The Sky Island Quest Is One Month Away
One month until the Sky Island quest begins.
I ended my meeting with Mu and resumed my ordinary daily lessons the very next day.
Without ever revealing anything particularly special, even when I switched avatars.
The reason was simple.
pGT>After all, if the Demon General staff members were watching, they would simply sense my lesson routine anyway.
pGT>So simply attending classes presented no problems at all.
pGT>Of course, if the opportunity arose I would not refuse to use my avatar.
pGT>But for the past two weeks, I had repeated the same ordinary lessons without incident.
pGT>And right now, I was in the back of the dining hall.
pGT>I was giving Kana special tutoring during the leftover lunch break.
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pGT>"Make the image sharper!"
pGT>"Uuu… yeah…!!"
pGT>The skill I was teaching Kana was the chef's battle skill 'Board Laying' that Mu once showed her.
pGT>Unlike the game, this skill required learning through actual combat experience, so it was notoriously difficult.
pGT>Kana had spent the entire two weeks training only this one skill under my guidance.
pGT>Most of her other chef skills were already mastered, so mastering Board Laying alone would make her abilities grow rapidly.
pGT>And after two weeks of training, Kana was clearly showing steady progress.
pGT>"Hup!"
pGT>With a shout, Kana poured strength into her knife-holding hand.
pGT>The Board Laying shape beneath us gradually became clearer.
pGT>Those skilled in Board Laying could see each other's domains with their eyes.
pGT>Right now, Kana's Board Laying reached about 80 percent completion.
If she continued for a few more days, she would surely master the perfect form.
pGT>"…Oh."
pGT>And just as I thought that, Kana's groan grew louder and the Board Laying shape became even sharper.
pGT>At this rate, it was almost 85 percent.
Although her mastery was still lacking, the time it would take to fully develop was short.
It seemed she could master this skill as a proper chef before the Sky Island quest even began.
But today, that was where we stopped.
pGT>"Haaah… I'm dying…"
As her magic power began to run out, Kana scattered the Board Laying on the floor and collapsed onto her back.
I patted her back and shouted cheerfully.
pGT>"Heh, you really do have talent. In my experience, you're the strongest chef I've seen besides myself."
"R-really?! Thank you, Master!!"
Kana beamed with joy at my words.
After all, just two weeks ago she had despaired over her own lack of talent.
It was only natural for her to react this way.
Feeling somewhat sorry for her, I sat on the stone rubble behind the dining hall and handed her the special drink I had brought along.
pGT>"Here, drink this."
"Ah, thank you."
A specially prepared elixir that quickly restored magic power.
Because the drink was peach-flavored, Kana gulped it down in one breath, her dry throat finally soothed.
Only then did she lean back against me with a tired sigh.
pGT>"Haa… I feel better now…"
pGT>"Yeah, rest up. Lunch break is almost over, so we need to get ready for class."
pGT>"U-understood."
Thinking of the two weeks ago when she had been late while with Mu, Kana let out a small groan before lying flat on the rubble.
The blue sky above us was dotted with thick clouds.
The sun was hidden behind them, making it a lovely day to look up at.
I leaned back on my arms and gazed at the sky, enjoying a pleasant silence that the gentle breeze brought between us.
pGT>Whoosh──
As the breeze brushed past my ear, I reached up to fix my slightly tousled hair.
Suddenly Kana broke the silence and asked me.
pGT>"Master! Have you ever fought with your sisters?"
pGT>"…Huh?"
Startled by the sudden question, I turned to look at Kana.
She was gazing at me with genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Why would she suddenly become interested in someone else's family business?
I scratched my head at the out-of-the-blue question, then realized it was actually quite interesting.
Kana knew how strong Aria and Yeonha were, and she knew we were sisters.
She would naturally be curious, especially since the siblings in this place seemed to constantly fight each other.
pGT>'Actually, Aria is the strongest among my avatars…'
Among all the avatars I possessed, Aria was by far the most powerful.
But if I simply declared Aria the strongest here, Kana, who called me Master while following me, would be terribly disappointed.
So what was the wisest answer?
I stroked my chin for a moment in thought, then gave her an answer.
Thinking about it, Kana would hear everything about them anyway through me.
So this time, I decided to let her taste just a little bit of the flavor.
pGT>"We never fought each other, so I don't know."
pGT>"But I'm unsure."
pGT>"For now, based on my sisters, I can say they all possess the strength to kill Demon General staff members."
"Demon General staff…! But isn't that amazing?"
pGT>"Haa… you don't need to know."
I grinned as I spoke of the strength needed to kill Demon General staff members.
But Kana, who knew nothing about demons, seemed unaware of just how extraordinary that was.
Her eyes widened as she tilted her head at my words.
With a sigh, I shook my head.
At my reply, Kana protested that I shouldn't treat her like an idiot, but I ignored it cleanly.
After all, I had already heard everything I needed to know.
pGT>* * *
A large, neatly organized room.
A purple-haired woman lounged on a floating staff, laughing loudly.
pGT>"Aha! This is fun! You really know how to scratch my itch!"
The reflection in the crystal orb she held was of a red-haired chef.
The woman kept replaying the words I had spoken and laughed repeatedly before slowly lowering the staff to the bed.
The woman who called her was Idea.
pGT>A sorceress with striking purple hair and blue ocean-like eyes.
She lay face-down on the bed, then turned her head to offer the same crystal orb to the woman sitting in the chair.
pGT>"Isolde, do you want to see? She says we're strong enough to kill us right now."
pGT>"…I heard it too since I have ears."
pGT>"Get out of here."
"Aww, that's no fun."
pGT>"Hey Morgan! What about you?"
pGT>"I'm fine. I've already seen her face."
At the cold dismissal from the purple-haired woman with blue eyes, named Isolde, and the white-haired woman with green eyes, named Morgan, Idea pouted and turned her body.
pGT>"Ugh, it's rare to have a girl executive meeting, and they're ignoring me."
"And my own brother is acting like he doesn't understand his sister."
Her childish pout.
But surprisingly, the reply this time was nothing but silence.
Isolde was personally wiping her staff with the water she had created with magic, and Morgan was sitting by the window, gazing out at the scenery.
At the two women showing not even an ounce of interest in Idea herself, Idea pulled the blanket beneath her and wrapped herself in it.
pGT>"Fine, whatever! If you won't talk, then don't!"
That was her final outburst showing genuine anger.
But since Isolde and Morgan still offered no reply, Idea finally fell silent.
Only then did a heavy silence return to the room, and a faint smile appeared on Isolde and Morgan's lips.
pGT>Click──
Isolde dipped her handkerchief into the magically created water and focused on wiping the blood from her staff.
Morgan inhaled the faint iron smell with a slightly ecstatic expression and gazed outside.
pGT>"Aria, Yujia, Kama, Meiel…"
An individual who judged the strongest among those she had planted parasites in.
And her own sister, the chef who declared that she could kill them all despite being a little weaker.
pGT>"…That sounds interesting."
Looking down at the horrifying sight of the Sky Island, where blood, corpses, and mourning lingered in the recent massacre, Morgan muttered quietly.
Imagining their strength that would soon allow them to fight.
With a deep laugh, Morgan filled her lungs with the bloody stench deep inside.