Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 101 Tutoring and Unspoken Rules
Locke opened his door and found that next to the wizard Ulrion Richie, there was a third-class wizard apprentice who looked to be about fourteen years old.

Wizard Ulrion Rich was still wearing a wizard's robe embroidered with silver thread, with a magic stone tablet floating behind him. The tablet was inscribed with esoteric runes of the Frost Element magic of the Evocation School, so much so that some frost spread around the edges of the magic stone tablet.

The invisible magical pressure unintentionally emanating from a formal wizard is enough to make people nervous.

Locke seemed to see an insurmountable, towering snow-capped peak standing before him, every rock on that peak composed of magical mysteries.

Locke hesitated for a moment, but still invited Wizard Ulrion Richie into his house. After all, it was not appropriate to have a formal wizard speak at the door.

Moreover, when I first entered Lilith House to study, the first general education class I took, the course on basic rune principles, was taught by this wizard.

Wizard Ulrion Richie entered, observed the furnishings of the living room, and remarked, "Good taste."

“Augustine the Potions Master, this is my grandson, Calvin Rich.”

"Hello, Augustine, the potion master." Calvin Rich bowed to Locke. He looked very thin, and although it was not yet winter, he was wrapped in heavy clothes. His face was pale, his eyes were unfocused, and his steps were unsteady.

At the same time, Calvin Ritchie seemed to have exceptional self-respect, lacking the arrogance often associated with descendants of wizards towards unconnected wizarding apprentices.

Locke felt a little strange. This grandson of a formal wizard looked so frail and sickly.

But he wisely refrained from bringing up the topic, instead inviting Wizard Ulrion Rich and the others to sit down and pouring him a cup of rich, fragrant tea.

Locke looked at Wizard Ulrion Richie with a puzzled expression. "Lord Richie, what brings you here so late?"

Wizard Ulrion Richie sat on the sofa, patted Calvin's head, and then said with a hint of guilt and dejection, "This is my grandson, Calvin. His dream is to become a potion master. So I want to hire you to teach my grandson Calvin."

Locke stood before him, puzzled. "Looking for me to give you a lesson?"

“But I am just an ordinary first-class wizard apprentice who has only just passed the Potions Assistant exam. With your resources, you could clearly find a better teacher to teach your grandson.”

"This job carries a great deal of responsibility, and I cannot accept it easily."

"Why do you need to find me?" Locke couldn't understand the key point. He looked at Kaven with a puzzled expression, while Kaven lowered his head somewhat guiltily.

Locke quickly realized that the key to the problem seemed to lie with Kaven himself, the only bloodline descendant of a formal wizard.

Wizard Ulrion Rich smiled amiably at Locke and said, “No, Locke, you are the most suitable.”

He was quite pleased with himself. "Your advancement speed is almost comparable to that of the Child of the Elements, Locke. You are no ordinary person."

"From what I know of you, you have great potential. It's just that your future is uncertain right now, and many people haven't seen that yet. Personally, I think you even have the potential to become a full-fledged wizard."

“Locke, you are a special genius, and you are best suited to teach my grandson.”

Wizard Ulrion Rich sighed. “There’s also the issue of Kaven himself. Locke, you know I used to be a wizard in the Frozen Tower, only moving to Lilith’s Hut five years ago. That’s because five years ago, my enemies in the Frozen Tower, unable to defeat me, attacked my only bloodline descendant.” “Kaven fell ill as a result and almost lost his life. Although I saved his life, it left him extremely weak.”

"Therefore, I want to try my best to meet Calvin's requirements."

"I came to Lilith's Cottage only to find a way to completely cure my grandson. My only wish as an old man is to watch my grandson grow up safely."

Wizard Ulrion Richie felt a little guilty and said, "Kaven's aptitude is only level one, and his only compatible attribute is wood. Ordinary wizards are not qualified to teach him, and those wizards I think are qualified are unwilling to teach a student with such poor aptitude."

"Moreover, I am a wizard specializing in Frost Magic within the Evocation school. I have very few connections in the field of Potions, and my position as a Potions Master's assistant is special in Lilith's Hut."

Kaven, standing to the side, lowered his head guiltily upon hearing Wizard Ulrion Richie speak of his aptitude. "Professor Augustine, please accept me..."

Locke suddenly realized the key point; being as clever as he was, he immediately understood it.

Although Calvin Ritchie is of noble birth, being the only bloodline descendant of the wizard Ulion Ritchie, his own aptitude is extremely poor, and his health is also weak.

Those senior potion master assistants would never accept a student like this.

Even if they reluctantly accept the job out of respect for Wizard Ulrion Richie, they would never teach it seriously.

So, Wizard Ulrion Richie turned his attention to the less experienced potion-making assistants.

Coincidentally, not only had I recently become a potion master's assistant, but my aptitude level when I enrolled was also very low, only level 3, unlike other potion master's assistants who were usually level 5 or 6.

Despite having relatively low aptitude, Urian Rich, the wizard who became the potion master's assistant, believed that he must have some unique talent that might even be able to help his grandson, which was why he approached him.

Wizard Ulrion Rich smiled faintly and said, "If you agree to give my grandson one lesson a week, one hour a lesson, I can pay you one thousand magic stones a month."

"In return, I can help you acquire advanced meditation techniques more quickly. The academy's higher-ups are very careful in reviewing advanced meditation techniques, which is the same everywhere."

“For a wizard apprentice with no background, it’s impossible to pass the process of obtaining advanced meditation techniques in less than a year,” said Wizard Ulion Richie. “It’s an unspoken rule.”

“But if I and the Witch Sophia help you speed things up, I believe you can complete the advanced meditation process within ten days.”

"Besides, this time I owe you a favor."

Wizard Ulrion Rich looked at Locke gently. "Of course, it's normal for you to refuse. After all, my grandson's aptitude is indeed rather low."

"But I really want you to tutor my grandson."

(End of this chapter)