Chapter 14

The young man quickly ran out of the house and the small garden and closed the gate.

He ran towards the house that was beside his master's and entered it as if someone was chasing him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "He's getting more and more irritating whenever I do something. What kind of master is he?"

The young man closed the door and removed the bow and quiver attached to his shoulder. Just when he was about to reach for his bag on the shoulder the door behind his back opened itself.

Before he could react, a dead hare's body slammed onto his face. The door closed itself as he reached his hand to his face.

The young man trembled slightly as he looked at the closed door but instead of saying anything he turned around.

He walked inside the house and went out of the backdoor. After putting the bow and all his hunting equipment onto a small stone bench he went to get some water.

Getting his hunting knife he skinned the hare and cleaned it again. He put the skin aside and started to separate the meat.

While he prepared the meat the front door opened and a couple walked through and entered the house.

"See? This kid always leaves the door open. What is he going to do if somebody else breaks into the house?" A middle-aged man spoke in a somewhat angered tone followed by a middle-aged woman.

"You're making too much out of it now. He's a sensible child." The woman spoke smiling.

Renee and Jaiden got older as their son grew up. And even had some grey hairs in between.

Jaiden sighed and gave up and went alone looking slightly dispirited. Ever since his son came into his life, his wife started to slowly put him below his son as a priority.

At first, he thought it was a one-time thing but as Zack grew up it continued until he gave up.

Renee closed the door and followed him as they went to clean themselves.

Jaiden went out of the house and soon found his son preparing the meat.

If one thing he was happy about then that would be his son was smart in school, knew how to take care of himself and even solved his daily necessities himself.

When the topic of hunting in the forest came to be, both he and his wife were scared and tried to stop him but then the chief's grandson and his servant convince the couple that they were also going with him and there was no danger.

From then on he went with the group and only recently he started to go alone.

Looking at him working he went forward but before he could say anything his wife sounded behind him.

"Look how hard he works. He even got something from the forest by hunting." Renee came slowly out of the house.

Jaiden heard her talking and silently went on his way to get some firewood instead of saying anything.

"Pa I prepared the firewood before going out, it's inside," Zack shouted seeing his father going towards the small storeroom.

"Ma when did you come back? Just wait inside I will have the meat ready in a bit."

Jaiden stopped and looked even more dispirited, "Yeah, yeah you do everything. I'm going for a bath."

Seeing his father as that Zack laughed and Renee soon joined him.

Zack cleaned himself up following his parents and had dinner together. Ever since Zack grew up and started hunting, they stopped taking advantage of the mansion's arrangements and only took some light food during the day there.

Just like the majority of the townsmen, they also did not have oil to keep lighting their house for a long time so sleeping early was not a strange thing.

Zack got into his small room which used to be his grandfather's and spread his thin mattress along with a blanket.

The mattress and blanket were made from different furs and hides of the animals he hunted throughout the years.

While sleeping he thought about what kind of unnecessary thing his master was going to teach him the next day.

Morning came and the young Zack went to his master's house early in the morning after having some leftover soup.

Sighing lightly he made his way into his master's house. He found his master sitting in the living room alone while separating some leaves and roots of the plants he collected yesterday.

"Come sit and help me out here." His master spoke as soon as he entered the living room.

Over the years he had seen his master grow old and his voice started to sound weak as years went by.

Following the instructions, he went forward and sat opposite his master.

After looking over he started doing just like his master, by separating the leaves, sometimes roots, and sometimes stems and other parts.

Soon the morning passed and afternoon came.

"Uhh, master are you not hungry?" Zack asked in a low voice.

"Hmm. Yes, I am. Go make something for me and if you are hungry make something for you too." The old man answered without stopping his work.

Zack stood up enthusiastically and went inside the kitchen to make something.

he made a simple soup or at least that was how he described it. As far as his cooking went he only knew how to boil the water put something in there or make a fire and roast some meat.

After eating the food he made while hearing his master's curses he asked, "Master about the training you mentioned yesterday." He was looking forward to his training despite thinking it was all but a scam.

"My disciple just how lazy are you? Could you not have mentioned it when you came here? Look how you wasted our whole morning."

Zack lowered his head and apologized even though he did not agree with him. As far as he knew the only one who wasted their morning was non-other than his master, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Sigh, even now you're thinking how I'm the lazy one. Grow up my disciple, when are you shouldering your responsibilities?"

"Let it go I suppose. Now take these bowls and clean them, then we will talk."

Zack picked up the bowls and went to the backyard to clean them.

He came back shortly after and sat in front of his master in the living room.

Noticing he was about to keep going with the plants he opened his mouth hurriedly, "Master the training. Remember you said the training?"

"Ai, my disciple grow up quickly why did you not mentioned it before we started doing this?"

"Anyway your training.

Hmm, where should I start?"

The old man Grey put down the plants as he looked up towards the ceiling ignoring his disciple's pleading eyes.

After a long time, he opened his mouth, " Long ago some people started searching for answers."

Zack looked at his master confused, 'What is he talking about? did he forget my training again?'

Just when he was about to speak he saw his master talk again.

"Some of them found the answers, some of them not. The answers some founded were different from some of the others, and conflicts began to arise."

Zack listened to his master thinking it was something special story.

"And that's it."