Chapter 50: A heated debate

"Why, my boy?"

Michael was dumbfounded at his revelation and wished to understand additional reasoning behind it, hoping that it would be something ludicrous so he could talk him down. To want to walk his own path was a very valid answer but not in this context, the entire reason he came to school was to learn and be guided. To shun it when it was so clearly offered was dumbfounding.

Simon himself was not sure exactly why. The following few words coming out of his mouth did not feel like his own, but the more he spoke the more he understood his stance.

"Be wary of gifts. Ones that are given freely are often the hardest to accept. I do not know what the future holds, but the one aspect I will always do my best to maintain is my freedom. This might be a childish pride and a mistake, but it will be mine to make."

"How will our university trying to protect you from danger, be a threat to your freedom?"

Michael was giving off the front of a teacher who could not believe the nonsense spouted by such a young adult barely stepping on his second year of existence.

Inwardly, he was astonished at the boy's reasoning ability. While no one in the Planar Council or any of the powers would outright say it, one of the underlying reasons they helped the students with such impunity was to tie them to the university in some way. There were even some nefarious tactics at play to ensure the world's future would always have Planar University in it.

That being said, he genuinely believed that tying him to the university would be beneficial for both parties. In fact, the benefits were probably skewed more towards Simon, at least, for the foreseeable future.

"Will you not dictate what I can or cannot do for the sake of my safety? Let us say, I find a noble someone I wish to be friends with..."

The pleasant expression on the portly gentleman broke as he let out a derisive snort but managed to recover, giving him an apologetic.

"Pardon my fall in decorum. Please, Continue."

Simon nodded as he did just that.

"Will you or will you not stop me from becoming friends with said person? Will you not have the power to incite this agreement as a form of contract to bind me from something as simple as making a friend?"

Michael was about to argue something only to stop and have a thoughtful expression on his face. The question proposed was not the fact that he would be able to make a friend but the idea his actions would be restricted. Most teachers might not have seen past this and the conversation would end.

But he understood and he also knew that these restrictions were not something that could be lifted or removed. It went against the whole idea of what they were trying to do.

Lying here would not end well, the intelligence shown by this boy was staggering especially with so little experience. Forcing him down this path, even if it was for his benefit would imbitter him to the university, possibly for as long as he existed which in all likelihood was going to be a very long time. That was the opposite of what they were trying to achieve.

So he switched tactics.

"Would that be so bad? Sure, we will apply restrictions but we do so for your benefit and can even give you solid reasoning as to why we do it."

"Can you account for every scenario? Here is an example, say I make a noble friend and it does end badly but shapes me in such a way that I become a much better tamer in the future."

"That argument is very contrived! We give this benefit because we know that nobles wish to take control over tamers. As impressionable young adults, our tamers are easily susceptible to their machinations and we step in to shield them."

He found a chink in the boy's argument and took full advantage of it. At that moment, he forgot that he was advising a student and instead focused on winning the debate.

Simon's next few words gave Michael goosebumps.

"So you wish for me to accept another gilded cage, one of your design, so you may protect me another."

Michael was a scholar who won arguments with objective reasoning and when that failed twisted truths. But for all it to be unraveled and seen through by a tamer that was not even past his second year or tames that empowered his intellect, was terrifying indeed.

Stella was looking at this exchange, her eyes transfixed. Amy was filled with pride as she puffed her chest out. Her alpha was besting another alpha in combat of intellect. Even when she knew that this alpha was far more powerful than him.

Such a thing was worthy of a howling celebration but she would wait, this was neither the time nor place. It was her master's moment after all.

He started chuckling and soon it exploded into a full-blown laugh. He did not know what the future held but one thing was for sure, the little boy in front of him would shape it greatly like the [great heroes].

That was his belief. So he changed his plans once more, to personally nurture a prodigy of this caliber was the joy of every teacher.

He raised his arms in surrender as he said.

"Very well, you win we lose. This school shall respect your choice. However, there is something else I wish to ask. Would you allow me to advise you, at least, so that you know what you are getting into? I swear not to enforce anything. I will only give you answers should you have questions and a few opinions or thoughts I wish to share.

Simon was shocked by this turn of events snapping him out of his trance. At the same time the glow in his bands that nobody seemed to stop.

Not only him, but even the super silent guards standing next to the man also seemed to gasp in surprise... There was even sound coming from underneath his desk.

To be sure, what he did was no mean feat. To humble a learned professor many times his age was powerful even if he had outside help from an extremely powerful and ancient entity.