Master By Mistake

Ethan yawned loudly, stretching his arms as he lounged under the shade of a tall tree. Through the leaves of this tall tree, the morning sun filtered onto the ground, painting patterns of light. With his head tilted back, he was fully intent on dozing off again when a chime echoed in his mind. 

[Reminder: Quest task incomplete.] Fetch Luke and make sure he arrives at the academy. Reward pending.]

Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples. "Ugh, can't I just take a nap? The kid knows where the school is. He could find his own way, right?" 

[Warning: Failure to complete quest objectives may incur penalties.]

"Fine, fine! You're such a nag," Ethan grumbled, rolling to his feet. "This system must run off caffeine. No rest for the wicked, huh?"

Kicking a stray rock on the path, he went reluctantly towards White Goat Village. 

The village was as modest as it had been when Ethan first arrived. Crooked homes with thatched roofs stood in uneven rows while villagers bustled about their morning chores. Ethan's lazy pace earned a few disapproving glances, but he ignored them, hands shoved into his pockets.

It wasn't difficult to locate Luke's abode; it was the most dilapidated shack in the area. The very sight of it made Ethan's stomach twist in a knot.

"Alright, kid," grumbled Ethan, who pounded on the door, "let's get you out of this dump."

The door creaked open, and there he was—Luke—wide-eyed. "Teacher! You're here!

Yeah, yeah, I'm here," replied Ethan, hand gesturing. "Pack your things. We're transferring you to the academy. You're officially my first student, so let's at least make it look like I'm doing something impressive." 

Luke hesitated for a moment, looking over his shoulder into the poorly lit home. "Uh… Teacher, I gotta tell you something.

Before Ethan could reply, a little voice called from within. "Luke? Who are you talking to?" 

Ethan leaned to peer through the doorframe. A delicate girl sat no older than eight on a torn blanket in the corner. Green eyes were sharp yet guarded; her cheekbones sunk with hunger.

"Teacher," Luke said softly, "this is my sister, Lily. She's all I have left." 

Ethan furrowed his brow. "You didn't mention her before." 

"I didn't think you'd—" Luke paused; his shoulders sagged. "I didn't think you'd want both of us."

Ethan let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Kid, I'm lazy, not heartless. You really think I'm just going to leave your sister here while you live it up at the academy? C'mon."

Lily was staring at him, clenching her blanket tightly. "You're really taking us both?" 

"Yeah," Ethan said, still nodding. "Pack whatever you've got. We're leaving this dump."

It did not take long for the siblings to gather their belongings, amounting to no more than a small bundle of clothes and a wooden toy rabbit with one ear missing. Walking back to the academy, Ethan noticed Lily stealing glances at him, her expression mixed with curiosity and disbelief. 

"You got something to say, squirt?" Ethan asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You don't look like a teacher," she said forthrightly. 

Luke gasped. "Lily! Don't be rude!" 

Ethan chuckled, waving it off. "She's not wrong. I don't really *feel* like a teacher either. But hey, sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you just have to roll with it." 

"What's a curveball?" Lily asked, cocking her head.

Ethan trailed off; he realized his modern references didn't quite translate here. "Uh…never mind. Just think of me as a weird older brother who happens to know a thing or two about teaching." 

The siblings exchanged glances, then smiled. 

As the trio drew closer to the academy, Ethan sensed that something was off. Villagers they passed whispered among themselves and darted him nervous glances.

What's with the looks?" Ethan muttered under his breath. 

Meanwhile, away from the village, a cloaked figure ran through the forest as fast as he could. He reached a clearing where a number of rough-looking men were gathered around a campfire. 

"Boss!" the figure called out, panting. 

A burly man with a thick beard and a permanent scowl turned to face him. "What is it?

There is an outsider in the village," he said with a slight obeisance. "He bought the old warehouse and said he was building a school." 

The man's face clouded. "A school? Who gave him permission?" 

"No one," said the figure. "And already, villagers are talking about him. Some of them are even saying that he is trying to steal the land.

The boss slammed a fist into the tree beside him, leaving a dent in the bark. "This is our territory. No outsider is going to waltz in and start making changes." 

He turned to his men. "Grab your weapons. We're going to send this 'teacher' a message."

By the time Ethan and the siblings arrived at the academy, Max was leaning against the wall, fiddling with a piece of straw in his mouth. 

"Hey, Max," Ethan called, waving in a lazy gesture. "Got us a couple of new recruits." 

Max lifted an eyebrow; his gaze went to Luke and Lily. "Huh. Didn't peg you for the charitable type.

"I'm not," Ethan replied with a shrug. "I just hate seeing kids live in squalor." 

Before Max could respond, a shout echoed from the treeline. 

"Outsider! Get out here!" 

Ethan frozen, his lazy demeanor evaporating. "What now?"

A group of armed men emerged from the forest, led by the burly boss.

"That your school?" The boss growled, pointing a finger at the building. 

"Yep," Ethan said, crossing his arms. "What's it to you?" 

"This is our land," the boss snarled. "You've got no right to build here. Pack up and leave, or we'll tear it down."

Ethan exhaled a heavy sigh, massaging his temples. "Why does everybody around here have to be so melodramatic? Max, can you handle this? I'm too tired for a fight." 

Max smiled, pushing forward. "With pleasure."

The boss sneered, "You think one guy can stop all of us?

Max didn't reply. He simply raised his hand, and a surge of energy radiated from him. The ground trembled, and a gust of wind swept through the area, knocking the men off their feet. 

"Care to try again?" Max asked, his tone calm but menacing. 

The boss scrambled to his feet, glaring at Ethan. "This isn't over. We'll be back."

Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Screw off."

As the men backpedaled and beat a retreat, Ethan turned to Max. "Thanks for handling that. I owe you one." 

Max smirked. "You owe me more than one, boss." 

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Add it to my tab." 

He looked at Luke and Lily, who stared at him in awe.

"Don't get any ideas," Ethan said, clapping Luke on the back. "You've got a long way to go before you're anywhere near his level." 

Lily tugged on Ethan's sleeve. "Are we safe now?" 

Ethan crouched down, ruffling her hair. "As long as Max is around, nothing's getting past us. Welcome to White Goat Academy, squirt."