Hill had no idea that outsiders saw his willingness to receive Lucimar as a favor to Grand Sage Ismael.
He simply hadn't wanted to turn away a middle-aged man with such a distinctive way of speaking... and he'd wanted to test his own patience while he was at it.
Otherwise, even if the Grand Sage himself had appeared, Hill wouldn't have been so quick to open the door.
"Mr. Belfran, look, that little Sterl girl has no chest and no backside. She dresses like she's wearing a sack every day, too. What's so special about her?
"If you want a student, the Ismail Family has talent to spare!
"Whatever kind you want, we've got her. If you like female students... even a pretty ornament ought to have some curves, right?" Lucimar was tap-dancing on Hill's nerves again. "I know you're a respectable man.
"But you ought to treat yourself well. Even if you don't do anything, you can at least have something nice to look at!
"What does she have?
"Her brother Dieter's are bigger than hers..."
Bang!
Hill decided his patience training was over for the day.
A couple of days earlier, Lucimar had fought his way past every defense put up by his female aide Ruth—who looked every bit the part of a Ruth—and waited outside Hill's door for him to return, then talked at length about how Hill should let someone go. Lately, though, his focus had shifted to changing the way Hill looked at Ellie Sterl: plainly, as a promising prospect.
Hill actually admired Ms. Ruth.
Really, in just a few days, she had gotten Lucimar to abandon his friendship with that shady fellow Piai Monte—a friendship probably struck up beside a showgirl's swishing skirts—and turn his attention to serious family business: stopping this Earth Sorcerer