Ch 9 - A Teacher
After demonstrating such amazing growth to his father after the incident, using magic to purify someone and half the village, Alekia told his Souvee, Albion's mother. And after a discussion together his father went to ask someone very trusted to be a teacher. A long-time friend of his. Mrs Winchester.
Mrs Winchester: So Albion. Let's test you.
Mrs Winchester was seated on a table opposite Albion. A plate in front of each of them and forks on the left with knives on the right. Sticks also around.
Mrs Winchester: What is the frontmost spoon?
Albion picked up a stick and raised it.
Albion: A desert spoon.
Mrs Winchester: Fork closest to you.
Albion picked up the silver fork. The largest fork out of them.
Albion: Dinner fork.
Mrs Winchester smiled.
Mrs Winchester: Quickly list all of their purposes and positions.
Albion: Starting from my left to right we have the salad fork then the dinner fork. Plate and napkin which you use to cover yourself. Dinner knife, salad knife, spoon, soup spoon. Then in front, there's the dessert fork and dessert spoon. Lastly, the butter plate and knife that's on it.
Mrs Winchesters had a wide smile. She may have looked old but at the same time, she looked younger than her actual age. But as usual, Albion was having lessons with her. While he was now helping his father at the clinic because Albion wanted to and asked. With his mother's permission of course. Mrs Winchester taught him on days he wasn't helping. Education in mathematics, language, history, science and etiquette. They had spent two years together. Albion learning a lot.
Mrs Winchester: You absorb information like I've never seen before. You are amazing little Albion.
Mrs Winchester said with a soft smile Albion gave a big happy smile at the compliment.
Albion: Hehehe. Thank you.
Mrs Winchester: So any questions today?
Albion often had questions not related to the lessons he was currently being taught. He was extremely curious. The most curious kid Mrs Winchester had ever seen and this wasn't her first time teaching a child. Though it was her first time teaching someone Albion's age.
Albion: Well… could I know about the world? I know there's the dwarf kingdom that's no longer much of a kingdom. And the human kingdom we live in Aragon. From a storybook, it was named after the first human who fought back from monsters that took humans as slaves. Taking the land from them, and later being chosen as king. But I don't know much about anything else.
Mrs Winchester looked at Albion. Thinking how such a curious kid came from his parents. Both his parents weren't so curious about the outside world even with their long lifespans. His parents were the type to just want to live peaceful and normal lives.
Mrs Winchester: I guess I can tell you everything. So you know about the human kingdom and a small bit of its history. You know about the dwarf kingdom and its current state. But let me give you a bit more detail on them before we get onto the other kingdoms. So the dwarf kingdom that was destroyed by the demons was located inside a large mountain range. Inside the mountains. It was previously the largest kingdom in trade and the previous largest in technological innovation and mining. The human kingdom is now the largest in trade and technological innovation due to taking in many of the dwarfs. However, human trade is more well-known for some… unsavoury things.
Albion tilted his head in confusion.
Albion: Unsavoury? How?
Mrs Winchester: While you don't see it in villages on the edge of the kingdom like these. The human kingdom has a legal slave trade. Those sold are criminals, debtors, captures of war or those who have sold themselves. However, that doesn't stop illegal trade. However, let's move on to the other kingdoms. I shouldn't be talking about things like this to a kid. Even if they're a genius like you.
Albion: I understand. {Legal slave trade. That sounds… unsavoury just like she says.}
Slavery wasn't an uncommon concept to Albion. Heck, his past world had a lot of slavery in the past and third-world countries still had it. Albion had also seen versions of it in the red light district he grew up in. Bad people taking advantage of desperate women and selling them off. Kidnapping kids and making them work. The district where Albion was born was the worst of the worst. A hell on earth to him. He was happy he was gone though.
Mrs Winchester: So. There's the Elf Kingdom Tera. Located in the largest spanning forest. Our village lies near the border of it. The elf kingdom is the centre of all elves and spirits. The Spirit Tree Yggdrasil is in the centre of the kingdom and the source of their dense mana. There is much less diversity in there than in other kingdoms. Even dark elves are kicked out.
Albion: Dark elves?
Mrs Winchester: Elves that have been "corrupted". Sometimes there are those that are corrupted by demonic or dark energy. Those who have their mana corrupt themselves with evil. But there are others that are naturally born with the dark affinity and have their appearance change due to this. Elves are just as strict about their lineage as dragons.
Albion: Do dragons have dark versions?
Mrs Winchester: I don't think so. Usually, their mana is very strong. Too much for corruption unless it's just as strong or potent. Actually, dragons are more strict about their lineage. While elves sometimes allow half-elves of "acceptable" races like humans and spirits in the mix. Dragons frown upon half-kin. Many born inside the dragon kingdom Daragon are either killed, kicked out or bring shame to their family line. Though not a lot is known about their kingdom since they're private about it. They don't have any sort of trade with the other kingdoms and make minimal contact with the outside world. There are rogue dragons that attack places because they have a strong hate for "lesser" races. But the dragon kingdom doesn't mind if such rogue dragons are hunted down. The dragon kingdom borders off the dwarf kingdom and the beast kingdom Primal.
Albion: Their kingdom is named Primal?
Mrs Winchester gave a slight giggle as she looked at Albion. It seemed Albion wasn't the only one that had picked up on the name.
Mrs Winchester: Don't let them hear you say that. Many of them are very proud of their Kingdom's name. But yes, the Beast Kingdom is named Primal. Mainly comprised of all sorts of beast kin and humans. Besides the fact they are the largest mining export, they have nothing really special besides their governing bodies being comprised of the strongest beast kin. All are determined in a fighting tournament held every 10 years… Oh, there is one thing. Thousands of years ago before swords and weapons were invented they were the first to make what we call, technique. But what they used to call it back then was martial arts. Besides that, they have a large tradable resource that the other countries lack. Rare minerals like rubies and diamonds. Their land is mostly desert-like.
Albion: What about the demon kingdom?
Mrs Winchester smiled.
Mrs Winchester: No a lot is known, though why do you want to know so much about these kingdoms? Have we got a little adventurer on our hands? A little hero?
Mrs Winchester teased Albion as he blushed.
Albion: Maybe.
Mrs Winchester: Hohoho. No wonder you ask so much about the world. First, you were asking about what adventures get paid and what cool places they are to see in the kingdom. And now you want to see the world. Maybe even defeat the demon king? Hohoho. Such a curious young boy. Though I have to make sure you're ready for the outside world. You wouldn't be such a good adventurer if you got scammed by your employer. So maybe some homework.
Mrs Winchester pinched Albion's cheeks as she smiled. Albion trying to put on a serious face with his pinched cheeks.
Albion: I won't get scammed. I'm smart enough to realise that.
Mrs Winchester: Ok then. For your homework I want you to… go around and find out the 3 most core aspects of being an adventurer. Get those you think are most important and ask them to write it down. No writing it down yourself.
Albion: Yes Ma'am!
Albion said in a salute while Mrs Winchester pinched his cheeks. Albion smiled. He very much liked Mrs Winchester. Like a grandmother, he didn't have or hadn't seen.
Mrs Winchester: Hohoho. I can't wait to see what you have next lesson.
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