“What would you say if we did a small experiment?” Highpriest’s expression turned into a wide grin that even his beard couldn’t hide, “Let’s allow him to learn everything he wants and see how it goes. Even though we usually teach each chosen according to their strengths, if the learning ability is this ones forte, we might have something unique on our hands.”

Kiril thought for a moment and then said, “In addition we could see what is up with that sweeping obsession of his. If this is just a fake dedication, he’d soon stop doing that. He could also do that on purpose to impress you in hopes of getting an extra Lord’s seed, but in that case he also wouldn’t keep it up forever. But that would also show his mental capabilities – such schemes for a four year old are almost masterpieces and could point to a unique awakening.”

Seeing bishop nodding, he continued, “On the other hand, if he turns out to be useless, he’ll join the next expedition anyway and after the incident from the few days ago I’m certain he will die there. Some of those kids are vicious and it won’t matter he’s only four.”

“Sigh. Ye, I don’t like that either.” Bishop nodded, “But if he has the ‘holy heart’ or the ‘holy vision’ maybe we …”

“Don’t you dare to even think about it!” Kiril interrupted, “We don’t meddle in the politics and teach all the chosen neutrally. That is the reason we are able to lead careless lives here.”

Silence filled the room. From the highpriest’s manner of speach one could think he was the bishop here, but only few knew they were close childhood friends and he was the only one in the world allowed to use such tone when talking to the bishop. Apart from the pope and cardinals, of course.

“Alright! Let’s do this!” Bishop clapped his hands instantly lifting the mood.

He brought Alex back to his senses, made sure the child was aware where he was and said, “We checked your condition and decided to grant your request. The Lord might speak through you after all since it is His knowledge you seek.”

Alex’s eyes lit up and he asked, “Does that mean I can learn from everyone and read all the books?”

“Almost. Since this is a unique request, you will have to follow unique rules as well. First of all, you can listen to all theoretical lessons starting, let’s say … three days from now. I need some time to inform the teachers. During the lessons and afterwards you can’t take notes – only learn from what you hear. All our teachers also use their personal knowledge and there are not many books here anyway. The few we have you have copied yourself, right?” Bishop explained, “Another thing. For now you are not allowed to practice on the training grounds. We will monitor your advancement and adjust the rules accordingly. The Lord will guide us!”

“Lord, guide us!” Alex prayed expressing his thanks and full of joy, at least on the outside, left the room.

On the inside he was confused. There was no reason for bishop to behave so theatrically. And why not the training grounds? Didn’t he have to become stronger for the upcoming expedition? Currently he had more questions than answers, but he was not in the rush.

Highpriest Kiril also had a question, “Not allowed to practice on the training grounds?”

“Sigh, even if he is killed few years later, I don’t want him to die in a fake accident in our college. That’s my bottom line.” Bishop explained.

Even though the bishop looked and behaved like a doted elder, if Alex was here his suspicions of something being wrong with the old man would increase even more.

Be as it may, three days later Alex joined a lesson in the oratory art and it turned out to be exactly what he thought. The highpriest lectured chosen, most of whom were above the age of twelve, how to properly brainwash the populace. Currently he just began from the very basics – the articulation, but constantly kept pointing out examples when a specific pronunciation would lead to different results when chosen will hold speeches to the masses later.

Even though Alex was mostly sitting in the corner and listening, during the following days he got to mingle with other chosen and finally got a clearer view on the teaching curriculum in this college. The lessons themes were seasonal and teachers decided which lessons which chosen had to attend according to their talents and shortcomings. While most were able to learn the subject and then move on, there were some cases when a chosen had to repeat the classes in the next season.

For example, in the class Alex currently was attending there was a boy, probably around the age of sixteen who had serious difficulties to articulate long sentences. On the other hand he was incredibly gifted physically and some whispered that already two years ago he managed to defeat the highpriest who taught them self defense.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

From what he overheard Alex understood that there were around six different classes at the same time and they were changed from season to season. Only a couple were taught continuously – self defense and basics of the holy power.

The first one was, in fact, training in martial arts and was basically mandatory for every chosen. But since it took place on the training grounds, Alex was not allowed to participate. The basics of the holy power was taught all the time because every few months new chosen arrived and they had to start from scratch. But these were highpriest Kiril’s classes and Alex basically knew everything the old man taught to the kids, thus there was no reason for him to waste his time there.

Alex was not in a rush. Every day he kept sweeping the church’s floor, then attended the oratory class and in the afternoon swept the walkways around the college. Most of the chosen already considered him being sick in the head and ignored him, just like the priests did and this was the perfect role Alex intended to find himself in.

Day after day flew by and it was already late autumn. The season of oratory classes ended and Alex began to study the eastern dialect. Actually there was only one language expert in the college, highpriest Dulith who kept teaching another dialect every season.

At first it might seem weird, but there was only one him and three groups of chosen who were interested or had to support their respective cardinal. And while cardinal Francis’s chosen obviously wanted to learn the dialect of the western wilderness since they’ll be on the expedition there in few years, chosen in the green robes needed the dialect used in the eastern steppes since that region was now under cardinal Rudolf. That left the chosen in blue robes with the southern languages, but there were several main ones. And even though they were somewhat similar, someone had to teach them anyway and that someone was highpriest Dulith.

The old man had a lot of work, but he loved it and didn’t mind. He also didn’t mind the small kid who sat in the back of his class sometimes listening and sometimes praying. Alex basically needed these classes more than any other chosen since he intended to leave the empire at the first opportunity.

While his education was going well, his surveillance was not fruitful at all. He recognized every single crack on every wall around the college, but still had no clue where the bishop’s storage was. The only progress he had was he eliminated the regular warehouse that was located in the inner ring as the potential place where the golden seeds could’ve been kept.

It actually was an easy task. At some point Alex’s broom ‘accidentally’ broke and he asked Urid to give him another. The priest went to get it and brought him along, and then Alex learned that the warehouse in the inner ring was just a regular storage for tools and supplies.

He was not discouraged though – exactly the opposite. The work he did for the past months allowed him to eliminate basically every visible place in the college and the only option left was a hidden treasury. And the logical guess was, of course, it was either located in the bishop’s house, for example – in the basement, or in the church.

The second option was more likely since it would’ve been hidden in a defensive circle formation with multiple layers of protection, like walls, walkways, houses and the ‘house of god’ protecting right from the above, in the very center.

After this analysis Alex dutifully continued his chores, especially paying close attention to the church. Bishop certainly was occasionally visiting the treasury and it was only a matter of time till Alex would noticed where it was.

He didn’t know he was also being observed. But when Alex didn’t change his monotonous lifestyle for months, both highpriest Kiril and bishop Phelippe began to loose interest in him. Of course, if he began to show some interesting signs or abilities, they would be back at their little experiment.

Only when the winter came Alex realized the ‘real reconnaissance’ was about to begin. Because of the peculiarities of his profession during the first life, he avoided any location during the wintertime, or rather – during the time it snowed. But in this endeavor he watched the first snowflakes fall like it was the Lord’s blessing.

Alex gave up finding or discerning bishop’s footprints long ago. If the man moved at wind’s speed, why would he have any footprints at all? But now, there was no way he would not leave at least some kind of a trail in the snow. Thus Alex’s self assigned job finally became useful.

He changed his habits a bit tough. He began his mornings by clearing the snow from the main paths to the church and, of course, one was from the bishop’s house. After the morning prayer, he swept the church’s floor, had breakfast and only then went to have lessons. In the evenings, after the sunset, he strolled around the college for half an hour and only then went to sleep.

This tactic soon payed off. Once in a while on early mornings Alex noticed barely visible, light markings, or rather – light depressions on the snow. Those were not really footprints, but if someone around here could tiptoe leaving almost three meters between their steps, it was certainly bishop. Especially since the faint tracks went from his house to the church.

Unfortunately it was too early for Alex to drop the pretense. In fact, he had to keep it up till the day he left this place. Thus he kept doing his chores till the spring. But when the last snow succumbed to the warm rays of sun, he found priest Clark and persuaded the old man to take him as an apprentice gardener.

Most of the regular priests around here had a good impression of the dutiful young boy and Clark didn’t deny his request. Thus Alex began to wholeheartedly dig around the college grounds planting flowers and trees, trimming bushes and patiently listening to Clark’s teachings on the local botany.

Alex kept sweeping the church’s floor, but he stopped cleaning the walkways around the college. When one day after the morning prayer bishop asked him why, he said he had to leave this duty to the other chosen, because he needed more time to learn about the ways of the ‘common people’.

Seeing bishop’s confusion, Alex explained that in order to capture peoples hearts saying beautiful and smart words was not enough – he had to understand the people first. And in order to understand them he had to do what they did. He used this opportunity to inform bishop that he also intended to learn from other handymen in the future, but the old man didn’t have to worry, he would still dutifully serve the Lord and sweep the church clean every morning.