"You mean..."

Lei Xi'er gently lifted her head, a hint of hesitation and surprise on her face, "You... want to learn magic?"

"Yes."

Louis didn't avoid the question, instead, he nodded.

At that moment, Lei Xi'er's expression subtly paused.

After all, it wasn't a question that could be easily answered.

If an ordinary person wishes to step into the realm of magic, they must first undergo layers of identity checks and talent certifications.

Moreover, teaching others magic, especially outsiders who aren't from the Mage Forest, is clearly against the rules.

This isn't something he could bear the consequences of on his own.

But he... found it difficult to refuse.

If not for the person in front of him, he would probably be a cold corpse by now, with his bones gnawed clean by wild beasts.

And to save his life, Louis must have used many resources, considering the kind of injuries he had suffered.

"Magic is not an ordinary craft." Lei Xi'er deliberated, as if trying to find a way to refuse, "It requires an extremely high level of talent, far beyond a common person's spiritual perception and elemental affinity. Most people can't even pass through that door."

"Then let's first test whether I have the 'talent to learn magic'." Louis looked at him seriously, as if he had anticipated this response.

"..." Lei Xi'er suddenly felt a headache.

He was actually serious.

However, upon reflection... the magic power test wasn't actually difficult.

Furthermore, having the aptitude for it is rare, so Louis probably doesn't have the talent for magic.

So, since Louis was so insistent, doing a test wouldn't hurt.

He might just be momentarily interested, and when there's no response, this young noble would naturally give up.

Lei Xi'er had already prepared himself, looking at Louis with a subtle sense of apology in his eyes: regrettably, you'll likely be disappointed soon.

But Louis just nodded, as if he wasn't concerned about the result at all.

Lei Xi'er glanced into Louis's eyes and ultimately sighed lightly, "To use magic, you must first possess magic power, and the first step to confirm if you have magic power is meditation."

Louis nodded, his expression earnest.

This, in turn, made Lei Xi'er more worried, fearing Louis would be too disappointed upon knowing the outcome.

"I'll teach you a basic meditation technique, for perceiving if magic power resonates with you... However, the real challenge in this spell isn't the technique, but the mindset."

Lei Xi'er paused, his tone calming like a teacher's patient explanation:

"First, you must let your mind enter a pure state. Like clear lake water, like the midnight breeze. There mustn't be any distractions, any agitation.

Then, it's not about you reaching for the magic power, but waiting for it to approach you voluntarily.

Magic power isn't a beast to be conquered by brute force; it's more like a tide that will naturally sweep over you when you are calm."

After speaking, he said no more and began to demonstrate, closing his eyes and taking gentle breaths.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again and said, "Give it a try, my Lord. Cast your awareness to the ground beneath you, the air, the flow of the wind... if you truly have the potential for magic power, it will respond to you."

Louis nodded, sitting cross-legged beside him.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath.

This, of course, wasn't his first time meditating.

He was even accustomed to using the "Primordial Meditation Technique" to train his magic power for an hour.

But he couldn't reveal too much, as the origin of the Primordial Meditation Technique was quite unique.

Additionally, he needed to know what this mage would teach him, and to what extent.

Using the meditation technique taught by Lei Xi'er, Louis's body indeed resonated with magic power, but he also felt a strange sense of dissonance.

The way this meditation technique operated... was odd.

The process, structure, rhythm were correct, yet there was an indescribable awkwardness in its details.

The guidance path seemed carefully trimmed by someone, removing all the complicated details.

Leaving only a straightforward main route, even intentionally adding some obstructions at several key points.

That kind of guidance path seemed deliberately "weakened," like an overly simplified heirloom magic diagram, leaving only the outer framework.

It was almost like... some kind of castrated version of the "Primordial Meditation Technique".

He chuckled softly in his heart.

Interesting.

Whoever originally designed this version of the technique, he had the intuition that this wasn't a naturally evolved "simplified version," but something deliberately trimmed.

The person who trimmed it obviously had an extremely high understanding of magic structure but was forced to suppress it.

Was it because of fear the original technique would be leaked?

Meanwhile, Lei Xi'er stood nearby, watching Louis, who was seated cross-legged with furrowed brows, seemingly trying hard to enter the meditative state.

"Is it really too much to ask?" he murmured softly.

He knew very well that the threshold for the meditation technique was actually high, especially for someone uninitiated in magic, a "mortal," so to speak.

Even just guiding one's consciousness into the "spiritual calmness" stage could hold ordinary people with talent back for months.

Sensing magic power, even rarer.

So, he sighed gently, keeping his tone as gentle as possible, "There's no need to rush. Not everyone can sense magic power on the first try. Well... actually, it's normal for most people not to sense it throughout their lifetime."

Louis didn't answer.

He remained with his eyes closed, breathing slowly and evenly, sinking into an almost "motionless" state.

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