"Mhh..." Shepard inclined his head from side to side, contemplating his options while Julius glared at him.
The situation was too confusing for the boy. What was Shepard's objective? What is a mistake not to attack, as suggested by his big brother? And more importantly, how could Adam have proposed to him to flee?
He knew his brother wanted to keep him safe, yet he couldn't shake the stinging pain in his chest as realisation dawned on him.
His thoughts echoed Adam's earlier sentiments. Despite his four years long journey, daily training and growth, he was still the same. A weak boy who couldn't help his brother in the cave, and now, a burden who needed protection.
Julius bit his lips in frustration until they bled. 'Stronger, I need to become much stronger,' he thought, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth and determination pulsing in his heart.
Simultaneously, Shepard's expression brightened as he made his decision. He extended his right arm towards Adam, the movement swift and pointed his right index finger at the ghost.
"I don't know why you follow this boy, but you don't seem to try to hurt him." Shepard's voice echoed majestically in the surroundings as he continued, "As Vikram told me, you have an immense talent for magic and alchemy. That's why I have a proposition."
Adam Failed to comprehend the man's words and intentions. Why did he need to propose something when he had authority over his life and death? He gazed at Shepard in confusion, awaiting further explanations.
"I want you to become my disciple!" Shepard declared, a bright smile illuminating his face. The sudden turn in his proposal left the duo in shock.
"Ha? Your disciple, my foot! If that's what you wanted, why didn't you ask normally when you appeared?!" Adam yelled in disbelief and anger. Was the man mocking them? Who would ask you to become their disciple after putting you under such immense pressure?
Shepard's eyes widened in response. The ghost was really fearless. He kept disrespecting him despite the huge difference in their strength.
However, he somehow enjoyed his unyielding character. After all, it was the first time he had ever heard of a Novice attacking an Arcanist. Such courage and dedication were rare traits indeed.
"To test you and have a clear idea about who you are," Shepard responded with a shrug. Then he added, "I've confirmed that you are not an evil entity. Personally, I don't care about your origins, race, or plan of existence. The only thing that matters is your talent for alchemy."
Adam's mouth hung open. Incomprehension filled his bright eyes as he failed to find words to answer such a weird statement. According to Shepard, as long as he wasn't an evil entity and had great talent, he could become his disciple.
Who would choose disciples like that? This eccentric was even willing to take in ghosts.
Noticing Adam's perplexion, Shepard realised he wouldn't receive an answer after tonight's events. He retrieved four golden parchments from his pouch, placed them on the room's desk, and explained, "You can take these for now. If I'm not wrong, your mana control is sufficient to brew tier-three potions. You can use these four golden tickets to borrow any book about alchemy from the library."
Shepard didn't want Adam to waste his time brewing low-tiered potions when his potential was so great. He gave him the tickets as bait, knowing that once he was done with the books, he would come to him to ask for more.
"I'm sure you're smart enough not to try to brew things out of your league, right? Shepard warned him. The last thing he wanted was for his potential new disciple to injure his mana circuits or heart after trying to brew a complex tier four or higher potion.
Then, Shepard turned to the pile of rubles and the destroyed wall. With a move of his hand and a silent whisper, the rubbles liquefied, turning into mud before coalescing. Soon, a brand-new and sturdy wall replaced the devasted one.
"Alright, youngsters. I'll await your response with impatience." Shepard smiled while snapping his finger. Soon, black smoke rose and engulfed his body before flying out of the window, carried by the wind.
During the whole conversation, he rarely addressed Julius. He found the boy uninteresting. His natural talent for mana was the worst of his class, beaten only by Louise, who never trained to become a mage. His only redeeming point was his rare affinity for nature.
Alas, in the eyes of an arcanist powerhouse who could blow up a city in a matter of days, his affinity amounted to nothing.
As the smoke he transformed into disappeared in the night sky, he theorised that Adam was probably following him because of some connection. He was maybe his deceased father or brother who acted as his invisible guardian.
Finally, alone in the room, Adam fell, squirming in pain to the ground. He had been acting tough all along. The truth was that Shepard's pressure continuously wounded his soul, just like Vikram's.
He had to either retaliate or keep suffering until he dissipated. And that's what he did.
"AHHHHH. Shepard, you'd better give me more of those golden tickets, or my vengeance shall be terrible." He growled in pain, like a wounded beast under Julius' tear-filled eyes.
"Sorry, big bro. I... Once more, I couldn't help you." Julius mumbled, his head lowered in shame and hot tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Hey, calm down. Did you forget you were only twelve? Of course, you can't rival older powerhouses at such an age. But in the future? I'm sure you'll be even stronger than them!" Despite the pain, Adam tried to console the boy, mixing truths with lies. After all, after this year...
Adam vigorously shook his head, unwilling to think about this.
Upon hearing his big brother's words, Julius raised his head, finding them logical. He wiped his tears as he nodded at Adam. Then, without wasting more words, he grabbed his gladius and started to train.
He wouldn't complain anymore and focus on his objective to surpass those older guys' level as quickly as possible.
As the night wore on, Adam clutched the golden tickets and placed them in his gold-filled pouch, his mind racing with possibilities. Tomorrow, using the library's tomes, he would finally have the chance to learn new alchemical recipes.
But little did he know, the lessons that awaited him would be more than mere instruction.