"What exactly is my role?" Adam asked as William strolled into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa and gesturing for Adam to join him who followed him behind him as intended.
Once they were both comfortably seated, William began, "You want to know what your main job is?"
Adam nodded, prompting William to pause in contemplation before responding, "Well, it's a bit challenging to define your overall responsibilities because, frankly, I haven't fully devised them yet."
Adam was taken aback by this revelation and asked, "You haven't?"
Adam thought that the kid in front of him must have had a lot for him to do as he went to such a high degree to hire him and even went to the length of actually buying the broken sword. So to hear that the kid didn't have any plan for him for him shocked him at the moment.
William shook his head, leading Adam to press further, "Then why did you even hire me?"
"To be honest," William confessed, "I wanted a strong subordinate who could prove invaluable in times of crisis. Maybe help out in ways that only strength could have a hand in."
"So when I was looking for someone like that, you're name came in quite high so here we are." William said as he added a little smile at the end.
Adam sat in stunned silence for a moment before speaking again. "So, I'm essentially an emergency contingency?"
"In a way, yes. There aren't any significant issues at the moment that require someone of your expertise," William replied.
Adam's gaze drifted as he asked, "So... what am I supposed to do then?"
If he didn't have anything to do then what was even the point in going to such lengths.
"Well, I do have a few tasks in mind for you. But before we get into that..." William straightened his posture slightly before asking, "How much do you want?"
Adam furrowed his brow, not immediately understanding. "How much do I want for what?"
"Money. How much money do you expect for your 'special' services each month?"
Adam still looked perplexed but replied, "I don't want any."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, I don't want any money. I already told you that if you gave me the Sword of Broken Heaven, I'd work for you indefinitely. So, I really don't want any money."
There may also be times when I require you to carry out certain 'actions' similar to those you've performed in the past. I know I said you would stop doing that, but your skills might be necessary in that area on occasion. Will that be a problem?"
Adam shook his head. "No, not at all. But I do have one condition."
William nodded for him to continue.
"I won't kill any innocent people. No matter what, that is the one thing I refuse to do."
William acknowledged this but was intrigued by Adam's underlying statement. "You say you won't kill any innocent people. But what about causing them harm? Are you willing to do that?"
Adam sighed, not expecting William to pick up on the nuance. "As long as it doesn't involve killing them, I'm okay with it. Still, I'd prefer it if you don't ask me to torture innocent people without good reason."
"Don't worry, I'm not a sadist. I won't ask you to kill or even harm an innocent person... not without justification."
Adam nodded as William continued.
"Now, the second thing I want you to do is... teach."
"Teach?"
"Yes, I've heard you're proficient with almost all types of weapons," William said, his tone inquisitive. Adam confirmed this.
"Yes, I can, but only weapons that are portable and can be used with either hand."
"And what about combat styles?"
"I'm well-versed in most weapon-based martial arts, but I don't have much knowledge when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. If you're looking for someone skilled in weapon-based combat styles, I'm your man—unless, of course, you're talking about secret family techniques."
William nodded. "Exactly. That's why I need you to instruct someone who lacks any fighting skills or even basic knowledge of weapons."
"Hmm... before I take on this task, let me just say, it's been a long time since I've taken on a student, so I might be a bit rusty."
"No problem. I'm confident you'll get back into the groove."
"Alright then, who's the unfortunate trainee?"
"It's me."