Chapter 49  

In the morning, Kai discovered the previous day's shenanigans had not gone unnoticed.

*Ding*

New skill added to the Archive! Persuasion (lv1) – With the right words and gestures you’ll sway people to see the best way. Your way.

He had not expected to unlock another social skill. Not because he had not done enough for it—he was pretty sure he got that covered—but he already had Acting. The overlap with Persuasion wasn’t big, but it was there. Most of his actions would go to level the skill in his status, making it harder to unlock other skills within a similar domain.

It seems I’m just that good.

Kai congratulated himself. He had no intention of taking it, but getting some validation for his efforts was nice. Persuasion looked like a very useful skill in some contexts, but it sounded too niche. He was confident his wits could do the job well enough.

Acting had fewer direct applications, but it offered a much larger field of possibilities. Like a Swiss Army Knife, it might not be the best tool for the job, but it offered something in every situation. He just needed to be creative with how he used it.

Getting off his bed, Kai started his daily training. After meditating, he ran out of the house. Today he would see whether his efforts paid off or were all for nothing.

Well, almost nothing. No matter how it goes, I got a new skill out of this.

A couple hours later, he was walking to Moui’s house together with his sister. Kea wasn’t impressed by the squalid neighborhood where the house was located and threw him a skeptical look.

Kai shrugged his shoulders, maintaining a confident facade. "Uncle Moui likes the quiet. Old town is too busy for his taste.”

Knocking on the door, the hunter opened it almost immediately. His gaze lingered on his sister. Before Kai could do anything, Kea turned it into a staring contest she had no intention of losing. He wanted to shake his head and raise his eyes to the sky, but he managed to stop himself. There were already enough people trying to sabotage the situation.

The two squared each other out. It wasn’t the first time they had met, but Kai didn’t think they ever exchanged more than some greetings and waves.

“Okay, I’ll see you later. Have fun.” Kai made a strategic retreat.

He always had a hard time predicting Kea's behavior. Would she be intimidated, intrigued or annoyed by Moui’s stern demeanor? He had done all he could to make this work, now it was out of his hands.

Hopefully, they would reach some kind of understanding. They could both be quite pig-headed sometimes. Most of the time probably was closer to the truth. Maybe they could bond over that.

He would be back in the afternoon to get his sister and solve any problem Moui ran into with his Mana Manipulation training.

I’m sure they’ll be fine. What could go wrong?

His mind was immediately filled with several improbable scenarios, each one more catastrophic than the last. He took a deep breath and pushed them out of his mind.

They. Will. Be. Fine.

It was time to focus on other things. His seventh-year ceremony was fast approaching. He did not have a lot of time left in Greenside, barely a week. After that maybe two days to prepare for the journey.

Kai was sure things would start moving in full swing when he got back to the estate. In the month after he reached Orange, they focused on getting him acquainted with his new skills and attributes. With that done, he dared not imagine what Elijah and Dora had planned for him, but he would bet everything he owned they were going to be even more demanding.

It surprised him a little, but he was looking forward to that. He missed the challenge. Having his days planned and filled from dawn to dusk. The exhausting routine away from any distraction that kept his mind focused and away from wandering into dangerous places.

On the other hand, he knew he would long for the freedom he had here at home and miss his family after a few months. In an ideal world, he would be able to choose something in the middle. Maybe having a short trip home every couple of months. Unfortunately, he didn’t live in that world. He could only take what he got offered and be grateful for the opportunity.

Walking back home, he spent the rest of the morning Reading his father’s books and doing some light Alchemy. He had taken a long enough break from his cauldron. He still had a few ingredients lying around from the deal with Reishi or bought from the market. There was no point in keeping them. When he went back Dora would provide anything he needed.

Making an inventory of what was left, he did a little planning to make sure he would utilize everything to the last pseudo-mana herb.

Some of the ingredients could be used to brew common concoctions he could sell at the market. More money to leave to his family was never a bad idea. The rest were fair game to try a few theories and do random experiments.

Around noon Ele came home for lunch. Without Kea, today it was only the two of them. Kai offered to help her cook and they started talking about their skills and plans for the future.

With all the secrecy around your status and skills, they were both hungering for a chance to speak freely. Tentatively at first, and then with more confidence, as they discovered how long they had waited for someone to talk about this. They started sharing more and more details up to the exact levels of a few of their skills and how they trained them.

His sister finally broke the unsaid rule, telling him her whole status. Kai hesitated for a few seconds. She had not asked him to say anything, but she had gone first, and he would feel scummy to hold back.

You can’t expect trust if you don’t give any.

His throat was dry, the words stuck in his mouth. Keeping secrets had been half his life. Did he want that to continue or change? Clearing his throat, he started telling her everything. His eyes and mind split between the urge to look away and the desire to see her face and read her reaction.

Sharing details within a family was common, but they had never gone into the nitty gritty. Exposing your status was like showing someone the summary of all your successes and failures recorded. You were left naked, at the mercy of their judgment.

Even with people you trusted, it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

“Wow, you really are a genius, little brother.” Her voice was as light as before. Showing no trace of anything except excitement for him.

Kai smiled awkwardly back.

They both were at similar points in their skills and race, but there was the trivial detail he was six years younger than her. He was overjoyed to see Ele didn’t appear bothered by his fast progress and looked genuinely happy about his success.

I’m not sure I could do the same in her position. Truly the nicest person I know. Too bad uncle Moui got the wrong sister.

To Kai’s eternal gratefulness, she didn’t let him stew in his own awkwardness and took the lead in the conversation.

“Have I ever told you how it was when I started pearl hunting?”

As they sat at the table to eat, she started telling him the story. Her mentor seemed a nice person. His sister’s eyes lit up as she narrated her first time finding a pearl.

“Mom paid using her services as a tideseer for the apprenticeship.” She revealed, stopping her flow of words. “I felt so guilty for putting another burden on her, but you know how she is… no matter what I said, she would not change her mind.” She said a bit unsure. Maybe she was still not over it.

Kai knew he probably looked like a deer in front of a car's headlights. He wanted to say the right words and be supportive, but had no idea what those words were. This wasn’t his field of expertise.

What should I say?

“Do you know when I and mom left to look for a teacher? After the first week at the estate, Virya made me an offer…”

Kai tried not to mumble his words as he told the story. He revealed the deal he had been offered: an apprenticeship or enough money to settle his family anywhere on the archipelago. He had long struggled with the guilt of that decision. Wondering if he had made a mistake and been selfish.

Only after he completed the deal with Reishi, earning more than two silver coins, did the last remnants of guilt fade away. Even if Virya kicked him out, he now knew how to help his family in a tangible way.

“You beat me even here too,” Ele said jokingly. “I could have never dealt with the guilt of refusing such a sum. I would have hesitated and gone for the safer choice.”

His sister ruffled his hair. “You should be proud, little brother, that must not have been easy, and you already proved it paid off.”

“It was not that hard.” Kai shrugged his shoulders embarrassed. “I wasn’t here to help Mom, but you were.”

They finished eating in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They needed a moment with their thoughts.

Is this how being brother and sister should feel like?

Kai didn’t know, but he hoped so. He liked the feeling.

Today the tide was high, his sister was free for the time being. After cleaning up, they sat at the table to keep talking. Trying to make up for a year away in an afternoon. It felt so easy, the words flew out of their mouth with no effort.

Ele told him more about her apprenticeship. Pearl hunting seemed such a fun and exciting job, he could see why his sister was so enamored by it. If he had not run into Virya, he might have also considered going down the same path.

“Whenever the tide is fair or high, there is not much to do. Mostly studying, skill training, maintaining our equipment or scouting potential locations. As soon as three or more moons align in the right place and create a low tide, things get more frenetic.

“We need to be prepared long beforehand. That’s why no pearl hunter would refuse having a personal tideseer. Mom knew it too.” She explained with a smile and roll of her eyes.

“As the waters recede, most of the time we have already swum as far as we can safely go, but sometimes my mentor wants more time to explore a hidden cranny or cave. At those times we sail her boat. We can bring more equipment and have an easier way out when the sea comes back. The boat isn’t big and easily maneuverable, and we need to row to get anywhere. Guessing the right time is the most important factor. Too soon and we lose time, too late and we risk getting swept away by the receding waters or damaging the boat.

“Then the fun begins. It’s a mad dash across the exposed sea floor. A sprint and a marathon at the same time…”

Kai listened to her every word, completely captured by her story. If he failed as a mage, he knew what his fallback plan was. Or maybe it could be the retirement plan.

Who didn’t love a treasure hunt? They had to use knowledge and skills to find the right shelled mollusk that contained their livelihood. Diving in hidden grottos while keeping an eye out for hidden dangers.

Ele’s biggest success had been undoubtedly the green pearl hanging from his wrist. She gave him the full story of how she found it by chance. It showed her mentor’s character that she let her keep it.

“I’d like to go with you one day.” Kai couldn’t help but ask when she was finished.

Ele smiled. “I’d like that too. After I get a profession, I’ll show you around the next time you visit.”

Kai nodded. Who knew how much time it would take, but he would hold her to that promise.

It was his turn to share. After all her adventures, life at the estate seemed boring, even more so when he talked about Alchemy and mana exercises. Chopping vegetables, he still remembered how Kea called the noble alchemic art. He wished he was a better storyteller.

Ele seemed to find the estate very intriguing and kept asking him questions, but he wasn’t sure if she was doing it just to be nice.

I will also have my adventures. Training at the estate is how I get to do that safely.

He kept repeating that to himself. He only wished it didn’t sound so far away. Ele reminded him she was six years older, but the thought of waiting for so many years still sucked.

Since she also had Mana Sense—aka the best skill ever—Kai gave her a few pieces of advice. Sharing his experience and a few tips and tricks on how to train the skill faster. He was glad she had seen reason, contrary to a certain hunter.

They could have continued talking for hours, but Ele had to go back to help her mentor, and he suddenly remembered he had an appointment too.

Looking outside the sun was lower than it should have been. He ran out of the house at full speed. He was late.

A few people yelled after him on the streets as he used the full power of Running to get to Moui’s house in record time.

Completely out of breath and covered in sweat, he stood before the wooden door. Everything looked in order as it had in the morning. He could put aside his worst scenarios.

Hesitantly knocking, Kai waited with bated breath. Moui had said he would give his sister two weeks, but with how stubborn they both could be, he knew the result of the first day could already decide if this would work out or not.

“Come in.” The hunter's deep voice called from the inside.

Kai hardly had the time to open the door when he had to get out of the way as Kea rushed out. His hopes crumbled.

Was it that bad?

Turning towards Moui, the hunter didn’t look upset, but it was hard to tell with his stone face.

“Don’t worry, she will be back tomorrow.” He stated, before closing the door in his face.

Hey! What did I do to deserve this? I mean, I did arrange the whole thing, but still…

I suppose I don’t have to help him with Mana Manipulation then.

Kai turned around, heading back home. Kea was nowhere in sight, already gone.

Amazing. I’m sure it will work out perfectly, they deserve each other.