Chương 27: Traces

Ch 27 - Traces Hearing that recounting, Evan's mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that this had to be the work of a demonic arts practitioner. It seemed that the man had been trying to turn Hiroto into his thrall, though he was stopped mid-ritual.

"What happened then?" Evan asked.

"Hm… Reika was distant from me after that," Hiroto said.

"I think she blamed me for just standing there and not helping her."

"That's stupid. It was obvious that man had you under some kind of mind control," Evan said. Hiroto gave a small smile.

"Perhaps. But… it's not as if I forgive myself for not being able to do anything either." Oh geez, was Evan supposed to give a lecture about how that demonic arts practitioner had been controlling him? No, that would only make him suspicious, so Evan just said, "Did that end up being the cause of her hating you?"

"One of them… the other… well, I became an F-rank," Hiroto said, rubbing his wrist as he gazed beyond the window where people were milling about.

"She looked down on you because of it?" Evan frowned.

"It's not as if she's wrong. An F-rank is useless. I come from a family of Awakeners. My father is a Guild Master, and as his son, people expect more from me. It would've been fine if I'd awakened as an E-rank, but I ended up as an F instead. It's... humiliating." A string of curses rose in Evan's throat, but he swallowed them down and asked, "What's your ability anyway?"

"Oh? I haven't told you? It's nothing special, and a bit silly honestly," Hiroto said. He opened his palm, and above it a small portal the size of an eraser appeared. From it dropped a small candy.

"Here, for you." Evan accepted the offering and put it in his mouth. It was chocolate and hazelnut.

"I can open a small subspace where I can store things, but as you can see the size is limited to this small candy, so it's not useful at all," Hiroto said. Chewing on the candy, Evan considered Hiroto's situation. Though the ritual had been interrupted, Hiroto had still been caught in it, and that surge of demonic energy had to have gone somewhere. Maybe having Reid take a look at him wouldn't be a bad idea. They waited several more minutes before the repair technician returned.

"You're lucky," she said.

"The surge cooked the battery and the charging board, but the storage and motherboard are intact. Once those parts are replaced, it'll be as good as new. I can have it fixed by tomorrow, but it'll cost 350 Credits." Evan was about to pull out his phone to transfer the money when Hiroto raised a hand.

"Please, let me pay for it."

"What for?"

"My sister was the one who broke it. As her older brother, I should take responsibility," Hiroto said. Evan looked at the smile on Hiroto's face and wondered if all big brothers were like this. Turning his gaze away, he said, "Suit yourself." With his Orion Deck now in safe hands, the two students returned to the academy. Evan headed back to his room, where he messaged his brother. [I'm back.] [Did you have fun?] Reid replied. Evan's mouth twitched. [We went to get my broken Orion Deck fixed. What fun would we have?] [But this is your first time going out with a friend since coming to District 1,] Reid replied. [Didn't I tell you that you'd get along with the kids here?] Recalling being cornered by bullies and his encounters with Reika, Evan would have liked to disagree. But knowing that bringing it up would only make Reid worry, he let it go. [How about you meet him then?] [Oh? You want me to meet him? Sure. I'm free tomorrow. We can meet after cooking club and have dinner together.] [Sounds good.] The following morning, Evan attended his classes as usual. After spending over a week at the academy, he had gotten used to its rhythm. Aside from the occasional glances thrown his way for being one of the infamous F-rank students, it wasn't that bad. Today, however, Evan was a little distracted as he tried to figure out the best way to invite Hiroto to meet Reid.

Saying,"Hey, I think you're cursed, so you should meet with my brother, who's secretly a Demon Hunter," would definitely make Hiroto look at him like he was crazy. Evan needed another approach. When the lunch break arrived, Evan found Hiroto sitting at his desk once again. Instead of leaving like before, he walked over and asked, "You aren't going to the cafeteria?"

"Ah, no. I usually go later," Hiroto replied. Just to make sure he wouldn't run into his sister went unsaid. Evan narrowed his eyes.

"You know that bench near the eastern entrance to the garden, right?" Hiroto nodded.

"Go sit there. I'll bring the food for you. What do you want?" Evan asked. For a second, Hiroto could only stare at him with his mouth half-open. Then he found his voice again.

"Anything is fine."

"Okay then." Evan headed to the cafeteria and picked up two lunch trays. A few students shot him curious looks, but he ignored them. It wasn't against the rules, and with the ridiculous tuition they paid to attend the academy, nobody had any reason to complain about one student taking two meals. Hiroto was already waiting at their agreed spot when Evan arrived. Without saying a word, Evan held out one of the trays, and Hiroto accepted it.

"Ah, thanks," Hiroto said. The two ate in silence, focused on their meal. Evan finished first. Old habits from the orphanage died hard. Back then, eating too slowly often meant going hungry. When he looked up, Hiroto was only halfway through his lunch. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Pulling out his phone, Evan planned to kill some time until Hiroto suddenly said, "You don't need to spend time with me."

"What do you mean?" Evan asked.

"Back then, you said you didn't want to spend your life keeping your head down and cowering like I do," Hiroto said. He lowered his gaze to his tray.

"I get it. I wouldn't want a pathetic friend like me around either." Evan drummed his fingers against the bench's armrest as he considered those words. Part of him wanted to crack Hiroto's skull open just to see what kind of nonsense was stuffed inside. Did the guy always have to put himself down like this? Instead, he simply said, "I suggest you stop trying to tell me what to do. I do what I want. In any case, my brother wants to meet you, so don't try to run away once the Awakener course is over.

Or I'll chase you down." With that, Evan stood up with his empty tray, leaving Hiroto staring after him in stunned silence. It seemed his little threat had worked, as Hiroto didn't try to slip away after classes ended. Evan led the still-confused boy to the academy's cooking club. The spacious kitchen was lined with stainless-steel counters divided into individual workstations, each equipped with an induction stove, oven, sink, and neatly arranged utensils. Several students were already busy preparing their dishes.

Some chopped vegetables, while others stirred simmering pots. At the front stood a demonstration island where the club advisor supervised the activity and offered the occasional pointer. Amid the bustle, one person stood out. Aside from being one of the few men in a club dominated by women, Reid moved with the ease of a seasoned chef. His knife flashed across the cutting board, reducing mushrooms and herbs into neat, even pieces. Chicken sizzled in one pan while he whisked a mushroom cream sauce in another.

Around him, the club members kept stealing glances before returning to their own stations.

"That's your brother?" Hiroto asked as they watched.

"I know. We don't look alike at all," Evan said with a wry smile. At least Hiroto and Reika resembled each other quite a bit, which Evan assumed was thanks to their father's strong genes. Meanwhile, he and Reid were like night and day, from their contrasting appearances to their personalities. Let's not even get started on their skills and talents...

"It'll be a while before he finishes. Let's wait somewhere," Evan said, leading Hiroto to a nearby bench outside the culinary classroom. Sitting down, he pulled out his repaired Orion Deck.

"It's already fixed?" Hiroto asked.

"Yeah. She sent it back bright and early," Evan said.

"How did you meet her anyway?"

"Oh, I'm a pretty big gaming fan too, so I visit the shop from time to time."

"Nice. Got any game recommendations?" The two chatted while they waited. Before long, the aroma of freshly prepared food drifted out of the room, a sign that the cooking club was wrapping up. Glancing through the window, Evan saw the club advisor inspecting each student's work. About ten minutes later, Reid finally emerged from the classroom, only to be immediately surrounded by a throng of club members who seemed unwilling to let him leave.

Even from where they sat, Evan and Hiroto could hear them asking for cooking tips, while others tried to persuade him to spend time with them.

"Your brother is... really popular," Hiroto said.

"I know," Evan replied. The two infamous and thoroughly unpopular F-rank boys watched the scene in silence as Reid gently but firmly turned down their invitations. Eventually, his attention shifted in their direction.

"Ah, Evan!" Reid called, flashing him a radiant smile. It was so dazzling that Evan saw some girls dramatically shielding their eyes. Others, however, were too busy shooting him murderous glares. Evan ignored them all and stood up.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah, I've got the food with me," Reid said, raising a bag full of food containers.

"Where do you want to eat? I know a nice table nearby if you want."

"Okay," Evan nodded. Behind the building was a quiet garden courtyard with several wooden tables shaded by broad maple trees. Once they were seated, Reid said, "Sorry about that. The cooking club members are pretty exuberant. A lot of them are really enthusiastic about cooking, so they like pestering me for techniques and recipes." Sure they are, Evan thought drily.

"I don't know how much Evan's told you about me, but I'm his older brother, Reid. Nice to meet you." Reid offered his hand.

"Ah... he has. I'm Hiroto. Nice to meet you too." Hiroto shook it. Reid's expression didn't change at all, and Evan wondered whether he had detected any trace of the remnant demonic energy that might still be clinging to Hiroto.

"I made this just now. Want to give it a try?" Reid said as he unpacked several containers onto the table. The moment he lifted the lids, the rich aroma of roasted chicken and mushrooms drifted into the air. Steam curled from the golden-brown gratin as Reid placed warm dinner rolls and a small lemon tart in front of each of them.

"Uwah!" The exclamation slipped out of Hiroto as he stared at the meal. Evan, meanwhile, was already used to Reid's cooking. He simply pulled one of the containers closer and began eating.

"It's good," Evan said.

"Really? I've been trying a different method for the sauce and tweaking the gratin a little," Reid replied. He slid one of the containers toward Hiroto, who was still sitting there awkwardly.

"Here, you should try some too, Hiroto. Or are you allergic to anything?"

"N-no, I'm not!" Hiroto replied before quickly picking up his spoon. The three of them chatted as they ate, with Reid leading the conversation and peppering them with questions about their day. Although Hiroto was awkward at first, he soon relaxed. Like many others, he wasn't immune to Reid's overwhelming protagonist charm. Once they finished eating, they cleaned up their mess and headed back toward their rooms. Hiroto said his goodbyes along the way since he lived in a different residential building.

"Your friend is a nice kid," Reid said, waving at Hiroto's departing figure.

"You say that about everyone I befriend," Evan replied.

"Maybe it's because you're a good judge of character?" Reid said, ruffling Evan's hair. Evan was half tempted to swat Reid's hand away but settled for asking, "Did you notice anything strange about him?" Reid blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you think I brought him to you just to share dinner?" Evan asked.

"He told me something happened in his past, and I think he was kidnapped by... one of those people as a child. I figured there might be something wrong with him. I thought you'd notice it." Reid studied Evan in silence for several heartbeats before saying, "Let's continue this conversation somewhere else." He led Evan back to his room. Although the layout was nearly identical to Evan's, there was no mistaking whose room it was. Everything was impeccably organized, with nothing out of place.

Even the bed was perfectly made without a single wrinkle. It was the complete opposite of Evan's room, where he sometimes couldn't even be bothered to make his bed, arguing that he'd only end up sleeping in it again that night. After closing the door, Reid said, "I did detect traces of demonic energy on him. They're faint, but tell me exactly what happened." Evan recounted everything Hiroto had told him about the kidnapping. By the time he finished, Reid's expression had hardened.

"I suspect that practitioner was trying to turn him into a thrall," Reid said.

"Although the ritual was interrupted, the demonic energy that had already been channeled into him remained. Left unchecked, it gradually sank deep into his astral body."

"Astral body?" Evan asked, despite already knowing what it was.

"Think of our existence as being made up of three parts: the physical body, the astral body, and the soul. The physical body is your flesh and blood. The astral body bridges the body and the soul, and it's where your consciousness resides. The soul is the culmination of who you are. It holds your identity, your will, and the essence that makes you you." Evan nodded.

"So Hiroto's astral body is damaged?"

"Not exactly," Reid said.

"The demonic energy is inhibiting it. Has he been having trouble controlling or even releasing mana during your classes?"

"Yeah. Instructor Mehra complains about it all the time," Evan said.

"Do you think you can remove it?" Reid's eyebrows rose, but he smiled.

"How caring of you, Evan. And yes, I can. But..." He paused.

"I heard Hiroto is another F-rank like you. If I remove the demonic energy, there's a chance his rank will increase afterward."

"What?" Evan froze.