CHAPTER 7 SORCERY

Though the kids were actually a bit stronger than him, since he has been suffering from malnutrition. They were all little kids who have zero combat experience while he was someone who lived for so long in a dog eat dog cruel mine. He naturally has fought quite a number of times to survive there. So it was all quite easy to take care of some brats.

Though he felt fulfilled after beating the hell out of them, he later had to face the consequences.

The kids parents came and caused quite some commotions. The leader of the hideout had no choice but to punish him so as to appease them after all they are one of his own while he his an outsider.

As he walked through the street head bowed, Garen felt angry at the injustice he went through. The kids were at fault. They were the bullies and he or retaliated when he was pushed too far; But none of the people would have that. the kids parents will have none of it; they were all on how their kids were beaten mercilessly and everyone seemed to have forgotten some time ago when this same kids broke his hand.

They might be nice people, but they all stood for their own even when they were in wrong. As for olauf, he just watched arms folded and saw as it all happened.

"quite a bad feeling uh? When all you did was protect yourself, but because your opponent has backers you became the one in wrong." god knows when old bahil suddenly appeared beside him. He ruffled the boy's hair and seems to want to console him.

Garen nod his head in agreement. It was an awful feeling. "want to know why uh? Want to know why you end up in the wrong even though anyone would do the same if they were in your shoes?" old bahil seemingly wanting to enlighten the poor kid. "no" Garen said. Truth be told he was actually puzzled. He believed the people should know he did nothing wrong. Even though he might be heavy handed, his punishment shouldn't amount to what was meted out to him.

"because you are weak." old man said with finality. Garen became even more confused. He was the one who got out on top in their little fight how come he suddenly became the weak one.

His confusion must have been written all over his face and he old man let out a small laugh. "Garen the weak am talking about is about the weak you thought of. Am saying generally you are weak. In the sense that, compared to those for kids parents, you don't have anyone to stand up for you. So you are weak." he took a pause and soon continued. "compared to the kids parents usefulness to the settlement, ours is pretty much negligible. So you are once again weak and the most important, your own strength is too weak to make the settlement dare not touch you."

The old man pulled the boy towards a set by the side of the road. They both sat down. "do you get what am saying?" the old man asked as soon as they sat down. Though Garen seem to understand a little, he still did not fully understand. So he shook his head.

"assume your father or master or some close to you his the lord of a city, then your backer his far more than theirs. The boss will have no choice but to forgo it even if you killed the four of them. So assume if you are irreplaceable for the betterment of the group, then the people will support you and you will be the one in the right then. And lastly if you are strong enough to easily destroy and kill everyone in the village, then no one will dare go against you even if you killed the boss himself."

It finally dawned on him. But still he was puzzled by something so he had no choice but to voice it out "you said if I was strong enough, I can kill the boss and get away with it? But the people love him and seems ready to give their life for him, how can I possibly get away with it."

The Oldman laughed out loud as if what he said was extremely funny. When he finally got control of himself, the oldman placed his hand on his shoulder and said "Garen, you give them too much credit. The reason why they loved the boss now is because he his very useful to them. As for giving their life for him, Hahaa am sure only less than 8 in the whole settlement will do that. Garen always remember people are selfish creatures; They will always do what benefits them and care mostly about their life than any other thing. This world is merely an exchange. You are only useful to others if you have something they need otherwise even someone you saved will gladly insert a dagger in your chest in the face of benefits."

Unknown to this oldman, this words of his truly impacted the child's future.

"if you say so, then why are you telling me this. What usefulness do I have for you to waste your time on me." Garen asked while looking straight into the elder's eye.

"hehehehe, little boy, what am just doing is out of convenience. As for your usefulness, hehehehe, you are truly useful for me. Though not now but in the future."

"then what do I stand to gain? I am useful to you, but you do not seem useful to me?" Garen asked once again.

The elder looked quite amused by the boy's questions. "seriously you don't have to be so blunt and who says am not useful to you. I can teach you true power. The true meaning of strength."

Garen thought for while and replied back to the man "I have seen what olauf can do. I am sure he can also teach me." the man laughed again. He seem have laughed alot today something that as turned his assumption that the old man is always a serious faced man.

"but do you know the price to will have to pay in future? I told you quite frankly now, but what about olauf can you be sure if your life won't be on the line? And again am not teaching something like what olauf will teach you. No am not, am going to teach you the true meaning of strength. What true power is." the oldman said with finality his wrinkled face glowed a bit (Garen thought it was his eye playing a trick on him) and quickly went away as it came.

"come with me" the old man said. Without even waiting for his reply, the oldman grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

They soon got to the hold man shack at the outskirt of the settlement. The oldman pushed the door gently and went inside.

The house was quite well arranged and every were was quite tidy and clean even though Utes's small. He followed along as soon they reached a small room at the backyard.

The room was filled with jars and it this jars were suspicious looking liquid.he stretched out his hands curiously and wanted to look at what is inside. "don't touch anything if you wish to be normal" the oldman admonished him sternly and he quickly pulled back his hands.

They found an empty space to sit in the room. "um, your foundation is really weak, after all you are an illiterate. First I will teach you how to read and write the common language."

"don't tell me your true power is how to read and write?" Garen looked said angrily. After all he had quite some expectations to gain power not learning useless things like reading and writing.

"what do you know? This is the foundation of the power am teaching you. You will not get anywhere if you are a illiterate."

"then show me this power after all I need to know what am learning." Garen already feeling as if he has board a pirate ship said it offhand not like he believe the muddle headed man can show him anything.

"ok" the man surprisingly answers and with a flick of his wrist, flame surge out from his outstretched hand. Garen flinched backward and tried to escape from this incomprehensible situation. After all fire appearing from thin air in someone's hand is unbelievable.

"run not my child. This is the power I will teach you. The power of sorcery."