Chapter 164:

Chapter 164: Chapter 164:

Chapter 164:

’If you really want to apologise, give me back the herbs you stole!’

The old man grumbled inwardly, his eyes briefly shifting towards the Moonlight Grass stored in Osborne’s possession.

He had already noticed the amount that was missing from his garden, and although the young man had explained that he hadn’t known the herbs belonged to someone else, it didn’t change the fact that a considerable portion of his harvest was now gone.

He was the one who had spent time and effort taking care of those herbs, and the thought of simply allowing someone to walk away with such a large amount of them was enough to make his heart ache.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to say it, afraid it would stain his image.

As someone who had lived for a considerable amount of time and reached a level of magic that most people could only dream of, he had a reputation to maintain, and demanding that a young man return the herbs after claiming to be forgiving him would certainly make him look rather petty.

Besides, he had already decided that Osborne wasn’t an ordinary individual, and there was something about the young man’s unusual abilities that made him reluctant to let this encounter end so quickly.

"Forget it, kid, just don’t try it again."

"Thank you, Sir."

Osborne offered the man a polite nod, inwardly feeling relieved that the matter had finally been settled.

’I’m glad that’s over.’

He had no desire to spend any more time in the presence of this old man, especially when he couldn’t predict what the other party might do next.

The difference between their strengths was simply too great, and although the old man hadn’t shown any intention of killing him after discovering that he hadn’t stolen the herbs deliberately, Osborne still wasn’t willing to let his guard down.

He had learned long ago that being polite and cooperative didn’t mean he had to trust someone completely, and considering the number of secrets he was hiding, leaving this place as soon as possible was still his best option.

However, just as he was about to withdraw his hand from the crystal ball, the old man’s voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Before you go, I still have one more question for you."

Hearing this, Osborne grew nervous.

’What exactly is he planning on asking this time?’

He glanced at the old man, wondering whether there was something else he had failed to explain, but the other party merely looked at him with an expression that was considerably different from before.

There was no longer any obvious anger in his eyes, and instead, Osborne could see a strange glint of interest that made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Will you become my disciple."

"You’re what?"

Osborne stared at the old man, momentarily wondering whether he had heard him correctly.

The sudden request was so unexpected that he almost thought the old man was making fun of him, especially considering that their first meeting had involved being chased, attacked, and nearly having his body blown away by a powerful gust of wind.

"Didn’t you hear me the first time?"

The old man grumbled, seemingly annoyed by Osborne’s reaction.

"I said become my disciple!"

He pointed a trembling finger at him, his expression becoming increasingly serious as he repeated his words.

Osborne looked at the old man for a moment before turning his attention towards the crystal ball, wondering whether the artifact could somehow reveal the man’s true intentions.

However, the old man didn’t seem particularly interested in explaining himself, and instead, he continued speaking as though his decision had already been made.

"Even if you didn’t steal from me intentionally, that greedy nature of yours is bound to cause more trouble for others later on."

Osborne remained silent as the old man continued his rather strange speech.

"As an elder, I can’t turn a blind eye to such things, so become my disciple. I’ll be sure to straighten you out in due time and turn you into a proper, respectable mage."

The old man said confidently, seemingly pleased with his own reasoning.

Osborne was silent, yet inwardly he held back the urge to laugh.

Talking about straightening him out and making him a better young man, it was obvious to him the old man was simply interested in his magical talent and was using those things as an excuse.

After all, if the old man was genuinely concerned about his greedy nature, there were plenty of ways he could have handled the situation without suddenly offering to take him as a disciple.

He could have simply warned him, demanded that he stay away from the garden, or even placed another restriction around the area to prevent him from returning.

Instead, the moment he discovered that Osborne was an incredible first-circle mage capable of casting spells without chants, he had immediately changed his attitude and started talking about becoming his teacher.

It wasn’t particularly difficult to figure out what was going through the old man’s mind.

’What a convenient excuse...’

Osborne couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.

He had barely escaped being killed by the old man, only for the same person to suddenly decide that he wanted to take him under his wing.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to reject the offer without considering its benefits.

Having someone capable of casting such powerful magic as his teacher could be extremely useful, especially since he still had plenty to learn about the magical system of this world.

His understanding of magic was already far beyond what his current circle suggested, but that didn’t mean there weren’t gaps in his knowledge, and having an experienced mage guide him could help him avoid wasting time on unnecessary mistakes.

More importantly, the old man seemed to be someone who possessed considerable knowledge and experience, which meant there was a good chance he could teach him things that would otherwise take years to discover on his own.

However, there was also the matter of his identity.