Chapter 25 - Taking lessons

Pallas watched as John stared solemnly out of the window, lost in his thoughts. "What are you thinking about, kid?" he asked, breaking the young prince's trance.

"Nothing, I was just wondering what all of this is for," John replied, his words laced with uncertainty. He began to question everything that had happened since his return, wondering if he should make the same choices as in the past and expecting a different result.

Kostas, noticing the boy's concerns, spoke up in a slow and steady voice. "Listen, boy, the reason we live is so that we die without regrets. And now we have a second chance to fulfill the regrets we had in our last life."

Pallas chimed in, agreeing with his fellow tenant. "As the Titan said, this is a golden opportunity for you. Don't do something you would regret for the rest of your life."

John looked up at the sky with a melancholic gaze, still hesitant. "I understand what you're saying, but I don't know how things will go in this life. If I were to go forward with the engagement, I don't want it to hurt everyone involved."

Pallas tried to get John to see reason. "Boy, we cannot change how we feel about things like this. Sometimes going with the flow can also be the best course of action. And while we may know that our actions may cause a world of hurt to the ones we care for, sometimes those actions we take are to protect them from even more pain. That is all I can say about all this, and even after that, if you wish to stay alone in this life, well, the choice is yours."

The old Titan added his wisdom to the conversation. "I agree with the lizard on this one. You can't let every memory of your previous life haunt you in this one. This is a new beginning for you, and who knows, maybe going forward with this would be better for the future."

John took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "You guys are right. I just lost myself for a moment. I don't have time to doubt every choice I make. What is done is done, and I must move on now." With that, he regained his resolve and stood up, leaving the room with newfound confidence.

John walked into the grand duke's office, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. "Your majesty," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The grand duke looked up from his papers, his face expressionless. "I see that you have made your decision. Tell me, what is it?"

"I will go ahead with the engagement," John said, his voice barely betraying the conflict he felt inside. "You can tell my father that I agree to this."

The grand duke nodded. "I see. Well then, you may leave."

John understood the dismissal and left the room quietly.

As soon as John was gone, the grand duke pulled out a crystal from his drawer and inserted some mana into it. The emperor's voice came from the crystal soon after. "So, what did he say?"

"He agreed to it. It seems like you know your son better than I thought," the grand duke replied, his annoyance evident in his voice.

"I see. Well, then I will contact you again once I am done talking with the elves. Also, Dante, I know you hate him, but don't take it out on the kid," the emperor said with a concerned tone.

"Don't worry. I have no reason to blame the kid for your actions. As for you… I will have your head someday but now is not the time… It seems the northern barbarians are teaming up with the monsters of the forests," the grand duke replied, his expression turning grim.

"I see. Well, I'm sure that you can take care of things on your side. And as for father, don't worry about him. I will make sure he won't do anything stupid," the emperor assured.

"See to it that you do," the grand duke said as he pulled out his mana from the communication crystal.

The grand duke turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, frustration etched on his face. "What are these bastards thinking?" he muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the details of the northern barbarians' actions.

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Early the next morning, John was once again training with the grand duke, shoveling the heaps of snow that had accumulated on the training ground overnight.

John huffed and puffed as he increased his pace, trying to clear the snow as quickly as possible.

"Come on, kid! Faster, faster! Your stamina isn't going to improve on its own," the grand duke shouted, dissatisfied with John's speed.

"You have 15 minutes to clear the snow, or you won't be getting any food," Dante warned.

John screamed as he tried to shovel faster. "How the hell did so much snow pile up in just one day?"

"This is the north, kid. It's not even winter yet, and if this surprises you, just wait a few more months. Don't worry, by then you'll be good enough to dig," the duke said with a loud laugh as he talked about the upcoming winter, which was only a few months away.

"Fuckkkkk," John exclaimed, dreading the thought of having to shovel even more snow.

After finishing his morning training, John returned to the castle and soon found himself seated in class with Oberon. As he ate his breakfast alone, Oberon handed him back the test from the previous day.

"Your Majesty, you performed pleasantly well on my test yesterday. I was not expecting such a decent result. You answered close to half the questions correctly, and while it may not be much by normal standards, considering that you haven't been formally educated, you did pretty well for yourself," Oberon said as he showed John the graded results.

John was surprised to see that he had performed well on a test he had not expected to do well in. "I wasn't expecting that at all," he said as he looked at the papers on the table.

"I can understand where you're coming from. The only questions you answered correctly were concerning arithmetic and strategy. As for history and court etiquette, well, your responses were beyond unacceptable," Oberon explained, understanding John's surprise at the results.

"I see. Well then, I shall count on your guidance," John said, flinching at Oberon's words.

Oberon chuckled. "Certainly, you can count on me. By the time I'm done with you, Your Highness will be one of the most well-educated individuals in the empire."

John looked at the stack of books on the table and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had never been fond of reading, and the thought of having to go through all of them seemed daunting.

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John braced himself for the upcoming lessons and asked, "Understood. What's next?"

"We will begin with history today, considering that you performed admirably in math and strategy. It's best to address your weaknesses first," Oberon replied, his eyes glinting strangely.

"Okay, I can do this. Let's get started, sir," John said, trying to sound confident.

Without another word, Oberon left the room momentarily and returned with two servants who carried stacks of books in their hands. He ordered them to place the books on the table.

"What's all this?" John asked, gazing at the nearly twenty books that now occupied the desk.

"This is just study material, my dear prince. You'll have to read all of them. It would have been much less if you had even the slightest knowledge of the empire's history, but unfortunately, that's not the case," Oberon said with a sadistic grin.

"I-I see, is this all of it then?" john said as he looked at the towering stacks of books before him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Your Highness. This is only a quarter of the material. Our empire has lasted for the last 3,000 years, so there's much more to learn," Oberon said with a laugh, handing a book over to his young student.

John's shoulders slumped as he realized the enormity of the task before him. "Is there a particular order I need to read them in?"

"Oh, no, just start with whichever book you like. But I suggest you start with this one," Oberon said, handing John a thick volume.

John took the book, looking at the cover with a sense of dread. "Alright then," he said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. "I'll get started on it right away."

"Good," Oberon said, "We'll have a quiz on the first two chapters tomorrow. You better make sure you study well."

John groaned inwardly as he opened the book and began to read, knowing that the days ahead would be filled with endless hours of reading and memorizing.