Both he and Jean took the pill given by Dean. They knew it was a simple healing pill and it was more than enough to cure any wounds that they might have accrued during the fight either due to the strike or overexertion.
It wasn't worth much but one wouldn't usually give them away like candies. It was clear to them that Dean would be adamant on having a reconciliation between them.
A minute later, Jean and Ajax found themselves seated on chairs opposite Dean. The room was abnormally quiet and the way Dean was looking at both Ajax and Jean, they preferred to remain quiet and look down at their feet.
Jean was genuinely a bit afraid. Though he was born in a noble family which had connections to the hunter division and his father also a part of the division, he was still a young teen. A serious glare from a man of power and captain in the hunter division, caused him a bit of trepidation. While Jack as an adult wasn't the same as Jean, and like every other day was acting afraid behaving like other kid.
After a few seconds of silence, Dean finally decided to be the one to break it. He made a loud sigh looking at them.
"All right, look at me both of you," started Dean. "The pair of you have been at each other since the first match arranged between you by the commander Dustblade on your first day as recruits. A bit of healthy competition is good. It helps improve, but recently it is escalating and I don't like it."
"Instructor Dean," said Ajax. "As you just pointed out, it is just competition between us. It will only make us stronger."
"Shut up, Ajax," said Dean. "With such stupid handicaps, it is no longer healthy competition. It is just stupid attempts to try and humiliate one another. You just keep quiet unless asked to speak when in front of me."
"Man, the guy is really angry. Maybe I really did cause some unnecessary humiliate. He isn't an agent trainee or something who can take a bit more hazing. Moreover, he is also a noble kid. Dean would have a better idea of the limits. Maybe, it is best I use this chance to make him a friend," thought Ajax.
"Since, Ajax is being a smooth talker. I will start with you Jean," said Dean looking towards Jean. "Why do you keep participating in these stupid matches when you know that Ajax is stronger than you?"
"I don't know. I just want to defeat him," said Jean in a grump mild voice.
"You say it in such a low voice. It means that you know that it is a stupid reason. Don't you?" asked Dean to which Jean had no response.
"How much did your father tell you about the hunter division?" asked Dean suddenly. To him it was clear that the usual speeches that almost all elders tell their juniors about keeping their head low and grow strength before fighting wouldn't work on someone as Jean. So, he decided to start from the boy's father.
"Nothing. Just that he had learnt a lot and it is a good opportunity to develop ones strengths," said Jean.
"He talked about his missions, how they affected his ideas or anything else?" asked Dean to which Jean just shook his head with the intention that his father never told him any of those.
"That guy is too strict for his own good sometimes. Ok. The first think that he should have told you is to control your emotions, which you failed," said Dean. Since, he felt that Jean was a prideful teen, he decided to redirect it elsewhere.
"What I just made a couple of bets with Ajax. It was nothing. I just failed to realize that I handicapped myself a bit," said Jean.
"No, it is not just that. You failed to realize that Ajax was always at advantage when you bet him. He was a good gambler. He made use of your pride and put you at a disadvantage. You are a bit to proud of your lineage and I am sure your father would say the same if he say what I did," said Dean.
"With all due respect, instructor Dean. That is the last thing my father would ever say. He always said that a noble must be proud and proud of his capabilities, since I was a kid. I refuse to believe that .."
"Yes, he is proud of his lineage as it allowed him to get strong, but he gained the right to be so because he is strong. And that is the mask that allowed him to beat up anyone he wanted to," interrupted Dean. "Don't you think that would be a possible scenario?"
"No. I don't ..," started Jean but began to stutter after that. It was clear that he began to think about what Dean said and began to wonder if it was possible. But at the same time found it very hard to accept that his father who loved him a lot would also fool him so much.
"He wouldn't fool me," said Jean his voice steady with conviction after a couple of seconds. "He cares about me a lot, so he wouldn't."
"I agree that he cares about you a lot. Don't ever doubt that," agreed Dean suddenly which made Jean happy as soon as he heard it, but what followed didn't.
"So, it was necessary that he fool you if he wanted to fool the others. If he told you this when you were a kid, if you can't act as well as him, there was no way anyone else would believe his act," explained Dean.
"Is it necessary to tell that about his father to him?" thought Ajax. He wasn't feeling sympathetic towards Jean, but felt that Jean wouldn't be able to act when he went home, which wouldn't help the viscount.
"I am sure your father wouldn't like me telling you this stuff, so early in your training," continued Dean. "To be frank you aren't even a knight stage cultivator. He probably planned to tell you after you became a knight as usually hunters are only selected from knight level cultivators, but since your are in a special class I decided to make you aware."
"Can you guess why?" asked Dean.
Jean was still thinking over what Dean had told him before. It was as if the kid's brain got short circuited. He wasn't responding much that even Ajax began to scold Dean in his mind for jumping the gun.
"You might have said too much," said Ajax looking at Dean as he noticed how quiet and mum Jean had been.
"Shut up. Till the end of the fight, he didn't realize that you were seriously trying to take him down. You were holding back and using him as a whetstone. Especially if he wants to join us. Syam and others don't care but the fact that he got fooled into accepting three losing matches within two weeks after the first fight with you, made quite a few instructors question whether he is hunter material," explained Dean loud enough that even Jean could hear.
"What?" said Jean suddenly getting out his stupor as he heard Dean say talk about the instructor thinking him unfit to be in hunter division. "They are questioning my competence?"
"Of course, they would. After the first fight, you are supposed to get an idea about your opponent, but you got fooled repeatedly and kept losing mana stones. Tell me would you not think about it, if you are evaluating??" asked Dean.
"I, I would," Jean stammered an answer.
"Yes, anyone evaluating you two would. Ajax comes up good for managing to fool you, but you...," paused Dean before continuing.
"Jean Creek, I am afraid that you need to learn that hunter division deals in clandestine and information collection operations. Being fooled around is not acceptable," concluded Dean.
"I am sorry. I wouldn't fight Ajax again," said Jean.
"Oh, you misunderstood again," said Dean catching his head. "You can fight him again. Beat him up nicely and I wouldn't care, but doing it at body tempering stage and losing ten mana stones on it is very stupid."
"So, you are not unhappy about us fighting?" asked Jean surprised.
"Of course not, we encourage combat among our members. Best way to improve. Now what is not encouraged is betting on fight when one is much stronger," said Dean.
"So, if everything is fine, I can go?" asked Ajax suddenly.
"Shut up and sit down, Ajax," said Dean sharply. "Though you have been clever. You have fooled a mana stones over the matches. Though the wit is respected, using it on a peer at this age is not looked favorably upon. Why take resources from your peer? Aren't you getting enough for your cultivation from us?"
"Huh?" said Ajax surprised. "Not looked favorably upon? It is just like a prank."
"Ya, an expensive prank while offending a viscount's son and a descendent of a marquessate of the kingdom. Makes it looks like you don't care about who you offend for resources and also like your are politically dumb," said Dean.
It was Ajax's turn to be stumped this time.
"Me? politically dumb?" thought Ajax. "Just for some prank on a viscount's son. I guess that the nobles have a lot more clout in this country than what I expected."
"I don't care about the resources. I just wanted to fight with him," said Ajax.
"What?" asked Dean confused.
"Why?" asked Jean. He was even more confused wondering why Ajax would want to fight him. Jean could understand and rationalize his reasons to fight Ajax but not the other way around.
"What is it? Some kind of commoner's pride?" continued Jean. "Are you some kind of noble hating rebel. I heard of there being such people."
"No, you are thinking too much," said Ajax bringing his index and thumb together indicating to him to shut up.
"Ya, Jean. Shut up. Let him speak," interrupted Dean. "I hope you have a good explanation, recruit Ajax."
"I have an explanation. Not sure whether it is good," said Ajax fidgeting with his fingers like he was tensed.
"Just speak," said Dean.
"Ok. Ok. Jean is the only one who still hasn't given up and is willing to fight me properly," said Ajax. "That's why."
"He is willing to fight? That's your explanation?" asked Dean. The answer stumped both Jean and Dean.
"You mean you will fool anyone who has the guts to fight you? You want no one to be willing or daring to fight you? And here I thought Jean was too proud," said Dean tilting his head towards Jean.
"No. No. You understood wrong. I want more trainees to be willing to have matches with me. I am the only one who doesn't get to spar," said Ajax. "How the hell am I supposed to improve?"
"You are the best in the class at combat. You want to improve more?" asked Dean throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.
"If I don't improve what is the point of being in a special class or any training?" Ajax questioned back.
"He is the only one still with a bit of spirit and courage to fight me. The rest have all given up. I made those bets with him to push him to fight. He also lost a few times and understands it is harder to defeat me. So, I had to bet to entice him to fight. Else why would he spar with me," said Ajax looking at Jean who just let his mouth hang open in surprise. The reason he heard was so absurd that he wasn't sure he heard right.
"So, let me get this straight. You need a sparring partner and you found Jean to be most suitable for that. Right?" asked Dean confirming it again.
"Yes."
"That is quite a fresh answer. I doubt anyone would believe this," said Dean.
"Why not? I have none of the instructors sparring with me seriously. It is all instruction with them. Just because they are knights, they don't spar with me," said Ajax.
"To be frank, Jean is the only one I respect as he is the only one still willing to not give up and can give me a good work out," continued Ajax.
"OK. Then from now on you both can have matches without all the bets, but they should be fair matches. Fighting with bare hands and feet is only acceptable when your opponent is also without a weapon or the opponent is much weaker. It is not allowed in training spars," said Dean.
"Come on, sir. Is it really that big an issue," said Ajax.
"If one uses weapons and the other the doesn't, the one without the weapons might get easily injured. The one having the weapons might end up learning bad habits in the fights. Jean you were quite good at following up with quick punches and kicks after your spear strikes, but it is also a good way to have them chopped. Training spars are practice for fights that you will have in real life. What you did will result in bad habits. So, I hope that is fine with the pair of you," said Dean looking at the both of them.
Ajax's reason actually gave Dean an easy way out to clear up any unnecessary hostility between them. From Ajax's words it was clear that he respected Jean. Jean would also feel good from Ajax's words as they elevated Jean above all other students. As he looked expectantly at the pair of them, Jean responded.
"I don't mind at all, instructor. I have a lot to learn from Ajax and I will spar according to the rules," said Jean getting up from his chair and making a slight bow towards the both of them indicating that he was a bit apologetic.
"Don't bother at all," said Ajax also standing up. Hearing that Dean felt that he finally got through to the pair of them and their short meeting has come to a good conclusion.
"But I don't want to spar with you much longer," Ajax continued changing the mood of the room instantly.