Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 5 The Magical Butler Cavill

Two years ago, the wizards at the academy might have thought Harry was the most likely to be the lucky one. But after repeated failures, no one had any hope for him anymore. What in the world is more worthless than a mediocre person who squanders their talent?

In fact, Harry himself didn't have high expectations for that test, nor did he think the results would attract much attention.

Because that test didn't assess talent at all—just like the assessment he had just passed—it only measured how powerful the magic he could unleash. If it were truly a test of talent, his excellent sensory abilities might come in handy. But when it came to pure magical skill… one could only say that the basic wood-type spell he cast, "Leaf Dance," was indeed only at an entry-level.

After the test, Harry felt neither expectant nor disappointed. He had no illusions to begin with, and simply treated it as a normal interlude, turning back to buy his monster meat and staying away from the meditation room as usual.

Two days later, news arrived—he had been accepted as a disciple by the Holy Mage. Immediately afterwards, the magic deacon, Cavill, personally appeared at the door of his hut.

In some ways, Cavill's legendary status even surpassed that of the Holy Mage. His existence was an apocalypse for all young mages lacking talent. Among mages of his time, no one else could hold such an important position in the academy with such meager magical power. All the other magic deacons were renowned archmages, while he alone was just a low-ranking mage. Moreover, there were so many archmages eagerly waiting to fill the magic deacon's position.

Cavill was born in Casaluca and arrived at the Knight Academy in the capital at the age of fourteen. In his youth, he perfectly embodied what a morally corrupt scoundrel looked like. Because of his recklessness, mischief, and unruly behavior, he caused trouble from the very beginning of his time at the Knight Academy. Admonitions, penance, and floggings failed to temper him in the slightest. The Knight Academy's atmosphere of upholding high moral standards not only failed to cultivate his character but also nurtured the seeds of evil within him.

Cavill's interest in gambling far outweighed his chivalry. He frequently gathered to gamble on the terrace behind the training grounds, winning small amounts of silver coins from other students. When his misdeeds were exposed, the academy forced him to "voluntarily" leave the knightly academy to save his reputation.

He then turned to magic and became a low-level mage. His magic teacher at the time asserted that his magical attainments would not be any greater than they had been then, and later events proved that the mage's judgment was indeed accurate—he remained a low-level mage for his entire life, and even after becoming a magic deacon with a large amount of resources at his disposal, his magical achievements never progressed any further.

Having lost hope in his pursuit of power, he single-mindedly indulged in pleasure-seeking. He was not only obsessed with dice, but this gambler's interest in women also went a little too far.

At that time, magicians were not highly respected, and the upper class in the capital was still very closed off. It was not easy for a magician to break down the barriers, but in front of Kavil, these barriers were as vulnerable as the city walls that had defended against the elves seventy years ago.

Cavill was a handsome young man, tall and well-proportioned, with striking features and a pair of light blue eyes that were always filled with desire and longing.

But what truly drew countless eyes to him was his thick, red hair—it was this red hair that added an inexplicable allure to him. His eyebrows were also thick, a slightly lighter color than his hair. He had fair skin, straight teeth, and a subtle smile always playing at the corners of his mouth. And because of his youth, he exuded an irresistible, vibrant energy.

His good looks and vitality, coupled with the contrast between his image as a magician and his actual appearance, naturally made him irresistible to women. They even easily forgave the fact that he didn't belong to the gentlemanly class at all.

If you happen to run into him at a banquet, chat with him for a few words, or dance with him, you'll feel that the finest bloodline a noble family with a century-old tradition could produce is probably nothing more than this.

He was very charming and could be said to be indiscriminate in his pursuit of women. Older, unmarried women, widowed women, and some noblewomen who had not chosen to dedicate themselves to the church after widowhood, and who still harbored beautiful visions of love, were all his best targets.

Kavil's father owned a large shop in the area, selling weapons, armor, and other items necessary for adventurers; his business was thriving. Although he lacked the talent to become a knight, he was acutely aware of the status of a knight in the Arcanos Empire, and therefore deeply resented his own incompetence, his greatest wish being that his son could make up for his shortcomings.

Therefore, one can imagine how strong his desire for his son to become a knight was, and understandably, how furious the father was when news arrived in Casaluca with the fleet that his son had become a dissolute magician. This furious father refused to send even a single copper coin to his son who had broken his heart.

However, even without financial support, Cavill continued to live comfortably. He started borrowing money everywhere—and he seemed so sincere and honest that it was hard to refuse. He always managed to get a steady source of income from various friends, and making new friends was a piece of cake. As long as he said a few words to someone, someone would always be willing to pay for him, and he never paid for a single drink he had ever had.

Some wealthy ladies, when purchasing magical trinkets, wanted both a beautiful work of art and a wise investment, naturally hoping for a charming gentleman with both magical knowledge and refined taste to handle everything. Besides receiving payments from these ladies, Cavill also secretly earned a substantial commission from the auction house.

If he loses to you at the card table and swears he'll pay you back in a few days—you might as well give up on that idea. You'll never get a single coin back from him in your lifetime.

He seemed so reliable that when he mysteriously sent you an "exclusive" piece of information that caused you to lose money, you ended up feeling sorry for him instead of feeling sorry for yourself.

He also peddled magic badges and worked as an auctioneer in casinos, earning commissions by trading magical items. However, be wary of buying mithril or beast cores from him, and avoid the potions he strongly recommends. If you insist on trading with him, it's advisable to sign a contract beforehand. If you readily believe his smile, don't be too surprised if he later denies it.

However, even if you did sign the contract, it wouldn't help—he'd always find a way to squander the money before you could find him. Want to pursue the matter? Sorry, in a pinch, there will always be one—or even several—influential ladies who will step in to protect him. Watching him tearfully recount how you "plotted against" him, even you'll start to doubt whether you really did anything wrong.

In the end, there are only two possible outcomes: either you withdraw the lawsuit and watch helplessly as a noble widow glares at you while showering him with "consolation money" with pity; or you are charged with false accusation and end up paying him money.

In short, he'll always find a way to make another killing. As for you, not only will you lose your money, but you'll also be filled with resentment and the wrath of a noblewoman.

A womanizer who plays the field inevitably faces this predicament: when he falls into someone else's arms and intends to dump his previous lover, the abandoned woman will usually calculate a staggering amount of compensation for her emotional hurt. Moreover, it's awkward for the man to abandon the woman, and he'll inevitably face gossip and criticism from others.

But Cavill never had such troubles. When he ended a relationship with a former lover for another woman, he always managed to turn these no-longer-young lovers into trustworthy friends and obtain valuable blessings from them. This alone shows how skillful he was in dealing with women.

He had too many old acquaintances, making it almost impossible to completely avoid them in social situations. If he bumped into someone at a banquet, he would immediately turn away and pretend not to see her if she wasn't paying attention to him; but if he couldn't avoid her, he would immediately put on a joyful face, quickly step forward, and tightly grasp her hand—his enthusiastic manner suggesting that he was still passionately pursuing her.

When talking to others about his past relationships, he always emphasized that he wasn't good enough. But after listening to his stories, you always get the feeling that he invested his love in the relationship with utmost sincerity, and she betrayed him. And at that moment, you also feel that even if he had had many lovers before, it's forgivable. Rain soaked his boots, but he never stopped moving forward—he deserved better.

For over a decade, Cavill navigated the world of different women and gambling tables, drinking the most expensive rum, dining at the finest restaurants, dancing until dawn at various parties, and getting into all sorts of financial disputes with all sorts of people. Honest people saw him as a thorn in their side. They believed that high society had become murky because of Cavill's involvement, like squid ink spilled into a clear spring, inspiring both anger and helplessness.

But even those upright people who looked down on him the most could not deny that his subsequent actions were indeed heroic. At that time, a horrific disaster struck the southeastern part of the empire, turning it into a death trap. In that critical moment, this man, who had not become a formal knight, joined the Knights Order of the Church without hesitation and rushed into the perilous situation. When the disaster subsided, he miraculously survived the carnage and was awarded a medal of bravery by the Church.

The women who had been involved with him had tears in their eyes, choking back sobs as they said: He had always been a gentleman who perfectly embodied chivalry. And those who had once scorned him now had to admit—at least in this matter—that they had misjudged his courage.

Not long after receiving the medal, the newly built magic academy announced that Cavill would serve as the academy's magic deacon.