Talk 3, Lesson

Arno asked

"Are your questions done?"

Leus didn't reply, and that confused Arno a bit

"Leus?"

"Master... There's something I want to know"

Leus' tone and way of speaking were puzzling to both Arno and Blaze, he seemed uncomfortable for some reason, even though that did not suit the friendly atmosphere.

'Arno answered all his questions, so why is he hesitant?'

Nevertheless, they didn't pressure Leus, Arno just said in a calm tone

"What is it? No need to feel reluctant."

Leus mustered his courage and spoke

"I want to know ... why did you kill that man?"

Arno's expression and tone didn't change, he just asked back

"What do you think about it, Leus?"

"I ... - I Don't know"

Arno crossed his hands and leaned back on his chair

"You're smart, Leus, think about it"

Leus thought about it

'Why would Master kill that person? Certainly, he didn't need to, he wanted to, but why?'

'Did Master feel humiliated when he challenged him and started objecting loudly? ... Unlikely, Master is smarter than that'

'Perhaps... Master wanted to show his power to everyone present? ... but they should already know how strong he is, they can also see his aura'

Something came to Leus' mind so he said

"Perhaps you wanted to send a message to the Crimson Guards?"

Arno nodded

"Not bad, that's one of the reasons, but not the main one"

'... What could it be? Probably Master didn't even know him before the incident, so it won't be about a silly thing like a grudge or something like that.'

Leus thought about it for a while more, but nothing satisfactory came to his mind

'Master did something he didn't need to do and gained nothing in return, why did he even do it?'

Leus eventually gave up

"Sorry, Master, I can't think of something in particular, all the reasons that came to my mind weren't satisfying enough"

Arno just smiled

"Well, it can't be helped. The reason was you, Leus"

Leus furrowed his brows

"Me?"

"Yes, You."

"How does that make sense? I didn't really want him dead, Honestly, I didn't care, Phoenix annoyed me more than him."

Arno shook his head

"I didn't do it to satisfy your feelings, I did it to teach you a lesson"

"A lesson?"

"I wanted to open your eyes to the reality of the world, Leus.

I wanted you to see how easy it is to take someone's life despite them being, to an extent, very strong.

I wanted you to see what could happen to you if one day you challenge the wrong person. Even if you have the potential to become the next King, potential means nothing if you're dead.

I wanted you to see the world's everlasting and irrefutable reality:

(Might Makes Right)"

Arno took a pause then continued

"It's a reminder that in this world, people might not always play fair.

They might not follow rules or care about what's just.

They might only care about strength.

I wanted you to realize that you can't be blind to the darker side of life.

It's about understanding that your decisions have consequences, and sometimes, life doesn't give second chances.

It's a harsh lesson, but an essential one."

Leus didn't reply, So Arno continued

"There were other reasons, like wanting to show that The City's policies or whatever don't matter to me, and that I'll do whatever I want.

Also, some Crimson Guards need their wings clipped every now and then so they can go back to their place.

Because me and Ignatius rarely interfere in how the city is actually managed, some of them forget that they're merely watchdogs.

However, I could've done all that and more in other ways, the main reason I killed him was to teach you a lesson, Leus"

However, there was another significant reason, one that Arno wouldn't share with Leus.

'There will be consequences to this action, and Leus will have to face them alone.'

Arno couldn't pinpoint the exact nature or severity of these consequences, but he was certain that retaliation would come sooner or later.

Moreover, he believed that due to both his power and political influence, the consequences wouldn't be directed at him but squarely at Leus.

'He'll be the easiest to target out of the two of us.'

'In one way or another, it'll help him grow.'

To Arno, this was a variable in his grand plan that would, in time, become a constant.

The consequences, although uncertain, were envisioned as catalysts for Leus's growth.

'Consequences, inevitably intertwined with growth.'

'When the moment arrives, Leus would need to confront these repercussions alone, an essential part of his journey toward maturity, toward power.'

Arno had his own agenda, and among its many objectives, a key goal was to push Leus towards attaining power, regardless of the potential costs.

After Leus heard that, he didn't feel any sense of guilt, he only felt grateful for his Master's countless efforts to teach him and make him stronger and more experienced, both in life and combat.

'I'm incredibly indebted to both Master and Sal'

"Thanks a lot, Master, You've done a lot for me"

"It's okay, the most important thing is to learn from it, experience is invaluable.

That was probably the last truly valuable experience you'd gain from me."

Leus became puzzled when he heard that

"Last?"

Arno nodded

"Indeed, Leus, last, you realize that not much is left for you to learn here, right?"

Arno looked at Blaze then continued

"That's why we invited Blaze today, although we've spoken a lot, we haven't talked about the main reason I invited you here yet."

Leus felt a bit sad

'I mean ... I knew that I wouldn't be Arno's apprentice forever, but still, it feels like I'll soon be separated from a close friend.'

It showed on his face, both Blaze and Arno noticed it, but neither of them said anything about it.

Blaze looked at Arno and asked

"And what is that?"

Arno said with exaggerated hand movements and with water whirling between them

"The Future"

The three of them chuckled and the mood lightened again.

Arno began his speech with

"We'll make Ignatius' faction make the first move on Leus"

That grasped both Blaze and Leus' interest

Arno looked at Blaze and continued

"I'm still working on the exact details of the plan, but I'll send you a message with one of the Guards when it's time to begin"

Blaze nodded

Arno looked at Leus and added

"What I really want to talk about here is, how prepared are you for this, Leus?

Are you ready to begin a new phase in life?"

The question seemed very vague for Leus, so he asked

"Can you elaborate?"

Arno nodded

"Once the plan succeeds, you'll be asked to spend most of your time in the Red Mansion, that in itself shouldn't pose a problem to you, however, you will pretty much be on your own."

"On my own?"

"Here, I've been guiding you, but there, you won't have a Mentor or such thing.

Ignatius has his work, family, and his own training. Unlike me, it's still possible for him to grow stronger"

Arno's tone was bitter, but no one commented on it

He continued

"We will no longer be Master-Apprentice, and you will have to decide by yourself how to grow further"

Leus didn't seem happy about what he heard so Arno added

"Still, it's not all bad, you'll be granted many advantages.

Basically, anything you ask for will be provided, you'll also get the chance to interact with other talented individuals living in the Red Mansion."

After saying that, Both Arno and Blaze waited for Leus to think about what he heard.

For a while, silence persisted.