Chapter 101: Accepting a disciple
Rhain's face flickered with a feigned look of sheer surprise.
He quickly stepped forward, reaching out to grasp the old man's arms, gently pulling him up to his feet.
"Guild Master Aldric, what are you doing? Stand up," Rhain said, his tone softening, carrying a trace of helpless exasperation. ""I do not mind your age, nor do I look down upon your talent. I have seen far duller minds achieve extraordinary things through sheer will alone."
"But I left the Inner Province precisely because I no longer wished to carry worldly relations. Disciples, obligations, expectations — they are chains I have already shed. I came here seeking freedom from all of that."
Aldric's face crumbled, the light in his eyes dimming like a candle caught in a gust of wind.
But he did not retreat.
Instead, Aldric dropped to his knees a second time, pressing his forehead firmly against the jade floor.
