The Apprentice

A sudden knock on the door surprised the elderly gentleman who was

writing a report at his desk. 

Raising his gaze, he noticed that the person who had barged into his room was his old classmate, Lucía.

"Lucía... Is something wrong?" he asked.

She dropped several papers onto the desk and in a serious tone said, "Hugo, I need your help."

"What do you need?" he responded instantly, focusing on the math exercises she had left. He noticed there were several, some basic and others more advanced.

"The girl from the Delzin family I'm taking care of has issues," expressed Lucía.

For a moment, Hugo was frozen by the question. 

What did that have to do with him? 

Hugo was a renowned archmage currently engaged in important research that had been driving him crazy due to the countless hours he spent working. 

Why did his friend from the academy have to show up at this moment to talk about this kind of thing?

Hugo let out a sigh. 

"What problems of interest could a girl have that require you to come here like this? Mental problems? Because if it's not serious, I'm going to ask you to leave right now, Lucia. I'm a bit occupied."

Lucía frowned at her friend's reaction. 

"Hugo, the girl I'm in charge of is a genius."

"Oh, that's what all parents say, Lucía. I think age is getting to you," joked Hugo.

"I'm serious," insisted Lucía, noticing that Hugo wasn't taking the matter seriously.

"Lucía, if that girl is really a genius, can't she solve these problems herself?" asked Hugo, frowning.

"Seriously... you never change."

"I'm in the middle of something important, Lucía. Summarize the problem in two words," requested Hugo.

"Look at the exercises," said Lucía.

Hugo gritted his teeth. 

"You said three, stupid. Let's see... they go from basic to..."

After a few seconds of reviewing the exercises, Hugo noticed something unusual. 

Had they been written by a typewriter? Why was the spelling and number placement so perfect? 

There were poorly done exercises, prompting him to ask:

"What... is this?"

Lucía smiled, seeing Hugo's interest in those exercises.

"These were exercises solved by Aria."

"Ah, the girl with the name," said Hugo as he looked at the paper.

"She's a child."

"A child? How old is she?"

"Two"

Surprise flickered in Hugo's eyes. 

For the first time, besides his current research, he encountered something for which he had no immediate answers. He needed information.

"Does she write like this? Does she have an instructor? What's the exact problem she has...? If this girl really solved this at that age, it's..."

"A genius?" Lucía sarcastically chimed in.

Hugo grimaced, but he had to admit that his friend was right. This case was unusual.

Lucía sat on Hugo's desk and began explaining proudly.

"Well... Where do I start? It all began when a maid named... María? Yes, since she started taking care of Aria, the girl has shown great learning and adaptability skills, she's very good at learning, and she's able to walk, although it's funny to see her fall when she tries to run, you have to see it!"

Hugo leaned back a bit, surprised by Lucía's excitement.

"I see... But what's the problem?"

"She can't use magic," revealed Lucía.

"How? Is there a problem with her mana?"

"No, we used an artifact to check the status of her core, and... there's nothing abnormal," explained Lucía.

"Nothing? Are you sure?" Hugo asked.

Lucía let out a sigh. 

"Yes. We tried with several different artifacts, and there's nothing out of place. I'd like to ask for your help with this, as that girl has potential and..."

"She could assist me in my research," murmured Hugo with a smile.

Hugo had a hunch. He knew that if he continued alone, isolated in that room, his progress would be slow, and he might die before achieving his goal. But if he could acquire an apprentice of that caliber, his chances of completing the research would increase significantly.

"Alright," said Hugo, rising from his chair. 

"Take me to where that girl is."