Chapter 9: The Talk
“Run lla run!”
“I-. ArH! -Am!” lla was sweating profusely as I forced her to keep running.
After the first day, lla felt a little confident. Which smashed into pieces once the second day began.
The gym had a 1km oval and an obstacle course, both were part of the exercise required. Currently, she was doing the easy part of today’s training, just doing laps for two hours.
“Another Stella doing the [Quick Step] training makes a grown man cry,” wiping away the single falling tear.
“Shut it Brigade,” I sent a low-power fireball into his stomach, which he easily dodged. “Hey! What’s that big idea attack your uncle!”
Brigade Maxim was the current owner of Big Block Gym and a low-ti friend to anyone who frequently visited. Including my father. He wasn’t biologically my uncle but he treated the kids of any of his friends as family.
“It wouldn’t even have hurt.” My eyes dart back to lla as she slows down while I was being distracted, “KEEP IT UP! Trust you won’t like it if I have to co down to help!”
“EPP!” She pushed on even harder. Mostly due to fear… I should buy her ice cream later.
“Haaaaa… It’s going to take a month at this rate.” Brigade examined.
“Probably longer, we won’t be doing this every day.”
“My estimates are if you two train at least four tis a week,” he replied. Our talk quickly turned serious.
“Sadly it will only be two tis a week, I do want to also live her life and train her other skills.” I glance back at Brigade who had nodded in agreent, “How have you not found another person with a similar skill yet?”
He briefly froze, “Too many reasons Miss Stella.”
“Don’t call that, sounds weird coming from your mouth.” I declared.
“Haha, got it!” we both dryly laughed.
The ‘similar skill’ I referred to… belonged to my dad–[Brutal Instructor]. He had three jobs due to him just enjoying doing different things, one of those was working at this gym. Good ‘Teaching’ and ‘Instructor’ skills were rare, and if soone did have you could easily bet they wouldn’t be working in an average popularity gym.
Using this skill, he created his ‘hell week’ training routine.
lla's muffled scream barely reached , “Co on sis! Please give a break!” She had collapsed face-first into the ground.
“What will you be doing?” I asked as lla rolled over and sat up.
“R-resting for ummm….” not expecting to actually give her a chance, she stumbled over her own words. “Five minutes, while I watch you use the skill!”
“Yeah fine, okay then,” I didn’t show, but it hurt whenever I was asked to show off the skill. But I agreed and decided to race around the track using it repeatedly.
[Quiet Step] was around the sa level of power as [Quick Step]. But obviously, it focuses on stealth and movent instead of just mobility. I wish I still had the skill…
This course was created by Brigade’s great granddad along with multiple others designed to train people to unlock specific skills. But it was designed to be used by people who were level 50 or below–the range could differ greatly based on the Vocation.
Holding onto so semblance of the past I tried faking it–using more mana and my naturally stronger physique. Which was fine when demonstrating to lla but was instantly noticed by Brigade.
He didn’t question why I didn't have the skill anymore and he just look concerned. Brigade was an old fart who's been around the block a few noticed my new level of strength after I returned. Even offering to spar if I ever got rusty from sitting around.
“Okay, lla ti to go ho!”
“Y…a..y…!” lla celebrated but was too tired to move. I walked over and dragged her corpse to the exit. Before we left the building–saying goodbye to Brigade in the process–I realised it would probably be weird to drag lla all the way ho. So I placed her on my back.
“Weeeeee!” Sounding drunk, lla seemly enjoyed being thrown about like a child.
One of her dangly arms ended up resting on my right arm. Then a warmth perated through my entire limb. Confused but I didn’t react negatively to healing I could feel it wasn’t hostile.
Was that one of her skills?
“Hey, lla?”
“Zeee Zoooooy.” She was sleeping like there was no tomorrow.
“Hehe, what type of sleeping noise is that?” I laughed, wishing I could have recorded it for later.
“A…aa.a moRING!” lla finally awoke from her slumber. Jumping off the couch she happened to catch walking out of the bathroom midway through putting my shirt on.
“Good to see you’re awake,” I said.
“...” Her eyes were dark and she was silent for a few seconds.
“lly?” I asked in concern.
“Oh, sorry.” She scratched her head, “Still out of it…”
“Okay, just be careful,” I replied.
I went to the fridge where I took out a bottle, which I brought over to lla.
“Here you go,” I tossed into her hand.
“Thanks sis.” She began chugging it down. “Today was shit.”
“You just needed to work out more.” I poked at her arm muscles
“But I’m a Maagggeeeeeeee–” She rolled back and whined like a child.
“So what? Being punched is still being punched in the face unless you can dodge.”
“Whose going to punc–”
“Want to?” I gestured.
“NOOO!” She ran off straight into her room.
“Make sure you stretch more you idiot!” I called out knowing she could still clearly hear .
Ti passed and night fell, and lla stayed in the loungeroom watching the TV. Initially, we watched so movies but we switched to the news after a couple of hours. Kind of boring but learning the current state of affairs was necessary.
Mother ca ho and fell asleep after cooking dinner… she didn’t use to do that. I rembered she loved staying up until the end of the midnight hour
Then I heard the door open, “Tyell must be ho.”
“Yeah.” Tyell's hours were weird, sotis he worked early in the morning to midday and other tis she worked past midnight.
Tyell walked into the house and I prepared to welco him. But when he entered the kitchen– the kitchen and lounge were connected–I saw his injured appearance.
“What happen to you?” I calmly asked.
lla looked over after I asked Tyell, and scread “Are you okay!” She gave a look back asking ‘how are you unfazed by this?’.
“Just so drunk bastard,” Tyell placed his backpack on the table “Punched right in the face when I was cleaning a glass.”
lla whispered on the couch, “It actually happens!?”
“What does?” Tyell asked. Hearing lla's comnt.
“Umm.. nothing.” She sat back down and turned away.
Now lla had gotten that out of her system, I asked “Can you give his description and na?”
“...I don’t think I should,” he replied.
“Legal reasons?”
“There is a law about that, so yes.” he said, “Now if you excuse , I’m going to get so dinner.” Tyell did as he said, then joined us on the couch and we continued to watch the news.
“The band Blazers will be performing in the Helious Mall on 90th of Bluepple, two weeks from now.”
“How does one perform in a mall?” I asked.
“Cause Helious Mall a ‘Mall’ is a massive understatent.” lla answered, “It has two optional soundproof theatres, a movie theatre, so many different stores and about ten houses… Oh yeah, it was also built two years ago on top of the old history museum.”
“They demolished the museum??” I thought you weren’t supposed to do cause of historic value or sothing.
“Yeah they did. Loads of people were pissed but the building was unstable thanks to so of the items stored there. And they spent thirty years trying to fix it before concluding it was a lost cause.”
I feel soone with the right skills would have fixed it. I assud it exactly had to do with money troubles or sothing.
“So either of you going to that?”
“Nope,” lla replied.
“Not my thing,” Tyell answered.
The news continued to roll by; The pri minister of forty years got married; Averon won the blitzball planet league; A dog, cat, and donkey being saved from a cave-in; and then.
“Holiday Inc’s storage facilities were raided this morning current the culprits are unknown and the authorit–”
“Oh it was probably the Hood again!” lla yelled.
“I wonder what they recovered this ti.” While Tyell failed to hide his indifference.
anwhile, my expression darkened.
“Oh, sis you probably don’t kn–” The mont she look she beca stiff.
I stood up and walked to the kitchen side of the room wanting to create so distance.
Tyell stood up after , “Sister?” I turned around and noticed he started sweating. The only thing scary about right should be my expression? He must have a skill then.
I was going to this soon rather than later, and the perfect opportunity to start the conversation appeared. “Sorry to scare you, lla.” I apologised first, “However, to answer if I know them? Then yes I do.”
“...Are you upset we found them cool?” lla asked. While Tyell frowned.
“Yes, extrely.” My eyes brightened with mana, “They are the reason why I went missing.” I didn’t give them a chance to respond. “They attacked the ship I was on, caused the deaths of my crewmates, and sent the soon to be wreckage straight into a planet to never be found.”
lla was stunned silent.
“They must’ve had a good reason–” Tyell tried speaking up.
“Oh, they had a reason. To steal so cargo the crew knew nothing about. Which caused the deaths of my friends.”
He bit his tongue, and getting desperate he spoke “They don’t try to harm anybod–”
“Try to harm anybody?”
“Yes!” He yelled, at this point I was concerned that he was sohow brainwashed “Accidents happen but they only try and retrieve dangerous illegal items and dig up company wrongdoings.”
I didn’t yell, as all emotion left my voice and focused in my eyes, “I was stabbed in the chest with a goddamn arrow.” I grabbed my shirt and pulled it down, just to show the area where the scar lay. “Right here,” I taped it three tis. “Was where they got . After I had already been beaten down into the ground.”
“...” He stood in silence.
Multiple wounds were visible but the scar in the centre was the most prominent. No matter how many tis my body got healed it never faded. An arrow that damages the soul is truly a frightening weapon after all.
“... there must’ve been a mistake…” looking down he mumbled.
“A mistake?!” For the first ti tonight, I yelled. “What part about my friends were murdered, I was stabbed, I couldn't co ho for five years because of them do you not understand.”
“...sorr-” He couldn’t finish his sentence as he started to cry.
The noise awoke the attention of soone it didn’t need to. Clamouring out of her room, her footsteps were easy enough for to hear, “W-what is happening?!”
With teared-filled eyes, Mother scread. “Why are you fighting?!” Looking over the three of us. Seeing Tyell state, lla’s still body and my insanity-filled eyes.
“There's nothing to worry about.” I calmly responded, going back to my neutral state.
“Bu–” I interrupted.
“Tyell’s injury was from a custor at work.” I pointed at his cheek, “Our current argunt has been nothing but verbal.” Then I turned around ready to go outside for the night, “Speaking of which, we just finished.”
“Ceella..–” Tyell tried to say sothing.
“No, you will rest on what I’ve told you, and you will have learned your lesson.” I sternly replied. “Sorry about waking you, mother.” I apologised.
She saw walking to the door, “Wait where are you going!” probably worried I was going missing again…
“Just sleeping outside…” I rembered the date, “But I’ll be out all day tomorrow. Finally eting up with so friends.”
I left the building and jumped onto the roof. Still, it hurt yelling at them… Maybe I could have handled that… so much better…
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