Honestly, after the exams, Ren had considered simply not showing up there.

What more could Aldric teach him that Larissa couldn't teach better? What value did those sessions have now that Ren had demonstrated he could pass his exams without problems?

But sadly, there was a minimum attendance required…

Missing too many classes with his assigned tutor could result in academic sanctions. So Ren resigned himself to showing up, sitting for an hour listening to Aldric's "relaxed chat," and then leaving.

Simple. Painless. Professional.

What he hadn't anticipated was the scene he found when he arrived at Aldric's classroom a week after the exams.

The door was ajar. Ren pushed it gently, expecting to find Aldric sitting in his usual chair, maybe leafing through documents or preparing tea as he used to do.

Instead, he found Aldric Galehart, one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom, lying on the floor face down in what could only be described as a total apology bow.

Ren froze on the threshold. "What...?"

"Forgiveness," Aldric's voice came muffled from the floor, his face pressed against the expensive rug. "Please, accept my most sincere apologies for 'not taking you seriously'."

Ren blinked. Then blinked again.

His brain was trying to process the image before him. Aldric Galehart, the man who had been his tutor for three months, Seiya's father, a high-ranking noble with connections throughout the kingdom...

Was literally groveling on the floor.

"Not taking me seriously?" Ren repeated slowly, closing the door behind him to not be seen like this. This was... strange. Very strange. "Do you mean the classes?"

"Yes," Aldric responded, his voice sounding filled with what seemed like genuine remorse. Each word seemed to cost him something else too. "The incomplete classes. The basic information when you clearly deserved much more. I underestimated your... 'capability'."

Ren processed this. Ah. Aldric was apologizing for giving him only the basics instead of complete teaching.

That... actually made sense.

Min had pointed out from the beginning that the information was good but incomplete.

"It doesn't matter," Ren said finally, gesturing for Aldric to get up. The sight was deeply uncomfortable. "Really, I didn't need..."

"No, please," Aldric interrupted, still not getting up. "Let me apologize appropriately. I understand you don't need me. I understand that regardless of my teachings, things would have turned out the same for you."

There was something in how he said that last part that sounded strange, but Ren assumed Aldric was realizing that Ren would have found the next information in other places anyway.

Which was true. Larissa had been his real teacher. But that wasn't what Aldric meant.

"Yeah, well," Ren shrugged, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. This felt wrong somehow, though he couldn't pinpoint why. "Things worked out. And honestly, I don't think I could have learned anything from you normally anyway. So you don't have to apologize, 'don't worry'."

Aldric tensed visibly on the floor hearing that Ren didn't need him and the words 'don't worry' that he himself had repeated so often. The phrase landed like a slap, his own casualness thrown back at him.

Ren didn't notice how he'd taken it, because he was thinking...

'My brain simply doesn't process those movements naturally. If it weren't for my mantis, I probably would have failed several exams no matter how good the teaching was...'

The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive.

Aldric slowly raised his head, his eyes studying Ren with an expression of fear and something else. "I understand," he said with careful voice. "You certainly don't need to learn here."

'So you're saying I'm useless to you anyway. And you would have won no matter what I did.'

The thought burned him with humiliation, but also opportunity.

"Basically," Ren nodded, still not catching the true reason for the tense tone in Aldric's voice. "So get up, please. This is uncomfortable for you too from what I can sense."

His mana perception picked up Aldric's discomfort, though he misread its source entirely.

But Aldric didn't get up immediately. Instead, he slowly sat up until he was kneeling, his posture still submissive but now looking directly at Ren.

"Let me give you a reward," he said with firm voice but with an undertone of... fear? "For forgiving my incompetence."

'Incompetence?' Ren frowned, confusion evident on his face. "Reward? You don't need..."

"Please," Aldric insisted, and there was genuine urgency in his tone now. Desperation bleeding through the careful control in his face. "Allow me to compensate for being a bad teacher."

'Ah.' Ren understood now. Aldric felt guilty for not having given complete teaching that could have helped him from the beginning, thinking it was his fault (Not really).

'He wants to make peace with his poor teaching by giving something of value as compensation?' (Not really).

It was... unnecessary, honestly.

But Ren could see this clearly mattered a lot to Aldric. And rejecting the offer would probably only make the man feel worse.

"I really don't need any kind of reward," Ren said slowly, trying to find words that wouldn't make this more awkward. "There's nothing I can't get myself in the first place if I need it."

Aldric's expression contracted slightly, as if those words were painful to hear. Like watching someone twist a knife already buried deep.

Ren noticed. "But, if you insist..."

"I insist," Aldric said quickly, perhaps too quickly. Relief flashed across his features before being buried under renewed resolve. "And believe me when I say that in what I'll give you, it's always good to have more options."

Ren didn't understand what that meant exactly. Options of what? Books? Political connections? Resources for his territory?

The vagueness should have been a warning. But Aldric remained kneeling on the floor, and that was profoundly uncomfortable to witness.

"Okay," Ren finally conceded, just wanting this bizarre situation to end. "I accept your... reward. Whatever it is. Now please get up."

The relief that crossed Aldric's face was so intense that Ren almost stepped back. The man stood with movements that seemed to be trembling, as if he'd been holding an enormous weight that he could finally release.

"Thank you," Aldric said. Gratitude mixed with something else, something that didn't quite fit. "Thank you for your... mercy. I promise the reward will be appropriate for someone of your... level."

"Sure," Ren responded, still feeling confused by the entire interaction. None of this felt normal. "Do we have class today or...?"

"No," Aldric said quickly, too quickly. The word came out rushed, almost desperate. "No, not today. I need... to prepare things. For your reward. Take the day off. In fact, take the week if you want. I'll mark all your attendances until today."

"The week?" Ren blinked, surprise evident in his expression. "But if I don't come then the minimum attendance..."

"I'll take care of that," Aldric interrupted, already moving toward his desk and scribbling something on paper. His hand moved with unusual haste. "I'll give you documentation of complete attendance. As long as you come for a short while twice per week according to minimum attendance, there won't be problems."

He extended the paper toward Ren like it was a peace offering. Or perhaps a bribe.

Ren took it, still processing what exactly had happened in the last five minutes. The entire encounter felt surreal, like a play where he didn't know his lines. "Okay... so I guess I'll see you next week."

"Yes," Aldric nodded vigorously, perhaps too vigorously. "Next week. With your reward. Something I'm sure... you'll appreciate."

There was something in how he said "appreciate" that made something in Ren's stomach twist with apprehension. A warning his conscious mind couldn't quite process. But before he could ask more, Aldric practically pushed him toward the door.

"Be careful in your other classes," Aldric said while closing the door, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "And remember, it's always good to have... options. Especially at your age."

And then the door closed, leaving Ren standing in the hallway with an attendance paper in his hand and growing confusion about what had happened.

"Weird," he murmured to himself, shaking his head slightly.

But he had other things to do. Combat practice with Lin. Class with Zhao in an hour. Then study session with the girls.

The strange interaction with Aldric could wait to be processed later.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.