Chapter 31: The Silent Teacher
After they finished lunch, Jonathan turned toward Julia, curiosity in his voice as he asked, "So, when did you arrive here?"
Julia's expression remained unreadable, her tone flat and emotionless as she replied, "Just when I picked the plate."
Jonathan nodded calmly, as if he had expected such an answer, but Sara, who sat beside him, frowned slightly as she said
. "Why did you use illusions to enter our house? You startled all of us," she said, her tone carrying both irritation and concern.
Julia turned her head slowly, her sharp blue eyes resting on Sara. "Habit," she said simply.
Aiden, who had been quietly observing the exchange, thought to himself, She really doesn't speak much… It's going to be hard to learn from her.
He could already sense that teaching and conversation weren't her strong points — her presence was commanding, but her silence was heavier than words.
Sara sighed softly, composing herself before speaking again. "Please don't do that again while you're living here," she said firmly.
Julia gave a single, slight nod. "Understood."
The atmosphere grew quiet for a few moments before Jonathan spoke once more, breaking the silence as he said. "So, Julia, when do you want to start teaching Aiden?" he asked, pausing briefly before adding, "If you're tired from the journey, you can start tomorrow."
Julia's response came immediately as she replied. "From today."
Jonathan raised a brow but gave a faint smile. "Alright," he said, then turned toward Aiden. "Go change into your training suit. Your training will begin shortly."
Aiden nodded, "Okay," and quickly left the room to change his clothes.
As he disappeared down the hallway, Jonathan, Sara, and Julia exchanged a few quiet words.
Sara seemed hesitant about Julia's teaching style, but Jonathan simply smiled and reassured her. Julia, meanwhile, remained perfectly still, her face as calm and unreadable as a marble statue.
A few moments later, Aiden returned, dressed in his training clothes — black trousers and a fitted black shirt. His expression was calm yet filled with anticipation as he said, "I'm done."
Jonathan nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's go to the garden."
The four of them stepped outside. Aiden and Julia walked toward the center of the garden, while Jonathan and Sara stood at the side, watching carefully.
The air between Aiden and Julia was heavy with quiet tension — not hostility, but the kind that comes before something unknown begins.
Julia's piercing blue eyes fell upon Aiden. Her gaze was steady, cold, and dissecting — as though she was analyzing every movement, every flicker of emotion on his face.
"You can use lightning mana," she said suddenly.
Aiden nodded, standing straight. "Yes."
Julia gave a faint nod of acknowledgment. "Okay," she said softly, then paused, her words deliberate and measured as she said. "Just conjure the mana in your whole body — or in the thing that you want to turn into an illusion — while thinking that everyone around you is a fool."
Aiden blinked. That was it? He stood there, confused for a moment. Out of all the lessons he had ever received, this was by far the shortest explanation he had ever heard.
Even Rayan — who was notoriously lazy and carefree — had given longer and clearer instructions.
He couldn't help but think, She really doesn't talk much. Even while explaining something this complex, she barely says a word. This… is going to be tough.
Still, he composed himself and raised his hand slightly. "Ma'am," he began, his voice polite but uncertain, "how will I make an illusion like the thing I want? Will I have to think about everyone else as fools while imagining what type of illusion I want to cast?"
Julia turned her gaze toward him and — without saying a single word — she nodded once. That was her only response.
Aiden sighed inwardly, his suspicions confirmed. This is going to be really hard.
After a brief pause, he asked again, "Ma'am, should I start casting an illusion on the dummy?"
Once again, Julia merely nodded.
Aiden turned toward the wooden training dummy that stood at the far end of the garden. He took a deep breath, then began to gather mana into his hand.
He remembered Julia's words — to think that everyone around him was a fool. It was strange advice, but he trusted her.
As he concentrated, his mana began to pulse faintly, shimmering around his hand. He focused his mind, thinking of the dummy as a rabbit — small, white, harmless. He pushed the image into his mana, shaping it with his thoughts.
Then, with a single exhale, he released the mana into the air.
The pale glow enveloped the wooden dummy completely. For a few seconds, nothing happened — then, before everyone's eyes, the dummy's form began to blur and distort.
The edges of its shape wavered, and within moments, the wooden figure transformed into the illusion of a rabbit, sitting innocently in the middle of the garden.
Aiden opened his eyes and stared. He had done it. He had used His first illusionary spell.
Julia watched silently, her face expressionless as ever. Then, after a moment, she gave a slow, approving nod.
Aiden turned toward her, uncertain of what her reaction truly meant, but he stood straight, waiting for her next instruction.
Julia studied him for a brief moment before speaking, her voice calm and even. "The spell you used is Deceive. You can use it to deceive someone of the same stage as you."
She paused slightly, her eyes meeting his. "Then there is Self Illusion. You can use it on yourself to deceive others during battle."
Aiden nodded quickly. Then he thought, "Just these two spells?" he asked, his tone showing a hint of surprise.
Julia's reply was simple. She nodded again.
Then she spoke, her voice carrying the same emotionless tone. "Try using Self Illusion."
Aiden nodded once more and began to focus. He closed his eyes, gathering mana throughout his body.
This time, he directed it inward, letting it flow under his skin, through his veins, around every inch of his being. He thought of his seventeen-year-old self from Earth — taller, sharper, more mature.
The mana began to swirl around him, faint and silvery, shimmering like mist. As it grew denser, his figure slowly started to change.
His body stretched, his features refined. The boyish roundness of his face faded, replaced by sharp, defined lines. His hair turned darker, his skin paler, his black eyes glimmering faintly under the sunlight.
When the mana settled, standing in Aiden's place was a tall, slender young man with pale white skin and sharp Asian features — someone who looked like he had stepped straight out of another world.
Julia's cold blue eyes lingered on him for a few seconds. Then, for the first time since she arrived, there was the faintest trace of approval in her expression. She nodded again, slow and deliberate.
Aiden, noticing this, let out a quiet sigh of relief. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly.
From the sidelines, Sara and Jonathan — who had been observing the entire process — both exhaled in quiet relief as well. They exchanged glances, a small smile forming on their faces.
They both knew how difficult it would be for Aiden to learn under Julia, a woman who was not only self-taught but also an absolute genius who understood mana on an instinctual level rather than through words.
Still, despite her silence, Aiden had managed to succeed on his first attempt — a testament to his talent and focus.
Jonathan folded his arms, watching proudly. "He's learning faster than I thought," he murmured quietly.
Sara nodded in agreement, her eyes soft with motherly pride. "Even with her teaching style, he's managing just fine," she whispered.
Meanwhile, Julia stood motionless, her gaze still fixed on Aiden, as though analyzing his mana flow and illusion structure.
She said nothing, but the subtle shift in her expression — a near-imperceptible flicker of satisfaction — said more than words ever could.
Aiden, still maintaining his illusionary form, gave a slight bow of respect before releasing the mana. The illusion shimmered briefly before fading away completely, revealing his real appearance once again.
Julia nodded one final time. "Good," she said quietly, her voice flat yet carrying a strange weight. "You learn quickly."
Aiden felt a faint sense of pride swell within him. Though Julia's words were few, they carried meaning — approval from someone who rarely praised anyone.
He stood silently, his heart calm yet filled with determination. This was only the beginning. He knew that after training with Julia he will master all 10 elements then he could prepare to become a stage 2 mana cultivator.
The thought of becoming a stage2 mana cultivator filled him with curiosity, excitement and determination. He wanted to reach it as fast as possible.
Thus he decided to train even more dilegently so he can reach his goal.
Author's Note: A silent mentor, an unyielding pupil — beneath the quiet exchange of nods and single words, something greater stirs. Aiden's path with Julia begins in stillness, but the silence of his lessons will soon echo far beyond the walls of this home.
— The Hymn of Evil