episode_0126

A secluded spot in the academy.

With spirits watching their surroundings, Loki and Sepia were talking without any disturbances.

“I’ll take the mask for now. I’ll lend it back to you, Sepia, anyway when we train a bit later.”

Loki put his hand into the already open vault and took out a white mask. Then, he extended his hand to Sepia, signaling for them to go together. “Shall we head to the arena now, Sepia?”

“Head to the arena, he says, sitting there. Are you messing with me right now? Hand over the magic tool, quickly!”

Sepia yelled at Loki, who was trying to subtly gloss over something. He was being shamelessly impudent! She almost fell for it, almost said, ‘Sure, let’s go.’

“Huh? A magic tool, I’m not sure what magic tool you’re suddenly talking about… I don’t know anything about it. Did you perhaps have a dream?”

Sepia’s body trembled as she watched Loki shamelessly scratch his head, pretending ignorance and asking her back. ‘No, endure it. If I get drawn into this, I lose.’ She always got drawn into Hogu’s antics. Because of that, there were many times she couldn’t say what she wanted. ‘It won’t work anymore.’

Sepia took several deep breaths mentally. Not only that, she imagined blue rivers and green-tinged forests to calm her anger. And then she spoke as calmly as possible.

“Hogu, I’m talking about the thing in your hand right now.”

“Hmm…”

Loki stroked his chin, pondering, then extended the hand holding the mask forward and swished it around.

“Are you perhaps talking about the mask? I don’t know if I should call this a magic tool, but if you want it, Sepia, I can lend it to you anytime…”

“Not your right hand, your left! You! You know all this, don’t you?! I’m really getting angry now!”

The composure she maintained with deep breaths shattered in less than 10 seconds. Seeing his shameless act of pretending not to know everything made it impossible to calm down, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Ah! You were talking about this?”

Loki put the mask from his right hand into sub-space, then unfolded his left hand, which had been clenched into a fist, and showed it to Sepia. On Loki’s open hand was a small, cube-shaped magic tool.

“You should have said so earlier, then I wouldn’t have misunderstood… When you look closely, Sepia, you can be quite mischievous, can’t you?”

Sepia wanted to hit Loki’s back right then and there for his annoying words, but she held back.

“So, you want this magic tool?”

Loki said that and pressed the cube-shaped magic tool.

*Click.*

[Thank you! Thanks for helping with the special training! Thanks for lending me the mask! Just thanks for everything! Happy now?]

The words Sepia had just spoken flowed from the magic tool.

“…”

Sepia wanted to let out the anger that had risen to her throat, but she held it back. First, she had to retrieve that magic tool immediately. She absolutely did not regret saying those words. On the contrary, she knew well that simple thanks couldn’t repay all the favors she had received. ‘But that doesn’t mean you go around recording my thanks!’

Loki extended his hand holding the magic tool to Sepia. Judging that it meant she could take it, Sepia reached out to take the magic tool from Loki’s hand.

*Whoosh.*

Loki pulled his hand back. Sepia stared at Loki with trembling eyes. You’re giving it to me, right?

“No. I’m going to pass it down to my descendants as a family heirloom.”

*Click.*

[Thank you! Thanks for helping with the special training! Thanks for lending me the mask! Just thanks for everything! Happy now?]

“Why would you leave something like that as an heirloom?! Are you messing with me right now?!”

“Well, it’s you, Sepia, who said ‘thank you,’ so of course I have to pass it down as an heirloom. Isn’t that just obvious?”

*Click.*

[Thank you! Thanks for helping with the special training! Thanks for lending me the mask! Just thanks for everything! Happy now?]

“It’s not obvious at all! And don’t talk like I don’t know how to express gratitude!”

“Oh, come on~ I didn’t think that even for a second.”

*Click.*

[Thank you! Thanks for helping with the special training! Thanks for lending me the mask! Just thanks for everything! Happy now?]

“And stop pressing it! How long are you going to keep playing it?!”

Sepia shouted at Loki, her face flushed. It wasn’t the first or second time Sepia’s face had turned red in front of Loki, but this time it was simply because she was furious.

“Hmm, if Sepia asks me so earnestly, then ‘today’ let’s just do this much.”

“I never asked you to! *Sigh*…”

The word ‘today’ was ominous, but Sepia had given up now. Right, if he had any sense, he wouldn’t play it in front of other people… ‘He does have sense, right?’ She was genuinely worried. She knew Hogu liked to tease her. But she didn’t know it was this much! Surely, he wouldn’t wander around the academy later, activating that magic tool just to tease her, would he? An ominous scene flashed in Sepia’s mind. Loki, traversing the academy like he was tightrope walking, constantly playing that magic tool. And her own self, chasing after him, trying to stop him somehow.

Loki watched Sepia, who was muttering, ‘No, that absolutely can’t happen,’ trembling with her head bowed. ‘It seems Sepia is mistaken, thinking I’m teasing her for no reason.’ Of course, he wasn’t teasing Sepia for no reason. There was an incredibly important reason for him to keep teasing Sepia like this.

“Sepia, this is all part of the training. Training to maintain composure without getting excited by the opponent’s provocation.”

“Really?”

“No, fake. I’m just teasing you because your reactions are so good, Sepia.” Why would it be real? It’s just my little bit of happiness.

“…”

“Huh? Wait a second, Sepia, why are you clenching your fist and coming towards me… *Gasp*. Just a moment, Sepia, my bone! My bone was hit… I’m really going to die if this keeps up…”

“Just take the hit and die!”

The spirits watching nearby to see if anyone was coming, looked on with enjoyment as Sepia slapped Loki and Loki screamed. They got along well today too. Exactly.

* * *

“Are there any more things to say… no, no, anything left to say?”

Loki, who was a wreck, asked as he tidied his disheveled clothes from rolling around. He could have easily avoided Sepia’s slaps, but he didn’t. If he avoided all of Sepia’s attacks, her anger wouldn’t subside, and then he wouldn’t be able to tease her later. Sacrificing his back to tease her again later. Perhaps this was true equivalent exchange?

*Chirp.*

“*Sigh*… I have one question.” Sepia, tired from hitting Loki’s back, said with a slightly rough breath.

“It’s not a question of whether you can hit me more, is it? I don’t think I can take any more hits today, so if you’re okay with it, maybe we can do it in installments…”

“No, it’s not! *Sigh*… Can I ask where you got the mask? Oh, if it’s awkward, you don’t have to tell me.” Sepia asked cautiously, unlike her usual self. That’s how peculiar the mask’s abilities were. Training with the mask is much more efficient than training without it? She couldn’t even guess what principle was behind it. Even if he got it from a dungeon, a dungeon that rewards such an abnormal mask would obviously have an abnormal difficulty. It wasn’t an important matter anyway, so Loki decided to convey the 100% truth.

“I’ve had it since I first appeared in this world, just like my handsome face.” Everything Loki said was 100% true. But, of course, Sepia thought it was a lie.

“If you don’t want to tell me, just say you don’t want to tell me. There’s no need to tell such a ridiculous lie.” Sepia pouted, feeling a wave of disappointment, and said,

“Aww. It’s true. Sepia, you need to learn to believe people’s words. I was really hurt just now, sob sob.” Loki crouched down and pretended to cry loudly.

*Squawk.*

Sepia’s eyes turned to Loki’s back, which was more visible as he crouched. Today, too, the red cloak occupied its place.

“Does that cloak have special abilities like the mask? Or is it just an ordinary cloak?” Loki turned his head to look at what others called his red cloak.

“Ah, this. Well… what can I call it? Hmm… Insurance? A joker card?” It was both insurance that could be used just before the worst situation struck. And a joker card that could turn that worst situation into the best opportunity. It was so important that he tried to find it first, even when he was first dragged here and disoriented. Of course, the chances of not using it are higher, but… ‘Whenever I think like this, I always end up needing to use it.’

*Chirp.*

“What’s that? Is this a secret too?” Naturally, Sepia didn’t know what Loki was talking about.

“If you’re unlucky, Sepia, you’ll find out what it is later.”

“Don’t people usually say you find out if you’re lucky?”

“Let’s talk about the cloak later if an opportunity arises. I have something I’m curious about with you, Sepia, so can I ask?” Actually, he had wanted to ask ever since he first met Sepia today, but due to one thing or another, he missed the timing. Loki’s finger pointed at Sepia’s head. To be precise, right above her head.

“It’s been bothering me since I first saw it, but what exactly is that yellow bird on your head, Sepia?”

*Chirp?*

“Is it perhaps emergency rations?”

*Squawk! Squawk!*