Chapter 35. Upper Peak
Aquari stared at him, taken aback. “The trash?”
Rhys nodded. “It’s my path. I can burn it to get stronger.”
She considered for a moment. Her lips twisted. “I have to admit, I have no particular use for the trash, and I wouldn’t mind to see it gone. Someone recommended to me by the majority of the lower-peak teachers is surely trustworthy enough to handle the trash. However, I am the Schoolmaster. I also have to consider the other students. If I give only you access, won’t everyone stronger than you also request access? It’ll be quite annoying for me.”
Rhys nodded. “I can keep it secret.”
As if she hadn’t heard him, she continued. “But if it’s part of your duties, no one would question it.”
Rhys’ eyes widened. He shut his mouth. She didn’t actually care about the other students, she just wanted him to do something for her. Well, that wasn’t a problem for him. Whatever she wanted, he’d do his best to accomplish. It wasn’t as though he had grand plans, other than continuing to study with Ev and absorb the toxins from the cauldrons. He had all the time in the world. As long as she didn’t ask him something he wasn’t capable of, or couldn’t eventually achieve, this was a step in the right direction.
“We have a… guest teacher coming soon,” Aquari murmured, lowering her eyelids and gazing somewhere interminable. She turned her eyes to Rhys once more. “You will be his assistant with everything here on the mountain. His will is your command. But remember to hold your school first and foremost. He is only a guest, and should be treated with respect, but no more.”
I understand. Rhys nodded. This ‘guest teacher’ had some ulterior motives, if he was picking up what she was putting down, with those long pauses and reminders about respect. Aquari wanted him to show the guest teacher around with the utmost respect, but not allow him to see any of the school’s secrets. Not that Rhys knew any of the school’s secrets, but then, didn’t that make him the ideal escort?
“I’ll do it,” Rhys agreed.
“Excellent.” Aquari fished around in her robes and pulled out a small, palm-sized flat gem plate. The hexagonal plate was about a milimeter wide, but only partially translucent; the gem was cloudy, shot through with thin hairlines and a faint glow of mana.
“This is the key to the upper peak. I will not give you a second one. Hold on to it, or lose access to the upper peak.” She handed it to him.
Rhys accepted it in cupped hands and slid it into his storage ring. He wasn’t going to show this to anyone. Not even Ev. This was his ultimate treasure, his key to the next tier of trash, his route to unlock his destiny… but mostly his method of absorbing the toxic trash pit’s gunk.