Ludwig took the books and was about to leave the room, his mind already racing with the possibilities of the spells he was about to learn. But before he could take a step, Van Dijk's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Where are you going?" Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but with an underlying sharpness that made Ludwig pause.
"I don't want to bother you when I'm practicing these," Ludwig said, gesturing to the books in his hands. "You look busy."
Van Dijk didn't even glance up from the inscribed books he was reading. "No, grab a chair. Sit over there and work on your studies. If you need help, just ask me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Ludwig hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Right," he said, heading to a nearby empty table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the books in front of him. The first one he picked up was [Bounds of Latvia]. He opened it and began reading, his eyes scanning the pages with intense focus.
