Master By Mistake

The sun was dimming now as Ethan stood at the edge of White Goat Village, his arms crossed, a skeptical look on his face. For a 'village', it certainly looked more like a poorly placed collection of sheds than a bustling community. Still, the system had tasked him with finding a place to put his school, and he wasn't about to fail—at least, not yet.

"Find a place to host my school," Ethan muttered, re-reading the glowing system prompt for the umpteenth time. "Yeah, sure. Easy. Let me just wave my magic wand, and—oh wait, I don't have one." 

[Reminder: Host must secure a location for White Goat Academy within seven days. Failure will result in disciplinary action.]

"I'm starting to think you like threatening me," Ethan grumbled, frowning at the floating text. Predictably, the system didn't respond. 

Another moment of muttering later, he shook his head and set off toward the village square, determined to find something—anything—that could serve as a school.

The village square, if one was being very generous, was a dusty clearing with a handful of makeshift stalls. Most of the vendors were hawking vegetables that looked suspiciously well past their prime. A faded sign reading "Real Estate" leaned drunkenly above a stall where a woman with fiery red hair lounged in a creaky chair, picking at her nails.

Real estate here?" Ethan muttered under his breath. "Ain't that like selling sand in a desert?"

Anyway, he walked up to the stall. "Excuse me, are you the real estate agent?

The woman looked up, pushing a pair of cracked spectacles higher on her nose. "That depends," she said, heavy with sarcasm. "Are you buying, or are you here to complain about the rats in the walls again?" 

Ethan blinked. ".Buying?

Her eyes lit up. "Ah, well, in that case, welcome to Sally's Real Estate! Finest properties in all of White Goat Village. I'm Sally."

Ethan glanced around at the sad excuse for a marketplace. "The competition must be fierce."

Sally snorted. "Oh, it is. Last week, Farmer Joe tried to sell his barn as a 'luxury condo.' It took me an hour to chase him off my turf." 

"Right," Ethan said, deciding not to press for further detail. "So, I need a place to start a school. Something big enough for classrooms, but not, you know, actively falling apart.

Sally tapped her chin, playfully musing. "Well, that's a tall order around here. But if you're desperate, I might have one option." 

"Desperate is my middle name," Ethan said. 

She grinned, showing a missing tooth. "Good. Follow me.

Sally led Ethan to the outskirts of the village, where stood a large, dilapidated building, half-concealed by a row of overgrown bushes. Its roof sagged precariously, and several windows were broken. The door canted awry and groaned in the wind like something out of a horror film. 

Ethan stared at the building and then turned back to Sally. "You brought me to a haunted house."

"It's not haunted," Sally said, waving dismissively. "Probably."

"Probably?"

She shrugged. "Look, it's big, it's cheap, and it hasn't completely collapsed yet. What more do you want?" 

"Basic structural integrity?" Ethan offered.

Sally tossed him an ancient-looking key. "Take it or leave it, kid. This is the only building in the village that's big enough for a school. Just, uh, watch out for the rats." 

"And the ghosts?" 

Sally flashed him a grin. "Nothing a big, strong 'Master' like you can't handle." 

And with that, she strode off, her laughter still echoing behind her.

Inside, the building was somehow even worse. The floorboards groaned under Ethan's weight and cobwebs hung from the ceiling in thick, dusty strands. A broken chair lay in the corner, and the faint smell of mildew permeated the air. 

Ethan sighed. "Well, it's got character." 

[Host has chosen a location for White Goat Academy.] Task progress: 1/3 complete.

"At least you're easy to please," Ethan muttered. He picked up a broom lying on the floor, only for the handle to snap in half. "Great start."

A sudden crash made him spin around. Standing in a broken window was a disheveled young man with blond hair and a sheepish grin.

Uh, hi," this stranger said, dropping awkwardly into the room. "I didn't know anyone was here." 

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "And you are?" 

"Max," the man said, brushing off his tattered clothes. "Professional adventurer. Well, amateur adventurer. Okay, fine, I just like breaking into old buildings." 

"So you're a squatter," Ethan said. 

Max chuckled. "Part-time, maybe. But seriously, what are you doing here?

"I'm starting a school," Ethan said, crossing his arms. 

Max looked around the crumbling room. "Here? Dude, you'd have better luck teaching a rock to sing." 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ethan said dryly.

Max grinned. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I think it's a great idea. Crazy, but great. And, uh, if you need help fixing this place up, I'm pretty good with tools. You know, when I'm not accidentally breaking them." 

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You break into my building, and now you're offering to help?" 

"Think of it as paying rent," Max said.

Against his better judgment, Ethan let Max stay. To his surprise, the self-proclaimed adventurer proved to be somewhat useful. Within hours, Max had patched the door, cleared out most of the cobwebs, and even found a table that wasn't entirely rotten. 

"This place has potential," Max said, hammering a nail into the doorframe. "Potential to collapse, but still potential." 

Ethan snorted. "Thanks, I think.

"So, how many students do you have?" asked Max, stepping back to admire his work. 

"There's just one," Ethan admitted. 

Max raised an eyebrow. "One? Isn't that more like a private lesson than a school?" 

"It's a work in progress," Ethan said.

Max shrugged. "Well, if you're recruiting, I know a few people who might be interested. They're not exactly the scholarly type, but they've got spirit." 

"Desperate and enthusiastic works for me," Ethan said. 

The sun falling, Ethan stood outside the warehouse, surveying their progress. The building was still a wreck, but it was starting to feel like his wreck.

"You know," said Max, joining him, "this might actually work."

Ethan smirked. "Don't get your hopes up."

But all this was unbeknownst to them. A faintly glowing pair of eyes watched from the treeline, shortly above the ground.