

All eyes turned to Zhang Xing, and the room fell into a hushed silence.

Nearby, scions of prominent families from St. Roland's Castle, instructors, and representatives from other cities watched Zhang Xing with eager intensity.

They all thought the same thing: by any means necessary, this child must serve their Family.

And if he couldn't, they would still strive to forge a strong relationship with him.

Once the testing concluded, Zhang Xing was placed in a double room, where he awaited the start of his formal education at the academy the following day.

Despite his talent already being at the Intermediate Magic level, he was placed in the primary magic class. A teacher explained to him that the foundation of magic was the most important thing to learn first.

Having special talent doesn't make you a special student, nor does it entitle you to special privileges.

Nor does it guarantee you'll become a great mage in the future.

Her words rang true, but Zhang Xing had heard this educational mantra all too often from his teachers back on Earth, from elementary through high school. He'd been steeped in it.

And now, here he was, still subjected to the same ideological instruction. How tiresome!

I'm only six years old, already an Intermediate Mage. Who among you has seen me act arrogantly?

Did I ever say I didn't want to start at grade one?

From the moment he was assigned his dormitory, the tutor had been incessantly lecturing. She didn't stop until she had shown Zhang Xing around the academy's classrooms, dining hall, library, physical training center, and magic laboratories.

In the end, as the tutor was leaving, she said, "Zhang Xing, in all my years of teaching, I've never served as a personal guide to a student. This is both your first and last time receiving special attention, simply because you're quite adorable!"

After finishing her sentence, the instructor pinched Zhang Xing's cheek with a chuckle and walked away.

The young female instructor was elegant and strikingly beautiful, yet she had a tendency to be quite verbose. Watching her leave, Zhang Xing couldn't help but comment, "With such a pretty face and figure, it's almost a shame she's not in movies! But, boy, can she talk your ear off."

Twenty meters away, the instructor whirled around, the joy still dancing on her face, but her eyes flashed with an odd glint. "Zhang Xing, are you talking about me?"

Zhang Xing jumped, startled. She could hear him from that distance? Impressive. She must possess a wind-type magic talent.

"No, I was talking about this tree," Zhang Xing quickly said, gesturing with a small wave of his hand toward a tree in the dormitory area.

The instructor gave him a knowing look before turning on her heel and walking away.

"This kid is quite the character, speaking and behaving with the maturity of an adult. He's just too adorable!" she mused.

But then, recalling Zhang Xing's last remark, her mood darkened. "He finds me annoying," she muttered to herself.

"He seemed so attentive, nodding in agreement like an adult."

"At that moment, the pride I felt as an instructor was beyond words."

"So, he was fed up all along, playing the part of the good little boy. He's quite the little rascal!"

Regardless of her thoughts, Zhang Xing was unconcerned. Tomorrow, his journey into the world of magic would truly begin!