«A weird apparition like you might not care, but look at me… soot, ash, sweat, swamp water, mud, blood, and gods know what else! This is what I have to deal with after each hunt. There are no washing machines in Ravenheart, either! I'll need to wash it all by hand or pay a laundress… that's after I pay the healer to patch me up. And speaking of patching things up, these clothes need to be mended, too!»
Her teacher shook his head, laughing.
«Oh… oh, I see. So it's not devastating enchantments and mystical powers that you envy, you just don't want to do laundry…»
She opened her mouth, speechless.
«That's not true!»
He smiled crookedly.
«It's not?»
Rain gritted her teeth.
«…I also don't want to carry all that weight on my back!»
Her teacher leaned back and laughed again.
«Unbelievable…» 𝖋𝔯𝔢𝔢𝖜𝖊𝖇𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖊𝔩.𝖈𝖔𝖒
After having his fill of laughter, her teacher shook his head and stood up. Looking around, he picked up a piece of charred wood and scribbled something on it with his nail.
His nail cut the wood like a diamond blade.
A few moments later, he nodded in satisfaction and tossed the piece of wood to Rain.
«Here, catch.»
She raised a hand and caught the piece of wood, then hissed quietly when her side pulsed with pain.
«Ouch…»
Bringing the strange gift to her face, Rain studied the letters carved on its surface.
They read:
«You have received a Memory.»
She frowned.
«What's this?»
Her teacher shrugged with a smile.
«Treat it as a Memory coupon. What, did you think that only the Spell could reward people with Memories? Well, wrong! Your teacher is awesome, so he can make Memories just fine. Let's see… you killed an Awakened Demon this time, so I'll make you an Awakened Memory of the Third Tier.»
Rain blinked.
«You can make Memories?»
He returned to his chair and grinned.
«Sure! And, unlike the Spell, I'll even customize it to your liking. More than that… listen, I really don't want to badmouth the competition… but the Spell, it really has no imagination whatsoever. Why limit Memories to powerful weapons, enchanted armor, and mystical tools? There are so many mundane things that would make for an amazing Memory! That bodysuit of yours? I'll Memorize it, no problem. Do you want a pillow that is always cold or a magical toothbrush? Your teacher can make that happen, as well.»
He looked at her with a smug expression.
«Hell, I can even make a roll of toilet paper into a Memory. If you don't go overboard, it will never run out.»
«Why the hell is that bastard talking about toilet paper…»
Rain stared at her teacher for a while, then blinked a couple of times.
«Are you telling me that you have been able to create Memories this whole time?»
He nodded.
«Strange question, but yes, sure.»
Slowly, Rain's blood started to boil.
«So why… the hell haven't you made me any Memories, then?! Was watching me suffer fun for you?!»
He glanced at her with an offended expression.
«Huh? What are you talking about? I was always planning to arm and equip you. It's just that you are still a mundane human. Until you form a soul core and Awaken, your soul can't even contain Memories. Blame yourself for being so slow! What's so hard about becoming the first human in history to Awaken naturally, huh? Do I ask for much?!»
She took a deep breath and turned away, staring at the sky again.
«What an insufferable, cheapskate deity! Who… who can make Memories…»
Slowly, a few grandiose thoughts entered her mind.
After a while, though, Rain sighed.
«Well, It's good enough. Teacher is amazing! Sure, I won't have an Aspect, but having Memories is already great. Receiving them directly from someone Instead of earning them from the Spell is a little weird… I guess, it's not much different from how Legacies Inherit Memories from their clans, though.»
Her teacher frowned, then chuckled suddenly.
«Hey, now that I think about it, aren't you a Legacy yourself? Your big brother can provide everything a Legacy clan can, and much more on top of that.»
She looked at him scornfully.
«Oh? Teacher is like a Legacy clan now? So, do you have a Legacy Relic, then?»
He tilted his head with a smile.
«A bunch of them, actually.»
Rain blinked a few times.
«Does he really?»
Actually, she wouldn't be surprised.
«…Well, what about a Citadel, then?»
He grinned.
«A Citadel? Sure, I have one of those… it's a huge temple built of black marble, shrouded in eternal darkness, Granted, it's a bit of a fixer-upper, but what can you do? My Citadel is almost as old as the universe. The ambience there is great.»
She stared at him silently.
«That's great. Speaking of great, since it's teacher, there has to be a Supreme in our clan, no doubt. Should I consider myself royalty? Might as well, right?»
Her teacher coughed in embarrassment.
«Ah… well… technically, our clan doesn't have a Sovereign at the moment…»
Rain's eyes gleamed with triumph.
«His capacity for nonsense has a limit, after all!»
«…but we do have a Supreme Devil. I used to bully the little bastard a lot in the past, but now that he's all grown-up, it's not very fun.»
She took a deep breath, turned away, and stared at the sky.
The sky was indifferent and beyond reach.
«…I give up.»