Chapter 51

Finally, the day had come. The seventh birthday ceremony was the whole reason he stayed in Greenside for so long. Kai couldn’t say he cared too much for it, but it was an important milestone. Going from a carefree child to a kid looking to find his vocation in life. Or something like that. It didn’t really apply to his case.

It seemed so long, but it had only been a little more than a year ago when Kea had her ceremony and refused to share any details. Today he would see for himself. With no official religious position or texts to study, it was quite hard to learn more about the beliefs of the archipelago.

He put on his nicest clothes. Alana had bought him a new shirt for the occasion. It was nothing that luxurious: plain white, like most of his clothes, with dark green symbols on the sleeves that traditionally signified the favor of the spirits and health. That was what his mother told him at least.

Colorful dyes were not common in the archipelago. This was already more than he would have paid for a shirt. If his mom didn’t smile every time she saw him, he would have argued against it.

Checking himself in a palm sized mirror, he got ready for the big day. His clothes, if not extravagant, were pristine, his light hair cut short for practical reasons and to avoid attracting attention. Kai nervously played with the green pearl from the bracelet hanging on his left wrist.

He would do his best not to mess up whatever was going to happen. If not for him, for his mother’s sake.

Kea had already gone out. A week had not been enough to fix their relationship and she continued to avoid him. Her apprenticeship with Moui seemed to be working, so he didn’t worry too much.

From what the hunter told him, she was putting all her efforts into training, never complaining and asking for more.

She’ll be fine.

Alana and Ele were waiting for him in the living room. They accompanied him to the main square of old town. It was an hour after dawn, the sky was spotless and the heat of the day had yet to build up. Even the ever-present humidity was less suffocating in the morning breeze.

Only three other families were present with their respective seven-year-old children. One boy and two girls, all from new town judging from their modest clothing.

The other families were cheerfully chatting amongst themselves. To Kai’s great displeasure, Alana dragged them to join in. In the blink of an eye, the parents started talking about their children, all eager to share their kids’ accomplishments.

Kai awkwardly stood to the side, not knowing where to put his hands, switching the weight between his legs. Thank the spirits his mother remained vague about him. The last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention. Most likely no one would believe the truth even if Alana told them.

The other children appeared equally uncomfortable with their parents talking about them. Kai shared a knowing look with his fellow seven-year-olds.

He might have seen them before, the town was only so big. Judging from the whispered words and looks they threw him, they certainly knew about him. He must have accrued quite the reputation for being the weirdo who trained with a wooden sword on the beach. Amazing.

Surprisingly, they appeared more curious than mean. The excitement for the day or their parents’ presence might have something to do with it. Maybe he should have tried to make some friends, but he was going to leave in two days anyway. What was the point?

Time moved slowly as Kai wished he could be literally anywhere else. Even Ele started speaking with a teenage boy who had accompanied his younger sibling. The boy had a stupid smile plastered on his face as he talked to Ele, giving Kai a race for the most awkward person in the group.

Resigning to his fate, Kai joined his fellow children.

“You can truly do that with your status?” the boy was asking one of the girls, the tallest of the group. Taller than him.

Everyone knows girls grow up faster.

“Of course, you just need to—” The thin girl looked to be enjoying being the center of attention, letting the other two hang on her lips. She gave simple tips on how to manipulate the Guide as if they were big secrets.

It was all simple status customization, not delving into programming what-if scenarios. Kai reminded himself that most of them had recently unlocked their First Seal and were still in the phase of exciting new exploration.

He was happy someone else took the burden to lead the conversation. He could stand there a bit less awkwardly and occasionally nod.

“Actually, the best part is changing the color of the paper,” the girl was saying as the other two boys listened with big eyes. She waited for a couple seconds to enjoy their praying gazes, before revealing what else she knew.

Her eyes repeatedly moved to him, as if expecting him to say something. Kai had no intention of stealing her spotlight. He gave her another nod, hoping it was enough. She looked about to ask him something, but the shorter girl pressed her with questions, saving him from talking to another human being.

That was a close one.

As more families arrived at the gathering, a chubby seven-year-old with a bowl haircut joined their group. He was more knowledgeable about the Guide and started fighting the tall girl to be the focus of attention.

Ironically, the last people to arrive were all from old town. Confident gait and colorful clothes. With an unsaid agreement, the square was divided into two halves depending on the part of Greenside they lived in.

Kai couldn’t care less about the small-town drama if he tried. Sweeping his gaze over them, the face of one child was familiar. It took him a moment to remember. He was one of the kids who confronted him when he was learning to judge people’s race grades. Not the boss, but one of the underlings who ran away. From the way the boy paled and avoided his gaze, he was confident he was the same person. Soon all the kids from old town were throwing him weird glances.

I. Don’t. Care.

As the last family arrived, an old man stepped forward, putting an end to the impromptu gathering. Clapping his hands, he drew the crowd’s attention. Kai took a moment to recall the name. The mayor’s office was renewed every five years, he should be Elder Soluli.

“I’m glad to see all these promising young sons and daughters about to take their first step toward adulthood. Our town is truly blessed…”

The elder was pretty good with words. Kai could have almost considered listening to his speech, if the mayor hadn’t chosen to stand in the center of the old town crowd, forcing all the new town families to scuttle closer to hear.

Thankfully I’ll be out of here soon.

The speech didn’t last long. But enough for Kai to wonder why there was a need for one in the first place. They all knew why they were here. Couldn’t they just get on with it?

As if on cue, his mom and sister bid him goodbye, leaving him and the other seven-year-olds in the care of the elder.

“Gather up, children,” Elder Soluli called. He had a surprisingly powerful voice for his age.

With a little scuffle, the group formed up. Somehow the old town kids were all in the front. Another man had stepped up beside the mayor. Kai recognized him, even if he didn’t know his name. He was one of the hunters Moui greeted once.

The man stayed a step behind the mayor as Elder Soluli began another speech.

Not again, please be short.

“As you’ve reached your seventh year and opened the First Seal of the Guide, we need to thank the spirits that made this all possible. As you’ve asked for the blessing of Kahali, the great spirit of the sea, it’s now time to thank Yatei, the great spirit that guards all the islands of our archipelago.

“Kahali is a powerful spirit and grants us the blessing of our plentiful waters, but Yatei is the one who gives us the land we call home.” Soluli made an emphatic pause, moving his gaze through his young audience.

“Greenside always had a special relationship with the great spirit of the land. Our ancestors chose to settle in this place exactly for that reason.” The mayor smiled fondly as the children of old town puffed their chests proudly. “So close to the Veeryd jungle, the presence of Yatei is especially strong. Now follow me and be mindful not to offend the spirits.”

Elder Soluli directed the small group. The hunter watched them sternly from the side to make them behave. That gaze seemed to be the staple of every hunter, even if it was a pale imitation of Uncle Moui’s.

Curious, Kai inspected both adults. As he suspected, the hunter had only reached Orange ★★ with a type 2 profession. The true surprise was the elder. Despite his hunched back, he possessed an Orange ★★★ race and a type 3 profession. The only other islander at that level he knew of was Moui. The elder, who had been quietly talking with the hunter, turned in his direction.

Shit. Did he realize I was peeking?

Kai deactivated Inspect and Mana Sense, cold sweat ran down his back. He stepped closer to the thin girl from earlier, who was still arguing with the bowl-cut boy. Using Sneak not to stand out and Acting to look like he was part of the conversation.

The urge to see if the elder was looking at him was strong. He suppressed it. There was no sign of guilt more obvious than that.

A minute later, Soluli was back to talking with the hunter. He wasn’t so naive as to think it was all a coincidence. The movement had been too abrupt. The old man must have felt something. Hopefully, he had been unable to pinpoint the reason.

I didn’t even know that was possible.

The children got in line and Kai fell back to the end of the group. From the mayor’s speech, and the presence of the hunter, they were heading somewhere into the jungle.

“You’re Kai, right? So… How far are you from your next enhancement?”

Kai looked over his shoulder. The chubby child with the funny haircut was looking up at him with curious eyes. The rest of the group was a few steps ahead, as if they weren’t totally eavesdropping on the conversation.

“It’s rude to ask,” Kai said.

The chubby guy didn’t appear deterred by his curt answer. “Come on. I can tell you mine first. I reached Red ★★ and I’m more than halfway through the next enhancement.” He gave a glance at the rest of the group, who was still faking a conversation, and leaned closer to whisper. “They are the same too.”

With a glance at the mayor far ahead, Kai activated his skills, being careful to keep the elder out of his range. Children were many times easier to Inspect than adults. In a second, he was able to confirm the bowl-cut kid at least wasn’t a liar.

“Red ★★★,” he answered, hoping he would get rid of them faster if he satisfied their curiosity.

“No way! He must be lying,” the know-it-all girl exclaimed, giving up all pretense of not eavesdropping.

Kai shrugged. He wasn’t interested in arguing his position. It was indeed a lie, but not in the sense the tall girl thought.

With his lack of reaction or defense, the group lost interest and went back to talking amongst themselves, for real this time. The chubby guy, unfortunately, looked at him with a glimmer in his eyes.

“You’re telling the truth, right?” he asked.

“Yes?”

What does he want now?

“I knew it!” the bowl-haircut child congratulated himself.

Kai narrowed his eyes. “You seem to know a lot about me…”

The kid grinned. “I’m Telu.” He offered to shake his hand, except Kai looked at him weirdly, making the confident smile falter. “Isn’t this how people present themselves in the Republic?”

“I lived all my life in the archipelago,” Kai responded flatly.

“Yeah, I know. I just… never mind.” Telu tried to get back his confidence. “You are quite famous in town.”

“Am I?”

Telu nodded vigorously. “Yes. People often see you wander around and train on the beach. There are also other rumors…” He lowered his voice. “That you started a fight and beat up a bunch of kids.”

Kai stopped in his tracks. “Who said that!” He didn’t care about his reputation, but it grated on his nerves knowing that someone accused him of instigating a brawl when the opposite happened.

Telu’s eyes widened. “I obviously don’t believe them. It’s the kids of old town that repeat that. I knew they were lying.”

The glances he received made more sense. Kai wanted to know the names of who started the rumor. But then what? Find them and beat them up? That wouldn’t work.

Two days and I’m out of here.

Kai hurried to catch up to the group before the hunter or the mayor saw them fall behind.

“I also know something else,” Telu said with a conspiratorial air. “Are you truly an alchemist?”

Kai stared at the kid. “Where did you hear that?” It wasn’t exactly a secret, but even most adults at the market thought he sold potions made by someone else.

“I have my sources,” Telu said with a half-smile he probably thought looked mysterious.

Kai rolled his eyes. “And do pray tell, who is your source then?”

Now it was Telu’s face that scrunched up—for his strange choice of words, no doubt—but finally answered. “It’s my grandma, I think you know her.”

His grandma? And I know her…

“Don’t tell me it’s old Selly?” Kai said with disbelief.

Telu smiled cheekily. “Yes, she told me to ask you if you had more potions to sell. She said she would offer you the best prices.”

Kai couldn’t believe the thick skin of that woman. She tried to shortchange him at every turn, taking advantage that people wouldn’t buy from him, while she had a large clientele.

“I don’t think I’ll sell any potions for a while,” Kai said with some satisfaction. “I’m leaving town after the ceremony.”

Telu’s head hung low. “That’s too bad… Wait, you’re leaving town!”

Damn, my mouth.

“Why don’t you answer a question of mine first,” Kai said. “If old Selly is your grandmother, why do you live in new town?”

One of the reasons why the old hag had so many contacts was because she had lived here from the beginning.

“Oh… that. We lived in a village on the road to Sylspring, before the governor took our houses and moved us here,” Telu said, looking sad for exactly three seconds. “Anyway, where are you going to go?”

Kai sighed. He had answered his question, it was only fair he indulged the small guy’s curiosity a little.

For the rest of the walk toward the jungle, the bowl-cut kid pestered him with questions. Kai remained vague on the exact details, careful to not let anything else slip.

It was a relief when they finally stopped. A tiny path heading deeper into the Veeryd jungle started in front of them. They were on the westernmost side, close to the coast, the opposite side of the path to the estate.

“From this point on, we will continue without our shoes to be closer to Yatei,” Elder Soluli announced. “This is a sacred place. No more talking allowed unless you want to disrespect the spirits.”

Kai wasn’t thrilled at the idea of walking into the jungle barefooted, but at least there was some good news.

Thank the spirits. A bit of sacred silence.