Chapter 54  

After the long walk through the root maze, his pristine clothes were no more, covered in dirt and sweat. He did his best to clean himself up but didn’t have much success. It was already a great accomplishment he had managed not to tear them up on the rough roots.

They’ll be good as new after a good wash, hopefully.

The canopy of the great tree shielded the place from direct sunlight, but the humidity was even stronger in the Veeryd jungle. Coupled with the insects buzzing around, it was not going to be a pleasant few hours.

Only now Kai realized there had been no insects on the roots of the great tree. Just another mystery to add to the pile.

The hunter was nowhere to be seen, likely keeping an eye on the kids still lost in the maze. The elder stood staunchly staring at the great tree, as if he could glimpse something none of them saw.

Kai sat as far away as it was reasonably possible without seeming rude. With the elder’s abilities remaining a mystery, he didn’t trust to train even Meditation, much less any mana skill. It promised to be an incredibly tedious time when a brave knight with a bowl haircut plopped down next to him.

Without missing a beat, Telu started pestering him about the skill he used to get out of the maze. After Kai made it clear he was not going to give him a true answer, Telu just passed to the next topic. It appeared he had saved all the questions and comments he had not been able to ask in the labyrinth.

Kai was sure he would know every last shred of gossip about the market vendors by the time they went back. Not how he would have liked to spend his time if given the choice, but it beat going crazy for two hours doing nothing.

If he got lost in his mind, his thoughts would certainly wander to all the worst-case scenarios of how gods and other supernatural entities could screw him over. Telu’s endless stream of words kept his mind occupied enough to keep the agony of wasting time at bay.

Since when did doing nothing become so hard?

The thin know-it-all girl he met this morning turned out to be the only other person making it before the one-hour mark. Elder Soluli told her a few words of congratulation, before she decided to join Kai’s group.

Her name was Fal and it soon became clear there was some kind of rivalry between her and Telu. They started talking over each other and arguing about who knew the juiciest piece of gossip.

Putting together all the pieces in his head, Kai had enough material to write ten seasons of a telenovela. The good news was it spared Kai from being pestered with questions or even participating in the conversation.

The bulk of the children made it out in the second hour. Even the largest group led by the kid with the tracking skill arrived. He seemed to have lost a few people along the way and the ones who’d stuck with him had torn clothes and bruises. Probably scrapings from climbing over the roots and falling. It told a different story from the easy journey the confident kid had advertised.

Elder Soluli told them a few words each, but no compliments. As the third hour came around, the sun was getting higher in the sky and even in the shade it was suffocating. What wouldn’t he give for one of the icy drinks he got at the estate and a shower. He could settle for a cooling swim in the sea.

A few more people made it out, but they only received scoffs and scorn from the elder. The hunter came back carrying a girl, who looked small even for a seven-year-old. Her knees were bruised, and from her red eyes and tears streaks on her cheeks, she must have cried a lot. This experience would probably turn into a long-lived trauma.

Elder Soluli gave her a disdainful look, his voice harsh. “You bring shame to your family. The spirits don’t favor the ones who give up. There is no bright future ahead of you.”

Yep, this is definitely going to need years of therapy to resolve.

The girl sat on the ground crying. Maybe it was a lesson about not giving up—most likely—it was religious zealotry. That felt pointless and cruel. There was no need to beat someone who was already down. His opinion of the elder fell a step lower, starting to dig underground.

He clenched his fist, but he was not going to start arguing with the elder when they were in the middle of the Veeryd jungle. The only other adult was a hunter who liked him even less.

“Come on,” Kai said to the two chatty fellows who had fallen silent. They could at least offer company and a sympathetic look. The other kids left a wide berth around the crying girl, as if afraid the disappointment of the spirits was contagious.

Kai walked up to her and offered his hand. He was not sure she would accept it since they had never talked before. The girl slowly looked up at him, her willowy body rocked by loud sobs and her eyes clouded by tears. Instead of taking his hand, the girl directly went for the hug, starting to cry loudly into his shirt.

I guess I can add snot and tears to the things I’ll need to wash off.

Elder Soluli looked at him with contempt. Kai ignored it, he didn’t care about the opinion of an individual he carried no respect for. With a scoff, the mayor turned away, organizing the group for the walk back.

Kai tried to comfort the crying girl, but he was better with logic than emotions. Coming up with a dozen reasons why failing in the maze didn’t matter did not seem to help much.

I’m not good at this. What should I do? Help me!

Getting the hint from his frantic looks, Telu and Fal decided to step in. Kai gladly left them the reins of the situation, but the girl refused to let go of his hand.

The walk back home was very awkward. The seven-year-olds were arranged in order of arrival. Going from cheering and triumphant children at the head, to sullen and sad towards the end. His group was the only one breaking the rule. Somehow elder Soluli didn’t tell him to go to the front.

By the time they spotted Greenside, the girl had calmed down but still refused to let go of his hand.

Kai tried to slip away, but the hunter appeared in front of him. “You cannot leave yet.”

It soon became clear why they had been arranged in such a way. They had to march through the town to the square before they were allowed to leave. The victors at the head would be praised, while those at the end of the line were humiliated.

This just keeps getting better and better. What a nice way to shape the next generation.

Telu and Fal were getting antsy, their gazes nervously looking around. The crying girl had not said a word all the way, but was now gripping his hand even more tightly.

I’m going to become a saint.

“Come on, you can go take your place at the front. I’ll remain with her.”

Relief was evident on their faces. With a few words of apology, they ran ahead. Kai was a bit disappointed, but it was understandable. Contrary to him, they lived in Greenside and didn’t have the luxury of leaving it behind. If they stayed at the end of the line, everyone would think they performed poorly and didn’t have the favor of Yatei.

Judging from the number of people on the streets watching them pass, everyone in town knew of the ceremony and what their order in line meant. Plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle comments were thrown his way. Some with pity, others with schadenfreude.

This felt like the walk of shame of Cersei in King’s Landing. Thankfully the town was only so big, and Kai held his indifferent posture the whole way. Looking ahead and ignoring everyone watching.

Can’t wait to get out of this hellhole.

“You should go ahead. You don’t deserve this treatment.” With barely a whisper, his silent companion finally talked, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

Kai shook his head. “You don’t either, but let them think whatever they want.”

If he went to take his place among the first of the line, it would be like admitting he cared about the opinions of the crowd.

I’ve been blessed and approved by one of the two great spirits of the archipelago. I’m well beyond such mortal concerns.

It was noon and the town square was packed. All their families were present along with a noisy crowd, who wanted to get the latest scoop to gossip in town.

Kai spotted Alana and Ele in the crowd and waved at them. They smiled back, but their expressions faltered when they noticed his position in the parade. It wasn’t disappointment as much as confusion.

Kai turned to the little girl, who had yet to release his hand. “I have to go now. You shouldn’t care about what the elder said. The spirits don’t care about how long you took to escape a stupid maze. All you need to have a bright future is hard work and the Guide.”

Damn, that line was cringe.

“Mel.”

“What?”

“My name is Mel.” She said in one breath, before letting go of his hand and running away into the crowd.

Kai didn’t have time to think about what happened. The group of children had dispersed, and the small square had devolved into a loud mess of people.

“What happened, Kai? Is everything okay?” Alana and his sister were already upon him.

Kai smiled reassuringly. “Everything went more than fine.”

Seeing their confused expression, he began to explain what happened and how he had ended up closing the line.

“Barely knows how to walk and already goes stealing hearts.” That was his mother's comment, shaking her head theatrically.

Kai rolled his eyes. It was a good sign she was in the mood for jokes. He worried she would be upset he had not given the ceremony enough respect. To his surprise, she started ranting about Greenside's bizarre traditions. There were many ways to go about the seventh-year ceremony. What they used to do in Whiteshore was different and his mother seemed very opinionated on the topic.

He alluded that something had happened and that the ceremony ‘went great’, but he kept the details of the blessing to himself. He didn’t want to pull the spirits into their relationship and his mother could not give him unbiased answers on the subject.

Kai cleaned himself up and changed his clothes. After a quick lunch, the whole family made a trip to the sea. Even Kea joined them and went so far as to exchange a few words with him. Nothing more than small talk, but it was the first step to fix things up. She left early to play with her group of friends.

They spent the afternoon talking on the pebble beach, sharing stories and laughs. Kai planned to leave tomorrow. He didn’t want to prolong the goodbyes for one more day.

His family went back home telling him not to hurry and he remained on the beach by himself. He knew they were preparing a small feast to celebrate him taking a step towards adulthood and his imminent departure.

As the sun started setting on the horizon, painting the waves in beautiful colors, Kai jumped into the sea for one last swim. This time truly the last.

The water was at its warmest this late. He had held back with his family present, now he wanted to push the limits of what he could do. It was exhausting and refreshing. Gliding amidst the waves, afloat in the water, no sound except the ocean in his ears.

He dragged his body to shore, laid on the pebbles heaving. His lungs burning for oxygen and his muscles barely sustaining his weight.

With a thought, he summoned his race progress.

Race: Human

Grade: Orange ★

Next enhancement ➔ 28,793/100,000 XP

With seven new skill slots and a substantial increase in his attributes, it was ridiculous how much XP he gained in two months.

Dora had warned him not to get arrogant because it happened to everyone, but the progress was exhilarating. The pace would inevitably slow down, but for now it felt amazing. He was more than a quarter through the next enhancement.

Ecstatic about his new gains, Kai walked back home. As predicted, they had prepared a feast. As Kai enjoyed the food, he noticed Kea was in a strange mood. He thought they had made some progress earlier.

She remained silent the whole meal, not uttering a single word. She only ate half her plate—which was unusual even when she was sick—and excused herself early running out of the house. Kai didn’t know what to think or say.

His mother sighed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. She’ll be fine in a few days.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Ele added.

It was hard to keep a cheerful mood after that, but they tried to make the most of their last dinner together.

Kai spent the rest of the evening preparing his things for the journey. He had already cleaned and put every piece of alchemy equipment back into the expanded chest. He didn’t have many clothes or other things to pack. Most of the time was spent deciding which of his father’s books he could afford to bring.

With the three new volumes he wanted to show Dora, and two notebooks, not much space was left. He had to walk for days with that bag. If he didn’t manage the weight properly, it could turn into a very bad time. He was contemplating whether he should bring a particular book on an extinct civilization, when he heard a noise.

Kea was back home. He could hear her moving things around through the thin wall separating the two rooms.

He hesitated for a while, unsure of what to do.

I guess I should try to say something. Can’t make it worse than right now.

He threw the book in his backpack and walked out of his room. The door to her room was ajar, but he knocked anyway before entering.

“Kea I’m s—”

He stopped mid-sentence, the room was deserted. Things strewn around in their usual mess. Even a wooden panel leaning against her bed.

Where the heck did she take tha—

A memory he had long dismissed resurfaced. Kai dropped to the ground to check under her bed. As he feared, there was a missing floorboard.

No, no. I must be wrong.

He squeezed his arm inside to check the hole in the floor. It was empty. He checked again, but there was no trace of the package with the knife inside. Running out of the room, there was no trace of Kea either. The door to their house had been left open.