24 The First Lesson.

''...Why?'' After the unexpected answer Harding give him, Zhou Heng could only ask with that single word.

Clearly, with the rumors he heard from Helena about Jacob Harding, he should be similar to the 'Uncle' in the story. Weak, suppressed, but with an ambitious heart.

Does this old man disdain to sympathize with someone similar to him? Or he has that much hatred toward himself and his weakness.

Harding didn't seem to react to Zhou Heng's question, he smiled, and relaxed on his couch. Twisting his hands and fingers with a small exercise, his bones crackled for his old age.

When he decided that it was enough teasing for the boy's patience, he opened his mouth, ''What is the point of having the strength but you still fail against such an enemy?''

''Excuses about fraternity won't work. The King can love his brother, but trust him? He may as well just commit suicide and give him the crown from the start.''

''The Son paid for his Father's mistakes as it should. As for that weakling... He was good, but it still leaves my mouth with a bad taste that he was quite the idiotic thing and the King was even more than him.''

Zhou Heng listened to Harding and in his mind, he finally understand something deeper about Harding, he hated weakness of every kind, probably a man that yearns for perfection and hated everyone for not striving for it.

With that in his mind, he asked again, ''Then, in that tale, who do you think should have... 'won'?''

Harding laughed, ''Everyone in the tale won, just that some more than others, after all, those three characters became king for some years didn't they?''

''But of course, if you ask me about... How I would like the story to go... Then I will answer you with a simple, as the author decided.''

''If I modify it, it won't be the same story, the same characters. As I don't exist in that story, for me it is what is, I can't nor want to change it.''

''I hate it, but looking for the original authors to force them, was a bit difficult even in my heyday.''

Zhou Heng took a deep breath, the old man was more eccentric than he thought.

Harding just laughed at his reaction, then with a sudden movement he patted the couch and got up, ''Well, let's go. Is the first day but it represents your determination., not to mention that I want to give Helena a gift.''

Zhou Heng frowned and also got up. He followed Harding that guided him to the deeps of the bookstore.

He was quite surprised that the shop wasn't that big, but it hid quite the space, that from the outside seemed from other buildings.

On the way, Harding walked with stability, his steps were firm having his gloved hands on his back, this time he didn't have the smile from before, a rare seriousness was on his face. He glanced at Zhou Heng and said.

''Heng, there is a last tale for today.''

Zhou Heng was immediately interested and looked at the amber eyes of the old man walking in front of him.

Harding continued, ''This little tale, starts with a traveler, blind from birth, that for unknown reasons, asked every person he found in his path about, the most beautiful color.''

''Traveling from town to cities, from cities to palaces. collecting the thoughts from slaves to kings about the beauty of the colors...''

''Of course, the answers he received were quite varied, every person gave him their points of view about the greatness of their color. In his collection, he had pages of praises for every color.''

''...After years of collection, he decided to preach his discoveries. And he did, In the first town he visited he started telling to the ones that wished to listen.''

''Yet it didn't pass more than a few moments before a little kid asked him two questions that literally, killed him.''

Harding smiled as if he heard a joke and without stopping his walk he said, ''This is a tale, so literally death means that he really died.''

''The questions were simple, which one is your favorite color, and how do you know that is that beautiful?''

''The boy wasn't that interested in the traveler, he only questioned him to shut him up when he saw that it was blind.''

''But for the traveler, the uncaring look of the kid didn't matter. In his mind, the two questions were replaying again, and again.''

''Every time he came with an answer but denied himself every time, with a 'How do you know is like this?''

''The man started laughing in despair and berated himself for being arrogant, teaching others about something he didn't 'Know'.''

Harding looked at Zhou Heng and like a teacher, he explained, ''For some people, until they fully comprehend something, they don't qualify themselves as 'know' about that something.''

''This man was like this, so he just went for the 'literally' death, hoping that, if there is, a next time, he can have the capacity of know the colors.''

This time, without looking at Zhou Heng he asked, ''What do you think?''

Zhou Heng pondered, and followed behind Harding, without noticing, they arrived at a closed metal door and Harding didn't seem in a hurry to open it, he was quietly watching the door.

Zhou Heng knew that Harding wasn't looking for answers like pity for the traveler, or what he did. He had a feeling that the answer should be for the end, the 'Know'. Remembering how this old man strives for perfection, he answered.

''The traveler should have expended more time in looking for a way to 'know' the colors without using others' opinions?''

Harding moved and faced Zhou Heng with a smile, ''Is good that you understand my intention.''

He was satisfied that Heng answered knowing what he wanted to hear, this was not time for Zhou Heng's own thoughts, but for him to control the conversation and smooth the flow of the conversation.

''You are just a bit wrong with that answer. The traveler dying is an action he took to 'meet' with the colors, so expending time or trying in his next life is in my eyes the same.''

''To teach others about something without knowing it, is the mistake he understood before dying.''

''You have to use every sense and mean when knowing, only this way you can use it against, and for others.''

"This brings us to your first lesson.''

Harding smiled and opened the metal door, bringing Zhou Heng inside that gasped when he saw the interior.

''We are weak Heng. We want to survive, but our starting point is lower than anyone else.''

''So we can only use everything we have at hand to accomplish our ambitions.''

''Do you know what is the biggest weapon of a weakling?''

Jacob Harding walked to the center of the room. It wasn't a decorated or a 'pretty' one.' It was covered with thick walls, and the smell of herbs and human fluids created a strange atmosphere, like an old clinic.

Inside Zhou Heng could see what he could only name with the word, 'Tools', medic instruments, cook utensils, blacksmith ones... strange combinations of tools that had many uses. But Zhou Heng understood their purpose in this room.

Harding didn't care about Heng and answered his own question with wide-open eyes and a wide smile that brimmed with joy.

''Pain.''

''The Strong doesn't need it, but for the Weak is essential... Sure, some 'strong' individuals will tell you otherwise but what do they know about the deeps of pain?''

Harding took a seat in a chair in the room and signaled at Heng to sit across him.

''As a traveler of life, we all are different, and every tool or weapon is important... 'pain' is the best for us.''

Zhou Heng walked with clenched hands and gritted teeth using every part of him to calm himself, he knew what was going to happen, the tale and this room were connected.

No matter what he was just a normal young man before, if he didn't have the previous years of mental preparation he won't be confident about giving a step inside this room.

Sitting where Harding signaled, he had the urge to curse badly. Harding was quite surprised and curious but he didn't change any plans. Even with a few sadistic intentions, he asked Zhou Heng.

''What do you think is the first step to use pain against others?''

Zhou Heng's eyes had self-mockery and helpless feeling, but he could only answer.

''To 'know' the pain.''

Harding nodded, ''Good answer... In fact, you don't have to be so reluctant, this will be the foundation of your future, everything you will learn and use in the future involves pain.''

''Willpower, mental strength, endurance... Call it whatever you want, is something you will need. If you obtain it then you will be already half step on your ambitions.''

''Also, you don't have to worry. The focus isn't injuries, it would be pretty bad if your body is damaged in the first lesson.'' Harding talked as if he was coaxing Heng, without caring about the fact that teaching a nine-year-old about feeling pain enough to 'break' adults was enough to cross several limits a beast in human form should have.

''And, is only physical, what is so great about it.'' Harding said with a solemn face.

The door was opened and a corpulent man appeared, with the permission of Harding, he entered the room and closed it. Zhou Heng noticed that it was the same man that killed the young man yesterday.

The man frowned when he looked at Zhou Heng. Harding took notice and asked the man, ''Uncomfortable?''

The man shook his head and answered with a regretful face, ''I don't know if at this age they still have baby teeth to extract.''

Harding frowned and shook his head, ''Don't say those kinds of things. The gift I want to give to Helena should have a good presentation.''

Zhou Heng's face was pale and surprisingly he had a small smile of helplessness for being treated in that way. 'Maybe this is the treatment for a Villain, shouldn't it?'

Harding smiled and said to Heng, with a mischievous face ''A man with fear of heights will surely lose it after failing from a never-ending fall, so I firmly believe that the cure for every weakness is just trying until disappears.''

With that being said, Jacob Harding relaxed in the chair, ''As you can see, I'm too old so I have to cherish my energy, so... My worker here, will be your teacher until you 'know' about pain.''

In a hidden room of a bookstore, the screams and tears of the Villain of Ariethis forged him to be in the role, that fate arranged for him.