Chapter 53: Oh you are naive
Aric was expecting some kind of grand answers, but then he remembered that the children born in poverty didn’t have any kind of grand ambitions. Those who had them would first get out of poverty, and only then could they have the mental strength to go forward and give themselves a wonderful life.
"Do you know how to read and write?" Aric asked.
"Uh.. My father taught me how to read and write and also numbers." Alden was embarrassed but also proud of it. Children his age were never taught much, and most of them didn’t even know how to read and write; only the rich ones were taught privately.
"Bring your sister when I tell you to. I will tutor you and your sister," Aric said. In his previous life, he always wanted to teach some young kids. He never got the opportunity to do so, but here he might be able to fulfill some of his fantasies. In his previous life, he never had any grand plans.
He wanted to live a stable life. This time, he had thrown those thoughts out the window, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t slow down. This was his time to slow down and even help these children. It was probably because a small part of Aric felt bad for killing so many people. They might have deserved death, but that didn’t mean it was 100% alright to be the one who swung the sword or, in this case, pulled the trigger.
Giving back to society was his penance.
Alden was flabbergasted when Aric said that. An Acolyte actually wanted to teach him? But why? He had never received anything in life for free, so he felt like Aric must have other motivations. Aric could see his thoughts and thus said,
"It’s not free. Every day, you will have to take care of the home and cleanliness. And sometimes I might ask you for food, which of course I will pay for. You can move in with your sister if you want or not, and you will only receive 1 silver coin per month. I will be here for a maximum of two years if everything goes right and maybe less if I get opportunities out of the city, which frankly has a very high chance of happening," Aric said.
Alden’s mind was overloading at this point. This person was going to teach him, provide food, and give him security, and in return, he would even be paid for this. What the hell kind of deal was this? Aric, meanwhile, didn’t think it was such a big deal. He had seen maids working at his home, and they were paid.
And thus, in his mind, Alden was getting a good deal. Alden wanted to refuse but realized that refusing an Acolyte would be an insult. He readily agreed to this new arrangement. Aric didn’t bother Alden anymore and went to his home after bolting the door, while Alden decided to just sleep on the couch.
While lying on the couch, he decided to show his appreciation to Aric by moving in with his sister. She would have a good shelter and not shiver in the cold outside. This was a big home, and his sister could even help him.