School
Early the next morning, Uchiha Tunan, disguised as Abe Keiraki, arrived at the Daimyo's palace.
Standing before the magnificent estate, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked in at a steady pace.
"Mr. Keiraki, please follow me," a guard stationed outside the palace said respectfully.
The Daimyo had already notified them in advance, and the guard led Uchiha Tunan toward the private school within the estate.
Neither the First Prince nor the Second Prince had arrived yet.
"Please wait here and enjoy some tea, sir," the attendant said politely.
Uchiha Tunan sat down, took a sip of tea, and then casually instructed the attendant,
"Bring me a whip, rope, wooden stakes, cold water, candles, and a sword."
The attendant hesitated for a moment, confused about why the esteemed tutor needed such items. However, he didn't dare to question it and simply nodded.
"Understood, sir."
Before long, the attendants returned, setting up the stakes in the courtyard as per Tunan's instructions. The remaining items were neatly placed on the corridor outside the school.
Half an hour later, the First Prince and the Second Prince entered the academy together.
The younger prince, carefree and playful, glanced around the room with little interest in his studies. Meanwhile, the elder prince was noticeably more composed.
Upon entering, the Second Prince merely cast a halfhearted smile at Uchiha Tunan, who sat with his eyes closed, appearing to meditate. He then strolled to his seat and slumped into it casually.
In contrast, the First Prince stood at the entrance, bowed respectfully, and addressed him.
"Teacher Keiraki."
Uchiha Tunan gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
The First Prince then proceeded to his seat and sat upright, his posture reflecting discipline.
At that moment, Uchiha Tunan opened his eyes and spoke in a measured tone.
"From now on, I will lecture for three hours each day, followed by an hour-long examination."
"Now, class begins. Listen carefully."
With that, Uchiha Tunan began his lesson.
The First Prince listened attentively, occasionally furrowing his brows in thought or nodding in understanding.
As for the Second Prince, he had already begun drooling onto his desk, his head bobbing as he struggled to stay awake.
---
Time passed swiftly.
When the lesson ended, Uchiha Tunan distributed two test papers, signaling for the princes to begin.
The First Prince picked up his pen, carefully recalling the lesson and applying his understanding to the questions.
Meanwhile, the Second Prince continued sleeping, his saliva soaking the test paper.
An hour later, as the midday sun shone brightly through the windows, Uchiha Tunan rose from his seat and began collecting the test papers.
His movement startled the Second Prince, who jerked awake, hastily wiping the drool from his mouth.
"Is… class over?" he asked groggily.
Ignoring him, Uchiha Tunan returned to the front of the room and examined their answers.
He skimmed through the First Prince's test paper, reading each response carefully. Then, without saying a word, he dismissed him.
"Your Highness, you may leave."
The First Prince stood up, bowed respectfully, and exited the room.
Then, Uchiha Tunan turned his attention to the Second Prince.
His expression darkened as he held up the test paper, his brows knitting together.
"What is this nonsense?" he said coldly.
With a flick of his wrist, he crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it at the Second Prince.
"Your answers are completely incoherent. A child of three could do better than this."
The Second Prince blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend why his teacher was so furious.
He had written his answers carefully—or so he thought.
But Uchiha Tunan was clearly unimpressed.
The young prince hesitated before speaking, his voice uncertain.
"Teacher Keiraki… I… I tried…"
Uchiha Tunan inhaled deeply, as if suppressing his irritation.
Then, he pointed toward the wooden stakes outside in the courtyard.
"Take off your shirt and stand with your back against the stake," he ordered.
The Second Prince froze, unsure if he had heard correctly.
Seeing Tunan's unyielding gaze, he gulped, hesitated briefly, and then, reluctantly, removed his shirt.
Bare-chested, he stepped into the courtyard and pressed his back against the wooden stake.
Uchiha Tunan picked up the rope and methodically tied the prince to the post.
The rough fibers scraped against the prince's skin, making him squirm in discomfort.
Tunan's knots were tight—so tight that it became difficult for the boy to breathe.
"Teacher Keiraki, why are you tying me up?" the prince asked, his voice laced with panic.
Uchiha Tunan picked up the whip and smirked.
"If you refuse to learn, you will be disciplined."
CRACK!
"AAAH!"
CRACK!
The thick leather whip lashed against the prince's bare back, leaving red welts across his skin.
"Help! Someone help me!" he screamed, thrashing against his restraints.
But no one came.
Tunan continued, striking again and again, the sharp sound of the whip echoing through the courtyard.
No pampered prince had ever endured such punishment.
"Hmph," Uchiha Tunan scoffed. "The Daimyo gave me full authority to punish you as I see fit if you refuse to learn."
The prince, tears streaming down his face, cried out in protest.
"But… but Kanaihara handed in a blank paper! Why am I the only one being punished?!"
"You dare to talk back?" Tunan's eyes flashed dangerously.
"You will learn what it means to respect your teacher."
CRACK!
The whipping continued for half an hour before Tunan finally tossed the whip aside.
"Remember," he said coldly, "you will report to the school tomorrow at four in the morning. Do not be late."
The blazing midday sun beat down on the prince's battered body. His face was ghostly pale, drenched in sweat.
His wounds stung as the salty sweat seeped into them.
"Y-Yes…" he gasped weakly before slipping into unconsciousness.
Tunan barely spared him a glance before calling to the attendants.
"Take him back to his chambers."
The guards had heard the prince's cries, but they had strict orders from the Daimyo not to intervene unless instructed.
They hurried forward, carefully lifting the unconscious prince, and carried him away.
---
The next morning, at precisely four o'clock.
A lone figure lurked in the shadows—Shinnosuke, one of the palace's elite guards, tasked with observing from the darkness.
His sharp eyes flicked toward the approaching sound of footsteps.
It was Uchiha Tunan, still disguised as Abe Keiraki.
"So this is His Highness's teacher…?" Shinnosuke mused silently, recalling the Daimyo's strict orders regarding the old tutor.
Tunan walked straight to the Second Prince's quarters and, without hesitation, kicked the door open.
BANG!
Startled, the prince tumbled out of bed, landing with a dull thud on the floor.
His head spun from the impact.
Tunan loomed over him, his cold gaze piercing.
"Do you know what time it is?" he asked icily.
"You defied my orders. Now, you will face the consequences."
Grabbing the half-dressed prince by the arm, Tunan dragged him all the way to the courtyard.
Without a word, he secured the boy tightly against the wooden stake once again.
"You enjoy sleeping late?" Tunan asked mockingly.
"Then you can sleep here."
With that, he lifted a bucket of ice-cold water—
—and dumped it over the prince's head.
The boy gasped, shivering violently.
His lips trembled as he stared up at his tormentor.
Meanwhile, Tunan retrieved a sword, planting it firmly in the ground beside him.
"If you want to resist me… kill me with this sword."
"But right now, you don't even have the strength to reach for it."
The prince's pupils shrank in fear.
"I… I won't study anymore… I won't… please…"
But Tunan only smirked.
"Let's begin."