By the time I recover my eyes, the Sage has been dragged away again and loaded into what is effectively a black two piece bikini with a flowing black cloak, long gloves and white socks, and several belted implements. She also still has that rusted iron collar with a chain. It's a serious fan-service outfit; but somehow it matches her slick black twin-tails and inquisitive brown eyes well. Aria is still stood with an exasperated expression to the side.

"I apologise for a belated introduction. I am Seria Sesshouin. Mmm... you all have my gratitude for coming to my aid on this most dire of eves."

The dissonance between her confident, mature voice, her smug pose and expression, and her flat loli body in the fan-service outfit is quite relevant to my interests.

"And... mmm... you are most interesting, boy." she says, licking her lips.

Whip me more, onee-sama! Ahem...

"Err... just so there's no mistake... you are the Sage?" I confirm.

"Mmm... that is correct. I am the seventh Sage of Thunder. Who else would I be?"

Aria looks shocked and asks "It's hereditary?"

Seria, the sage, arcs a well-defined eyebrow at Aria.

"Of course it passes on. Do you think us Sages immortal, mmm? Though it is not via blood, as royalty. The crest is transplanted from master to apprentice. And imbuement, which you doubtless currently seek, is the act of providing a portion of that power." She explains.

"I see. Passing the knowledge of one generation of sages to another to continue their eternal quest for research, something like that?" I say.

"Mmm... Precisely like that. That, the 'path-down', is precisely what a Sage is. More than the individual, it is a long running inheritance. There are magi that have this practice in your world, then, Etranger?" Seria asks.

Actually, I was just referencing my fan-boy knowledge of mages from that famous series where they fight for the Holy Grail; but it still makes sense as a system if we think that magic first requires understanding of the natural principles behind ones spells. Why learn all that over and over in new generations when you can pass down memories and save time?

"No... There is no magic in my world. I just came to a logical conclusion based on the information."

She grins at me like a predator that has found its next meal. I feel the old danger sense going off.

"A clever boy, mmm...?." She looks under her eyes.

"I wouldn't go that far. I don't know everything. I just know what I know."

Thank you for the quote, class pres. It’s useful in times like this. This is almost certainly a test.

"So you admit that you are a fool, then, mmm?"

"Yes. Admission of ignorance is the first step taken by the wise man on the path to enlightenment. Which is why I seek you to teach me this… imbuement." I answer.

"Fufufu... quite. Mmmm, I like you, boy."

Seria steps into my personal space in an almost teleport type step, and peers closely into my eyes. Her scent enters my nose and makes my hair stand on end, and her irises are like deep pools of rich caramel. I tear my gaze away with some difficulty, but can't stop my heart speeding up. What the hell was that?!

"Ufufufu. Most interesting, you can even pull yourself back from a fascination hex, mmm?"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Aria gains a hannya face again at this development. She's becoming quite territorial these days, eh? She stomps over.

"Whu-what are you doing to him!" Aria exclaims.

"Ufufufu. My apologies, princess, I should not play with your things, should I? But I am not one to hand out an imbuement like a free sweet roll."

"Then, do I pass your inspection, Sage?" I ask tentatively.

She steps back from me, puts a finger to her cheek, and seems to look briefly troubled by scrunching her eyebrows before responding.

"As you have saved my life, I shall brook you a degree of honesty. I have decided that I will never imbue anyone further. Not because I cannot; but because this power is not something that man or woman should ever wield."

"How can you say that as one who wields it!" Aria shouts.

Seria runs a hand through her left twin-tail in an unimpressed, dismissive gesture.

"Yes, it doubtless reeks of hypocrisy from your view. But I say that the other sages, who give this power of imbuement on a whim, do so most likely with a degree of malice. If you were to know the truth..." She trails off.

"You said 'anyone further' before. So you have taught in the past?" I point out.

She looks briefly alarmed before smirking at me.

"Mmm... What a blunder of the tongue when facing such sharp opposition..." She sighs. "Yes. Very well. I have. I shall not speak of it, though."

It's no wonder the Sage of Thunder was mysterious and not thought of as being friendly. Heck, it wasn't even common knowledge that it was a young girl. Though if she has reservations like this, I'm guessing her power has quite a cost or a hidden flaw. Well... it sucks, but I knew from the start that this could well result in nothing.

"Then I guess there is no room for negotiation, then." I sigh.

She cocks an eyebrow.

"Disappointing. Did I say I would refuse instructing you?" She counters.

"What? You said..."

"I said I would not imbue you with a Sage's mark. You came to the conclusion this was synonymous with study. It is not." She corrects me whilst waggling her finger.

Oh. Oh! Right... Kiku said desperate mages in need of power quickly were the ones to request the sage’s power. That... that is the imbuement Seria was talking about, right? But of course... studying normally is still a regular thing. And what a better teacher than an Archmage type with seven generations of knowledge?

"You wish to instruct me...?" I ask.

"...in magic, yes? It is policy of the Sages as a whole to not interfere in the affairs of the outside. This includes the war. But nothing says I cannot observe and instruct a boy I find interesting. And this is nothing to do with any attempts on my life by demons, I'm sure you understand, kekeke..."

Holy moly, she’s one scary piece of work, this girl. I get the feeling she calculated all this before even starting this conversation. I've been played all along. Magnificent.

"Then, I see no reason to not accept, Sensei." I concur.

"That will not do. You will call me Seria. And I take you as my student." She corrects me. Slightly disappointing I can’t throw a Sensei at her… never mind…

"Then, my first and most important question, Seria."

"Go ahead."

"Why are you wearing so little!?"

Gotta address this now, it’s critical!