All-around teacher at the magic academy

At night, night falls.

After finishing a simple dinner, Leon sat alone in the courtyard outside the house to rest.

A gentle evening breeze was blowing, and although the air was already a little chilly and not quite suitable for sitting outside, Leon found the night exceptionally refreshing.

He had been lying in bed for too long, and his body was almost rusty. All he wanted to do was breathe in some fresh air and let his depressed mood be released.

Leon closed his eyes, feeling the breeze on his face, but his thoughts drifted far away.

He didn't know what to do next, and the various setbacks in his life left him feeling lost.

He had once been full of dreams, but in the end he found that he seemed to have nothing to begin with, and he still had nothing now. This sense of helplessness made his heart clench.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky; the bright moonlight seemed to be telling a story.

At this moment, Leon couldn't help but think of his distant hometown and those familiar faces.

Strangely enough, even though they were two different worlds, the moons were almost identical, which stirred up a strange sense of familiarity in him.

As he sat there lost in thought, he suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, breaking the silence.

Leon turned his head and saw Aldo carrying two bottles of wine, walking lightly towards him.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind? Or are you not used to living here?" Aldo asked with concern as he sat down next to Leon.

His voice carried a gentle tone, as if it could encompass all of Leon's troubles.

Leon smiled and shook his head, without answering immediately.

He didn't know how to express his complex emotions; sometimes, silence seemed to be the best response.

“After all, this isn’t a place you’re familiar with, so it’s normal to feel uncomfortable,” Aldo continued, sitting down next to Leon and handing him a bottle of wine. The bottle gleamed in the moonlight, looking exceptionally tempting.

“Try it. I bought this in the city. There’s nothing here. I always buy some when I go to the city. It’s cold, and drinking a little will warm you up a lot,” Aldo said, his tone tinged with pride, as if the wine was a gift he had carefully chosen.

Leon didn't really like drinking; the spiciness of alcohol always made him somewhat resistant.

However, he knew Aldo meant well and didn't want to spoil his fun.

So, he took the wine from Aldo's hand, held it gently in his hand, and felt the coolness of the bottle.

"Come on, let's have a toast." Aldo held up his bottle, his smile appearing especially warm in the night.

Leon also raised his bottle and gently tapped it against Aldo's, making a crisp sound.

He then took a sip of the drink. The initial burn of the alcohol made his throat feel uncomfortable, and Leon frowned as he swallowed it.

He always felt that all alcohol tasted the same, which was that it was not good.

He turned to look at Aldo beside him and saw that Aldo had already drunk a third of the bottle. A trace of wine was left on the corner of Aldo's mouth, which showed that he really liked drinking and was obviously enjoying the process.

Leon picked up the bottle again, took a sip, and the liquor slid down his throat. Although it still felt the same as before, it didn't seem as spicy anymore.

Perhaps it's out of habit, or perhaps it's because of a relaxed mood, but the taste of alcohol no longer seems so unbearable.

"What are you planning to do next?" Aldo put down the bottle and turned to ask.

"Can I stay here for a few more days? I don't have anywhere to go for the time being. Of course, I'll help you, but I won't trouble you too much."

Leon asked cautiously, not wanting to cause trouble for others, but also needing a temporary safe haven.

"What are you saying? What help or not? She can stay as long as she wants. Aren't you going to teach Asha magic? I think she's very happy about it," Aldo laughed heartily.

"Thank you." A warm feeling welled up in Leon's heart. He raised his bottle and clinked it against Aldo's bottle again.

This time, his smile was more natural, and the confusion in his heart seemed to have found a bit of solace on this night.

"By the way, have you thought about your future life together?"

Leon put down the bottle, looked intently at Aldo, and asked a question that had been lingering in his heart.

"What can happen in the future? I'll just keep living like this. I've lived here since I was born."

Aldo looked up at the starry sky, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

His life seemed to have been frozen in this familiar land, day after day, year after year.

"Haven't you thought about going out?" Leon pressed, his voice carrying a hint of encouragement, as if trying to awaken Aldo's deepest desire.

“I did think about sending Asha away. She’s my only sister, and I want her to have a better future.” Aldo’s eyes softened, but then dimmed again. “However, I’m worried about leaving her alone.”

“You could go out with her, right? Asha should be in school at her age and get a better education,” Leon suggested.

“I know, but going to school costs a lot of money. Although I’ve made some money selling fish over the years, it’s not enough at all.”

Aldo's voice carried a hint of frustration. "Besides, Asha doesn't know anything, and the academy won't accept her. It's impossible for her to go to school with a bunch of children who are only a few years old."

Indeed, this world is not one where you can go to school just because you can afford the tuition.

The colleges here not only require students to pay their own tuition, but also require them to have a certain foundation and meet the basic admission requirements; otherwise, no college will be willing to accept them.

Of course, if you know someone, you can use connections, but as an ordinary person at the bottom of society, what connections do you have?

Leon gently patted Aldo's shoulder; his movement, though light, was full of power.

He did not immediately promise to help Asha get into the academy because he knew that he had nothing now, and those empty promises were nothing but empty bubbles. He did not want to give Aldo pointless hope.

Only when you are familiar with this place and have the corresponding abilities can you do these things, instead of making promises without any prior knowledge.

As night deepened, the stars twinkled in the night sky, seemingly listening to their conversation.

They chatted for a while longer in the cold wind, gradually shifting the topic to lighter matters in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

Time passed by unnoticed, and the two finally stood up and returned to the warm house.

As the two figures disappeared into the courtyard, the courtyard returned to tranquility, with only the two wine bottles lying quietly on the cold, hard ground, awaiting the arrival of dawn.