The sun was shining as its form was covered by clouds of black.
Ethan squatted down by a broken wooden sign, poking it with a stick. He leaned his head to try and make out the faded lettering.
"White Goat Village, huh? Sounds fancy for a place that looks like it lost a fight with a hurricane. Twice."
Before him, the so-called village lay like some defeated beast. The houses merely stood, their wooden frames mended with unmatched scraps of material. Browning crops bordered the dirt road from both sides, and the villagers themselves seemed to be as weathered as the land.
A woman looked out of a window, her eyes sunken as they squinted at him before turning away into the darkness inside. A cluster of children under a tree huddled closer together, whispering and pointing at the stranger whose clothes were ordinary to his standards but screamed "outsider" to them.
"This is what I get for surviving a lightning strike," Ethan grumbled, letting the stick fall.
[Establish a school. Due date: 30 days.]
[Reward: The life of the host. Punishment upon failure: erasure immediately.]
"Yeah, yeah, got it," Ethan grumbled, staring at the glowing panel floating before him. It was faintly translucent; its elegant gold lettering barked mockingly into his predicament. "I heard you the first time. But seriously, where am I supposed to find students in a dump like this?"
The system didn't bother responding.
Ethan let out a deep sigh and rose, dusting the dirt from his pants. He stretched then, his language carrying over even into the action. "I suppose I'll have to explore. Can't be any worse than staying here and hoping for some miracle."
As Ethan walked around the village, it rapidly became quite apparent that "miracle" was not in the local lexicon.
A few elderly villagers sat beneath the shade, pausing their conversation as he approached. Their eyes lingered on him a little distrustfully. Nearby, a scrawny dog gnawed on a bone that looked older than the dog itself.
"Hey," Ethan called out, waving a hand. "You guys know where I can find a building to, uh, rent or something?"
The elders looked at each other. One of them, a grizzled man with a remarkably long beard, spat on the ground.
"No money, no talk," he said gruffly.
Ethan frowned. "You didn't even hear me out."
"No money, no talk," he repeated louder.
"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Ethan sighed, moving on.
He had just reached the outskirts of the village when a ruckus caught his attention.
A wiry-looking boy burst out between two buildings, clutching a loaf of bread to his chest. Close behind him, three thickset men chased after him, their angry shouts echoing along the dusty streets.
Ethan leaned against a nearby post and watched the scene unfold.
Classic cliché," he muttered. "Kid steals bread, gets chased by thugs. What's next? A heroic rescue?"
The boy tripped, falling face-first into the dirt. The loaf of bread tumbled from his hands, landing just out of reach.
"Ah," Ethan said. "There it is."
The thugs caught up, towering over the boy as he scrambled backward on his hands and knees.
Think you're smart, huh?" One sneered, snatching the bread. "This loaf's worth more than your life, brat."
"Please," the boy stuttered, his voice shaking. "My sister. She hasn't eaten in days!"
"Not our problem," said another, popping his knuckles. "Maybe a beating'll teach you some manners.
Ethan let out a sigh, pushing off the post. "Alright, alright. I get it. Time to play the hero."
He strolled towards the group, hands in his pockets.
"Hey," he called out lazy. "That's enough, don't you think? Bread's not worth all this drama."
The thugs turned to him; their eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you?" the leader demanded.
"Just a guy passing through," Ethan said, shrugging. "But I've got a thing about bullying. Bad for my digestion."
The leader smirked, drawing a crude blade from his belt. "You've got guts, outsider. Let's see how long they stay inside you."
The men charged.
Ethan stood his ground, hands still in his pockets. "Man, I hate effort."
The air shimmered. An invisible force rippled outward, slamming into the attackers like a tsunami. They flew backward, landing in a crumpled heap several meters away.
The boy stared, eyes wide with disbelief. "M-Master, are you an immortal?"
Ethan blinked. "What? No, I-wait, did I do that?"
"[Host has activated passive Leader's Aura.] [System-assisted intimidation is successful]
Ethan frowned at the glowing panel. "Leader's Aura? That's a thing?"
The system said nothing, as it always did.
"Master," the boy said again, his voice full of wonder. "Thank you for saving me!"
Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Master, huh? That's a bit much. I'm just a guy with. weird luck.
The boy shakes his head vehemently. "No, you're incredible! Please, take me as your disciple!"
"Disciple?" Ethan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
[Potential student detected. Accept? Yes/No.]
Before Ethan could decide, the system chimed in. Accepting students is essential to completing your task.
"Fine, fine," Ethan muttered. "Congratulations, kid. You're officially my first student. Name?"
"Luke!" the boy said eagerly.
"Well, Luke, welcome to..." Ethan paused, looking around. The run-down village didn't exactly scream "academic excellence."
"White Goat Academy," he finished. "Yeah, that works. And don't worry about tuition. It's free."
Luke's face lit up. "Thank you, Master!"
"Stop calling me that," Ethan said, making a dismissive wave of his hand.
As Luke bounced along behind him, excitedly leading him back into the village, Ethan couldn't help but wonder what he'd gotten himself into.
"Alright," he said, looking at the glowing panel. "One student down. How many more do I need?"
[At least ten students are required to establish a functional school].
"Ten?" Ethan groaned. "This system really loves giving me homework.
But as he looked at Luke, the boy's enthusiasm bubbling over despite his tattered clothes and dirt-smudged face, Ethan felt a strange flicker of determination.
"Fine," he muttered to himself. "Let's see where this goes.