Ascension Of The Failed Mage

"As the head of this place, surely you make it your business to concern yourself with its most interesting aspects. The talented students who enroll here should be under your observation as well." Noir spoke calmly.

The tension in the room seemed less than a few moments earlier, but there was still some measure of caution on the part of the Archmage. Nevertheless, the young mysterious man was speaking the truth.

"Yes, indeed." Lord Denzel shrugged.

He was an educator, but was a Mage first and foremost. He required talented brilliant minds to nurture. Of course, he watched for the best among those at the Southern Magic Institute.

"Then you must know about Ciara. Not only is she a Tier 3 Mage, but she also possesses a Rare Bloodline. How can you still ask me 'Why her?'"

If he didn't believe it before, Lord Denzel now had no choice but to lend some credibility to Noir's strong claim about his affiliation with the Versacee Dunroe Ducal Household. Such a secret thing would never be leaked out to a non-integral member of the Duchy of R'Easton. In essence, he could conclude that Noir was indeed who he said he was.

'To think that the Duke of R'Easton had such a talented Mage at his command… how very interesting.'

The only thing that kept the balance of power within the Southern Empire was the fact that the Nobles dominated the political sphere while Mages possessed raw power. If a Noble had both influence and access to Magic of the 9th Tier, then…

'This is quite serious.' Denzel thought to himself.

Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to contain the issue, he didn't want to garner the wrath of a major source of the Empire's power—not only to prevent internal conflict, but also to ward off external aggression.

"I see… then I understand. You are justified for seeking my attention, as well as refusing to answer my question pertaining to your identity. While I would have preferred you to be straightforward from the start, I apologize for being too rough on you." The Archmage sighed.

Hoping Noir would not take offense by their entire exchange—as well as Ciara's compromised safety—the old man rose to his feet and stretched forth his hand to the young man in front of him.

"I hope there are no hard feelings." He added.

Despite this gesture, which signaled both respect and humility, Noir refused to budge. He did not take Denzel's hand, neither did he make any attempt to mend the strained relationship that existed between the both of them.

Noir's eyes simply turned cold, and his expression remained the same. Such audacity made even Denzel anxious about what the young man would utter next.

"I apologize as well, but mere words will not be able to compensate for your Institute's inability to keep the Young Lady safe. Despite her extremely Rare bloodline, as well as her talent for Magic, the Lord brought her here because he had a very high trust in this place's security…"

Denzel's body stiffened upon hearing this.

"... Apparently, he was wrong," Noir concluded, finally rising to his feet.

The aura he had, as well as the stubbornness he displayed, did not appear to belong to someone who just lost the match. Noir was the loser, yet where was this confidence coming from? How could he refuse the courtesy given to him by the gracious Archmage?

Denzel simply couldn't fathom the young man's thoughts.

"So, what exactly are you implying? Will you be taking the Young Lady back to the R'Easton Duchy? Will you tell the Duke of our incompetence?" The Archmage tried his hardest to seem unfazed, but the opposite was a little true.

Of all the things he avoided in his career, it was any form of discredit. He despised anything that brought a stain on his credibility and the trust he had built over the years. As one of the most powerful individuals in the whole Empire, surely what he presided over was meant to be the best.

Yet… with a simple disservice to a High Noble, such as the Duke Varsacee Dunroe, things could end up harming him—even if it was just a little.

After all, even a simple stain of dirt on a piece of white fabric was deleterious to its design and quality—that was Archmage Denzel's ideology!

Yet…

"That is definitely an option. However, I feel we can reach a compromise." Noir's voice suddenly took a different turn, causing the old man's eyes to twitch a little in surprise.

"A compromise?"

"That's right. Despite all that has happened, your Institute still appears to be the best and safest in the entire Southern Empire. The young lady still needs to be educated, and frankly… she likes it here. It would be a shame to take her away while she has begun to adjust to this environment."

Noir paused in his speech and gave an honest, long, and silent stare at the Archmage. For a moment, it seemed like he was being completely open to the old man.

"I personally do not desire to see her leave this place."

Denzel felt himself sigh in relief. Noir seemed to be a far more agreeable man than he realized. However, something was still stuck in the old man's head—an issue yet to be settled.

"You said you want us to reach a compromise? What do you have in mind?"

Noir nodded, stepping a little forward from his stiff upright posture. His advance caused Denzel to feel a somewhat uncomfortable weight, but he easily shrugged it off. The old man felt it was most likely a feeling of curiosity rather than some other negative emotion.

"I would like to become a teacher in this institute. More specifically, I want to be assigned to the young lady's class." The young man finally made his case.

"W-what?!"

Denzel was shocked, to say the least. Of all the things he expected, he never pictured a man as talented and cold as Noir desiring the role of an educator. Of course, he understood his reasons if he wanted the job so he could protect Ciara more, but wouldn't it have been better to seek more convenient options?

'He could have asked for access to roam the campus, or even a job as a guard. Why a teacher, in particular?'

Denzel's wrinkly face crinkled even more as he gave Noir a hard stare. He wasn't very suspicious of the young man more so than he was confused. Why would he…?

"My rationale is simple. But it is also private. As for the reasons you should consider my proposal, I am an expert at using Magic—as you've seen for yourself. I also have experience in educating, since I taught the Young Lady Magic and raised her to her current level."

The Archmage had to admit… those were already impressive. It was very rare for a Mage so talented to seek a place in the field of Education. Trevor Netherlore was one such rarity, but this Noir Novo was far superior in talent and power.

Still, his experience with his young lady could also pose quite a problem…

"Do not worry. I do not intend to be partial in dealing with the young lady at all. I will educate the class and treat all the students fairly. Besides, since your concerns should be the growth of the students, it would be irresponsible of you to pass up such an opportunity… wouldn't you say?"

Noir was being a bit cheeky, but he was right! Denzel knew the advantages of having a talented, young, and experienced Magic Teacher within the Institute. Trevor was a good example!

'The students all love him, and he has almost the same level of influence as me when it comes to them. The ones he teaches excel greatly, and I've seen only good results thus far.' Denzel couldn't even begin to fathom what would happen if there was another one like Trevor within the Institute.

It would simply be amazing!

"You make good points, Noir. I have seen your skills, and I acknowledge them. As for your experience in education, I could always monitor your lectures. And then your affiliation is trustworthy. Besides, it seems we have a vacancy opened up thanks to that criminal's plan…" When Denzel spelled it out like that, everything seemed a little too convenient.

The cards added up at just the right angle.

Noir was literally the perfect applicant that arrived at the right time. He was strong, but not too strong. He was intelligent, but not unbelievably so. Best of all… he could be controlled.

'He's weaker than me, and he lost to me as well. That means I can put him in his place if he steps out of line…' Everything seemed like a perfect fit, yet Denzel found himself hesitating.

"Also, there's also the alternative to consider. If you do not accept my offer, I'll have to remove the young lady from the institute and inform the Duke of all the recent developments. We both wouldn't want that… would we?"

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