Alice was on the verge of leaving when something about William’s demeanor unsettled her. She had almost turned around, but suddenly paused in her tracks.
“Are you truly William?”
Alice’s brow furrowed in confusion. Logically, if her grandfather had sent her to become an apprentice, he must’ve known who William was, right?
And just the other day, even Bella had visited this place, which suggested that someone significant resided within these walls.
How remarkable was this person?
At the very least, he must be a leading figure in some field.
William didn’t particularly want to engage with Alice, but he was a bit bored with nothing else to do. So he inquired, “Do you truly wish to be my apprentice?”
“If you’re William, then yes, I want to learn from you,” Alice replied, not quite sure of who the young man before her was, but trusting her grandfather’s guidance.
“Alright, you’re in,” William replied with a relaxed air, sitting up. “But when I take on apprentices, there are traditions to follow. Once you’ve performed the initiation rites, you will be considered my student.”
“Initiation rites?” Alice’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do I have to do?”
William answered as if it were the most obvious thing, “To acknowledge me as your master, you need to show absolute loyalty. Unlike the usual bowing gesture in common initiation ceremonies, mine requires kneeling.”
He hadn’t taken on a student in years, thinking a disciple might be helpful with tidying the place up once in a while.
“Kneel?” In Alice’s view, an initiation would at most involve a bow and addressing him as ‘master’. She hadn’t expected William to demand a kneel.
“Not pleased?” William chuckled, “If you don’t want to, then be on your way. I was merely idle and thought of taking on a student for a change.”
Alice clenched her fists, staring intently at William. She had never knelt to anyone in her life, not even in front of her parents or grandfather.
William reclined on his chair, closing his eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. 𝒷𝒹ℴ𝓿𝓁.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Over the years, countless individuals had sought his mentorship. Most were given a mere piece of advice and only a select few truly became his apprentices.
Being offered a chance to kneel before him as a disciple was rare.
William’s offer to Alice wasn’t because he saw potential in her. The world was full of talented individuals, and in his eyes, Alice wasn’t particularly special. He was just bored, and her arrival was a pleasant diversion.
“Alice, why are you here again?”
A sharply dressed young man, clearly flaunting designer brands, entered the courtyard. Seeing the visibly upset Alice, he approached.
“Dylan, I’ve told you, stop following me,” Alice snapped, giving him a sideways glance, and perhaps out of spite, walked into William’s house.
Dylan glanced at William, “Hey, where are the elders of this house? We came yesterday to meet them.”
William remained reclined, paying no attention to the young stranger. While he enjoyed a good chat with a beautiful woman, what was there to discuss with some unknown young man?
“I’m talking to you!” Dylan exclaimed, visibly irritated by William’s indifference. In New York City, he enjoyed a decent status. While he couldn’t compare to the prominent Carter, Bell, or Turner families, he was still respectable in his own right. But who could this young man living in such a dilapidated courtyard possibly be?
Ignoring him, William continued his repose. At that moment, Alice emerged from the house.
With renewed determination, Alice approached William, “Master, what can you teach me?”
Barely lifting an eyelid, William replied indifferently, “What do you wish to learn?”
“Medicine! Can you teach me?” Alice had just been inside William’s modest house and hadn’t spotted any medical books or the like.
“I can teach you, but whether I will or not depends on my mood.” William said, still lounging. “First, clean up my house. I’ve just brought in a lot of stuff and it’s quite messy.”
Flabbergasted by his arrogance, Alice restrained herself, turned around, and began tidying up William’s room.
“Young man, do you know who she is?” Dylan was utterly bewildered, trying to comprehend the situation. Had this young man discovered some compromising secret about Alice?
Frowning, William snapped coldly, “Leave!”
Suddenly, Dylan felt a pressure on his chest, his face turned pale, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He found himself involuntarily kneeling before William.
William had merely exerted a fraction of his power. He wasn’t accustomed to using his skills on ordinary people, and this slight display was enough to frighten Dylan to his core.
Kneeling was merely a reflexive action.
Dylan’s heart raced, his legs trembling uncontrollably. His kneeling, rather than collapsing entirely, was already a feat.
William, realizing he might have overdone it, sighed, “I told you to leave, not kneel.”
Eyes teary, Dylan murmured, “I… I can’t stand up…”
Still indifferent, William replied, “If you wish to kneel, then kneel. Once you’re done, get out.”
Dylan, feeling paralyzed and humiliated, began to crawl towards the courtyard’s exit.
In less than a minute, Alice emerged from the house.
She had gone inside, in part, to gauge William’s capabilities. Given her knowledge of Dylan, she assumed there’d be a clash. Could someone praised by her grandfather not handle a brat like Dylan? If William was humbled by Dylan, he’d deserve it for his arrogance.
But what she saw was beyond belief.
Dylan was crawling on the ground, desperately trying to get out.
“What… what did you do to him?” Alice knew that someone proficient in medical arts could easily handle an ordinary man, incapacitating him without much effort.
Without even opening his eyes, William responded, “Not much. Just gave him a little scare. Is the room clean?”
“There wasn’t much to clean.” Alice walked closer, casting a deep look at the traumatized Dylan. Though she was only inside for a short while, all she heard was William’s command to leave. How had the fearless Dylan become so terrified?