Arthur fell silent for a moment, absorbing Grandpa Jack's words. Gently, his tiny hand returned the old man's rough grasp.
"Grandpa is exaggerating it too much," Arthur said, accompanied by a faint, sincere smile. "I already know that my kindness is being taken advantage of by them. But, that doesn't mean I have to stop doing good and stop helping others, right? If this world is indeed rotten, that is no excuse for me to join in making it even more rotten."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell silent. Grandpa Jack, Mama Mia, and Mei Qin were stunned stiff hearing such a pure and mature answer come from the lips of a five-year-old child.
Breaking the silence, Mei Qin opened her mouth again with a tone that was still unaccepting. "But, Ah-Long... precisely because of your good deeds, you are constantly being taken advantage of! The people you help don't care about you at all, they just want free labor, you know?!"
Arthur looked at the woman with an unwavering calmness. "Lady Qin... have you ever heard the story of the Shepherd Boy and the Wolf?"
Mei Qin furrowed her brow in confusion. "No. What kind of fairy tale is that?"
"Then what does your problem have to do with a fairy tale, child?" chimed in Mama Mia, equally puzzled.
"Listen to me for a moment," Arthur said, his tone of voice slowly changing. "Once upon a time, in a certain place, there was a boy who worked as a sheep herder. Every day, he always herded his flock of sheep on a hill not far from his village. He continued doing that routine every day, until at one point, he felt very bored with the activity. Then, driven by boredom and mischief, the boy decided to do something."
The three adults in the room looked at each other, increasingly unable to understand where this golden-haired boy's talk was heading.
Grandpa Jack let out a long sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Child, what are you actually talking about? Grandpa understands the plot of the story, but what does the tale of the shepherd boy have to do with this problem of yours?"
"Listen first, Grandpa. The story is quite short," Arthur interrupted calmly, continuing his tale. "Feeling bored, the shepherd boy suddenly stood up and shouted with all his might, saying that his flock of sheep was being attacked by a wolf. The villagers around the hill who heard the panicked shouts immediately left their work. They ran as fast as possible up the hill to help the boy."
Arthur paused his story for a moment, letting curiosity hang in the air. "However, the villagers' steps came to a halt once they reached the top. Instead of seeing a wolf, they found the shepherd boy laughing out loud at their panic. The villagers immediately realized that there was actually no wolf there at all. The shepherd had lied to them purely because he felt bored."
"That is a very terrible story!" scolded Mei Qin, her brow furrowed in displeasure. "How could he do such a thing just because he was bored? He toyed with the good intentions of others. The villagers must have been very angry at him!"
"Is the story finished there?" asked Mama Mia, interrupting while crossing her large arms over her chest.
Arthur shook his head slowly. "Not yet. After the villagers learned the truth, they gave him a stern warning and then left him. However, the shepherd boy didn't learn his lesson at all. A little while later, he did the exact same thing. He shouted for help again as if his life were in danger."
Arthur looked at the three adults in front of him one by one. "And guess what happened? The kind-hearted villagers came running back to help the young man. But once again, the sight that welcomed them was exactly the same as before. The villagers, of course, became even angrier. However, they let the young man go again. Unfortunately, the young man was truly ungrateful. He kept repeating his ridiculous lie several times."
"What a truly wicked child!" cursed Mei Qin, now completely carried away by the emotion of the fairy tale.
"Tch," Mama Mia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "In my opinion, the villagers were also stupid for continuously wanting to help and falling for the tricks of such a naughty brat!"
"How could there be a person with behavior like that?" chimed in Grandpa Jack while shaking his head in disbelief. The old man snorted cynically. "If there were someone with such a terrible disposition in my village, I would definitely just ignore him if he shouted for help again!"
Arthur smiled faintly hearing Grandpa Jack's response. "Exactly, Grandpa. The villagers, who had run out of patience, finally made a unanimous decision: if the young man shouted for help again, they would truly ignore him. Unfortunately, the shepherd boy was completely unaware of that."
"Until one day," continued Arthur with a slightly heavier tone, "when the villagers had truly left him alone on the hill... from within the dark forest, a real, ferocious large wolf appeared. The wolf immediately attacked his flock of sheep blindly. The shepherd, who was scared to death, shouted with all his might asking for help. But this time... not a single villager came. They all thought it was just an empty joke as usual. In the end, all of the young man's sheep were devoured by the wolf. And that is how this fairy tale ends."
"Hmph! Serves him right. That is what you call the law of karma!" Mama Mia snorted mercilessly.
"The shepherd boy doesn't deserve any pity at all. He deserved to receive the consequences of his own actions," Mei Qin chimed in, agreeing.
Grandpa Jack nodded slowly, but his brow was still furrowed in confusion. "That is a story that has a very good moral message, child. But... what does it have to do with your problem?"
Arthur smiled meaningfully, his gaze softening. "The connection is... I don't want to be the villager who lets the wolf pounce on its prey," he answered calmly.
The three adults instantly fell silent.
"It is true, there are many cunning people out there who take advantage of me. I am also very aware that this world is full of lies and bad intentions," continued Arthur. "But, does that mean we have to give up on kindness? What if someday, there is someone out there who is truly dying and needs my help, but I choose to ignore them just because of my disappointment in bad people from the past?"
Arthur stared straight into Grandpa Jack's eyes, which were starting to tear up. "Humans are diverse, Grandpa. It's impossible for every human to be born as a monster. As a human... I choose to keep believing in humanity."
Grandpa Jack looked deeply into Arthur's pair of emerald eyes that shone with unwavering conviction. The old man sighed with a tight chest. "Ah-Long... someday, this limitless kindness of yours will bring disaster upon you. You will only hurt yourself, child."
Arthur smiled with dazzling sincerity. "No need to worry, Grandpa. I know very well where my limits are. If I feel I have crossed the limit, I will definitely stop. I am not a fool who would throw my life away in vain."
Mama Mia let out a long sigh and shook her head in resignation. "So in essence... you will voluntarily take on the role of the stupid villager who will keep running to the shepherd boy, no matter how often he lies to you?"
Arthur nodded firmly without the slightest hesitation. "Yes."
Mei Qin stared at the boy with a deeply sad look. She reached for Arthur's tiny hand, then affectionately pressed it to her warm cheek. "It seems, no matter how hard we warn you... you can never be stopped, huh?" she murmured.
Arthur could only chuckle softly, his tone sounding a bit guilty for making them anxious. "I'm sorry for making you all worry."
"Alright, since you have made up your mind to that extent, then let me watch over you," Mei Qin said softly. She slowly released her grasp and placed Arthur's tiny hand back on the table. "I will make sure of it myself and prevent you from going too far, especially if your kindness starts to endanger yourself."
Arthur replied with a smile full of gratitude. He then turned his head, looking at Grandpa Jack with a face that had turned serious again. "Next, Grandpa... I want to ask about that place. Is everything ready?"
Grandpa Jack let out a long sigh for the umpteenth time that night. The old man seemed completely resigned to the stubbornness of the boy who loved to carry burdens on his own shoulders.
"Are you really sure you want to do this, Ah-Long? Taking care of this kind of thing is not your responsibility at all, child," he reprimanded in a tired yet affectionate tone.
Arthur nodded. "I am very sure, Grandpa. If we just stay silent and let everything keep going like this, this village will never experience any progress."
Hearing that unshakable determination, Grandpa Jack finally leaned his back against the wooden chair's backrest. He stared intently at Arthur before finally giving in.
"Alright, if that is indeed your final decision," said Grandpa Jack.
"The place has been prepared and can be used starting tomorrow. As per your request, I will gather all the children and some adults in the village square tomorrow morning."
A relieved and sincere smile instantly bloomed on his face. "Thank you very much, Grandpa Jack."
(Transition)
The morning sunlight illuminated Holy Spirit Village gently, giving a warm glow to the atmosphere in the vast open field. There, a crowd of children and a number of adults who were free from work in the fields and rice paddies had gathered. In front of the assembled villagers, stood a low stage complete with a wooden podium that looked brand new.
The atmosphere was filled with curious whispers and confused looks. The villagers asked each other the reason the Village Chief had gathered them this early, because Grandpa Jack himself hadn't shown his face yet.
After waiting for a while in uncertainty, the villagers' attention was instantly diverted. A figure appeared from behind the stage and walked calmly up to the podium. Suddenly, the whispers in the crowd died down, replaced by surprised looks that quickly turned into understanding smiles.
Of course, they all easily recognized the figure. He was a very famous figure in the village, especially among the mothers who always idolized him. A boy who was able to befriend anyone regardless of age, and was known to have an incredibly noble heart.
He was Arthur, or as they more familiarly called him, Ah-Long.
Arthur stood on the podium looking at all of them. "Everyone," he said, "you must be confused as to why you were gathered here. I will explain everything to you, but before that, allow me to speak first. Since the first day I arrived in this village, you have given me warmth, food, and shelter. You raised me with a love that I can never repay with just a thank you."
Arthur placed his right hand on his chest, right over his heart, and gave a slight bow of respect.
"I have learned a lot about the outside world from books, stories, and from all of you," said Arthur.
"In this world, a person's worth is often only measured by the Spirit Power they possess from birth. If you are born with a Martial Soul that is considered 'trash' like grass or farming tools, the world will cast you aside. Education, knowledge, and opportunities... all are solely monopolized by nobles and large sects. And commoners can only obtain those if they have talent."
Arthur gripped the edge of the podium, his eyes radiating a burning determination.
"But I reject that law!" Arthur's voice boomed gently. "True strength is not about how shattered a cliff you can punch! True strength is about how strong your arms are to embrace and protect the weak! Every child in this village, regardless of their Martial Soul, has a precious soul and a future worth fighting for!"
The crowd held their breath. Grandpa Jack's eyes began to tear up, while Mama Mia and Mei Qin stared at the boy with overflowing pride.
"Therefore, today, with the help of the sweat and hard work of all of you, we are inaugurating this place! This is not just a wooden building. This is a place where our children will learn to read and write so they will not be easily deceived by the world. A place where we will train and teach them so they can stand tall facing the storm. And most importantly..."
Arthur smiled.
"...this is a place where we will teach them about honor, kindness, and bravery. Starting today, Avalon School is officially open to all the children of Holy Spirit Village, without exception!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
There was a moment of silence, before the village square finally exploded with cheers and applause so thunderous that it vibrated the leaves on the trees. The villagers cheered, chanting Ah-Long's name over and over again. Grandpa Jack wiped his tears with a handkerchief, feeling that his life had been extended by decades just by seeing this sight.
Meanwhile, on the podium, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and smiled sincerely seeing the happy cheers in front of him.
'This is how I should have done it back then,' Arthur thought, feeling a sliver of past regret now mixing with newfound resolve. 'I will do anything for this village. The things I failed to do for Camelot back then, I will make them a reality in this place. That way... their fate here will not end tragically like my kingdom.'
Amidst the boisterous crowd, the corner of Arthur's emerald eyes suddenly caught an anomaly. He turned his head slowly to the side of the crowd.
Under the shadow of a tree, stood a mysterious figure wearing a pristine white robe and gripping a staff. Her face was completely hidden by the shadow of the witch's hood she wore. Strangely, not a single villager was aware of the figure's presence. People cheered and moved around her naturally, as if the white-robed figure were merely a mirage.
However, Arthur's eyes stared straight at her. Without needing to see her face, the King of Knights knew very well who the figure behind the hood was.
As if able to read Arthur's mind and the strong determination in his heart, the lips peeking out from behind the white hood curved upwards, forming a gentle, secretive smile.
"Of course, my King... I will help you make it a reality," the figure muttered very softly.