Chapter – 51
[‘The Architect of the Tower of Trials’ pities you, thinking you must be very hungry.]
I had only looked because I was curious about what kind of snacks Mom had prepared.
But then—
[‘The Word that Builds Worlds’ shushes the gods and tells them to be quiet.]
[‘The Scales that Judge Souls’ suggests there is a sad story behind the possessed one’s picnic lunch.]
…Excuse me?
Suddenly, a tragic backstory got attached to my glance at the picnic basket.
[‘The Cynic Who Balances Equilibrium’ listens closely.]
[‘The Architect of the Tower of Trials’ listens closely.]
[‘The Eye that Watches the Chaos of All Things’ blinks.]
[‘The Scales that Judge Souls’ says: Back when the possessed one was in 3rd grade…]
Wait, why are we suddenly talking about that time?
Before I knew it, my past started spilling out.
[‘The Architect of the Tower of Trials’ sighs.]
[‘The Eye that Watches the Chaos of All Things’ understands your gaze.]
[‘The Cynic Who Balances Equilibrium’ restrains their tongue.]
Seeing the gods react so seriously made me feel a little embarrassed.
I mean, it really wasn’t a big deal.
The third-grade picnic was the first one I attended after losing my family.
Since the entire school went to the same place, my lunch got compared a bit with my cousin’s.
I had bought basic kimbap and dumplings and brought them in a black plastic bag, while my cousin brought a high-end hotel-style catered lunch.
On top of that, her mother even handed out pretty handmade snacks to her entire class.
It was cotton candy shaped like roll cake, flavored and colored with different fruits. It became so popular that the whole school talked about it.
At the time, her homeroom teacher secretly saved one packaged snack and gave it to me.
But somehow my cousin found out. She came to my classroom and caused a scene, saying it was a waste to give it to me and that I should return it.
Unable to endure all the attention, I reluctantly gave it back.
My life really is harsh.
I realized I wasn’t in any position to complain about unfair advantages.
By the time I finished sighing, we had reached the pond garden inside the Count’s estate.
Our family sat around a log-split bench table and opened the picnic basket.
A feast that blew away all distracting thoughts was revealed.
“Wow!”
There were buttery pancakes giving off a savory aroma, oily roasted goose, pork meatballs stuffed with cheese, sweet baked blueberry muffins, and refreshing raspberry juice!
“That looks so good!”
“Dad, you’re the best!”
“Ahem!”
Looking proud, Dad tore off a goose leg—the main dish—and served Mom first.
“Elthea, this is your favorite part.”
“Oh my, Leo.”
“Wait, I’ll cut it into bite-sized pieces. Here, say ah—”
“Ah—”
“Did you swallow? Then try a bite of pancake too.”
“Okay, ah—”
“I love seeing you eat well. …Kids, why aren’t you eating? Go ahead.”
“…Yes.”
Prinz and I answered weakly, realizing we had been pushed down the priority list.
“I kind of feel like Dad got stolen.”
“…Dad always belonged to Mom, brother.”
We left the remaining leg for Dad and took the wings instead.
“Brother, eat this.”
“Thanks. I’ll tear yours for you.”
“Okay. At least we should take care of each other.”
“Yeah, kid.”
Well, thanks to that we reaffirmed sibling affection and loyalty, so it wasn’t all bad.
Prinz and I showed off stomachs like subspace inventories as we competitively devoured the food.
Just as we were resting and patting our full stomachs—
Dad announced proudly:
“Ai, Linz. Mom prepared a special snack.”
“Waaah!”
“Wow!”
The long-awaited snack reveal time had come.
“D-don’t get your hopes up too much.”
While Mom blushed and cleared her throat awkwardly, Dad took out the snack.
And my eyes widened.
Cotton candy?
I never expected to see it here.
“Tada! Mom made fairy floss! Amazing, right?”
Fairy floss was just another name for cotton candy.
“Th-this is fairy floss?”
Apparently Dad hadn’t prepared Prinz for this.
To be honest, Mom’s creation looked less like fairy floss and more like devil’s floss.
The sugar had burned black and clumped together like thick hooks.
Mom must have noticed too because she spoke hesitantly:
“I thought it would be easy, but it was harder than I expected. Ai talked in her sleep last night about wanting some, so I tried…”
“……”
…Looks like my sleep paralysis habit is still there. I probably cursed my cousin a lot in my sleep too.
But hearing Mom decided to cook because of my sleep talk…
It made me feel a little—no, quite—strange.
“Well… next time I’ll do better. You don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”
Only after seeing Mom sadly trying to hide the cotton candy did I come to my senses.
This wasn’t the time to hesitate.
“Mom.”
“Yes, Ai….”
“Please give it to me. I really wanted to eat this.”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
I took a bite.
It tasted closer to dalgona than cotton candy.
Burnt dalgona at that.
But still—
“It’s delicious. Really.”
It was the best cotton candy I had ever eaten.
Even better than the cotton candy I bought with my own money on the way home from that third-grade picnic, when I was upset and humiliated.
“Thank you, Mom.”
“Ai….”
“Brother, what are you doing? It’s really good! I’ll eat it all myself!”
“H-hey! No! Give me some too!”
The painful memories of picnic lunches and handmade snacks from my previous life would probably be overwritten by today’s happy memories.
✠
The afternoon schedule was, as usual, training.
< Cadet Aillet, I am very disappointed. >
“Wh-why? pant pant….”
I tried to catch my breath after running five consecutive laps of the obstacle course.
Recently, endurance training had become harder because I had to wear sandbags on both legs.
Agnes, manifested in form, crossed her arms and explained why she was disappointed.
< Despite training so diligently, you still collapsed from divine fever. >
“That was already a month ago. Why bring that up now… Also, that’s not something you overcome just by training….”
< Such weak thinking! That is exactly the problem. >
Ugh, I can’t even argue back.
< It seems not only physical training but mental cultivation is also necessary. >
“…!”
Mental training from the Church’s number-one hell instructor?
Instinctively, I felt a bit scared.
< Therefore, starting today, an additional training you must undertake is… >
Gulp.
I swallowed nervously.
Agnes smirked slightly and relaxed her expression.
< A cultivation method. >
“What? Really? Seriously?”
My eyes sparkled.
Learning a cultivation method meant I was finally starting aura sensitivity training.
< Yes. You’ve reached the stage where you can begin. Sit. >
“Yes!”
For the first time in a while, a theory lesson began.
< A cultivation method refers to training that allows you to sense aura, understand its flow, draw it into yourself, and form a core. For aura users, it is as fundamental as breathing. There are many types of cultivation methods, and depending on which you use, the nature of the aura stored in your core will differ. >
“The main difference is color, right? I like white. Simple looks nice.”
< We have similar tastes. But color is secondary. What matters is accumulating aura suited to your swordsmanship. If you learn a fire-attribute aura method but later adopt an ice-based sword style, the conflicting properties may clash. In severe cases, your core could be destroyed. >
“Yikes….”
< Of course, that is an extreme example. Unless the techniques are very unusual, switching isn’t difficult. Some people even mix multiple types. >
Question time.
“Do you also have a cultivation method suited for your sensory sword style, Instructor Agnes?”
< Yes. It requires a method that maximizes sensory perception. It is difficult, but I take pride in its uniqueness. >
“As expected!”
< However, that should wait until your path is firmly decided. For now, it’s best to start with a simple, basic aura method. >
“Yes.”
I didn’t argue. Agnes was a professional instructor making decisions for my sake.
< I’ll demonstrate. >
What Agnes taught me was the cultivation method used by Holy Knights in training.
< Understood? Now try it. >
“Yes.”
Even if I perfectly mastered this and sensed aura, that wouldn’t mean awakening aura yet.
Feeling it, understanding its flow, and drawing it in all required enormous training.
Only after forming a core in my dantian to store aura could it be called true aura awakening.
That would normally take ages. Which is why I’m grateful for the system.
Once my Body Enhancement level and Swordsmanship level both reached level 50, it would awaken aura immediately.
So honestly, this cultivation training wasn’t that necessary for me right now.
It would only matter after awakening aura, when increasing capacity—
That was when it happened.
[<System> Church Basic Aura Method Lv.1 in progress. Beginning aura accumulation.]
