"Well, you're not learning very well. Although, in that respect, I'm not entirely sure whether you'd have been better off with or without my influence." He sighed, closing his book and smoothing his hair back. "And being a child, you can be forgiven for your naivety. That you assume the adult world to be as stable and reliable as you believe it is... I'm sure you'll come to realise that things are not always as simple as you like to think."

He sighed deeply. He had never quite been able to put the reason for his self-exile into words that Silver could understand. It wasn't something he could quite explain to himself, but it was harder trying to verbalise his motivations.

"Strength doesn't last forever. Eventually it is worn down by the patient. There will always be liars, and cheats. Those willing to exploit the system. But strength will eventually fade. The previous champions replaced by someone new."