Chapter 313 Salvation 2 (1/2)
”Shin? Can I come in?” Kanari knocked on the door with the softest voice that she could breathe out.
”Kanari?” A baffled voice came from the other end. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Kanari steadied herself for the insurmountable task that she had to accomplish.
When she first discovered of Shin's plan to enter the Land of Dreams, Kanari was appalled by the entire idea. If it were up to her, she would have forced Shin to stay out of harm's way until he joined the Highgarden Duchy formally. However, being the supportive friend that she was, Kanari was forced to smile as she waved a reluctant goodbye.
After recognising his overwhelming talent, Kanari knew that she had to be patient in poaching the youth over to her side. Besides, they had to spend almost five more years together in the academy, which gave Kanari plenty of time to work with the stubborn boy.
Thus, one could imagine her horror when she discovered that her bosom friend, Elrin, had managed to sneak out of the Capital alongside Shin in his crazy adventure. Initially, Kanari wanted to chase after the group as well, but every single aide around her advised her otherwise. Yes, Shin was an essential asset for her goals. However, there was no way that Kanari should put her own life at risk just for the sake of scoring a few points in Shin's book.
With no other moves to make, the only thing that Kanari could do was wait patiently for the return of Shin, all while pleasing the boisterous Shizen and mentoring the twins in their studies.
In the beginning, Kanari was restless that Elrin would be spending a full month with Shin without her supervision, but being the optimist that she was, she saw an opportunity to bridge the academic gap that she had with the prodigious youth. After a few adjustments to her daily routine, Kanari soon became satisfied with her own advancements and couldn't wait to see the look on Shin's face when she beats him in the upcoming tests.
Regrettably, that image wasn't to pass. When the news broke that the Land of Dreams was being overrun by the Black Masks, Kanari felt her heart sink. Doubly so when she found out that the Black Masks had sent out two Tier 9 Spirit Beasts to blitz their way through the Land of Dreams.
Immediately sending out her family's intelligence officers, Kanari hoped that she would give the youth an added layer of protection. She knew that Isadore and Elrin would have their own protection detail, but to the best of her knowledge, Shin was mostly unguarded. Should anything happen to him, he was as good as dead against a Tier 9 Spirit Beast.
Thankfully, the worst case scenario never happened, and Shin was brought back to the Captial safely by Lady Seph. However, instead of returning back to the campus, Shin remained cooped up in his Master's large mansion, unwilling to come into contact with the outside world.
Confused by the sudden shift in his behaviour, Kanari asked around, and it was only by chaining Elrin down to a chair that she finally unearthed every single detail of their trip.
'I have to be delicate… Based on what Elrin said, Shin's insistence on catching Junius had caused the deaths of the pair named Cyphia Dandrea and Garland Mull. Furthermore, Garland cursed Shin as he took his own life. If I'm not careful, this incident will become a mental demon that he would never overcome.' Kanari took a deep breath in and placed on her most neutral expression as the doors swung open.
”Kanari? What are you doing here?”
”I can't visit my friend?” Kanari tilted her head cutely. ”Don't worry, I'm here to deliver some notes. You've been out of the academy for almost a month and a half! I'm sure that you would want to see some of my homework.”
Professionally delivering the excuse she thought off before coming to the mansion, Kanari raised the hamper in her hands, revealing a pair of notebooks. ”Also, I brought some snacks. You must have been sick of eating stale military food during your stay in the Land of Dreams. These highland grapes were freshly plucked yesterday. I'm sure it will suit your taste buds.”
”You didn't have to...” Shin smiled bitterly and showed his friend into the room. Taking the hamper and placing it down on a nearby table, Shin took out one grape and popped it into his mouth. ”You're right, it tastes sweet.”
”Hehe, I'm glad you liked it.” Kanari carefully examined the contents of the lonesome room and heaved out a huge sigh.
The Shin that she knew was a methodical and organised guy. No matter the situation, he would always clean up after himself, never leaving himself in a pile of mess. Yet, with just one cursory look, Kanari could tell that the young boy didn't bother with the chores during his two weeks alone. Clothes were thrown into one corner, bedsheets were so wrinkled that it wouldn't be surprising if bugs lived in them, and finally, a potent musky stench of sweat tormented the empty room, so much so that Kanari was tempted to cover her nose.
”Shin, so how have you been?” Finding a comfy seat on a wooden stool nearby, Kanari turned to Shin and asked. ”You've been quite hard to reach you know. I wanted to visit you sooner, but Lady Seph placed the strict ban of no visitors for one week. That really troubled Principal Erudito you know that?”
”Master did so?” The black-haired boy jumped in shock. He was wondering why no one from the academy came to bother him even though he had been essentially skipping school for two weeks. As it turned out, Lady Seph had really gone and threatened the bronzed-face scholar. ”She really didn't have to...”
Shin took the notes that Kanari had painstakingly written down for him and flipped through the pages. ”Wow, you really advanced quite a bit in your studies… This material is for third years.”
”What? You already read the third year syllabus?”
”Yeah. I would be gone for over a month you know. So before I left, I read up as much as I possibly could and finished the second year syllabus. During the times where I was free in the Land of Dreams, I would read some minor notes on the third year syllabus.”
”And here I thought that I would have caught up to you.” Kanari made an indignant face. Of course, she was acting that all hope was lost and Shin saw right through her. After a few moments, the two burst out laughing.
”Hah… Thank you, Kanari.” Shin broke the ice.
”Thank me for what?”
”Since you're here, I'm guessing you already knew what happened in the Land of Dreams. Even if Elrin and Isadore remained mum, you would probably send Spion to gather intelligence.” Shin accurately guessed the purpose of Kanari's visit.
”...” Kanari's lips twitched as she observed the young boy who was seated on his bed. Sighing deeply, the girl moved to the hamper and took out a small cheese wheel, placing it on the saucer that she prepared. Slicing two pieces out of the gigantic wheel, Kanari took one big bite while she offered the other to Shin. ”Eat. It's one of the best products that the Highgarden Duchy has to offer.”
”...” Shin was unsure where his friend was getting at, but he still obliged.
”Kanari… I know that it's pointless to ask at this point, but how much do you know?”
”I know that you found out that Mort Bay was where the Black Masks were striking. I know that you had narrowly escaped the notorious World Serpent, and...” Kanari paused, unsure if it was in her place to mutter out those words.
”You know that I killed someone?” Shin completed the blanks with a wry smile.
”Yeah...” Kanari gritted her teeth.