Chapter 1: The Arena
Asa was riding on an ice dragon, adroitly battling and defeating one opponent after another in
the great arena, to the cheering of the huge crowd shouting “Asa, Asa, Asa”! Suddenly, Asa
woke up. Someone was in fact calling his name. “Asa, wake up, or we will go to the arena
without you!”
It was Asa’s older brother Aaron, who was 12 years old. Forthwith, Asa’s disillusionment from
having been woken up from his sweet dream was displaced by excitement to go see the arena
heroes, as he rushed to get dressed and go meet with Aaron and Adam, his two older brothers,
then they went out together to the arena. This would be Asa’s first time to the arena, for he just
turned six this year, the legal age limit for admittance.
Asa was so excited that he could hardly restrain himself from running to the arena. “Who do you
think will win?” Asa questioned Aaron, who was walking alongside him.
Aaron, bemused, replied, “Well, there are really ten arenas, one in each of the ten schools of
the institution. Each arena will crown a champion, probably someone different in each, for, hard
enough to excel in any one school, who can spend some much time studying in all ten schools
to be able to excel in them all? Now, is there someone you most ardently wished to see?”
Asa did not hesitate to respond: “I think I want to see the legendary master trainer with the most
powerful ice dragon in the entire kingdom of Langlandia! I have heard so much about him. I
even dreamt last night that I was him somehow.”
“You mean Speed?”
“Yes, that is it! Not only does he have the most powerful ice dragon, but also, aptly named, he is
renowned for his incredible speed. We must see him in action!”
“As you wish,” muttered Aaron.
“It is well with me,” declared Adam, 14 years old, the eldest of the three, who hitherto quietly
listened to the conversation, adding, “I think Speed will win the most arenas. He is by far the
best in French, but also highly competitive in many other schools too, especially German,
Spanish and Korean.”
Arriving in the arena, the three brothers took seats close to the centre stage. The order of
combat was in order of schools, from the oldest to the newest: Spanish, Russian, French,
Japanese, German, Thai, Portuguese, Indonesian, Italian, and Korean.
Spanish, being the oldest school by far, naturally had the most students competing in the arena
and many of whom were highly skilled, fighting with amazingly powerful beasts and attacking
with incredible speed and accuracy. Speed, whom Asa most wished to see, did not participate,
and Asa was a bit disappointed. Adam, sensing his little brother’s thoughts, said, “It is well
Speed is saving his energy for French and other less crowded arenas.”
After a prolonged chain of battles, Congumelo, a ruddy youth around 12 years old, emerged
victorious. As the champion, Congumelo was crowned the arena champion, received a title,
along with 100 superchests. Superchests, as the director informed the uninitiated, are the most
valuable prizes awarded in Langlandia, and may contain anything from common to even
legendary beasts spirits, gemstones, collars, coins, potions, traps, food, etc.
Upon receiving his prize, Congumelo said, “Thank you! With this money, I can afford a lot of
mushrooms.” The audience burst out in laughter, forthwith lifting everyone’s spirit after the
tiresome battles.
The runner-up received a bag of 70 superchests, third place 50, fourth and fifth 35, and sixth
through tenth 20 each. A quick recess ensued before the next contest, in Russian.
In Russian, there were only about a score of combatants, about a tenth of those in Spanish. It
quickly came down to the final two who easily defeated the rest: Rufus and Gunz, both
handsome looking men, Gunz apparently in his 30s and Rufus in his 40s. Rufus’s beast was a
rare troll, while Gunz’s was an epic forest fairy. Even though Rufus was more accurate in his
attacks, Gunz had the advantage of a superior beast and faster speed, which enabled him to
defeat Rufus after a fierce battle. Gunz was crowned champion and received his title and 100
superchests.
The third contest, in French, was the one Asa most longed to see. As the combatants entered,
the crowd cheered them on. Some waved flags to support Speed, some for Fox, another
formidable ice dragon master, and some for other combatants, but the cheering squad for
Speed was apparently the most enthusiastic, and Asa was not to be outdone. Speed, a tall
young man with curly blond hair around 20 years of age, graciously bowed to the crowd and
seemed to notice Asa, as he gave him a slight smile when he met the latter’s gaze.
As the battles progressed, two emerged far superior to all others: Speed and Fox, both with
powerful legendary ice dragons, attacking with incredible accuracy and seemingly supernatural
speed. Speed, whose ice dragon was by far the most powerful, rather favored the use of a very
rare yeti for most battles, relying on his speed to win virtually all of them.
When Speed and Fox were the last two standing, Speed had to switch to his powerful ice
dragon to be on par with Fox’s powerful beast. It was spectacular to see two legendary ice
dragons face off one another, each flying majestically in the air, attacking with celerity and
precision. Asa was so mesmerized that he hardly even blinked, unwilling to miss any of the
action. Not even in Asa’s wildest dreams did he see anything like it.
Although Fox fought well, and might even have been a little more accurate in his attacks,
Speed’s beast was more powerful, and his attacks just a little faster, two crucial factors, which
allowed Speed to deal more attacks and more damage in his attacks, proved decisive. In
accepting the champion crown and prize money, Speed was gracious in victory, complimenting
Fox for having fought really well and that he owed his victory in no small part to having learned
much from him.
The next arena contest was in Japanese, which was won easily by Potum, to virtually no one’s
surprise, as he also won 10 of the last 11 arenas in Japanese. Upon hearing the victor’s name,
Asa asked his brothers, “doesn’t potum mean drunk?”
Aaron was quick to answer, “Correct! Drunk, inebriated, intoxicated, etc. potum is the masculine
accusative singular perfect participle of potare, the Latin verb meaning to drink. Parbleu, I am
sure there is a good reason for his name…”
“Hush, you two!” interjected Adam, “Do you have a death wish? See Potum’s T-tex? What
would you do if it were to breathe fire upon you?”
“Yes, big brother,” Asa replied contritely, adding softly, “he cannot possibly hear us from such a
distance, and even if otherwise, certainly he is such a gentleman as to be above quarrelling with
a little kid like me.”
“Notwithstanding,” Adam countered, “one must cultivate the habit of speaking no ill of anyone,
but rather all the good of everyone. Do this and you will have plenty of friends and few enemies.
Neglect this and it will be your ruin.” Asa and Aaron gravely nodded.
Adam continued, “Lately, Potum has been calling himself ptm, dropping the vowels in his name.
You will call him whatsoever he lists.” Again, Asa and Aaron assented. Watching Potum on
stage receiving his prize, Asa thought Potum briefly glanced in his direction and smiled
benignly. I must be imagining things, from sleep deprivation and overstimulation, Asa thought to
himself.
The fifth arena contest, in German, was easily won by Speed, who was without equal in his
speed and accuracy, wherefore he did not even deploy his most powerful beast but used only
his yeti, evidently his favourite animal. Asa was awed by Speed’s amazing velocity, dealing
lightning fast attacks to his hapless opponents who barely even had time to register Speed’s
movements before taking damage.
Following German was Thai, a relatively thin field, which quickly came down to a contest
between the final two: Calvin and Calcaneus, the former bald without hair, the latter rawboned
like a skeleton. The final battle was fierce, but Calvin emerged victorious.
Next up was Portuguese, which was narrowly won by Asher, after defeating Speed in a close
contest. Asa was dumbfounded by his hero’s loss, an outcome he hitherto considered
impossible, but Speed apparently took it in stride, praising Asher for his admirable skills, spirit
and dedication.
After that was Indonesian. Gunz, fresh from his victory in the Russian arena, was ahead of the
pack for much of the contest, but toward the end stage, a dark horse emerged: Las, a tall girl
riding on a white tiger invested with a legendary spirit, Burri, Warlord of Tigers. The white tiger,
itself a rare beast, was rendered much stronger by the legendary spirit, which added 39% attack
and 91% defence.
While Gunz was fast, Las proved even faster. In the end, Las overtook Gunz’s early lead and
became the winner. Gunz, just like Speed, humbly accepted his defeat and complimented Las
for her excellent moves, impressive spirit and well-deserved victory.
Italian followed. The field is rather thin, and Julius won without much opposition.
The final arena was Korean. Speed again made his appearance, and dominated the relatively
thin field, with Joe being the only participant that put up any significant opposition. Finally, after
an intense struggle, Speed emerged victorious, and congratulated Joe for being a worthy
opponent.
At the concluding ceremony, the director gave special recognition to Speed, the only participant
to have won more than one arena championship this season. Speed thanked the director for
hosting the arena, a primary inducement for Langlandians to improve their combat skills and
resilience, and build confidence in their abilities under pressure to face real dangers that may
present themselves, chief among which the dangerous beasts and the spirits that possess them
from the uncivilised south of the island. Together, we are strong, Speed concluded, to the
cheering of the crowd.
Asa was jubilant to see his champion finish so well in the arena, winning not one, not two, but
three championships! Adam was prescient in his prediction after all. As the crowd dispersed,
Asa, after telling Adam and Aaron not to wait for him, for he must first go talk to Speed before
returning home, forthwith rushed toward whither Speed had gone following the conclusion of the
arena.
Chapter 2: Master Speed
“Master Speed!” cried Asa, breathless as he finally caught up with Speed. Hearing his name,
Speed turned around and saw in front of him a fair looking boy whom he recalled seeing in the
arena, near the front of the spectators.
“I am so glad to finally see you in person!” began Asa, and, after catching his breath, continued,
“What an honour to finally meet a legend in Langlandia! For as long as I can remember, I have
heard so much about you and never had the chance till I was finally able to attend the arena
today. And how true the saying that seeing is believing! Your spectacular performance which I
witnessed in the arena exceeds even the wildest reports of your exploits. I want to be just like
you when I grow up. Please be my teacher!”
Speed behold the boy with starstruck eyes looking pleadingly and hopefully before him, a little
bemused and not a little touched. Finally, he asked, “what is your name, my boy, and how old
are you?”
“Asa is my name,” Asa replied, “and I just turned six years old this year!”
“Asa is a good name: healer, new beginning, god, beautiful, hope, and so forth. You sure have
a great name to live up to, my boy,” Speed commented, as he forthwith recalled to his mind the
meaning of the name in various languages, and then continued after a moment of deliberation,
“Behold, as much as I am flattered to have an admirer like you, I am unequal to the honour of
becoming your teacher. I am a student myself, to wit, at the institution founded by the director.
“I have become what I am today only after many years of diligent study and hard work at the
institution. I believe I have memorized most of the canon in French, Spanish, and German, but I
am still woefully inadequate in the other schools. You have seen today many masters in the
other schools, such as Potum, Gunz, and Calvin, just to name a few, all legends in their own
rights, with whom I can in no wise compete against in their fields of expertise. And even in the
fields in which I currently excel, you would do better to train directly from the Canon itself, by
enrolling in the institution.”
“What is the canon?” Asa interjected, unable to contain his curiosity.
“I am glad you asked,” replied Speed, “I forgot you are not yet familiar with the lingo of the
institution. The Canon is the collective precepts and tenets of the institution to guide our combat
using our tamed beasts. Each of the ten schools has its own portion of the Canon. If you know
the Canon well, you will be able to attack and defend with facility and defeat your opponents or
wild beasts in the south.
“Originally, many years ago, there was only the Spanish school, but as the wild beasts in the
south continued to evolve, new styles of combat became necessary to deal with them. Spanish
remains very powerful, if not the most powerful, but a diversity of combat techniques proved
essential to deal with the new strains of wild beasts, and the Canon continued to grow and
evolve to adapt and stay a pace ahead of the threat.
“Moreover, introducing new schools help to attract more students to the institution, for some
may not find themselves particularly good fit for the Spanish school but better suited for another
school. With each additional school, the institution has seen its enrollment increase
commensurately. Consequently, the institution continues to grow in power and influence within
Langlandia, which gladdens the director, who is constantly out in the deep south exploring new
beasts and coming up with ideas for new schools.
“I see great potential in you, that you will go very far in the institution. The institution can be
selective, but I can recommend you to the institution, which will render it much easier to get
accepted therein.”
“Super! With your recommendation, I am virtually halfway in already!” Asa chimed, brightening
up at the prospect.
“Moreover,” offered Speed, “If you do not deem it presumptuous, I can help mentor you, if fate
wills we shall meet again.”
“I shall consider it my greatest honor to have a mentor in such a legend!” Thus saying, Asa
dropped on his knee to pay homage to Speed, but Speed intercepted him, saying, “no need for
such obeisance. Remember, I am not your master, but fellow students, and though occasional
mentor, I am sure I have a lot to learn from you likewise. I consider it an even trade.” Speed
concluded with a smile.
“Master Speed,” Asa mused, “if I may be permitted to ask, given your renowned skills in
Spanish, why did you not participate in the Spanish arena today? I would have loved to see you
capture another championship.”
Speed’s countenance turned solemn. “Yes, I might have been competitive in Spanish, but it is
far from certain that I could beat Congumelo, who has focussed exclusively in Spanish and
refined it into an exact science.”
Observing Asa’s incredulity on his face, Speed added, “Never underestimate your opponents. I
may be good at Spanish, but there are those better than I. As the proverb goes, for every high
mountain, there is another yet higher. Even if we do not see the higher mountain or even be
aware of its existence, it is out there. Remember this, stay humble, and you will go far in life.
“Furthermore, although I may be the top student in French right now, with time, this will no
longer be the case. My reflexes will inevitably slacken with age, and I will lose my speed, while
others will improve and eventually surpass me, perhaps a youngster like yourself,” Speed
concluded with a significant grin.
“In my wildest dreams, perhaps,” Asa pondered, before countering, “I also noticed that the
winners were awarded with 100 superchests, but they effortlessly took them all in, as if they
disappeared into thin air. How was it so?”
“Excellent observation, my worthy mentee,” Speed remarked, “I was fortunately to win three
championships and therewith awarded 300 superchests, but they do not require transportation.
It is on account of the fact that we each possess an enchanted bag which is invisible, has
unlimited capacity, and only requires the possessor to think of the item for it to magically appear
again. In it, one can store all kinds of articles, including superchests, the most valuable
commodity in the kingdom; potions, which are needed to replenish your health in difficult battles;
traps, for capturing wild beasts in the south; coins, to buy things in the marketplace; food, to
feed your beasts; points, to level up your beasts, and of course the beasts themselves, which
you may obtain by trapping wild beasts, purchasing at the marketplace or rewarded in a
superchest.
“In fact, the marketplace is nearby. Let us go thither, and then I will take you to enroll in the
institution. You will need an enchanted bag, and the marketplace is where you can buy all sorts
of articles to use. In fact, one of the most prized beasts, the ice dragon, can be purchased there,
albeit for a lot of coins, one million to be precise. I got mine there, after having had to save up
for a long time to afford it.
“In the marketplace, you can also set up shop and start making money, which you will need to
buy things to help you grow stronger. There, I shall introduce you to the three great merchants.
Follow me.”
Chapter 3: The Three Great Merchants
The marketplace, located downtown, not far from the arena, is a buzzling place where people all
over Langlandia come in and out, buying and selling various goods. Speed took Asa directly to
the biggest store there, co-owned and managed by the three great merchants: Quasar, Joch,
and Noah. These three own the vast majority of shops in the marketplace and are almost
inseparable from one another. As such, they are sometimes referred to as the Trinity.
“French Quasar, I brought you a new customer,” said Speed upon finding Quasar in the store,
“and Asa, this is Quasar, also known as French Quasar, for his strong affinity for French.”
Quasar was a big, imposing middle-aged man with brilliant blond hair and bright blue eyes that
seemed to stare into your soul. Whenever Quasar is in the room, his presence is immediately
felt by everyone.
“Welcome! ‘Tis always a pleasure to have a legend in Langlandia honor me by casting his
shadow upon the grounds of my store,” answered Quasar, and said with a radiant smile, “Nice
to meet you, Asa!”
“Nice to meet you too, French Quasar,” Asa replied, bowing in sign of respect.
Hearing the commotion, Joch and Noah soon arrived to meet them. “Asa, this is Joch, also
known as Awesome Joch, for his awe-inspiring ice dragon that tends to strike fear and freeze
his opponents at the mere sight of it,” Speed went on to introduce Asa to Joch.
Awesome Joch is appropriately named, for he is brawny and tall, standing at least a head above
the rest, with an eagle-like countenance.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Awesome Joch!” said Asa.
“The pleasure is all mine. Joch is fine,” asserted Awesome Joch, “we have no desire to scare
away a promising young customer here.”
“And last but not least, Noah, also known as Noah’s Arc, for here in his store you can find
anything you want in the world, just as Noah’s Ark once contained everything on earth,” Speed
went on to introduce Noah’s Arc. In an aside to Asa, Speed added, “another reason for his
nickname is that some say he resembled a cute monkey, and according to the Canon, arc
means monkey, cute.”
Noticing Asa’s puzzled looks, Speed continued, “Do not worry about that now. You will soon be
well acquainted with the Canon along with all the peculiarities thereof. Focus now on making a
good impression on French Quasar, Awesome Joch, and Noah’s Arc, and they can help you
make a lot of money.”
Noah is a somewhat short and plump man in his forties, and as Asa beheld his countenance,
with a prominent brow ridge, strong jawline, and wide-eye stares, it does have a striking
resemblance to a cute monkey.
“How do you do, Asa?” Noah gushed with a disarming smile.
“How do you do, Noah’s Arc?”
“Allow me to hazard a guess, Asa needs an enchanted bag?” inquired Noah.
“Precisely,” Speed replied, “Asa will enroll in the institution, and, judging by his robust physique
and boundless energy, I am sure he can be an invaluable apprentice in your enterprise.”
“It would be my great honour to apprentice under the three great merchants,” ejaculated Asa.
“Intriguing,” said Quasar, “We could use a hand. What do you say, Noah and Joch?”
“Agreed,” replied Noah and Joch, almost in unison.
“O thank you so much! This is the best day of my life, first finding a mentor in a legend, and now
an apprentice to the Trinity!” Asa exclaimed in jubilation, “I will do my best!”
“I have no doubt about it,” said Speed.
“We are not very strict employers, Asa,” began Noah, “We understand schooling comes first.
Just come whenever you have free time.”
“And we are not wanting in fairness either,” added Joch, “if you work hard and do well, you will
earn more money and even make partner with us some day.”
“You can start managing the apple cart or the fish cart, the latter makes money faster, but
requires more active management. You see, fish does not last as long as apples, and you will
have to turnover your inventory faster. If I were you, I would go with the apple cart: slow and
steady wins the race. Plus, what is better than making money without having to lift one’s
fingers?” Noah’s Arc suggested.
“Spoken like a philosopher,” replied Awesome Joch, “as for me, I prefer making money as fast
as possible, without excess risk of course. If you have the time, the fish cart is your best starting
business.”
Asa considered the matter for a bit. At last, he said, “I live not far from here and can come check
it often. I think I can manage the fish cart.”
“Good choice, I am glad you agree,” said Awesome Joch with a grin, “Now, here is your first
lesson in business. Rule number one: keep money constantly in flux. Idle money is dead money
and worse than useless, for it attracts thieves and rust. As soon as you earn money, redeploy
the money so as to make more money. For example, you can resupply your inventory when it
gets low, repair or upgrade your equipment to help you conduct business more efficiently, or
even upgrade to a more lucrative business. If there is nothing worth investing in, at least put the
money in the bank so as to earn some interest.”
Quasar had already begun working on the enchanted bag as they were conversing, and
presently gave it to Asa: “This bag is enchanted so that once you are connected with it, it
becomes a part of you and no one could take it away from you. To place an item in it, simply
think of putting the item into the bag, and it will go in. To extract an item already in it, simply
think of removing the item from the bag, and voilà! Give it a try!”
Asa bounded with the enchanted bag and imagined putting his coins therein, and magically his
pockets were free of his coins. Then he thought of taking the coins out and voilà! It was
fascinating.
“How much am I indebted to you for this?” asked Asa.
“It is free of charge, gratis,” replied Quasar with a wink, “in fact, we freely give enchanted bags
to everyone who needs one. It is good for business. You see, once someone has the capacity,
before long you will want to fill the bag with stuff. And guess who has stuff to sell?”
“By the way,” Noah’s Arc was quick to add, “that is not the only freebie you get in the
marketplace. The Merchants’ Association has partnered with the Institution to supply free stuff in
two community chests, the first from which you can receive a gift as often as every hour, the
second gives you a gift for every ten battles you win. The gift may be potions, coins, traps,
collars, points or food. We consider donations to these community chests as an investment, for
they pay huge dividends, by bringing people frequently to the marketplace. And once they are
here, the chances of them buying something increases greatly. In business, the hardest thing is
often bringing the customers in the door in the first place. Once they come, the rest is relatively
easy.”
“That does make a lot of sense,” Asa said after a moment of reflection, as he began to
understand the success of the three great merchants, and went on timidly, “if I may be permitted
to ask, given your great renown for masters of ice dragons, why did you not participate in the
arena today, not even in French, given your strong affinity therein?”
“Excellent question!” replied French Quasar, “well, you see, we three merchants have long
retired from active competitions in the arena or other competitions in the institution, preferring
instead to focus our time and energy on business in the marketplace instead. We may have
powerful ice dragons, but they mostly serve as scarecrows nowadays. We would fain relegate
such contests like the arena to brave young souls like Speed.” So saying, French Quasar patted
Speed on the shoulder.
“That is not to say we are entirely unconcerned with the arena and other institutional
competitions,” Awesome Joch quickly added, “In fact, we rely on them, for they are the principal
inducement for students to make their beasts stronger and upgrade their equipments, so as to
be competitive with each other. To this end, we routinely sign up for events where we anticipate
low participation, in order to encourage others to join and compete, but we hardly compete in
them seriously, if at all. Participation, rather than winning, is what counts.”
“To be frank,” added Noah’s Arc, “as the saying goes, when everyone digs for gold, sell
shovels. We would liefer make money supplying merchandise to people to compete in the arena
and hunt wild beasts in the wilderness. Why risk injury for an uncertain gain, when one can
generate a steady profit without risk?”
“You all made excellent points!” Speed finally spoke, “as for me, I live for the excitement of the
arena, which motivates me to grow stronger, fend off the wild beasts from the south, and help
protect our lovely island of Langlandia. Merely making money for the sake of making money is
too boring for me. À chacun son goût. Anyway, Asa still needs to enroll in the Institution,
therefore we must be off for now. Adieu.”
The Trinity exchanged farewells with Speed and Asa, as the latter promised to come back and
begin working as soon as he could.
Chapter 4: The Institution
Speed guided Asa along to the institution. Arriving at the office of the registrar, they were
greeted with a warm welcome by Lyss. “Hello, Lyss, I am glad to see you,” Speed said to Lyss,
and, turning to Asa, “and Asa, this is Lyss, the Registrar of the Institution.”
“Congratulations on your well deserved victories in the arena, Speed!” began Lyss, and, upon
noticing Asa, “whom have you brought with you today?”
“A new student,” Speed replied, “Asa was inspired by the arena today to enroll in our esteemed
Institution.”
“Nice to meet you, Lyss,” Asa said, “I am excited for the opportunity to study at the Institution
and hope to participate in the Arena some day, just like Speed!”
“Welcome, Asa!” Lyss said, “Which school would you like to enroll in? There are no bad
choices. All ten of them are excellent schools. Go with whichever you feel most inclined.”
“Lyss is right,” concurred Speed, “You saw all ten arena competitions today. Which do you like
best?”
Asa did not take long to consider. “I wish to follow the footsteps of Speed and the Trinity. I will
enroll in the French school.”
“Great choice! We will start you at grade 0. You will need to select a beast to start, among the
three common beasts we have to offer for free to new students: the wolf, the tiger, or the bear.
Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. The wolf is excellent with speed, but inferior in
attack. The tiger is excellent with attack, but inferior in defence. The bear is excellent with
defence, but inferior in speed. Consider your fighting style. Which appeals most to you?” asked
Lyss.
“Speed is key to victory, as Speed proved in the arena today,” answered Asa, “I will take the
wolf.”
“Excellent choice!” replied Lyss, and, having called for the wolf, presented it to Asa, saying, “be
mindful to feed your beast every hour, that it may gain loyalty and become stronger.”
“Next order of business,” continued Lyss, “is to receive the French grade 0 Canon from the
Dean of Education, Liam. You may follow me.”
“Asa, I leave you in good hands,” Speed said, as he took his leave, “we shall meet again, if fate
wills it.”
Asa bowed and thanked Speed for all his troubles today on his behalf and expressed hope that
they would soon meet again. “No trouble at all, a pleasure rather,” said Speed, and, having
spoken thus, left Asa and Lyss.
Lyss guided Asa to the Dean’s office. There, they found Liam reading. “Liam, my apologies for
the interruption. We have a new student in French, Asa,” Lyss said.
“It is fine. I was just reviewing the canon in my spare time. The Canon is a living document, you
see, constantly needful of corrections, revisions, additions, subtractions, etc. in response to
feedback from our students and to stay current with the times. A new student, you say, and in
French no less! Pleased to make your acquaintance, Asa!” said Liam with a welcoming smile.
“How do you do?” replied Asa, bowing.
“Here is the French grade 0 portion of the Canon,” Liam spoke as he handed Asa a thin booklet.
Noting the somewhat small size, Asa asked, “Thank you! This seems small; what about the rest
of the Canon?”
“A zealous student, I like it! Once you defeat three grade teachers, you will advance to the next
grade and receive the canon for that grade. All new students start off at grade 0. Defeat the
three grade 0 teachers, and you advance to grade 1 and will receive the grade 1 Canon.
“The grade 0 canon is the smallest and by far the easiest, designed this way so as to enable
students to build confidence with early mastery. It is meant to serve as a stepping stone to
greater learning. Of course, some students will not pass even grade 0, which is normal, and
they would be advised to try another school for which they may possess greater affinity. No
school is meant for everyone.
“Do not worry about the size. The canon is enormous. As you advance in grade, the portion of
the Canon will only get bigger with each subsequent grade. We have a total of 14 grades in
each school, and currently we have 10 schools, with 14 grades each. Believe me, there is a lot
to learn.
“Once you graduate grade 0, you will be considered an official institutional student. Grade 1 and
2 are considered beginner students. Grade 3 through 5 are considered intermediate, and grade
6 through 8 advanced. If you pass grade 8, you will become a graduate student, with grades 9
through 14 considered graduate levels. Once you reach grade 14, you will have received the
whole Canon specific for that school.”
“Thank you sir for the detailed explanation!” responded Asa.
“You are most welcome.” replied Liam. Thus saying, Liam returned to his review of the Canon
as a sign for Lyss and Asa to take leave of him.
Thence, Lyss guided Asa for a tour of the institution. “I understand you have already been to the
arena,” Lyss said, “it is where students engage in friendly competitions to hone their skills in
preparation for going down South to face the dangerous wild beasts, display their prowess,
network, provide entertainment for spectators, and possibly recruit new students.” Lyss cast a
meaningful look at Asa as she concluded.
Stopping before a magnificent building with Corinthian columns, three large arches, and a
marble lion guarding the steps, as Asa admired its beauty, Lyss said, “this is our main library.
Students are expected to spend much of their time here studying the Canon and other books
relative to their school curriculum. While the Canon is self-contained, an extensive reading and
study of other texts will broaden your perspectives, contribute to a greater appreciation of the
wisdom of the Canon, and generally enrich your knowledge and skills.”
Continuing on, they stopped at a huge expanse of land known as the training ground.
“Knowledge is useless without practice,” Lyss said, “this is where students can practice their
skills doing battles against trained beasts. The meadow is easy: the beasts here attack slowly,
great for beginners. The forest is normal difficulty: the beasts here attack faster, so your beast
will gain experience faster, at twice the base rate of the meadow. The caves are difficult: the
beasts here are very fast and powerful, so your beast will gain experience the fastest, at thrice
the base rate; only the most proficient students dare to venture therein.”
Thence, they arrived at an imposing tower. “And this is our renowned Polyglot Tower,” said
Lyss, to an admiring Asa, “where students compete to see who can climb the highest in our little
Tower of Babel.
“If the arena is the ultimate test of skills within one school, the Polyglot Tower is the ultimate test
of skills across all schools. Each school has ten beasts, one per floor in the tower, which gets
progressively more difficult the higher you climb.
“The first three floors are relatively easy, the next three moderate, the next next three difficult,
and the last floor extremely difficult: only the strongest and most skillful students can climb all
ten floors. With ten schools, that makes a total of 100 floors, which makes a perfect score.
Hitherto, no one has ever attained this or even close to this score. If you could climb halfway to
the top of the tower, i.e. 50 floors, you would be considered a stellar student.
“We host the Polyglot Tower competition every ten days, one day per school so as to allow
students plenty of time to rest, and we offer generous rewards as inducement for students to
branch out and study under as many schools as they can manage. First place gets 75
superchests, second place 60, third place 50, fourth and fifth places 40 each, sixth through tenth
places 25 each, 11th-20th 15 each, and 21st-50th 10 each. You see, even placing 50th in the
Polyglot Tower is an occasion for celebration.”
“I see,” Asa said, “hard enough to master the material within one school, how much more so to
master multiple schools? Pray, advise me, is it better to focus on one school at a time, or to try
to learn the basics in all ten schools, so as to get at least the first three floors in each?”
“Great question, Asa!” Lyss said with delight, “I like the way you think. Well, the Polyglot Tower
certainly incentivizes learning the basics in all ten schools, but it is not the only thing that gives
inducements or that matters the most. The arena remains the ultimate test and pinnacle of
honor in the Institution, and to become arena champion, you must thoroughly master the Canon
in that school. A jack of all trades but master of none will hardly become an arena champion.
“As you will discover through your learning, each school has its own Canon distinct from the
rest; howbeit, a common thread runs through all ten. Recognition of the common thread will
facilitate learning across multiple schools, but such recognition comes only after you have
developed a deep knowledge of the Canon within a school.
“Some schools have more in common than others. For example, Spanish and Portuguese are
widely considered to be very similar, and likewise Japanese and Korean, but the former pair is
quite dissimilar from the latter. Accordingly, a student who is thoroughly acquainted with
Spanish will in all probability find it much easier to learn Portuguese, than to learn Japanese.
“Moreover, all ten schools are not equal in difficulty for all students. One student may have
strong affinity for one school but weak for another, while the opposite may be true for another
student. Often, one may not know one’s affinity until one has begun studying in a school.
“Depending on your inclination and amount of time you have to devote to learning under the
Institution, I would advise progressing under one school for now, till you have either gained
sufficient proficiency or otherwise discovered that you are not a good fit for that school, at which
point enroll under another school and repeat the process of self-discovery.”
Asa listened attentively and nodded. “This concludes our tour of the main facilities of the
Institution,” Lyss said, adding, “if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to
me or Liam. You may now go study and challenge the three grade teachers when you are ready
to advance in grade. We will keep a watchful eye on your progress.”
“Thank you, Lyss!” Asa said, before taking his leave and going back home. It had been a long
day for Asa and was starting to get dark.
Chapter 5: First Day
Arriving home, Asa could not wait to tell Aaron and Adam all about his adventures today. Aaron
and Adam listened with rapt attention well into the night. At last, Asa asked, “Well, what do you
think?”
“I think you are one lucky fellow!” Aaron exclaimed, “Not only did you meet your hero, Speed,
but you also became his mentee? And you get to apprentice under the three Great Merchants?
And for the icing on the cake, you enrolled in the great Institution? Incredible!”
“Yes, that about sums it up.” Asa muttered.
“It almost makes me want to enroll in the Institution too,” continued Aaron, “except I know I am
better suited to be a spectator at the side than to be an active combatant in the arena myself,
not to mention the dangerous beasts from the South.”
“I am of the same opinion,” Adam added, “with Aaron and with the Trinity, that I too would liefer
sell shovels than dig for gold. But we commend you, Asa, for your determination and courage
and would support you on the sideline.
“We understand you need coins to get more powerful beasts and render them stronger. We
think we can help you in this endeavour. I have an aptitude for medicine and can make potions
for you to use and trade in the marketplace.”
“And I happen to be good with handiwork. I can make some collars for you,” Aaron offered.
Asa, overwhelmed with gratitude, gushed, “You are the best brothers in the world! How can I
ever thank you?”
“That is what brothers are for,” Aaron rejoined, “Just try not to get too excited yet. I can only
make common collars like the feather collar and the cloth collar, which probably will not fetch
too many coins in the market. But who knows? Perhaps some day I can make a legendary
collar!”
“And I am sure you will do the same for us,” Adam elaborated, “I believe you have great
potential to excel in the Institution. An arena prize or two will well justify our investment in our
little brother.”
Having agreed to a profit-sharing plan, the three brothers each retired to sleep.
The following day, Asa went to the library to study the Canon, the French grade 0 portion
thereof, to be precise. Given Asa’s enthusiasm and single-minded focus, it took only half a day
before he memorized all the elementary techniques contained therein. I should go practice, Asa
thought.
Arriving at the training ground, Asa was warmly welcomed by the three grade teachers, the first
overseeing the easy meadow, the second overseeing the moderate forest, the third overseeing
the difficult caves.
“We use standardized trained beasts here,” explained the first grade teacher, “that is to say,
they match your grade level, and their attacks and defences are comparable to that of your
beast. The only difference among the three levels of difficulty is their speed of attacks. Focus on
accuracy on the easy training ground, and speed on the difficult one.”
“Do not worry about injury,” elaborated the second teacher, “our beasts here are well trained.
They will attack with restraint and will cease attacking as soon as they win.”
“And when you are on the verge of winning,” the third teacher, “these beasts will admit defeat
quickly and withdraw before suffering any injury.”
Asa thanked the grade teachers and entered the meadow, an open expanse of pasture with wild
flowers of variegated colors strewn among blades of green grass, bees buzzing in the air and
butterflies fluttering to and fro. The warm sunshine and soft breeze instilled a general sense of
calm.
The training animals were easy to identify. The vast majority of them were common beasts like
the wolf, tiger, boa, stallion, grizzly bea, and bull. Asa saw many beginner students like himself
practicing, but there were plenty of beasts to go around without having to wait. Asa challenged
the beasts one after another and won with increasing facility, gaining speed and accuracy with
each battle.
It was one thing to study, but quite another to practise. Study was quiet and inward. It
sharpened understanding, built mental structure, and prepared Asa to recognize patterns before
meeting them. Study was mere possibility and theory: knowledge waiting for friction.
Practice, on the other hand, was physical and outward. Study provided the roadmap, but
practice put Asa on the road, where errors, bruises and successes taught faster than
explanations. It replaced possibility with muscle memory and theory with instinct.
Whereas study built clarity, practice built capability. Whereas study reduced confusion, practice
reduced hesitation. Whereas study envisioned the correct moves, practice rendered it
automatic.
After spending about an hour on the meadow, and easily winning every battle, Asa felt he was
ready to move on to the forest. As he began to leave, he was surprised to catch sight of Speed
practicing, which he did not expect to see, for the meadow seemed far too easy for a master like
Speed.
When Speed finished his beast, Asa approached and greeted him, “Greeting master, what fair
wind blows you hither?”
Speed, a little sheepishly, replied, “Good day, Asa! Well, normally you will not find me in the
meadow, for I generally prefer the caves to simulate real and arena battles and to gain
experience for my beasts faster. But incidentally there is a special event ongoing to see who
can win the most battles, with a good reward of a legendary collar to the victor! In the meadow,
it takes me far less time to defeat each beast, and since early this morning I have already won
hundreds, if not thousands, of battles.”
“Wow,” Asa was dumbfounded, “that is quite impressive, Master Speed! I do not think anyone is
remotely close to your speed and perseverance. I have spent about an hour here, and only
defeated about 30 beasts. Given that the meadow is far too easy for you, how do you cope with
boredom?”
“Focus on the end goal: winning the event,” Speed replied, “that supplies the motivation to keep
going. As for boredom, I turn it into a game of speed and accuracy: can I beat the next beast 5%
faster? What is the longest streak of moves I can make without a single mistake?
“I also allow my mind to wander, as the meadow does not require much thinking, to plan ahead,
process old information, and daydream, to generate new ideas.” Speed concluded.
“Thank you Master Speed!” Asa beamed, “I better let you get back to it. Best of luck on the
special event!”
After leaving the meadow, Asa went into the forest, a semi-open, layered space with light
arriving in pieces and sound absorbed and reflected. Unlike the meadow where everything was
in plain sight, Asa could see only what was immediately around. The forest was subtle and
continuous: It demanded focus and awareness.
There were many students practicing in the forest, just as in the meadow, but owing to the
density of the forest, Asa did not see many of them. Here, although most beasts were common,
uncommon and even rare beasts also appeared. Asa wins most of the time, but loses on
occasion. Those losses were especially instrumental for consolidating Asa’s mastery of the
canonic techniques.
Asa made sure to review his errors to reinforce the correct techniques. With practice, Asa was
rapidly gaining competency and therewith speed, till the Canon was so well internalized in his
mind, that after approximately three hours in the forest practicing, he could almost move
automatically without thinking.
Let me try the cave, Asa thought. Exiting the forest and entering the cave, Asa came into a
shadowy, cool enclosure which received no sunlight, but instead illuminated by lamps. The
beasts here attack very fast, almost as fast as Speed whom Asa watched in the arena. After a
few battles, most of which he lost, Asa realised that he was not yet ready for this level of
difficulty, but it was nonetheless instructive to have made the attempt and see for himself what it
would take to be an arena champion.
Back into the forest, Asa practised some more, focussing primarily on his weaknesses, to wit,
the techniques in which he was slowest, worst, and least seen, till those techniques became his
fastest, best and most seen. This was crucial preparation to prevent any unpleasant surprises in
any significant battles in the future. Finally, as the day was almost spent, Asa felt confident
enough with grade 0 Canon and went to find his grade teachers.
“I think I am ready to advance,” Asa told his grade teachers.
“Excellent,” replied a grade teacher, “show me what you got!” Thus saying, the grade teacher
took out his standard grade 0 beast with comparable strength to Asa’s, which attacked with
speed matching that of the moderate difficulty.
Asa’s wolf fought with such incredible speed and accuracy, that the battle ended in a matter of
minutes in Asa’s victory. “Well done!” the teacher beamed.
Next, Asa faced the second teacher and easily won likewise. “Bien joué!” the teacher said, “I
knew you had great potential. The next teacher will be a challenge.”
Finally, Asa faced the third and last grade 0 teacher. “I will not go down so easily,” the teacher,
taking out a powerful, very rare beast, cautioned, “show me all you got.”
Notwithstanding the disparity in beast power, Asa was in sync with his wolf and they fought with
courage and speed, that, after an intense battle, Asa emerged victorious.
“Sublime!” exclaimed the final grade 0 teacher, “You certainly are worthy of advancing to the
next grade! Never have I seen a student fight with such mastery of the Canon in passing grade
0 on their first day.” Having spoken thus, the teacher handed Asa the grade 1 portion of the
Canon, explaining, “You are now officially a beginner student in the Institution. Keep studying
hard and come back to challenge the three grade 1 teachers when you are ready to advance.”
Bowing to his teachers, Asa thanked them and departed for the marketplace to check on his
shop.
Arriving at his shop, Asa realised that, having been much too absorbed in his study and practice
all day, he had neglected to check his shop as often as he should. His wares were quickly sold
out, his coins earned sat idle and without resupply not as much money was earned as he ought
to have.
Asa went to see the three great merchants, apologised for what happened, and asked for their
advice on how he might improve. Upon learning that Asa was absorbed in his study and
practice all day, and that he had graduated grade 0 in the institution, the three were not
displeased, but rather commended Asa.
“As I have said,” Noah’s Arc explained, “schooling comes first, and few students manage to
advance to grade 1 on their first day! What does the loss of a few puny coins in potential
earnings compare to that?”
“That is right,” Awesome Joch agreed, “but back to your question, I think there is a way to do
both, both excel in your study and business. Here, take this.” Thus saying, Awesome Joch took
out a singular crystal ball and handed it to Asa.
“What is this?” Asa inquired, while examining the curious object which was almost weightless
and nicely fit into the small palm of his hand.
“This is a teleportation device,” answered Awesome Joch with a smirk, “with this thing, simply
by holding a clear image of whither you wished to go, you would be teleported thither!”
“Another thing you need,” added French Quasar, “is this, to help you keep track of the time to
go check the marketplace every hour, which coincides also with how often you ought to feed
your beasts.” Thus saying, he presented Asa with an hourglass.
“Wonderful!” Asa exclaimed with excitement and gratitude, “how much do I owe you for this?”
“Gratis,” the three replied in unison and laughed. It is apparently the Trinity’s favourite word.
“Your gratitude and remembrance of us when you become rich and famous will suffice,” French
Quasar added.
Asa could only thank the three profusely and promised to do his best from then on, if ever he
could repay even a tiny bit of all the kindness they have shown him. And he was true to his
word, checking his stand frequently thenceforth, managing it most efficiently and never had his
money sit idle again.
Chapter 6: Flora
As expected, grade 1 was more difficult and covered more techniques than grade 0. Asa
recognised that he would need more than a day of study and practice, to consolidate his
knowledge, before challenging the grade teachers. There is no need to rush and risk leaving
gaps in his knowledge.
Asa had by now established his routine of studying in the library in the morning, followed by
practice in the training ground in the afternoon, while feeding his beast and checking his shop in
the marketplace every hour, relying on his hourglass to keep track of the passage of time and
his teleporter to go back and fro without loss of time. What a couple useful devices! Asa
thought, fully cognizant of the Trinity’s munificence toward him.
One day, after practising for hours in the forest, which was now Asa’s favourite training ground
for its appropriate level of difficulty and pleasant scenery, Asa sensed that someone was
watching him. After looking around a bit, he saw her: a pretty little curly blonde girl dressed in a
multicolored flowery dress. She could be Asa’s age or perhaps a year older or younger. Her
beast was a bear and she was eyeing Asa at a distance with a mixed expression of benignity
and curiosity. There was a quiet certainty in her eyes, sharp and observant.
Seeing that Asa saw her, the girl deliberately approached and greeted with a playful smile,
“Pleased to meet a fellow student in this beautiful forest! I’m Flora, a student in Russian. I do not
believe we have met before. Are you new?”
“Nice to meet you!” Asa replied, “Such a pretty name, Flora! Your flowery dress quite befits you.
My name is Asa, and yes, I am a new student in French, having started but a few days ago. The
forest is such a beautiful place and your dress blends right in. Do you come often to this place?”
“Do you like my name? Asa is a cool name too! I am glad you agree the forest is beautiful!”
Flora beamed, “Yes, I come here a lot, both to practice and enjoy the calming sounds of nature
at the same time. What do you like the most about the forest?”
Asa pondered a while before responding, “What I like most is its quiet depth, a kind of silence
that is not empty but rather layered with birdsong, wind in the leaves, and the soft soil of the
ground underfoot. Time seems to flow more slowly and patiently. No one thing is monopolying
your attention, yet everything invites it. What about you, Flora?”
“I also love how the forest feels alive but unhurried. Trees take decades to grow, paths form by
use rather than design, and even decay has a purpose. It reminds you that not everything needs
to be rushed to matter,” Flora replied, nodding with approval, “Now, tell me, what interested you
to enroll in the institution, and why French in particular?”
Thereupon, Asa told her everything, from how he had often heard tales about the great legends
like Speed for as long as he could remember, to watching Speed competing in the arena, to his
meeting with Speed, to his meeting with the three great merchants, and finally that he chose
French to emulate his hero Speed and the three great merchants, who were most proficient in
French.
Flora listened attentively, without interruption, except to ask occasional questions for
clarification. At last, she spoke, “How fascinating! I agree French is a good start. Did Speed say
he did not join the Spanish arena because he would lose to Congumelo?”
“Not in those words exactly,” Asa clarified, “but he clearly entertained the possibility.”
“I know not who would win in an arena showdown between Speed and Congumelo in Spanish,”
Flora mused, “but one thing I do know — the cost would be disproportionately high, even if
Speed were to win. The field is too crowded — it is impossible to come out unscathed. A
championship in something less crowded is worth just as much as one in Spanish, but far easier
to obtain.”
“You are very insightful and really good at explaining thingsI I see now the wisdom of Speed in
focussing his energy in the other arenas,” Asa beamed, appreciative of both Speed’s and
Flora’s wisdom.
“It is good to have a role-model, who can help you work out a roadmap for yourself,” Flora
continued, “eventually, you will want to carve out your own path. French has gotten more
crowded since the time when Speed started. Though not as crowded as Spanish, it is
nonetheless crowded compared to many of the newer schools, rendering it much more difficult
to excel and win rewards in special events and competitions, which you will need to level up
your beasts and grow stronger.”
“What would you recommend?” Asa inquired.
“I am not sure where your affinity lies,” Flora replied, “it might be beneficial to give some of the
newer schools a try, for example, Italian or Indonesian, where the field is pretty thin and you can
excel easily, once you have discovered some aptitude therein. Ultimately, you can develop your
own combat style and possibly pioneer a new school.”
“Your advice gave me a new perspective! I really appreciate your honesty and insight,” Asa
observed, “I will have much to consider, and I fancy a lot of work cut out for me, to study in
multiple schools simultaneously.”
“You are right,” Flora concurred, “Do not try to take on more than you can handle. If I were you,
I would get through the basics in French first, provided that you do not find it too difficult, then
add another school and see how well you can handle two at a time. If you still have spare time,
then add a third, and so forth.”
“Excellent advice!” Asa proclaimed, “I really enjoyed talking with you, Flora. You are like the
best sister I never had. I hope we shall see each other again soon! Is there anything else you
would like to tell me before we meet again?”
“I see you have been diligently practising for hours. There is a saying in the Canon: ‘if you do
not stop now, you will give too much effort.'” Flora said, half-jokingly. “Practice makes perfect,
but uncertainty is the fertile soil for growth. Keep practising your grade material till you are
reasonably comfortable, but not too comfortable. You should still be making mistakes once in a
while, before you are ready to advance a grade.”
Asa thanked her again and was sorry to part, but was reassured that she would see him again
soon.
Chapter 7: The Legend
With his roadmap now clearly defined for him, Asa continued his routine of study, practice,
trading, and conversing with Flora whenever he chanced to meet her, who was always
motivational and gentle. Months thus passed, and before a year was over, Asa had mastered
the basics in French and graduated eighth grade.
Then Asa enrolled in Indonesian and then Italian and progressed with similar ease. Moreover,
he now truly appreciated Flora’s wisdom, for he found that with far less competition, he could
much more easily win many weekly and monthly events, and even won the arena in Italian a
few times. In French, there were too many adept students, so that even placing in the top 5 was
difficult, never mind winning. With the greater amount of rewards received in Indonesian and
Italian, Asa managed to strengthen his beasts and progress much faster in less time than he
could in French.
Along the way, Asa earned many accolades (titles), to include the following:
- Off to the Races (for getting 2,500 correct on the first day);
- Heart of a Hero (for getting 10,000 correct in the first week);
- 8 Grade Guru (for obtaining 8 grade guru titles, which required a lot practice in the first eight
grades); - Blue Belt (for getting 10,000 correct in training);
- Correct Cup Victor (for finishing a Correct Cup weekly event ranked number 1);
- Even Arena Victor (for finishing an Even Arena weekly event ranked number 1);
- Like Festival Winner (for winning the Like Festival monthly event);
- Exam Battle Victor (for finishing an exam weekly event ranked number 1);
and many others too numerous to enumerate.
Thus, Asa had made a name for himself and gained respect and even fame among his
classmates.
Starting ninth grade, he was considered a graduate student and must go down the Fluency Path
to continue advancing. The Fluency Path ran down south where he could expect to encounter
dangerous wild beasts, but which may be mostly avoided by staying on the main road. Along
the path, he would have to meet and defeat teachers using increasingly stronger beasts, rather
than standardised beasts. This made it incumbent upon Asa to strengthen his beasts sufficiently
before undertaking the journey down the Fluency Path.
To this end, Asa was much assisted by his trading in the marketplace, and his brothers also
helped supply him potions and collars with which to trade. Eventually, thanks to Asa’s hard work
and business prowess, the three great merchants accepted him as a junior partner after seven
years of apprenticeship.
With his saved up earnings from trading and prudent investments, Asa managed to buy for
himself a mythical ice dragon, the second most powerful beast in the land, which he had always
desired, though it cost a whopping one million coins, but it was worth every coin to Asa.
One day, Asa encountered his mentor, Speed, who was preparing for a long journey on a
golden Pegasus, the most powerful beast in the land. Rumor has it that with the golden
pegasus, one could fly away from the island of Langlandia to a brave new world. As to how
Speed came into the possession of the golden pegasus, he would not tell, saying it was a secret
entrusted to him by the Director, and that Asa would have to meet the Director himself to learn
this secret. But to meet the Director, Asa would first have to pass a trial: defeat the first 100
teachers on the Fluency Path!
Asa was sorry to see his mentor go, but Speed assured him that the journey was necessary and
that Asa has all the tools he needed to succeed, and that, fate willing, he would come back one
day. Asa was reluctant to part with Speed, and asked that Speed would give him a double
portion of his spirit as a parting gift to commemorate him.
Speed replied that this was a difficult request, but if Asa should see him fly away on the golden
pegasus, it shall be granted, but otherwise no. They continued walking on as if the day would
never end, and Asa persisted in following Speed, notwithstanding his weariness.
At least, they came upon a high mountain and Speed, mounting on his golden pegasus, flew
away in a whirlwind into the sky and grew ever smaller with the distance till he was seen no
more. Asa saw, kneeled in respect, and then went home.
Speed was never seen again in Langlandia. Some say he became a god, others say he went to
dwell in a foreign land, some skeptics say he met some mishap and was no more, and others
say he will surely come back one day. All agreed that he was indisputably the greatest legend of
Langlandia.
