chapter 14: 'Richard has raised a monster'
When Ethan woke up in the morning, he felt a weight on his arm. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw Aphrodite sleeping deeply, her arms wrapped around his. Ethan gently lifted Aphrodite's arm and carefully got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. He made sure to lock the bathroom door to avoid any accidents.
When Aphrodite woke up, she noticed she was in a different bed. After a few seconds, she remembered the previous night and her face started to blush with embarrassment. She noticed Ethan in the bathroom and quickly left the room, heading back to her own.
After Ethan finished in the bathroom, he noticed Aphrodite was gone. He then sat down and found a piece of paper Anna had given him. It was a list of potential talents, detailing each child at the academy. As he carefully examined the list, Ethan noticed a few individuals who caught his eye—one of them was his classmate, Nemora, a girl with an unusual name who was eight years old and hailed from a warrior tribe in the forest. The other person of interest was Ulric, the son of a fallen viscount, who was already a skilled swordsman at the age of twelve.
Nemora's tribe had made a treaty with the Asina Kingdom, agreeing to send warriors to assist in the kingdom's wars instead of paying taxes. As for Ulric, his family had been disgraced due to his father's betrayal, leading to his parents' execution. Ethan thought these two individuals possessed the qualities he was looking for. While he could easily befriend Nemora, he pondered how to gain Ulric's trust, especially considering his father's role in Ulric's parents' deaths.
As Ethan contemplated these thoughts, there was a knock on his door. Opening it, he found a boy with black hair standing before him. "Mr. Ethan, the headmaster is summoning you," the boy said.
Ethan asked, "May I know the reason?"
"I don't know, he just asked me to bring you to his office," the boy replied. Ethan got dressed and followed the boy to the headmaster's office. When they arrived, the boy left, and Ethan knocked on the door. A muffled "come in" was heard, and Ethan entered.
Inside, he saw a middle-aged man sitting behind a desk. It was Richard's brother and Ethan's uncle, John Lenistark. Gesturing towards a chair, John asked Ethan to sit down. Once Ethan was seated, John inquired, "I've heard you haven't been very attentive in your classes. May I ask why?"
Ethan explained that he had already learned the basic subjects before attending the academy, so he didn't want to waste his time on things he already knew. John, seeming understanding, stroked his beard and said, "Then why don't you become my student? I can guide you." Ethan suspected that John might have been the reason Emily had abdicated the throne, so he was curious if John would try to persuade him to do the same.
"I believe I can learn a lot from you, so I accept your offer. What do I need to do as your student?" Ethan asked.
John took a deep breath, then spoke with a wise smile, "Ethan, wisdom never ends. The learning process continues throughout life. For a young man like you, I believe I can assist you with my knowledge and experience. First, we need to identify the subjects that are important to you and focus on them. Then, I will guide you through the learning process and support your development. Understanding your interests and goals is crucial. What do you want to achieve? In which areas do you want to improve? We need to find the answers to these questions together."
After listening to John's words, Ethan responded, "To be honest, I want to become a king. Can you help me with that? For example, I'd like to learn about governance." John then asked Ethan if he understood what it meant to be a king. Ethan confidently replied, "Yes, sir. Being a king means having the easiest way to influence people's lives, as you said. But why should that be a problem? People influence each other's lives every day. For instance, aren't you trying to influence my life right now? I don't understand your question, so let me ask you one: Why wouldn't someone want to be a king?"
John chuckled at Ethan's words and said, "Those are wise words, especially for someone your age. But I'm afraid I haven't explained myself properly. As for the answer to your question: Perhaps someone doesn't want to be a king simply because they are cowardly or don't want to take responsibility. Or maybe they fear the corruption that comes with power. These are just some possibilities. But I understand you, my boy. I don't think you're ready to be a king yet, but you have potential. If that's your decision, I'll help you as your mentor. From now on, I'll teach you every other day. Don't miss our sessions. You may go now."
"Thank you, master. I hope you can help me on my journey," Ethan said as he headed towards the door. As he left, John was lost in thought, smiling to himself. 'Richard has raised a monster' he muttered.
Ethan set off towards the library to meet Anna. Upon spotting her there, he took a seat across from her. "Did anyone on the list I gave you catch your attention?" he asked. Ethan nodded and handed her the list, saying, "The ones I've marked seem quite promising, but I'm not sure how to go about acquiring them."
Anna replied, "The answer is simple, through socializing." Ethan raised an eyebrow but realized Anna was serious. "I know that too, and I can befriend Nemora, but the real challenge is Ulric. How do I approach him?" Anna pondered for a moment, then came up with an idea. "Ulric has twin brothers who are the same age as you; you could try talking to them. I'll also try to approach Ulric," she said.
They continued talking for a few more hours before returning to the training ground.