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Julian came back wearing fresh, crisp clothes. He held up his old rags and looked at me for approval.
"Put those in the bin," I said, waving dismissively.
He nodded and tossed them aside. The difference was striking—he actually looked presentable now. All he needed was a haircut and he'd have a full glow-up.
"See? Just being near me upgrades your life," I said, smirking proudly. "Uhuh, I'm great."
Julian gave a faint smile but said nothing.
I leaned back on the bed, crossing my legs. "Alright, back to the demons. What did they look like? And were your parents mages?" I asked.
It didn't make sense that demons would just target two random people unless there was a reason. If they were mages, maybe that could explain it.
Julian hesitated for a moment, his expression tightening. "I… can't really remember what it looked like," he said softly. "But I remember it saying something about sensing an abnormal amount of magic power."
That caught my attention. I leaned forward slightly, listening closely.
"It touched my mother and father," he continued, his voice trembling. "And then… they were just gone. Dead. Instantly."
I frowned. "And you're sure you can't remember what it looked like?"
"N-no. I came back just as it touched them. I only saw their bodies before it vanished," he said.
I removed my blindfold and rubbed the bridge of my nose, deep in thought. "Alright then, kid. You haven't been much help," I said bluntly, "but you've helped me realize something."
Julian tilted his head. "What is it?"
He suddenly froze, eyes widening as he looked at me. "Your eyes are glowing…"
I grinned. "They're cool, right?"
He nodded slowly, still staring. "Y-yeah."
I chuckled and let the blindfold fall back into place.
Looking at him again, I couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of mana leaking from his body, from my earlier observations it was around 10 times more than the average villager. Even without the Six Eyes, I could see that the level was absurd, truly had some generational potential.
"So," I said, my tone shifting back to serious, "based on what you said, demons can sense mana levels. Judging by what they did to your parents, it's likely they absorbed all their magic."
Julian's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white.
"You probably want revenge, right?" I asked quietly.
He looked down, his lips trembling. Then, with a hint of fire in his eyes, he nodded.
"It's good to see you want revenge," I said, leaning back with a smirk, "but right now, you're weak and pathetic."
Julian froze, staring at me blankly.
"That's why you keep getting bullied by kids all over town," I continued, laughing straight at his face. "But hey, at least you don't smell like a garbage heap anymore."
Julian's jaw tightened. "I know… but I will get stronger," he said, that faint spark of determination lighting up in his eyes.
I grinned. "That's where I come in. You've probably been wondering why all this seems a little too convenient, right?"
He tilted his head.
"I mean, c'mon. Some random guy with a blindfold swoops in, saves you from street rats, buys you new clothes, gives you a bath so you don't stink up the room…" I shrugged. "A little suspicious, don't you think?"
Julian looked confused but curious.
"I'll say it again, you're weak. But ever since I saw you, I noticed something."
"What did you notice?" he asked.
"Your magic," I said simply. "It's higher than anything I've seen before… well, except for the dragon."
"D-Dragon!?" Julian stammered, eyes wide.
"Yeah, another story for another day," I replied, waving it off. "What's important is that I'm offering you something, an apprenticeship of sorts. You train under me until you're strong enough to defeat that demon… if you can find it."
"Apprentice?" Julian repeated, blinking.
"Exactly," I said, snapping my fingers. "In magic, I'm technically a newbie. But let's be honest, it won't take me long to surpass everyone else, and I can teach you plenty."
I raised my hand, summoning a flickering flame at my fingertip. Julian's eyes widened as he watched it dance. Then, in a smooth motion, I turned the flame into ice, solidified it into stone, and finally reignited it into a brilliant blue flame that hummed with energy.
"You can learn that too, if you join me," I said. "You've got a massive pool of magic, kid, but you have no clue how to use it."
Julian's fists clenched with resolve. "I-I'll do it! I'll learn magic, get stronger, and defeat the demon that killed my parents!"
I chuckled. "Such a classic line. But sure, I'll take it." I leaned in closer, grinning. "Just remember, you'll also be helping me with my goals as payment for saving your sorry self and teaching you. Deal?"
Julian nodded eagerly.
"Good," I said, standing up and dusting off my coat. "Then let's get started, apprentice."
"Our first priority today," I said, straightening up with a grin, "is making sure you understand the plan I've made!"
Julian blinked. "What's the plan?"
"We'll be heading to Strahl in three days," I explained. "I want to see if there's something… exciting going on. In the meantime, we'll focus on helping you feel the mana inside you."
"Something exciting?" Julian repeated, skeptical.
"Uhhh… yeah?" I replied, trying to sound confident.
He gave me a look. "So there's no real reason we're going to Strahl—except that you're bored?"
"Oh, please, have a little faith," I said, waving my hands dramatically. "I happen to have very credible intel that a demon was spotted inside the Holy City."
Julian's eyes widened. "A demon!?"
"Yep. Ever since the hero Himmel and his party defeated the Demon King, sightings have dropped drastically," I said, pacing the room. "Which makes this one all the more interesting."
"And that also means there's a chance we might—" I started, but Julian cut me off.
"—find the demon that killed my parents," he finished, his fists tightening.
"Bingo! Not bad for a rookie," I said, chuckling."But you sure do like clenching your fist, your hands are a valuable part of your body!"
"Then why don't we go now?" he blurted out. "I'm ready. I'm eager to crush that demon!"
I looked at him dead in the eye. "Have you seen yourself!?" I said, bursting into laughter. "You can't even control your mana, and you want to fight a demon? You'd die before you even got a cool last line in!"
Julian frowned, but I could see the fire in his eyes.
"Relax," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We'll get there. Three days, kid. Three days to turn you from weak and pathetic…" I smirked, "to slightly less weak and pathetic."