[Chapter 48 Comment]
[Seby_Spina: good nice cliffhanger]
"The winner is..." Theo paused for a moment, and as he opened his mouth, the entire class was left stunned.
Their jaws dropped to the ground because the spy turned out to be the most unlikely person for the role.
"...Avalon."
"What?!" Maya slammed her hands on the table and rose from her seat.
"Avalon was the spy? How is that even possible?" Serena held her head in frustration.
Li Wei's face paled as he couldn't help but recall that in the past few days, Avalon had always been present, standing in one place or another. Whenever they met, Avalon would greet him like a friend and ask if he was alright. It didn't seem like he was seeking information, but rather because that was the image they had of him. So, the thought of him being a spy never crossed their minds.
"This can't be possible. Teacher, you must be lying," Aurora raised her hand.
"Avalon, were you really the spy?" Oliver asked, swallowing nervously.
"I wasn't the spy," Avalon shook his head, denying Theo's claim.
"Right? There's no way you could be the spy..." Oliver sighed in relief.
But Avalon quickly added, "I was a challenger. I challenged Teacher Theo, and he asked me to provide him with information."
Thump!
The class fell into silence. Avalon truly was the spy, but it seemed that Theo had managed to maneuver around the situation.
"You challenged him? Why would you do that? No, wait. Doesn't it go against your code of chivalry?" Oliver frowned.
Avalon couldn't help but remember the moment the class ended after Theo announced the game.
He immediately went to Theo's office and asked, "Teacher, I challenge you. Please come to the school ten minutes before the game begins."
"Hmm? Interesting," Theo smirked. "So, you're trying to stop me for ten minutes?"
"Yes. If I manage to do it, then I win the game. If I can't, then it's my loss," Avalon nodded.
Avalon had set a time limit to uphold his beliefs. However, Theo unexpectedly invited him right away. "In that case, how about working for me?"
"Working for you? What do you mean?"
"I want you to become my spy and inform me about their plans," Theo smirked mischievously.
"What? There's no way I would resort to such underhanded means," Avalon rejected the offer without hesitation.
But Theo seemed prepared for this kind of reaction. "Is that so? Does the king you serve charge at his enemies without gathering information about them?"
"That's... no," Avalon shook his head. The king of the knights was an esteemed figure in his world, and naturally, he gathered information to avoid recklessly leading his subordinates to their deaths.
"Exactly. This is a battle between you and me. If you want to win, you must gather information and present it to me for a week."
"I..." Avalon appeared to be in a dilemma. On one hand, he couldn't deny the existence of knights specializing in espionage. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if he could engage in such activities. After all, the knight he aspired to be was much purer in their ideals.
"Avalon, think of it this way: I'm not asking you to compromise your beliefs. I'm simply asking you to gather information about them without their knowledge. In exchange, what would truly betray your beliefs?"
"There is none..." Avalon answered truthfully. He looked troubled and explained, "Still, I won't lie to them. Information gathering may not be underhanded, but..."
"Who told you to lie to them?" Theo waved his hand, indicating that it was all a misunderstanding. "If they ask you and you want to tell them, then you're free to do so. Just inform them that you're the spy. I know you don't mind being scrutinized by your classmates."
"Are you sure?" Avalon asked with a frown. If he did that, his classmates would undoubtedly find out.
"But on one condition, unless you're asked directly, you're not allowed to disclose your identity. In other words, you're not lying to them, but simply remaining silent. That doesn't go against your code, right?"
"Ah!" Avalon pondered. Theo had carefully worded it so that it didn't violate his beliefs. He nodded. "Yes, that's within the code."
"This is what I wanted to teach you. You are strong and kind. I know that... However, imagine if you encounter a beggar who asks for money. How much money would you give them?"
"That's..." Avalon raised two fingers. "Two gold coins?"
"Then, what do you think the beggar will do after receiving those two gold coins?"
"I don't know."
"In that case, let me change the perspective. Now, another group of beggars sees this person receiving two gold coins from you. What do you think will happen?"
"They... they will be driven by greed?!" Avalon widened his eyes in shock. "They... they might rob the beggar?"
"If robbery were the only thing the beggar had to worry about, it might actually be better," Theo smiled and raised two fingers. "Now, what do you think will happen if instead of giving the beggar money, you offer them something they can eat right away?"
"The beggar will be able to satisfy their hunger temporarily and then ask for more money?"
"And what if you were to take that beggar with you and employ them?"
"They would need to possess the necessary skills, or it could cause problems."
"Exactly. If they have the skills, they can become successful and help more people. However, if they lack skills, they might become a burden to your family. Taking care of one or two individuals might be manageable, but if you have to provide for a thousand people all at once, can your family handle it?"
"No..." Avalon clenched his fists, as if he had realized what Theo was trying to convey. "Teacher... Have I been wrong in holding onto this belief?"
"Not at all. Having a strong belief is admirable because it guides you in the right direction. However, what you've been doing is merely scratching the surface of it. Just like how I asked you to gather information without betraying your beliefs, and the example of the beggar, I want you to reflect on your actions. Your path is wide, but you have never considered moving diagonally or sideways. There might be a wall blocking your path that you can't pass through, so taking a step aside might be the right thing to do."
Avalon looked down for a while. He did possess the qualities to be a noble, but he was simply too straightforward. Even his father had advised him to observe how people from other realms conducted themselves before returning to take care of the family. He should have recognized his own potential, but he had yet to see the broader horizon.
Avalon took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. "I understand. I will help you gather information."
"Good." Theo smiled.
To his surprise, Avalon suddenly knelt on one knee with a solemn face.
"Huh? What are you doing?"
Avalon lowered his head and said, "I know that I might trouble you a lot, but I wish to change... I wish to see the broader path... to become a good knight, a good lord, and... a good person. I hope that Teacher can guide me."
Theo was taken aback but took this opportunity to pat Avalon's head. "You are my student, so of course, I will guide you. I won't make you betray your beliefs, but I hope that you don't take everything to the extreme. If you think more about what your friends do or what I tell you, you'll realize that they might not actually contradict your beliefs."
"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher." Avalon couldn't help but recall the time when he had told Theo he wasn't a capable teacher. He felt ashamed after hearing his words. "I would like to apologize for my actions back then. I..."
"That's enough. It's fine to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and strive to be a better person. If you want to apologize, then prove it through your actions."
"Yes, Teacher."
Avalon remembered his conversation with Theo. He couldn't help but smile as he replied to Oliver, "You're right. You never asked if I was a spy or not. If you had, I would have honestly told you the truth since lying is not something a knight would do."
Oliver gasped, realizing that Avalon had indeed changed. "And what about the challenge?"
"The challenge is simple. I have to gather information for him. That alone won't go against my code, so I will complete the challenge."
The students were left speechless. They never expected to be fooled by the most straightforward person in the class.
They wanted to feel angry at Avalon, but they realized that the fault lay with themselves. They had underestimated Avalon and deemed it impossible for someone like him to be a spy.
Instead of blaming Avalon, they felt incredibly embarrassed and wished they could hit themselves for failing to consider this possibility.
"I lost," Li Wei sighed, acknowledging Theo's ability. Only Theo could have used Avalon to become his spy.
"Hey..." Serena tugged at Li Wei's sleeve and said, "I think I owe you an apology for doubting you. Right now, I can't even lift my head after being fooled by Avalon..."
"Don't worry about it. I feel the same way," Li Wei replied, then turned to Jayden and apologized.
The students realized their mistake and felt that Avalon deserved the recognition.
Ironically, the one who got excited about this outcome was Mia. She recalled her conversation with Theo and muttered, "I see... Because of the embarrassment, they ended up admitting their mistakes and apologizing to each other. I guess this is why Dad said the bad atmosphere would disappear after the announcement."
Theo smiled. While the students discussed the winner, he took the opportunity to read the comments.
"A cliffhanger, huh... So, ending the chapter before announcing the winner creates suspense... right? I can't confirm it, but I can definitely see that depending on my actions and how I present them, I can change how the chapters will end," Theo mused to himself.
"What if I reveal the winner at the end of the chapter? It should be quite surprising and result in comments about Avalon being a spy. I see... If I work around it, I can control the content that will be included at the end of the chapter. This is good."
Theo also realized that he gained a lot from this game. If he could control the cliffhangers, he would likely receive the desired comments in the future. However, he didn't dismiss the fact that readers would always be the variable that neither he nor the author could fully control.