Chapter 14 A Truly Good Teacher
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
"Is this really your summoned spirit? You're not lying to me?"
Even with the evidence right in front of me, I still found it hard to believe. After all, who would keep a demon as their spirit?
Kane spoke slowly. "It's not a demon. Just a dark-type spirit. He has a name—York."
I thought about it. The name wasn't bad, actually.
"Did I scare you? I'm sorry." Kane apologized again.
I waved my hand. "Not really. Just shocked, that's all. If you say he's not a demon, then he's not. Besides, the name's nice."
"You believe he's not a demon?" Kane looked genuinely surprised.
I acted like it was obvious. "Of course. You said so, didn't you? He's just a dark-type spirit."
"You're willing to trust me?" he asked again.
"Obviously. We're friends. You have no reason to lie about something like this."
I could clearly see Kane's lips curve into a slight smile. Maybe for him, this kind of trust was completely new.
"I'll teach you summoning here."
Kane snapped his fingers. The sky around us suddenly darkened, as if night had fallen early.
I instinctively stepped back, feeling the terror of dark magic for the first time—and Kane's immense power.
To turn day into night so effortlessly—what level of magic could support that?
I closed my eyes, not daring to look.
The next second, a warm, strong hand took mine. I froze like I'd been struck by lightning, not daring to move.
I knew it was Kane's hand. But strangely, I felt no resistance. In fact, I didn't want to pull away at all.
Then Kane's voice sounded by my ear. "Open your eyes."
I gathered my courage and opened them. The sight before me took my breath away.
York hovered in midair. The flames wreathing his body scattered across the night sky, forming one beautiful fiery petal after another.
I knew those petals were dangerous. But they were stunning. Like fireworks given physical form.
Kane said softly, "This is just basic summoning magic. You can have your spirit create anything you want."
"Fire petals in the air. Or anything else you can imagine."
I swallowed hard, barely able to believe what I was hearing. "This... this is basic summoning magic? Are you serious?"
"Please. I don't even have a spirit yet!"
In my understanding, you could only claim to have mastered summoning magic once you'd actually summoned a spirit.
If you couldn't even do that, wasn't everything else just a joke?
"No." Kane shook his head. "As long as you're willing, you can summon your spirit anytime."
"But before you do, you need to know what you want. You need to examine your own heart. Only if your heart is pure enough will your spirit be strong enough."
"And you must achieve true understanding with your spirit. Become kindred souls. A spirit isn't just a pet. It's family. Another version of yourself."
...
Okay. I had to admit—Kane had serious potential as a teacher. And he'd probably be an excellent one.
Because when he taught, he became a completely different person. No longer stingy with words. No longer cold as ice. His mastery of the subject was flawless.
But I also knew my idea was naive. Someone like Kane would never be interested in teaching.
Or rather, even if he were interested, students wouldn't accept him. After all, a dark mage was someone they avoided at all costs. If someone like him taught classes, the entire academy would descend into chaos.
"So? How much did you understand? Do you need me to demonstrate again?" Kane asked patiently, without a trace of impatience.
I smiled slightly. "I think I get it. You should head back. I need some quiet time alone. Maybe up here, my mental focus will be stronger than in the classroom."
There were too many voices in the classroom—too much noise. This place was the perfect training ground for me. Bar none.
"I'll stay with you."
"No, no. It's getting late. You should go rest."
Kane was unusually stubborn. "It's fine. I'll keep you company. If you need help, just ask."
With that, he walked over to a distant rock and sat cross-legged. Clearly, he wasn't giving me a chance to refuse.
Well, I was used to it by now. I didn't argue. Besides, having Kane nearby really did give me an unprecedented sense of security.
I didn't know how long I stayed on the mountain. By the time I opened my eyes, it was dark.
Actually dark this time. Not Kane's magic.
I checked the time. 8:00 PM.
"It's late. We should go."
"Okay. I'll walk you back." Kane had returned to his usual terse self.
I waved him off. "You don't need to tonight. Go rest. I'm heading to the library."
Star Ring Academy's library was open 24 hours. Which meant I could stay there all night if I wanted.
Honestly, if I didn't have class the next day and need sleep, staying overnight would've been a decent option.
Not only could I absorb more knowledge—I could also avoid the people in my dorm. Going back would probably just mean more harassment. Better to stay in the library.
"I'll come with you."
I gave a bitter smile. "Why? You don't even read. Are you just going to sit there?"
"Yes. I'll just sit there." His tone was flat.
"I..."
For a moment, I was speechless.
I'd tried my best to stop him, but in the end, he came to the library with me anyway.
Maybe when it came to things like this, my protests and resistance simply had no effect.
I went to find some books on summoning. I planned to read them alongside the textbooks, combined with what Kane had actually taught me. At this rate, my progress would skyrocket.
"This is it!" I found a book called Summoning Grimoire. The title alone told me it was what I needed.
It was tucked away at the edge of the shelf, but that didn't matter. In fact, the more hidden a book was, the more likely it was to be some kind of legendary manual.
But just as I was about to leave, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A book at the very back of the shelf.
The title: Dark Mage.
That's right. The book was literally called Dark Mage.
I instinctively glanced toward Kane, who sat quietly in the distance. Was this book about him? Or about his kind?
I didn't have any prejudice against dark mages. But I still pulled the book down.
I didn't return to my seat. Instead, I stayed by the shelf to read. I didn't want Kane to misunderstand.