“I hope everyone has ehe food and tonight’s festivities. Now though, I’d like to annouhe name of the child we’ve chosen to bee Linley’s personal guard and my student.”

  ‘Don’t say me, please don’t say me!’ Ace begged in his mind when he heard Hogg’s pause for dramatic effect.

  “After speaking to Hillman, who’s been in charge of instrug the town’s children in the initial stages of their warrior training, the child we’ve decided on is…”

  ‘PLEASE DON’T SAY ME!’ Ace shouted in his mind hoping that by thinking it louder, he’d be able to think it ience.

  “Ace!”

  ‘FUCK!’

  Ace wao scream, but not wanting to make things any more awkward than they were about to bee, he decided to suppress his impulse.

  He slowly turo face the Baruchs with what could only be described as an awkward smile. Not knowing what to say, he looked at Hogg and then at all the faces of the other jealous children eyeing him like he just stole their st pieeat.

  “How I be worthy of su honour? I suggest you choose from one of the other more qualified children.” Aswered in the humblest voice he could muster.

  “Hahaha, talented and humble, I’m even more sure of my decision now. Which child here is more qualified to be my son’s head guard than a six-and-a-half-year-old warrior of the first rank?” Hogg said as if to reassure him.

  ‘Why are you telling people my business, you old oaf. And what’s with that look as if you did me a favour?’ Ace cursed mentally, wanting nothing more than to sp him around the face to lessen his belly full of frustration, but fetting about the differen strength; he khat Hogg genuinely believed he was doing him a favour, and Ace was many things, but ungrateful wasn’t one of them.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to respectfully refuse. The truth is, iure, I wish to go on an adventure and explore everything these nds have to offer.” Ace said as respectfully as he could.

  Hogg frowned when he heard Ace’s response, as did Lina and the family’s guards. Their eyes were trained on him, but Ace remained calm and posed.

  If it were anyone else present, child or adult, who had to face the semi-unfriendly gazes of so many powerful warriors, they’d likely faint from the pressure. Still, Ace remaiterly unfazed as he calmly maintained eye tact.

  “Lance, do your job as a guard of the Baru and vihe child it will be in the best i of all parties if he accepts.” Hillman, the guard captain, ordered coldly.

  Lance looked deeply at Ace, whom he’d grown close to over the st six months. Thehought of Milianna’s smiling face when he promised to take care of her son. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and when he opehem, he seemed to have bee a different person.

  “I’m sorry, captain, I ’t do that,” Lance replied as politely yet firmly as he could.

  “Are you disobeying a direct order?” Hillman asked icily as he turned his gaze from Ace to Lance.

  “If you’re me to force a child to do something against his will…

  Then that’s an order I ot follow!” Lance said defiantly, looking at a man he once wholeheartedly respected.

  ‘Now that’s a man deserving of my mother’s trust… Even if only barely!’ Ace thought to himself as the ers of his mouth crept up whilst looking at the soon-to-be former Baruch family guard with newfound respect.

  “If that’s your choice, child, then I respect it. I just hope you don’t e tret it.” Hogg said indifferently before things got out of hand.

  “I may have mas, but this will never be one of them!” Ace said firmly, keeping eye tact with the town’s stro man.

  Hogg took one more profound look at the child before him. For a moment, he felt like he was talking to a peer rather than a six-year-old child.

  “We failed to vince our first choice, but hopefully, our sed choice won’t reject our family’s goodwill,” Hogg said calmly before looking at Killian.

  “Killian, acc to Guard Captain Hillman, your talent as a warrior is sed only to my genius son Linley and that child Ace. How would you like to be my disciple and Linley’s future personal guard? If you say yes, you leave behind your old life as an orphan and immediately move into my family manor.” Hogg expined warmly whilst not fetting to throw shade at Ace when he could.

  Killian turo the first friend he’d ever made, unsure what to do or say in this position.

  Even though he’d built up his fiden these st few months hanging out with Ace, that innate sense of inferiority was still there.

  “Kil, just follow your heart; if you choose to accept their offer, we will still be friends. But if you don’t want to, just say so; I very much doubt ‘nobles’ such as the Baruch’s will lower themselves to deal with two children simply for refusing them.” Ace said, not fetting to put emphasis on the word noble, knowing how much of a sore spot it had to be for them knowing the social standing they once held.

  Hogg, Lina, and Linley all frowned hearing Ace’s subtle insults but khey couldn’t engage in verbal sparring with a child of no status.

  “I…

  I don’t want to.” Killian mumbled.

  As several warriors with sharpened senses were present, they mao hear what the shy orphan had said, but Ace acted as if they wouldn’t be able to hear from their positions.

  “You o speak louder, Kil. ‘Lord’ Hogg and his ‘generous’ family might not be able to hear from all the way back there.”

  “I’m sorry, but no, thank you. I want to stay with Ace!” Killian borderline shouted with his eyes tightly shut.

  “The’s go home.” Ace smiled proudly at his shy friend.

  He ighe cold and angry gres he received from not only the Baruchs but also the other civilians.

  “Didn’t you promise to walk us home after the gathering?” Ace said as he noticed Lance was yet to move.

  “I almost fot; let’s go before your mom starts w,” Lance said, trying to suppress the fusion he was feeling due to his as.

  After the trio left, the gathering tihe third person chosen to be Linley’s guard was a young boy called Biliora. Luckily for the Baruchs, he instantly agreed, kneeling doromising to be loyal to the Baru from now till the day he dies.

  Biliora is nine years old, not much older than Linley himself. He came from one of the more promi families of Wushan town, but most importantly, he was very talented in his ht. If it weren’t for the sudden emergence of Ad Killian, the child with talent as a warrior sed only to Linley would be him. He became a warrior of the first rank shortly after his 8th birthday.

  With that, the gathering began to , but everyone khat things were uo end just like that.

  Later that night, after Linley got into his bed, the glowing, flickering image of a gentle older man appeared in the air above the young brown-haired genius.

  “Linley, why are you still angry?” The gentle-looking old man asked warmly.

  “That Ace. He showed my family such disrespe public!” Linley said with righteous indignation.

  “Wasn’t it your family that was rude first?”

  “But…”

  “But what? But your family are the town’s rulers, so he has nht?” The older man asked, finishing Linley’s sentence.

  Linley didn’t answer, but it was clear from his expression that that recisely how he felt.

  “Linley, how would you feel if someone asked you to any dreams you may have and dedicate the rest of your life to proteeone you didn’t even know well?”

  “It’s not the same thing,” Linley argued back.

  “Why not? Because you’re a genius dual-element mage, and he’d be lucky to follow you?”

  “Exactly!”

  “Linley, whilst I admit you’re very talented; you must remember that there are others more talehan you, but they still have nht to force you to give up on your dreams for their sake.

  And more importantly, I don’t know about his talents as a mage, but that boy Ace became a first-rank warrior in six months. His talent as a warrior is no worse than your talent as a mage.”