All-around teacher at the magic academy

Chapter 228 An unexpected meeting

The next day, after getting up early, Leon briefly said goodbye to Aldo and left the fishing village.

Yesterday, when he was following the thief, it was truly unbelievable.

He had arranged to meet the other party today, so he headed towards Klind early in the morning.

Leon did not hire a carriage, since he was alone and had no luggage, and he felt it was unnecessary to spend the money.

Moreover, as a mage, it would be easy for him to use some wind elemental magic to speed up his journey.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location, Leon spotted a familiar figure in the distance, leaning against a large tree, seemingly waiting for him.

Leon took a deep breath, composed himself, and slowly walked towards the figure.

He still can't understand why the other person has ended up like this.

As Leon approached him, the man's eyes showed a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and awkwardness.

He straightened up, but his movements still seemed hesitant and timid.

He spoke hesitantly, "You know me?" His voice held a hint of uncertainty and surprise.

"Long time no see, Professor Aiden," Leon said, his tone tinged with confusion.

That's right, the person who stole my money yesterday was the same teacher Aiden I encountered during the college competition in Barton.

They faced off against each other in the very first match, and then it was an inevitable defeat for the opponent.

However, he did not expect that their reunion would be like this, and he was very curious about what had happened to the other person.

When Aiden heard Leon call his name, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, for he had no recollection of the person before him.

Not only that, he is now in a very poor state, which has hurt his self-esteem, even though he has no dignity left to speak of.

“I don’t think I know you…” Aiden said with a hint of confusion, his eyes searching Leon’s face for a trace of familiarity.

Of course he didn't recognize him, because Leon had used magic to change his appearance, and not only that, even his voice was different from before.

He did this to protect himself and avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

However, Leon has no intention of revealing his true identity to the other party.

He wasn't sure if Aiden would betray him after he told him.

Caution is always necessary. The two were not very familiar with each other, and the other person seemed to have changed a lot. Leon could not entrust his safety to a near stranger.

“It’s normal that you’ve forgotten me, since we weren’t very familiar with each other to begin with,” Leon said calmly, his expression revealing nothing.

Hearing this, Aiden seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

It's best that he doesn't know the other person well, because in his current state, it would be even more awkward to run into someone he knows.

Aiden's shoulders relaxed slightly, and he tried to put on a smile, though it was tinged with bitterness.

What happened to you? How did you get like this?

Leon's tone was full of genuine concern. He was truly puzzled as to what kind of change could have driven a once respected teacher in the academy to the point where he had to resort to theft to make a living.

“I…” Aiden’s eyes became complicated. He hesitated, unsure of how to begin, or whether he should explain his ordeal to this stranger.

His lips trembled several times, and finally, after an internal struggle and thought, he finally spoke up: "Could you lend me some money?"

Leon was somewhat surprised. He thought the other person would explain their experience, but instead, the first thing they asked for was a loan.

His brow furrowed slightly; he was caught off guard by the request.

"What do you need the money for? We're not that close, are we?" Leon's words carried a hint of wariness.

"I know, don't worry, I'll pay you back tomorrow, no, I'll pay you back double."

Aiden explained eagerly, his eyes revealing an urgency that suggested the money was of paramount importance to him.

"Why should I believe you?" Leon's tone remained calm, his gaze fixed on Aiden, trying to find something in the other's eyes.

“We don’t have enough trust between us, and given your current situation… how can you guarantee you can repay on time?” Leon’s words were direct, but not without reason.

“Trust me, I can definitely pay you back. If you don’t believe me, you can come with me. I’m sure I can win all the money back today.” Aiden’s tone was full of confidence, even a little fanatical. He seemed to have absolute faith in himself.

Upon hearing the other person's words, Leon frowned, as if he understood what they meant.

This tone and attitude don't sound like they come from a rational person.

It seems the other person is going to gamble? Thinking of this possibility, he began to understand why he had fallen on such a lowly state.

Gambling, with its seemingly tempting promise of overnight riches, is actually the starting point for countless people to fall into an abyss.

"You want to borrow money to gamble, hoping to win?" Leon's tone carried a hint of certainty.

“That’s right!” Aiden replied, a morbid obsession flashing in his eyes.

“I have found an opportunity, an opportunity that I can absolutely win. As long as I have the capital, I can turn things around and win back everything I have lost.”

His voice carried a hope tinged with despair, but Leon could tell it was more of a self-deception.

"If I'm not mistaken, you should have lost all your money. What makes you think you can definitely win this time?"

Leon's tone was accusatory, his eyes fixed on Aiden, trying to glean the truth from the other's reaction.

"I've figured out the rules, this time I'll definitely succeed!" Aiden's voice rose a few decibels, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light, as if he had already seen the dawn of victory.

"Okay, I can lend it to you, but you have to take me with you."

Leon laid out his conditions; he didn't really believe the other party could win money, nor did he want to gamble himself.

He was just a little curious and wanted to see for himself the "winning formula" Aiden had mentioned. He also wanted to learn more about Aiden's experience and see if he could find a suitable way to help him out of his predicament.

He believed that if Aiden was left unchecked, the guy might continue to sink into depravity, and his life would be over.

Leon felt a pang of pity. Although he wasn’t very familiar with Aiden, he couldn’t remain indifferent to seeing his former educator reduced to such a state.

If things aren't too complicated, I could help him and see if I can get him out of this predicament.