The Heart of Learning itself was just one building, yet its modest size was overshadowed by its extravagant charm.

The building had several wings, each dedicated to a different subject of study, such as statecraft, language, medicine, art, and philosophy.

The citizenry of Sufundiso valued literacy and education as a status symbol, to graduate from this school was a mark of incredible honour.

Ervin took it all in, turned around, and began his march back to the bazaar. “Where are you scurrying away to again, rascal” shouted his father as he halted the boy's advance. “This is not up for discussion, Ervin. Let’s go in now, I’ll introduce you to some interesting people, one of them is your age as well. I’m sure you’ll get along and have fun here so stop sulking.”

Ervin drooped his head low and began a slow shuffle towards the door, “Oy, you know this is a boarding school as well, right? If you sulk too much, I’ll just leave you in here and pick you up next year!”

“Aaaaah I get it, I get it!” cried Ervin as he swallowed his tears and chased after his father. Knowing the irresponsibility of this man, Ervin felt such measures were not beyond him.

“Okay, how about this?” started Alexander as he walked Ervin to the headmaster's office, “If you sit and complete your lessons here properly, I’ll let you visit our new ship, the Umatiloshe, while it’s under construction.”

“Wait. Really!!? Deal! You can’t take it back now.” cheered Ervin. “I’ll get to see Captain Pathi again!”

“That’s what you focus on, really?” quipped Alexander as they reached the office, “For all of history, no ship made in the Southern continent has managed to sail more than 4 kilometres away from the shore and make it back in one piece. If we manage to build a ship that can cross the sea reliably then maybe we could use the North Sea to trade directly with the Tian Mahajanapada! The Umatiloshe won’t be good enough to sail the North Sea, but if it can survive just 15 kilometres off the coast in the Southern Ocean we can ride the strong winds and currents there and move ten times faster than any coastline-hugging ship.” continued Alex, geeking out about the newest addition to the Ikona fleet.

“Don’t forget, young Alex, the boat is also a river ship at the same time, which means it can still ferry goods and people across Mol River much faster than we can now ” came a calm and deep voice from behind them.

“Aah” jumped Alex, “you scared me, Didaskalos Lumkile”. Ervin turned around to see a wise old man with a long white beard standing in front of him. He watched as his father lay face down on the floor with his hands clasped together in front of the chest. “Chaire, didaskale!” he cried, with a fearful look on his face.

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Ervin was taken aback. Never mind that a Mukuru was surely of higher rank than some headmaster at a school, he had never seen his father so shaken.

“This is a customary greeting when you meet your primary Didaskalos after you have graduated from his tutelage, my child.” explained the old man with a gentle smile, instantly noticing the young boy's confusion. “I understand the young Didaskalos Usathana is tutoring you in Paligxulu, you will greet him the same way once he declares you are ready to graduate.”

Ervin felt a cold shiver at the mention of his mentor, recalling a hundred horrible moments of education all at once. Suddenly he sympathised with his father a little more, seeing your mentor before you have time to prepare your heart for the encounter can be a challenge indeed.

“Ah, Alex, there’s someone who couldn’t wait to see you,” remarked the old man, as he stepped aside. Behind him was a young girl with deep emerald hair and eyes, she looked the same age as Ervin.

“Aleeexx” she screamed with glee, as she threw herself at the great general. The Mukuru received her with equal delight, “It’s been too long, Aikaterine. How’ve you been” he enquired, as he picked her up and began spinning her around, but “I got you some presents all the way from Paligxulu!”

“It’s been so boring lately! Didaskalos Lumkile has been making me work on these weird puzzles instead of allowing me to go off and read on my own. I hate it, I can’t solve any of them!” complained the little girl, while simultaneously enjoying being spun around.

“Hoho, it seems the Gods of Learning have blessed this one with the ability to comprehend the affairs of kingdoms, but have cursed her to struggle with the deeper study of numbers.” chuckled the grand mentor,

“So can I stop then? You keep asking me to think abstractly, but how am I supposed to answer your questions when you remove all the numbers from them?” prayed the young girl. Alex, meanwhile, was stunned by the free tone with which the young girl was speaking to the old man, he would’ve been slapped right then and there if this was how he had acted. It seems that even a Grand Didaskalos will act partially toward their favourite student.

“Ah, how could I forget? Aikaterine, I want you to meet my son, Ervin. ” said his father, finally bringing notice to an otherwise invisible Ervin.

The young Mukuru who was still recovering from his recollection of Didaskalos Usathana snapped out of the trance and greeted the young girl as well as his father's mentor in proper fashion, “I, Ervin Mukuru, greet you both.”

“I’m Aikaterine, how are you doing?” came back the most informal reply possible. “Rude girl, first she calls Father by his name, and now this?” thought Ervin to himself. Judging by how she had not introduced her family name, she was likely a peasant by birth, something that would have bothered Ervin just a few days ago but no longer.

“Didaskalos Lumkile greets the young Mukuru”, he said, with all proper formalities met. “Your father says you are to be given a few lessons on Ikona’s culture of valuing education. There are many interesting policies, some passed by just the current Queen, that try to make sure every single citizen in our country has access to a good education. I’m sure you’ll love learning about them.”

“I can think of no better person to tell my son about this than you, Didaskalos Lumkile. ” bowed Alexander with a cheeky smile, why do something when you can push the job onto others? “I must go see the Queen, I shall entrust Ervin to you until then. Ervin, after 3 hours, come to the Royal Lodge and meet me there.”

Ervin cursed his father harder than he ever had before.

“Then I will take my leave.” declared his father, as he began walking away from the group. “Oh also Didaskalos Lumkile, ” he backtracked, “Ervin will definitely try to escape and go to the bazaar, please don’t let him.”

“You monster!” fumed Ervin, his intentions exposed.

“Like father, like son, I see.” chuckled the Didaskalos, as he bid his former student farewell.