Libertas stepped out of the carriage. The sun glared dazzling at him, blinding him for a moment. He held his hand in front of the eyes, against the sun. A fire crackled, the horses neighed, and the river gurgled. Sitting near the fire was Igor, waving at him.

"Your Highness, are you Hungry?"

Libertas glanced at the fish over the fire. It was bigger than the other two. Was he a pig, or what? He snapped, "No!" before his voice turned softer, "Did you see… "

Thinking back, he never asked for their names. He called the Teacher 'Teacher', the Tanker 'Tanker' and the Archer 'Archer'. It was this simple. They never told, he never asked. Libertas sighed, and decided to ask them soon, "the Swordsman?"

"The Swordsman? Ah, he and the others are scouting."

Libertas nodded before he turned to the teacher, "What do you want to teach?"

He hesitated a bit, as he didn't like the Teacher, but he asked anyway, "Wait, tell me your name first."

The Teacher was stunned as a conceited grin emerged on his face. He fell to his knees, whereupon he proudly declared his name, "Your Highness, This One's name is 'Mallory'!"

"Good, stand up. Teach."

Mallory stood, and walked to the river, "Yes, Your Highness. Please, follow me."

The river streamed steadily, facing a boulder, the water parted, and it flowed further. A fish leisurely swam against the flow but stayed at the same place. It opened the mouth, caught an insect, and ate contently. Mallory stretched his hand into the river, scaring the fish to escape.

"Your Highness, as you know my Law is 'Water'. Water flows to places that others reject. It serves them without contention. A commoner's life goal should be to strive to be like water."

Then he pointed at the fish, "What do you see in this fish, Your Highness?"

Libertas glanced at Mallory, then turned to the fish. He sighed, once again, a philosophical question. Every time, when Mallory taught him, it would start with such a philosophical question. Then we would debate until Igor came. It was different from what he had expected from a lesson.

In essence, such philosophical questions were the 'training' of this world. Unexpected. Then again, this wasn't a novel, this was the reality. He wasn't the Main Character of a novel who will, no matter what, reach the Heavens, domineering everything under him. He was only a simple man, nothing more than that. He resolved himself once more to become a lazy Lord leading a peaceful life.

Shouldn't Igor be here by now? Libertas secretly peeked back, seeing Igor continue sitting beside the fire. From time to time, Igor glanced at them with a conflicted expression flickering on his face. Was it because of yesterday's talk between him and Mallory? After Libertas threw a gaze at the Teacher who stared at the fleeing fish, he decided to call Igor.

"Igor, come!"

Igor smiled happily, his conflicted expression eased, "What can I do for Your Highness?"

Libertas pointed at the swimming fish, "What do you see in this fish?"

Mallory gawked as he heard what Libertas said. Wasn't that exactly the same words he used when he asked him? Why does he ask a servant? Does he already know the answer?

"Your Highness, I believe it isn't fitting to let a lowly Servant listen in. If Your Highness already knows an answer, it would best not to involve a lowly Servant. If Your Highness can't come to an answer, it would better consult me, your Teacher, rather than a lowly Servant."

"Your Highness, I… "

Libertas raised his hand, "Stop it. Mallory, do you strive to be like water?"

"Your Highness, I believe there is a misunderstanding. My Law is 'Water', and I try to comprehend 'Water', but that doesn't mean I am water. Everyone has their own position and status in society, the commoners are water, nurturing us, the higher life-forms. I may have come from water, but I ascended water, and have become a higher life-form. Answering the question, I am not water, just like Your Highness."

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Libertas was stunned, he had expected an affirmative answer. Though after he thought a bit, he came up with another question, "Isn't the task of a Teacher to spread knowledge among the common folk?"

Mallory laughed as if it was something ridiculous before he glared at Igor, "Your Highness, I don't know who whispered this silly idea into your head, but this impossible. Knowledge is power, and with power comes responsibility. Does Your Highness believe that the foolish commoners could wield the responsibility? Only we, the higher life-forms, can wield that said responsibility! A lowly-"

"Ah, Your Highness, you are awake!"

Petro walked to them while pulling his pants up. Following behind He gazed at the strange trio, the Igor who looked down at his feet, the frowning Libertas, and the upset Mallory. With a shrug, he sang, "Come on, let's go~!"

Libertas glanced at the departing back of Petro. He seemed to have become more carefree after he revealed his identity. Libertas gazed at the wet shore with the glittering gravels and the reflecting water surface, was this the typical mindset of the aristocracy? A fish swam relaxed and preyed playfully on the weaker one.

Two carriages were driving to a forest, just stopping in front of it. The Swordsman and his friend stepped out of a carriage, their equipment prepared. They shouted shortly, "Rest here for a while as we will go scouting!" before they walked into the forest.

They walked around, checking for various signs: smell, marks, traces. They searched for every possible indication, as this could save their life. Everything could have happened, a bandit group could have taken this as their home, or wild lives have migrated, or even possible a beast-stampede broke out. Though the Mercenary Group checked at this particular forest mostly for an ambush.

Petro laid with his eyes closed lazily atop a carriage, he yawned. Gradually, he opened the eyes, a slight annoyance flickered inside them. He stretched, jumped down and shouted at Mallory, "If they come back, tell them that I needed to take a dump!"

Mallory shortly glanced at Petro, then closed his eyes again, "Go."

But as soon Petro disappeared in the forest, he leapt up. Wasn't he alone now with His Highness? The pesky low-life,… Ah, wait, that servant was still here. He quickly observed the surroundings. This low-life lingered around the border of the forest. His Highness was following while listening eagerly to that low-life. Likely it was teaching His Highness something strange again! How could he not notice?

Mallory hurried, as he shouted at Igor, "Stop! What are you teaching His Highness?"

Reaching them, Mallory pushed them apart. His gaze roamed to Igor's outstretched finger, following it, he saw square-shaped faeces. There was a terrible stench in the air. He swiftly pinched the nose and pulled His Highness away.

After Mallory escaped with His Highness from the stench, he pointed furiously at Igor, "You peasant, how could you show His Highness something like that? Do you want to taint his purity?!"

Igor was dumbfounded, he glanced at Libertas, seeing him smiling abashedly. Igor shook his head, "Mallory, calm down-"

Igor spoke slow and clearly, trying to calm the furious Teacher down. Though in the end, it led to the opposite, Mallory lashed out, "You lowly peasant, stop teaching his Highness! Don't think that only because you are His Highness' retainer, you are something! Don't forget, you are, and will remain forever as water! From now on, keep your distance from His Highness, do you understand?"

Libertas was stunned, why the sudden outburst? Was it due to the faeces? Even if they did quarrel in the past, the teacher never shouted. But he indeed bullied Igor, and he hadn't done anything. Still, Igor always argued back, however this time, he didn't. What was different? Was it now because of him?

Mallory pulled him away, letting Igor standing there, all alone, looking down at himself. For a moment, just in a flash, his old-self merged with Igor's lonely silhouette. It smiled at him, "Well done. Why should YOU be the ONLY one to SUFFER?"

Wasn't Libertas the same as his bully, if he now let Igor down, abandoning him? Didn't he swear to be different? Wasn't the chance here? Can't he now prove he was different? He can do it, he will do it. Libertas opened his mouth, words stuck somewhere inside him. Why can't he speak? Help, what should he do?

A rasping hoarse sound forced itself out of Libertas throat, "St..sto...p-"

The pull stopped, Igor looked up. Their gazes were penetrating, petrifying Libertas. He couldn't force the rest out of his throat, they remained stuck. His eyes panicked, switching between Igor and Mallory back and forth, while his face remained expressionless.

After nothing happened, Mallory asked uncertain, "What did you say?"

Suddenly, Mallory contorted, warped into a woman, instinctively he knew she was the mother of his old self. She had no eyes, nose or mouth, in their place were black holes, devouring the light. Her smile was distorted from one side of her face to the other, parting the face into two.

She giggled crazily, while she tried to grasp Libertas with her dark claw, "My XXX, LISTEN TO me! My little Sweetheart, don't look at THE SUFFERING! Follow me."

The dark claw was slap away. Following was a rasped panting, with a pleading, shivering yell, "No! Don't touch me!"

After the panting gradually subsided, Libertas called, "Igor, let us go!"

However, Libertas didn't glance back to see if Igor indeed followed him. He only hurried away, the head down.