While Laz was about to extend his hand and tap on the description buttons on the translucent screen before him, a soft hand tapped his shoulder.
When he turned, he hadn't expected it to be the girl who is perceived as the top Awakener of their time. Her eyes added to her cuteness and beauty, except for the smoky color of her dilated pupils.
"Hey," she greeted with a calm and measured voice.
"Hi." Laz stuffed the last bite of cheese into his mouth, causing the girl to chuckle.
"Well, can I have the seat?" the girl pointed at the empty seat beside Laz.
Laz hesitated a while and waited until he finished the chunks he had in his mouth.
"Yeah, sure. If you wish to."
Gently, the beautiful girl pulled out the seat and settled on it.
As she sat, Laz began to steal knowing glances at her. For him, he was kind of honored to be sitting close to such a kind of girl.
If not for Lady Hiss, who was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life, except of course he couldn't have anything to do with her since she would be way older than him, the girl beside him was also incomparable.
"You don't seem to be bothered by the results of your awakening." The girl's statement caused Laz, who was about to pick another ball of meat from the table, to pause for a while.
After making sure the girl was waiting for his reply, he picked up the meat and handed it to her. "Since you came to sit with me, make yourself comfortable at least."
The girl smiled and placed her hands on the table. "I'm okay. I had my table, remember."
"Oh, alright then," Laz nodded his head and began to shove bites into his mouth.
The girl watched him with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Not wanting to disturb the boy from his entanglement, she began to tap the desk softly, getting lost in her own thoughts.
Then after a while, Laz collected the cup of water from beside a plate of dishes, and gulped its content down greedily, before turning to the girl.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, just satisfying my basic needs," he grinned with a smile.
"I'm not bothered. As far as the waiting would be worth it," the girl replied.
'Waiting would be worth it?'
Has she come to embarrass him, maybe even mock him for the kind of bloodline he awakened? That was meant to be the ordeal, however.
Those who think they were the best often used the situation of others to cause them to feel like they are unimportant. Especially, in his kind of scenario where he had almost awakened to be at the Top with her.
'Maybe, she will just let me know that I should never dream of greatness.'
Putting his thoughts aside, Laz sighed.
"So, what exactly have you come for, Miss Mint?"
The girl blushed, having heard the way she was addressed. "No, don't address me in such a manner. I did prefer you call me Chelsea instead."
Laz didn't know why, but his next response was, in fact, not what he wanted to say.
"Hmm, I see. Let me be the only one who can address you by that name, Mint."
The girl chuckled, and her chin reddened into a blush as she bent her head, brushing her fingers against her lips.
"Or, have you...?"
"Shh," she placed her index finger on his lips. "I was just worried you might be downcast because of what happened moments earlier."
Laz raised his brow, and turned to her.
"And seeing you have no companion, except that," she pointed at the plates of dishes which Laz had emptied, "I thought I could make you have one."
"Uhm. Well. Thank you."
Laz wasn't sure if he was giving her the right response to her advances or if he was just being blunt. Apart from the time a girl handed a book to him in his former life, which of course hadn't caused much dialogue, Laz had never discussed closely with someone, especially females.
"So, you were not bothered?" The girl brought her face to look into his eyes and asked.
"Why should I be? The problem was only that my bloodline has never been recorded? Had it been I awakened an initiate rank with a black talent, maybe no talent at all, it could have left some concerns in me."
"I know, right? But Lady Hiss made mention that your survival rate is at a minimum. I think she said..."
Laz interrupted her.
"0.1%?" he asked. "Common, that's not zero percent, you know. I don't count my success on others' outcome."
The girl was amazed. No wonder he had returned to his table, not even with a flinch of worry in his face.
"I mean, if those with the initiate ranks have a chance of making it, why won't I? I don't need the damn manuals that would teach me to."
That was the least he could do to soothe himself. But truth be told, he didn't need the manuals. If his guesses were going to be accordingly, then he's sure that the manuals would only contain informations like; history of his bloodline, abilities that could be attributed to his bloodline, and what other ones self?
None of those were going to be useful to him. His whole life had been bent on surviving while standing on the brim of a nut, then, why should adventuring into the Land of Testament be a worry to him.
'I'm worried, though. Facing beasts was a different thing altogether.'
"Oh, right. You must have heard your tutorials on Earth," Mint assumed.
'No.' His thought responded instead.
"Mint, you see, our species can never be satisfied with our various outcomes," Laz collected the jug of orange drink and poured himself some liquid into the glass cup beside him. Sipping a drink from it, he continued.
"Put simply, today I am seen as a failure, or not really a failure, as someone who wouldn't make it like my fellows. And tomorrow, I happen to be among the few who would succeed. Do you still think my perception would remain the same?"
"On the other hand," he paused. "Forgive me to say, if you go out there and decides to fuck your talent and abilities up, what will they think of you then?"
"I don't get your point, but I can be certain there are majorities who aren't happy with me being at the top," Mint followed. "Like, everybody wishes for the spot as well. I, sorry, we, only need to soar higher."
"Exactly, that's why it's always good to be self-dependent and self-reliant. I don't care what people say or do to get at my nerves. See," he pinched his finger, then his face. "It's my body, and not theirs."
"Humans quickly return to a baseline level of happiness, no matter the emotional impact of a win or a loss. It only drowns into the actor, to either make his win always be a win or fall to a loss, and the loss to evolve to a win or remain a constant."
"All that matters to them is the result. Depending on their emotions for you will never bring you to make a solid self-decision," Laz concluded.
"But their discoveries often serve as a propellant..." Mint added.
"A secret one. You don't need to make it show on you."Laz finalized.
"Well, well, well..." a voice sounded from behind Laz.
Seats screeched to a halt, and after approaching footsteps were heard, three pats landed on the desk before Laz.
"...look who has become the tutor of the day."
The voice was average deep, not manly, but it showed that puberty had affected the owner faster than it had to Laz.
Looking to his side, he saw the owner of the voice.
It was Timo.
He wasn't going to respond to his sudden nuisance. He didn't even plan to. As expected of someone with his kind of bloodline, he must be proud.
Mtcheww.
Timo seemed not to have come to the table for Laz, at least. He turned to Mint and spoke.
"Miss..."
"Chelsea," Mint completed, giving Laz a knowing glance.
"I will just be straightforward. Why, of all bearers in this hall, did you decide to associate with the failure?" Timo blurted.
By now, several other Bearers, both male and female, had gathered around; some came to see what would happen, others wanted to join the fun.
"Exactly."
"Let's see where this is going."
"Uhm," Mint looked behind him from his sides, and scanned the various faces of the attendants.
"From my observation, there's no male bearer here fit for my companionship. Girls are usually drawn to the most handsome, I guess... and there are many choices I could even make from the group before considering you."
'Huh.'
Laz didn't expect she was going to defend herself with such a reason. Not thinking twice, he stood, excused himself with a blush, faced down and left.
Behind him, Mint's expression changed.
Other female bearers who understood what she meant covered their mouths in a blush as they watched Laz leave the hall.
"Only now am I able to see his flourishing looks." Most of them mumbled.