"I have seen enough! Try to follow my moves!"
'As expected, this is problematic.'
Even though he was prepared for something similar, Leo couldn't help but frown at Rain's enthusiastic performance.
While it was undeniably true that he was special, even a 'monster' comparable to protagonists, Leo's specialness was conditional!
When it came to real talent, although Leo wasn't mediocre, he was average at best. His precise memory and instant comprehension only worked on words inscribed on pages, this was his limitation as a 'Reader'!
Nonetheless, Leo tightened his grip on the sword as he tried to follow Rain's performance to the best of his ability. In a sense, being normal wasn't a bad experience in itself…
'Why is it this shallow…?'
As Rain threw glances at Leo while performing the moves ingrained in his memory, a faded frown slowly imprinted itself on his forehead.
Being the person who represented the peak of sword study in the great sword era, Rain was someone extremely proficient in judging 'swords' despite nurturing close to no Sword Breath in his body.
It wasn't like he had 'Blocked Meridians' just like Arthur did, but other than his advanced age, his body was possibly the one with the lowest affinity with Sword Breath in the whole region, making his accumulation of knowledge reflect no direct value to himself…
However, it was precisely because of that he could devote himself to his studies the most! If he couldn't be an emperor then he could be the emperor's teacher, having accepted his path as a mentor, Rain rose to his current position, being at the top of the world.
But why? Why didn't his judgment of the boy before him make sense? Where was the result that he was so sure to witness?
The rehearsal he saw could hardly be described as anything but average, it was as if the boy before him was different than the one he was with a moment ago.
He was looking forward to a first-time success, curious about the boy's affinity with Sword Breath, but now he felt like a bucket of cold water emptied above his head…
"Ahem… Would it be possible to receive written instructions instead?"
Still trying to wake up from his shock, Rain's disorientation only increased when he heard the boy's comment as he finished his poor imitation.
"Written instructions?"
Emptily staring at Leo for a few seconds, Rain wasn't sure what to make of his request…
His ability to mentor was the one thing he was most confident in, his tailored training systems and personal correcting were things that most people could only seek but not receive, yet the youth before him didn't even bother considering this opportunity!
Even if his first try was lackluster, Rain found no reason for him not to try again. Wasn't this being too much of a defeatist? Did he have to expose his identity as the Imperial Advisor for the boy to reconsider his request?
"Yes. It's hard to admit, but my ability to comprehend under direct teaching is average at best. In contrast, I have more confidence in my ability to self-study."
'Is he… embarrassed?'
Being brought back to reality, Rain couldn't help but consider the age of the youth in front of him. Although he showed qualities surpassing someone of his age, that only made it make more sense for him to be embarrassed by his one inferior quality.
"Naturally, I do have a written record, but are you sure of your choice?"
Still being unable to completely understand the reason for the disparity between what he showed before and what he showed now, Rain didn't directly deny Leo's request, sternly advising him to reconsider instead.
'Could we be of the same nature?'
The only possibility that surfaced in Rain's mind was that Leo might even have an affinity with 'Breathing' even worse than his. Otherwise, he couldn't fathom why his talent with the sword was omitted to this degree in his 'performance'.
"Yes."
"Haa… So be it."
Still affected by his disappointment, Rain let out a sigh and accepted Leo's decision without discouraging him from any further. He sluggishly leaned the stick on the deck chair before walking towards the main body of the house.
"Let's head inside, I will assign your living quarters first. Come receive what you requested after you settle in."
Hoping that his guess wasn't true, Rain tried to clear his mind and have patience when handling this new student of his. Even if he was trying to run out of confrontation, it wouldn't be too late to personally direct him after he realized that he needed to accept his condition, taming his pride.
'It might be slow, but gradually advancing should make his acquisition more solid…'
`~~~`~~~`~~~`
After 'disappointing' Rain, Leo was assigned one of the single rooms situated at the bottom floor far from the ladder to the top floor where Rain was staying.
Leo then leisurely spent the following half an hour transporting his belongings from the carriage to give some time-space for Rain to cool off, he even wasted a few more minutes feeding the horse before he finally went upstairs.
"Take it."
Hearing Rain's voice that seemed to be silenced by a door, Leo noticed the neatly sized book left on the desk facing the stairs. It was finally time to claim the objective of his 'quest'!
'Success!'
As he went down the stairs, Leo's hands twitched as they held the crystallization of his effort. Although it took both time and hardship, he took his second step towards his goal, the end of the road that no longer symbolized mere survival.
"Hoooo…"
After reaching his new bed in what felt like an eternity due to his excitement, Leo let out a long breath before his eyes and the book simultaneously to start the 'read' he was most looking forward to since he started reading at the age of 3!
Slowly flipping the pages while appreciating Rain's great handwriting, Leo suppressed his reading speed in an attempt to savor the primary effect of his 'Reading'.
Moving from one page to another, swimming between words and illustrations, Leo's eyes didn't separate from the book in his hand before the sun had already set.
'Let's save it for tomorrow...'
Filled with apprehensions regarding the effect of what he just read on himself, Leo resisted the urge to return to the porch with his sword, laying on the bed with forcibly closed eyes.
After a few minutes of struggle with his heart, Leo's conditioned biological clock finally won the battle, sending him on a long journey towards dreamland as a familiar voice flashed in his mind.
[ Hidden event occurrence has been detected. Discovered Hidden Piece, 'Origin Manual'. ]
[ You have received 24 Reading Points. ]