William's determination

The evening meal became a joyous occasion.

Helen shared the events of the two days when Alan was unconscious with him.

As everyone settled, Alan stood up, bowed towards everyone, and expressed his apologies. "I am sorry for causing concern; it happened suddenly, and I couldn't do anything about it."

Warm smiles greeted him. "There's nothing to apologize for, my dear. It was beyond your control. Moreover, it gave us an opportunity to spend time together with Helen," Elizabeth reassured warmly.

Alan smiled and offered another bow before taking his seat. He noticed a young boy sitting across from him, eyeing him with curiosity. Alan greeted him, "My name is Alan, nice to meet you."

The boy opposite him returned the smile and responded, "Hey Alan, I'm Williams. You can call me 'Wil,' can I call you 'Al'?" Williams spoke with enthusiasm.

Alan was momentarily surprised but nodded in agreement. James and Jane exchanged helpless glances.

Williams' smile widened at Alan's response, and then he turned his curious gaze toward Helen. Helen laughed, "Hello, dear, you can call me Grandma Helen. I'm your grandfather's friend."

"I know who you are, Grandma Helen. You're the best healer in our region," he said in awe.

Helen smirked, "Who told you that, my dear?"

"Everyone knows in our estate. You cured my grandma so easily. No one in the region could do anything. Even my healing teacher respects you," Williams exclaimed excitedly in a single breath.

Laughter filled the air at his enthusiasm. "I am good at a few things and not so good at others, my dear," Helen warmly smiled.

"Grandma Helen, can you teach me about healing?" Williams asked suddenly, surprising everyone.

"Williams, mind your manners. You should show respect to your elders and not make such requests right away. You have to earn it," scolded Jane, with everyone else nodding in agreement.

Williams seemed unfazed by the scolding, focusing intently on Helen for her response.

Impressed by his determination, Helen replied, "My dear boy, of course, I will teach you. However, I want you to learn the basics from your family healer first. In three months, I will test you on the fundamentals of healing. If you perform well, I'll start teaching you further from that point."

Williams ecstatically jumped for joy, exclaiming, "Grandma Helen, I'll do well!" Others were genuinely proud of his newfound determination, especially since it was the first time he expressed interest beyond combat skills.

Helen suggested, "Furthermore, Alan here loves to read books. Would you be willing to accompany him to the library for a couple of hours every day?" She winked toward James and Jane, who understood her intention and beamed at her.

"Library? So boring, grandma. It's not interesting to me at all. I get sleepy staring at books for too long," Williams replied.

Helen, looking at him, wondered aloud, "I heard from everyone here that you wanted to be a great adventurer. Or was it not about you they were talking about?"

"Yes, Grandma Helen, I'll be one of the greatest in this region," Williams proudly announced.

She chuckled, "Okay, my dear, I understand. You don't want to learn from books. You want to be the best in combat and learn healing, right?" Williams nodded happily.

"Then you want to be a good adventurer, not just the best, I presume?" Helen concluded.

"What do you mean, Grandma Helen? I want to be the best, not just a good one," Williams replied.

"To be the best adventurer, being a good fighter or learning about healing won't be enough, my dear. You have to be knowledgeable and understand many things," Helen patiently explained.

"Remember this, 'Knowledge is power,' my dear," Helen said, giving some time for her words to sink into the boy's heart.

"'Knowledge is power,'" Williams mused, looking thoughtful for a few seconds. Determined, he replied, "I will learn everything, Grandma Helen."

"Good then, after your dinner, go to the library with Alan every day. At that time, you need not worry about missing other activities or your playtime. What do you think?" Helen asked him. Williams nodded.

Alan will join you in the morning to go around and play. Alan here had been all alone with me all these yeare without any friends. So make sure to take care of him when you both are outside. Will it be alrite my dear?

Don't worry grandma Helen, I will never let anything happen to Al outside. Williams proclaimed confidently.

Everyone was pleased to witness this sudden development. Alan, who had been observing it all, smiled slightly and commended his grandmother for inspiring Williams to start reading.

They ate happily, and after dinner, everyone agreed to sit and discuss a few things concerning Alan and Williams.