"I understand."
"..."
Lake looked at Rachel, who had said she understood after watching him fall silent for three seconds. She blinked. Although she really did not want to ask, she still could not help herself. "Sorry, may I ask what you understood?"
Rachel shrugged. "You don't like this guy."
"Huh?"
"You admire Strange?"
"Of course not."
"Then you're surprised?"
"I..."
Lake opened his mouth. Looking at her utterly certain expression—as if this wasn't obvious—he let out a helpless laugh. "All right, I don't like him. That's what you understood?"
Rachel smiled faintly.
What was there to find difficult about that?
If Lake admired this Strange, then without a doubt, even if Strange was not qualified to wear the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, Lake would help put it on him.
Tony Stark was proof enough.
If it were Strange instead, setting aside whether he would be given the Cosmo cultivation method, just consider this: even if Strange obtained the Cosmo and spent all those years struggling over there, even if he succeeded, Lake still would not let him succeed.
In one sentence.
Lake could not exactly be called the god who ruled Earth, but he could say this: if Lake admired someone, that person could walk straight to the peak.
But what about Strange?
Rachel rubbed her chin. "You're free these next few days, right?"
Lake looked at Rachel suspiciously.
Rachel said, "The best way to forget a relationship is to start a new one. As it happens, Pepper and I agreed to go shopping in Paris in a few days. I'm planning to take Christine with me. That won't affect your plans, will it?"
Lake shook his head.
He was not so petty that he would drag an ordinary woman into his plans and scheme against her. Even if