Yes

"Of course." you say. "It doesn't sound very hard. I could start right now."

The old man smiles.

"Excellent. I wish you the best of luck."

You return the old man's smile and leave. Before long, you've exited the tavern and headed in the direction of the cave. You find the mouth of the entrance with ease, and entering, you find no potential danger. The cave looks deep though, and you aren't sure just how dangerous things might get. With a sense of caution, you pull out your book of magic and enter the depths.

The cave quickly grows darker the farther you walk through, and before long, you're almost consumed in complete darkness. Mouthing a spell from memorization, a small orb of light falls over you, giving you the light needed to see. It's only then that you notice the shadow behind you.