Angor left the kitchen area in high spirits. Greya’s dishes weren’t something one could expect normally. Under normal circumstances, one needed to somehow acquire an invitation card of Barbie’s Restaurant to enjoy Greya’s service.
But Angor basically won his meal for free.
According to Greya, she was going to slowly roast “Mermaid Shells” on special cooking fire today, which might take some time.
In the meantime, Angor decided to go check on Nausica.
He saw Nausica, who was done examining the Krakoks and was now resting in the hallway.
“Is it something that can be solved?” asked Angor.
Instead of replying right away, Nausica took Angor away from the Krakoks’ room, found somewhere more private, and lit her pipe.
“Combining what you told me and what I saw earlier, yes, there’s a problem inside their blood. This problem has spread all the way to their souls, that’s why their souls will always get attracted to a certain magic array. It isn’t difficult to remove the problem from individuals, but it can be quite complicated if you want to ‘cleanse’ the root of the cause from all of them.”
She inhaled again and released some smoke that smelled like roses.
“What’s your opinion?”
“My opinion... If I’m in your place, I would try to find more clues by common means such as dissection. But we at least need to sacrifice like a hundred samples, and you don’t have enough of them.”
Angor frowned.
“Well,” Nausica continued, “that’s the best I can tell you. Perhaps my professor—’Grass Snail’ Fantase—can do something better. But we’ll need to use live subjects nevertheless.”
Angor pinched his nose bridge as he felt a headache. “So no matter what we do, we always need to kill some of them?”
Nausica nodded grimly. “Such is the price if they want help from outsiders. However, Mister Sunders had a point, that you can always tell the Krakoks to deal with their own troubles. They have talents among them. If someone manages to become a wizard... then they don’t really need extra help.”
Angor took a moment to think over the matter. The second option was better, since doing tests on Krakoks and killing them wouldn’t guarantee a definite outcome. What if he failed and killed them for nothing? Should he return to Soul Genesis Garden and ask for another group of Krakoks?
“Alright.” Angor nodded and said, “Since both you and my professor suggested so. If the Krakoks can’t manage this on their own, I can always wait until I become a wizard myself.”
“Have you ever done any talent test on them?”
“No, but my professor once mentioned that Papaya is talented. As for the rest of them... I don’t know yet.”
Doing the test wasn’t hard. Sunders once gave him a Talent Sphere. He could simply find some time and gather the Krakoks so that he could test them.
Nausica quenched her pipe and prepared to leave. “So you’re going to return to Marginalized Island this year?”
“Yup. In several months, maybe. My... former teacher is seriously ill. He needs my help.”
Nausica shrugged. “Then I guess we’re not seeing each other in quite some time. After getting the books I need, I’ll leave Brute Cavern and search for supplementary materials to be used during my bloodline fusion. Next... perhaps I’ll go to a mortal nation and rent a house so that I have a safe place to finally use my bloodline.”
“I hope we both reunite as our new selves.”
“Likewise. Safe travels, my friend.”
Nausica smiled brightly and turned away. Slowly, her figure became a tiny dot in the distance, decorated by misty clouds nearby.
Angor didn’t know how much improvement Nausica could receive. He only hoped that his friends would find what they needed to achieve their dreams, and hopefully survive during the coming crisis, which would loom over the southern region.
While it was true that most wizards tended to spend their lives in loneliness, it was comforting to know that they had friends working hard along with them.
Angor remained still and watched the bright dusk approaching. He then let out a deep breath and returned.
Goode was waiting for him near the Krakoks’ room. Though Angor could not see through Goode’s mask, he felt as if this man’s presence always brought comfort to those around him.
“Butler Goode, can you prepare me a room that is... rich in elements?”
“Are you going to give the Krakoks their talent test, Mister Padt?”
Angor nodded. He could make this job simpler by observing the Talent Sphere used by the Krakoks and tell whether someone was talented, but Angor decided to make it more formalized and leave a good impression to potential Krakok wizards, should anyone become one in the future.
“It will be ready right away.” It seemed Goode was pretty experienced about this and did not need further instructions.
The testing ground was located in a neighboring room.
Angor went to Papaya and explained how they should remove their bloodline problem on their own because they might need to sacrifice their members if an outsider was to help them.
When Papaya delivered the message to everyone, the Krakoks had no problem heeding Angor’s advice since they always trusted him.
Besides, “becoming a wizard” was an alluring temptation to the Krakoks as well. Most of the Krakoks brought by Angor were young ones in the prime of their lives. They truly wished to take on the exciting adventures in the amazing wizarding world.
They gladly formed into a line and waited outside the testing room, including Papaya.
Angor was planning to observe the tests himself, but he was forced to leave when Greya told him that her meal was almost done and that Angor had to accept it right now in order to enjoy its “full potential”.
When Greya threatened that she would rather toss a cold dish away than letting him eat it, Angor had no choice but to head to the dining room.
As for the Krakoks, Angor asked Butler Goode to take care of them. According to Goode, it was also him who was in charge of giving new recruits talent tests on Sunders’ Cloud Whale.
...
Angor arrived at the dining room and saw Greya gazing at a clock.
“Thirty seconds later and the soup will go into the drain.”
“Oh, heh heh... Sorry, Lady Greya. I’ve been busy giving someone a talent test.”
Greya knew about Angor’s tiny companions and didn’t ask about them. After mumbling “what a Mister Goody-Goody”, she pointed at Angor’s dish and left the room.
Angor walked to the table and noticed that Greya’s soup looked like ordinary seashell stew sided with melted cheese.
There was no particular smell. But when he tried sipping some, he felt as if his spirit left his body and traveled to the sea while enjoying the beautiful sunlight and water waves.
He heard beautiful music and looked around to see adorable mermaids dancing in the water...
This was like an illusion but not as invasive. The food smoothly transferred the brilliant sights into his mind and allowed him to enjoy the sea as if it were real.
He slowly returned to reality and realized that tears had been running down his cheeks uncontrollably.
He did not know if he cried out of joy or passion, but he knew the amazing soup had bestowed something to him, just like how the strange energy inside Spotty allowed him to comprehend something unknown.
He finished his soup and took a moment to savor it.
Greya’s voice suddenly echoed beside his ears, “This Mermaid Shell Soup is originally used to refresh one’s spirit, but I added something nice to it so that it can improve your spiritual power indicator for a little bit, permanently, without depleting your potential. I can’t use too much though. Let’s say, your indicator will rise for 0.5, at best.”
Greya paused for a moment before continuing, “Consider it a reward for getting me out of Sleepless City.”
Angor was surprised to realize what he just earned. While it was true that 0.5 did not sound like much, items that permanently increased someone’s spiritual power was always scarce and priceless in this world, especially something that did not have any side-effects.