The Frugal Mage

Rayven's eyes widened in surprise.

Ten gold coins? That was practically a fortune compared to the usual scraps he earned from rat hunts and herb gathering.

For a training request, the pay was absurdly generous.

There must be a catch…

"Who's this young master?" Rayven asked, still doubtful that someone would casually throw around that much money.

Stella smiled and explained softly as though the details were something precious.

"His name is Gwan Seoryun... Ahh… It should be Seoryun Gwan here. He's seventeen years old, already a second-rate swordsman of the Gwan Sword Clan. You may have heard of them… They're one of the most prominent sword clans in the eastern region, and they started spreading their influence here in the west... While not as famous as the old great clans, their bloodline has produced countless warriors."

'No… I have no idea about the warrior clans at all.' Rayven thought. This was the first time he had heard of this name.

Rayven frowned slightly… He tried browsing through his memories, but he hadn't heard of them before. Nonetheless, judging by Stella's tone, the Gwan Sword Clan was not to be underestimated.

Realizing that Rayven was clueless about this clan, Stella decided to add more information about them.

"They don't have mages in their family, but their sword style is so refined that even top Mage Clans acknowledge them. Their clan lands stretch across fertile valleys, and they're as wealthy as they are powerful. If a young master from that house wants something, he can pay more than most guild missions combined."

Rayven couldn't help but nod...

'No wonder the reward is that high…'

Still, he needed to be careful. "And why does he want an Initiate Mage specifically?"

Stella smiled as she understood his concern.

"Because he knows his own limits. Seoryun requested someone who has decent control of spells but not enough raw power to kill him by mistake. Aside from that, he's smart enough to understand that mages can't cast endlessly. He only wants about seven to ten spells fired at him during sparring. Just enough to practice dodging, deflecting, and maintaining stamina under magical pressure. You can say that he wanted to experience how to deal with spells."

That made sense.

But Rayven couldn't just accept blindly. After all, his spells weren't free—they drained his purse, not his mana.

He then considered for a moment how to accept this request. After some considerations, he decided to negotiate a bit.

"Tell him this," Rayven said firmly. "Twenty gold coins for ten spell attacks. Recovering mana isn't easy for an Initiate Mage. I won't do it for less."

Stella blinked at him, startled. "Rayven, that's—"

But Rayven cut her off. "I'm not joking. Initiate Mages don't have a lot of Mana to begin with. Furthermore, each Spell they cast couldn't normally be repeated in a few seconds. In most cases, it would take minutes. If he wants a mage who can actually pressure him, that's my price."

The receptionist hesitated, but seeing the determination in Rayven's eyes, she sighed and wrote the details down.

After that, she sent the message toward the clan's attendants waiting outside.

A few moments later, they got a reply…

Stella swiftly called for Rayven and smiled… "He agreed."

Rayven exhaled in relief.

'Good. At least I won't be losing money this time.'

He was actually prepared to negotiate. He would accept 15 gold coins to earn 5 gold coins as a profit.

However, it seemed that the Gwan Clan was a lot richer than he had thought.

Stella handed him a small bronze token. "Take this. It marks you as the appointed sparring partner. The young master is already waiting in the east courtyard. They borrowed it from our guild."

Rayven nodded and tucked it away.

As he moved, he realized that his heart beat a little faster—not from fear, but from curiosity.

He wasn't sure what to expect from meeting a swordsman from one of the wealthiest clans in the region. This wouldn't be an ordinary sparring session.

Leaving the guildhouse, he followed the stone path toward the east courtyard.

Soon, Rayven saw a youth wearing an Eastern type of blue robes.

The young man's hair was long and black, tied behind his head.

At his side was a slender sword wrapped in white silk.

Rayven instantly knew this had to be Gwan Seoryun. He even had a few bodyguards watching over him…

Furthermore, he also had four female attendants waiting behind him.

Rayven smiled as he finally got a decent idea about the young master he had to train with…

'So this is the client… A second-rate swordsman at seventeen, from a clan wealthy enough to hire mages like they're servants. Let's see what he's really made of.'

Seoryun noticed Rayven's approach and, without wasting time, gestured toward one of his attendants.

The servant immediately stepped forward and handed Rayven a pouch.

Clink~

It was the heavy sound of coins…

'Hmm?' Rayven felt the weight and couldn't help but peek inside. Gold was indeed there, exactly twenty coins, just as promised.

"I pay upfront…" Seoryun said calmly… "I don't care for delays or negotiations after the fact. I hope you have the skills I need."

Rayven tightened the pouch at his waist, secretly pleased.

''Generous, confident, and maybe a little arrogant. Just what I expected from a young master.'

Seoryun then unsheathed his sword.

"Let's begin with a test. Do you have spells like… Magic Missile? Fireball? Or anything you can throw at your target?"

He looked uncertain with his question as well. "I'm not well-versed in magic."

Rayven smiled and didn't laugh at this.

"I don't have those, but I do have Mana Flick and Mana Pulse. They're not flashy, but they'll do the job."

Seoryun nodded once, serious. "Let's try Mana Flick then. Show me."

Rayven extended his hand. Unlike fireballs or lightning bolts, there was no grand chant or special effects…

"Mana Flick…"

With this activation, Rayven spent a gold.

Then, a tiny burst of mana shot forward…