Arthur was very tense since yesterday. He woke up early but the tension that he had to bear because of his strategy to force himself as a student had generated a lot of stress. All those stress made him feel guilty about what he had done.
He knew Albert situation, and he knew that he forced him to open a wound that was really hard to close. He had been selfish and manipulative, when Albert arrives he will tell his parents everything, and he can already feel the disappointment in his parents eyes. They rose him to be a fighter with morals, to be a good guy and don't do bad things.
He tried to excuse himself, but he knew that he expose that wound again to the air, and he had to take responsibility to not let it become infected. He decided to be the best student of Albert, even if he had to bear the anger and blame of what he did.
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"Dad, mom, I did some things and I think that I made some mistakes. It is like that…" Arthur decided to expose all his doings for his parents before the accorded time. "… So, I'm sorry for what I did to him and I don't know what to do."
Elisabeth and Lucas looked at each other for a while, as if they had some telepathic conversation and were trying to sort this situation. With this Elisabeth started to talk to his son.
"I will not blame you since I can see that you blame yourself. I'm about to say to you something that is dangerous and you will have to take your time to understand." And she keeps going. "Some moments you will face situations without apparent solution except hurt someone. Sometimes you will not have time to sort other means of action and sometimes hurt someone will be the best action. What I want you to know my son, is that independent of your choices you will bear with the results of your actions and the results of your omissions."
At this point Luke intervened "We don't want you to bear all the guilts of the world, what we are saying to you is: you have to live without any regrets. If you act and feel guilty you have to resolve your guilty, if you owe something to someone make sure to pay it. Try to take care of the Karma you generate without let you Dharma go away."
Elisabeth finished the talk: "You have to take responsibility, but remember nothing is more valuable than your life. You can postpone a moment of happiness for sever a debt and can deny yourself a love if it takes your freedom but never, NEVER, let your life be a coin in for others."
Luke said: "Your dad is a living example, your pride can make you never want to knee to an enemy. But a proud dead is just a stupid corpse. I have my griefs and I have my revenge to take, but only surviving I could seek strength and find happiness. So, when Albert accept you as a pupil you will kneel and apologize. I taught you how to survive by enduring silently, your mom taught how to survive fight head on and you need him to teach you how to survive while struggling against the world."
His mother laughed and rephrase what Luke said: "Your dad is telling you that we survived as a coward and a stubborn couple, but we want you to become a cockroach."
"Well, this is the other way to understand it" Luke agreed. "We want you to live, the life will burden you but you have to fight and keep living by don't leaving any regrets and by don't letting any debts behind your path."
Suddenly, they heard a hoarse voice coming from the window. "Look that, at least I will not have to teach him how to be a decent human being and keep a fighter will"
They look to the origin and notice that a man in a hood was leaning with his back on the wall while listening to their conversation. Elizabeth already knew that he was Albert and felt with her mana when he came. She didn't stop because she didn't have any reason to prevent him to hear.
"Come on Albert" Said Luke, whom easily deduced who this guy is. "Get on our house, the steak is on the oven, and we have so many things to talk".
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After the lunch Albert didn't wait for any questions and made his stance clear:
"Well, it's good that Arthur already told you all that happened for we get here in this situation. Actually, he foully forced a favour on me, bind-me with an unwanted or at least unexpected teacher/student relationship." Albert looked angry and determined.
"Luke, I know about you and the fact that you are a researcher. Please lend-me all documents you have about his development and skills. Elisabeth, I need you to compile me his skills with all the weapons following the military evaluation. Is there anything else I need to know about him?"
Luke and Elisabeth were waiting for it, all the data was collected. They explained about the presumption that Arthur bore a special constitution with give him around 20% of natural enhancement. Along that they told him about the Luke's Method, his high endurance and resistance, his sharp eyes and ears and so on.
Luke made clear about the path he wanted for his son. He wanted him to be a Commoner Martial Artist first and only when he could put himself at the top 10 Martial Artists of the town he was supposed to look for cultivation.
In front the information Albert just leaned on his chair and close his eyes for five minutes. Arthur could bet that the old man was having a nap. When he opened his eyes there was a victorious glint, that made Arthur shiver.
"I have a plan for him. He already has knowledge about plants and butchering and know well how to fight and was squire for the mercenaries for six months. I need him to become a mercenary and clear five rank C missions. The rules are: Arthur cannot depend on you for anything other than a set of standard equipments. Absolutely no food."