Mr. Aikens rubbed his temple in exhaustion. It wasn't public information but he was actually the assistant headmaster of the school. Most head teachers give up their classes when they are appointed but not him. He loved to teach. He regarded it as a privilege- a privilege to impart knowledge onto a growing generation. After all, he was a scholar, and which scholar detested the art of divulging knowledge to others? However, it was exactly because of this chivalrous nature that he had to come to school on Saturdays.
Because he was still a teacher, he was never able to fulfil his head teacher duties on time. To make up for that, he had to sacrifice a greater part of his Saturdays to get the job done. But he did not regret his decision. If he had to do it all over again, he would still make the same choices he had made back then. He got up to fetch himself a glass of water. Mr. Aikens was pouring himself a glass of water, when he heard a knock on the door.
"It's you?" The pleasantly surprised voice of Mr. Aikens was directed to the small figure behind the door. Mane smiled at the older man and greeted him. "Good day sir, could I trouble concerning an issue of mine?" The man looked at the little boy with doubt in his eyes. What could he possibly want?
"Where are my manners? Please, do come in." Realizing that they were standing at the doorway, Mr. Aikens quickly corrected his error by inviting the little schemer inside his office.
"So, what is it you want me to do for you?" The older man looked at the kid who sat across him from his desk. He was sure that whatever the boy was going to ask, was not going to be a onetime favour.
Mane looked at the older man and put on the most cordial smile he had in his arsenal- a smile which caused the man to grimace in discomfort. "Sir, I would like to ask for a leave of absence."
The man looked at Mane in surprise. He was very sure that the boy was going to put up an excessive request. He was especially sure when he saw the smile the boy gave before putting forward his request. The man laughed inwardly at himself, thinking that he had expected a bit too much. Regrettably, his inward grin did not last for long when he heard the boy's next statement.
"What? You want a leave of absence for every other weekend? A class teacher does not have that kind of authority." Mane's class teacher slowly shook his head when he finally understood what the boy wanted. He wanted the permission to leave the school every weekend!
Mane smiled when he heard his teacher's rejection. He was not surprised that the older man had refused his request. After all, though a teacher could grant a student a leave of absence, it could not be done for an extended period of time. But Mane was sure that his teacher had a high position in the academy. It was not a coincidence that he had chosen to come to Mr. Aikens. It may seem as though he had no choice but that was not the case. He could have waited for classes to resume on Monday, and then see the head teacher concerning his leave of absence. He was confident that with his background, he would not be rejected. But he had come to Mr. Aikens.
"Other teachers may not have that kind of power, but not you" Mane was still smiling warmly as he addressed his teacher.
"Oh, what do you mean?" Mr. Aikens's voice was filled with amusement as he leaned in to listen to what his student had to say.
"You are not just a class teacher. That much I am sure of. I had asked all the first year teachers the same questions I asked you. Unfortunately, none of them gave me the answer I wanted. They all had no answers to my questions. I had mostly given up until I met you. You were different. Although you did not answer two of the questions, it wasn't because you did not know the solutions to the questions. This was enough to let me know that you were different from the others. I deduced that this kind of information is only privy to high ranking members of the school. But I am sure you are not a board member. Most of the board members do not associate themselves with the school. As for the few that do, they do not do so in person. They only have a few insiders feeding them information. These insiders, are of course low ranking school personnel. After all, no high ranking member would agree to spy for the other.
"That only leaves the headmaster and the assistant headmasters to suspicion. I have met the headmaster before. In fact, Headmaster Charles has a good relationship with my uncle. He used to come to my home often to see him. I will be able to recognise him easily. That means you are an assistant headmaster at the very least."
Mr. Aikens sighed in admiration at the analysis of the younger boy who was seated comfortably across his desk. This boy was truly brilliant. His analysis was deep and spotless. He had absolutely no idea that the questions the kid had asked him the other day had such implications.
"Hehe, you are pretty sharp boy." Unknowingly, Mr. Aikens had begun to speak Mane, not as a superior, but as an equal.
"Even then, you must give me a good reason why you would like a leave of absence. Or I am afraid I cannot help you." Although he was impressed with the boy's astute mind, it wasn't enough to give him a leave of absence.
Mane was still composed, even after hearing the man's words. It was not outside his expectations that this important man had rejected him. But Mane came prepared.
"Sir, I am aware that you cannot give me an extended leave of absence based on just my background. So I came up with a solution. One that will be of great benefit to our school." Mane was aware that a person of Mr. Aikens' standing would definitely know about his background if he did a little investigating. Even if he could not uncover anything about his parents, a smart man like him would know that elusive characters are more dangerous than most. Hence, he mentioned it earlier to indirectly praise the man and commend him on his fairness even when armed with such information.
"Oh. I am intrigued. Please, do carry on" Mr. Aikens was eager to know what the boy had planned. And as usual, our little main character did disappoint him.
"Well sir, even when I was younger, I heard of a competition between the several academy branches. A competition of intelligence if you will, that was eligible for students of all ages. Regrettably, unlike the wielding competition which the school excels at, this competition is a source of disgrace for the school. But if I compete, I can change that. You are an intelligent man Mr. Aikens. I am sure you will make the right decision."
"HAHAHAHAHA. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD", the boisterous laughter of the assistant headmaster could be heard even outside the confines of this office. The boy was right. The quiz he spoke of was the academy's disgrace, its shame. In the past few years, unlike the wielding tournament, the Neces branch had not placed above the eleventh position. This quiz was particularly challenging. The questions tested a person's wit and analytical skills.
Although the competition the boy was speaking of was usually recommended for students above the third grade, the rules also stated that students above the fourth grade could not compete in the competition. This usually led to a competition between fourth grade students. However, the boy he was conversing with was smart. He did not dare say the boy would be first, but he was confident that he would at least be in the top five.
"There's no need for me to sign a leave of absence. Here, take my token, you can leave the school whenever you want with this. HAHAHAHA."
"Much appreciated teacher. I am sorry, but I have to get going. There is a carriage driver waiting for me outside."
Mr. Aikens laughed louder when he heard this sentence. The boy had planned everything so well that he was tricked again. He was so confident in himself that he already had a carriage waiting for him outside. But this did not make him mad. On the contrary, he was elated. Since this boy could so easily play his teacher, that meant the competition would be a breeze for him.
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"Uncle Jake? Uncle Jake?" Mane arrived home a little past five. He had paid the carriage driver and contracted him to come pick him up on Sunday. The house was huge so it had many servants and guards. The guards had allowed him in of course. But he could not find Uncle Jake. Usually, Uncle Jake should have been out to welcome him, but this time, he did not appear.
"Good evening, Young Master. Sir Jake left the house shortly after he dropped you off at school. He did leave this letter behind for you though. He asked that we give this to you when you return." Uncle Jake was the head butler, hence there were several other butlers that worked for his parents. The man who carried the envelope bearing the letter was Butler Fin.
Mane thanked him and took the letter. But he was shocked when he saw the date on the envelope. It was today's date! His uncle who had left so long ago had known he would come home today!
"This…it seems your Uncle Jake isn't your regular Joe." The 5th was right. The Uncle Jake he had regarded as a 'normal' person was also a powerful expert! All of a sudden he felt as though he did not know the man anymore.
Mane sighed as he closed the bedroom door behind him. He opened the envelope to check its contents only to see a black ring and a letter. Written in the letter were three words, "They already know".
Mane groaned as he rubbed his forehead. The nine had told him before, that only powerful cultivators could peer into his mind space without his knowledge. Since Uncle Jake had been able to clearly sense the nine, that meant he was a great expert! He turned his attention to the black ring.
"That ring is a space ring. It is not a regular one either. This one can also allow the wearer entry into the space ring. You just need to apply a bit of your blood on the ring. Even in higher realms, a ring like this is difficult to get. Your uncle is indeed extraordinary to procure such an item for you." The tired voice of the 3rd informed Mane on how to use the ring. Mane nodded at her words, and made it a point to ask Uncle Jake who he really was the next time they meet. However, he was sure that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
Mane pricked his finger with a needle, and smeared the blood on the ring. He could instantly feel a connection to the ring. It was a magical feeling. It was as though he had gained another limb. He immediately knew how to use the ring. After all, which person did not know how to use their own limbs? He entered the ring in all eagerness, anxious to know what was in it.
There were four huge levels in the ring. One was filled with clothes, armor and several weapons, ranging from swords to halberds, and bows to staffs. From what the nine were saying, all these equipment were extremely precious, even the clothes! The second level contained a cultivation room, and a simulation chamber, where Mane could practice his skills in a virtual world. The last two levels were sealed off, inaccessible by Mane at his current level. Mane was confident that, it was only when he reached the nobility realm, would he be able to unlock those levels.
Mane returned to the second level. He walked into the cultivation chamber and sat down cross-legged, his heart, brimming with excitement. A broad smile adorned his face as he announced to no one in particular, clearly eager to get stronger.
"Alright then. LET'S DO THIS!!!"