The Mentor

'It's almost been half a year since I have become a magician yet I have yet to learn anything relating to magic except for a few things I picked up from the royal library..'

Releasing a deep sigh Kurao kept his pace toward the training hall well getting a few looks of surprise from the maids and butlers with a few murmurs which he assumed to probably be about him. 

"Heh." Kurao let out a soft chuckle thinking about the attention no matter the topic,

'Is it really that surprising that I am the first to reject service that I can easily do on my own, instead of asking some servants that may or may not have nefarious reasons while cleaning a room?' 

He paused slightly as he remembered the look on the royal guard's face before dying.

'Better that, then deal with more traitorous dead servants.'

Arriving at the training hall where he remembered that only a few months ago he first entered and took his first step towards being a magician. 

Reminiscing a little he enters the hall but he finds the training hall empty no sight on any person, this made Kurao slightly confused for a moment not seeing anyone.

'I thought Aunt Vayla said that my tutor was waiting already? Why is no one here, did he leave?'

Getting to the center of the training ground the floor was a glossy wood floor an action of it probably being prepared; Kurao sits in the center of the training hall on the floor.

'Well since he is not here I might as well continue what I was doing in my room..'

Deciding to continue to train his mana while waiting for his tutor. But as what happened earlier he got interrupted again just as he got into it. The loud gruffy voice echoed through out the hall.

"So you are the brat that your father wanted me to train?" A old looking man with silver hair and faded blue streaks scoffed as he walked into the hall.

Kurao got up and gave a not so sincere smile as he greeted the old man while extending his hand for a handshake. 

"My name is Kurao, nice to see that you finally made it. So you must be my tutor?" 

The old man said nothing as he kept his slow pace toward Kurao not saying anything in response to him. Seeing his greeting ignored, he let out a annoyed puff, as he withdrew his hand as it was dangling in the air. He started to study the old man who called him a brat, came in late after already being told he was here, and for not even respecting him enough to respond to him.

The man looked to be in his 50's and dressed in a sapphire blue tailcoat, his short silver hair that was in a messy state similar to Kurao's in the morning before Kurao did his hair. What caught Kurao's eye though, was that the old man was using a

walking cane.

The cane looked very fancy with the shiny looking black material that was used as the base with fancy gold accents on it. Kurao was lost looking at it feeling a urge to take it as if he were a dragon that just found more loot for his pile.

As he staring at the cane he suddenly felt the back of his head get slapped from above, making him face plant forward into the floor. 

'What just happened??' feeling dazed as he fell to the floor confused but felt a bit of pain at the back of his head.

Getting back up from the floor, he turned to look at the old man who had a grin looking at him being in pain.

"What was that for!?" Kurao yelled in agitation

"You can't even dodge that brat?" The old man scoffed as he swung again this time from the front

Seeing it come straight at him dodged the swing as he made distance between him and the cane.

"Why are you hitting me with that stick you old man! And why are you calling me brat!? YOU KNOW MY NAME!"

Kurao angrily yelled loosing his calm and collected persona as he kept dodging swings from the old man.

"What do you mean brat? I am not that old?!" The old man said with a confused expression as he swung again at him.

Kurao kept dodging the cane as to avoid feeling the pain from getting blunted with it again, as it got closer to hitting him again with each hit. 

Kurao thinking quickly moved opposite of the way it was coming but as he planned to make a dash after avoiding it, but the cane switched targets and went for his legs which were closer in range of the cane. 

Feeling hit feet give out, Kurao face planted forward once again groaning in pain slightly as he felt his ankles sting and even felt his face sting a bit whether that was from the anger he was feeling or the pain of faceplanting. 

The old man chuckled again seeing the kid fall down before he said as he stopped swinging while waiting for Kurao to get up from the floor.

"For why I am hitting you with this 'stick' is cause I am testing how good your reactions are." 

'What is he even saying??! How is getting beaten up by a stick gonna test my reactions!' Kurao thought

"Stopping groaning and get your whiny ass up, I didn't even hit you that hard." The old man annoyingly said as he grabbed Kurao's arm lifting him up with ease.

Kurao yelled in frustration as he was being lifted up by the old man. 

"What kind of tutor one sided-ly beats the one their TEACHING!" 

*THUD* 

Kurao dropped back to the ground as the old man let go of him leaving him to fall back onto the training ground floor.

"Yeah kid I am not gonna put up with that shit, also I am not your tutor." He said before walking towards the benches that sat on the side of the training room.

"THEN WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!?" Kurao yelled while getting back up as the old man was walking towards a bench.

*SPLASH* *THUD*

Instantly Kurao fell back down to the ground once again, only this time drenched from head to toe in water.

Getting comfortable on the bench the old man smile grew as he watched the daze look on the boy's face staring blankly at him as water dripped. After a few moments he saw the boy recover from his dazed state as he could see the the red visibly build up on his face.

He then let out a taunting remark as Kurao let the drops fall from his hair to the ground.

"Can't believe that the history breaking talent is this moody." The old man scoffed as he placed the cane across his lap.

Upon hearing the comment Kurao felt something break, being enraged about it he quickly stood up preparing to attack him. Seeing the smile on the old man's face made him more infuriated, but then something suddenly clicked in his head. 

'Since he entered he has been trying to make me lash out in anger... Which has worked pathetically enough.' 

Finally after thinking a little about the whole situation it made him even more mad know this was on purpose, but Kurao decided not to give in. He then tried regaining his composure as the anger and embarrassment was buried down a little but still there as he asked.

"Who are you?"

"Who, Me?" The old man pointed at himself as he looked side to side as if he was confused.

'Who ELSE!? Stop this stupid act!' he wanted to yell but suppressed the annoyance he felt as he gave a nod trying not to mess up by verbally responding.

"Well I am your new mentor."

"Didn't you say you weren't though!?" Kurao let out a annoyed scoff upon hearing his answer.

"You were asking about a tutor, and kid if you want to shine then you are gonna need more then just a 'tutor' that just gives you knowledge. You need some to mold you, teach you and show you how and why, not just give you homework. That's what I plan to do." 

"What do you mean? Is that what that whole stick act was, 'Molding'? No thanks for that mentor offer. I am already close to Mana Sensing Stage 3 which can easily beat any non-mana source martial artist already. What I need is tutoring cause my spells I use are not really diverse, but I don't need you. You can let yourself out you know where the exit is I have better things to do." 

Kurao scoffed, feeling that this whole thing is a joke and a waste of time as he got up and started walking toward the before he heard the old man again.

"And it looks like you are gonna need a lot of work. Especially that mindset you have."

The old man scoffed as he shook his head.