“Angor. Why are you so late?”
Angor stepped into the hall and saw Sailum gesturing at him.
“I didn’t see you all day. I thought Hookdick bullied you again,” said Sailum. He was carefully cleaning the table as he spoke, “I even went to Lady Asbel to ask about you. Guess what I saw?”
Lady Asbel?
Angor was puzzled for a while before he realized that Sailum was talking about Nausica.
“What happened?” asked Angor. He found some dishes and sat down with a slice of toast in his mouth.
“I saw Hookdick gathered a bunch of people to confront Lady Asbel, and they were beaten up by the lady for good. I think those people will stay indoors for at least half a month, seeing how their faces were swollen jellies,” said Sailum. He sounded happy, but he did not stop his table-cleaning task. When he was sure there was not a single scrap of dust on the table, he finally took his thick book from his pouch and placed it on the table.
“The guy’s tough. He still has that wound on his neck, and he actually tried to fight Nausica again? Where did that courage come from?” Angor snickered.
“I want to know too. Your bird messed him up everywhere. Hookdick still has those wounds all over him. Why would he bother Lady Asbel again?” Sailum spoke while enjoying his vegetable juice and roasted meat.
“Who knows… maybe the guy accidentally took the wrong medicine,” Angor commented nonchalantly.
Sailum nodded, “Every talent on the airship knows that Lady Asbel is the strongest one apart from Balba. Yeah, maybe Hookdick really ate some bad stuff.”
“He didn’t eat anything but he could use an extra nut in his brain,” An indolent voice came from behind Angor.
Nausica was carrying a dish toward them. She was wearing a white casual suit from top to bottom.
“Lady Asbel!” Sailum brightened up. He stood up and bowed to Nausica politely.
Nausica stopped in her track and complained, “Don’t call me like that. Just Nausica is fine.”
“But… Lady Asbel is such a legend. You’re even the queen’s friend…” Sailum stuttered.
“Only those who want something from me or not so close to me would use formalities. For friends, I wish they call me by my name,” said Nausica. She put down her dish and sat beside Angor before asking, “Do you like it if I call you Mister Pustin?”
“Nonono. The lady should just call me Sailum.”
“Lady?” Nausica flipped her hair.
“I mean—Miss Nausica.”
Nausica smiled.
“By the way Angor, you never left your room during the day. Don’t tell me you slept in?” Nausica was eating in an elegant manner. She tried finding casual topics to talk about.
Angor only let out an embarrassed smile without answering.
It was only chitchatting during mealtime, so Nausica did not push for an answer. Instead, she picked up from Sailum’s conversation, “I meant it when I said Hookdick lacks some brain-nuts. He’s so confident and is sure he can become a formal wizard. He used his future achievement as an asset and proposed alliance with me, to go against… little Angor here.”
Nausica shrugged, “You know the rest. I kicked him in the face.”
Sailum sneered, “Seriously, like Angor said, where did he find his courage?”
“Maybe he really has something up his sleeves,” Angor spoke.
“Maybe,” Nausica suddenly remembered seeing Hookdick talking to an old shortie with gray hair during the last evening. She did not recognize the old man. Maybe he gave Hookdick something?
“Sailum, you carefully cleaned the table, I thought you’re going to read your book,” said Angor. He noticed that Sailum had no intention to read his book at all during his meal. Then why did he clean up the table in the first place? Sailum even took his book out already.
Sailum was taken aback a little. He looked at the book on the table and revealed a thoughtful look as if he was cherishing something dear.
“This book is… really important to me.”
That was the only thing he said. Then, Sailum remained silent. Angor took a guess that there was a story hidden behind all this. Since Sailum did not want to talk about it, Angor decided not to ask.
After downing his glass of veggie juice, Angor stood up.
“I’m going back now. You enjoy your meals.”
“You have no other plans right? How about coming to my room later and have a drink?” Nausica asked.
“The laws in my home won’t allow me to drink alcohol for another three years, so, sorry but no,” replied Angor. He waved his hands and turned away, “I do have something to do, so let’s get together when we reach Brute Cavern tomorrow.”
Angor left the dining hall while Sailum and Nausica exchanged a puzzled look.
“We’re reaching Brute Cavern tomorrow?” Nausica asked.
“Angor said so. But how did he know it?” Sailum wondered.
“Maybe he heard it from someone. You know, considering his standing on the airship…” Nausica did not finish her sentence, but Sailum got her idea.
“Oh right, did you smell something sweet from Angor?” asked Nausica. She was sitting beside Angor and she believed she caught a faint fragrance from the boy. The strange smell even put her in a high spirit somehow.
Weird.
…
Angor walked toward Sunders’ room. There were guards along the way, but they did not stop him. Sunders must have ordered them so.
Sunders was in his room by himself. When Angor came, the man was writing something rapidly while holding the Singularity Dispersive Meditation copied by Angor in the other hand.
“Take a seat for now,” said Sunders. He did not even look up from his work. He only tossed a crystal tube at Angor before saying, “You encountered a good destiny during the journey and had your spiritual power increased. Take the test again. You will find a surprise.”
“Surprise…” Angor stared at the crystal tube in his hand and only felt terror. He did not forget the terrible experience when taking the test yesterday.
Angor sighed but he proceeded with the test anyway.
After another painful experience, Angor rested up for a long time and checked the meter while panting heavily.
“Fifteen points.”
That was two points higher. Not bad.
Angor remembered the Potion of Austere Night he brought back from the Nightmare Realm yesterday. Drinking the potion would increase his indicator to 17, which meant he would have greater efficiency when channeling mana!
The test felt awful but Angor was still happy about his result.