Proof

Crack, crack!

Inside Bertolai Orphanage, in the open courtyard.

Several five- and six-year-old boys were holding thin wooden sticks, surrounding and attacking a tall young man in the middle, while he used a white cane to block and parry.

The clattering of their exchanges was extremely "intense."

The other boys and girls watched without blinking.

The children who were usually close friends with the boys in the game waved their tiny fists, cheering them on.

After a bout of "fierce fighting," a thin, short-haired boy landed a surprise strike, hitting the young man's left leg with his wooden stick.

Smack!

"I won!" The boy raised his stick and shouted with delight. "Haha, I won!"

"Evan, you're amazing."

Leaning on his white cane, Gilan smiled gently.

He then pretended to be in pain and rubbed his left leg.

"One day, you'll definitely become an outstanding cane fighter."

"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Gilan!"

Having received praise, the child's face shone with excitement, but he had not forgotten Headmistress Misera's teachings and remained humble and polite.

Gilan nodded to himself.

He looked toward the other children and praised them as well.

"You were amazing too. Your attacks were so fierce that I could barely keep up with defending myself..."

The boys exchanged glances, clearly delighted.

After that, Gilan played several more rounds of "cane-fighting contests" with the other boys. Without exception, every match ended in his "crushing defeat."

And each time, he praised the boys who had joined the game.

Of course, Gilan did not favor the boys. He played games with the girls as well, such as "throwing arrows across the river"—throwing thin wooden sticks beyond drawn lines to see who could throw farther or hit circular targets, scoring points to compete.

And every time, he was "slightly inferior," letting