Hot Potato

"Arro, you were too kind. Their fates had long since been decided. You should not have staked your bright future on those ants."

Kind?

Wasn't kindness supposed to mean being willing to help others?

I had ignored their deaths at first. It was only later, when I truly couldn't stand watching any longer, that I acted.

And that counted as kindness?

Was Mother's standard for kindness too low, or was that simply how kindness was defined in this world?

Arro ignored his mother's assessment of the others and obediently nodded. "Mother is right to reprimand me."

The Black Cat sat on the ground, its long tail swaying gently. Tilting its head, it looked at Arro with curiosity. "Do you like that commoner girl?"

"Huh?" Arro looked at the Black Cat in surprise. "Teacher Gemma, how could you have such a strange idea?"

"Then explain this to me. Why didn't you act at first, but the moment you saw that girl die, your body temperature began to rise, and then you couldn't help but act?"

So every movement he made had been seen by Teacher Gemma.

Nicole also lifted her head curiously. "Was that how it was? Arro, would you tell Mother the reason too?"

Having long since examined his own heart, Arro gave a bitter smile and shook his head. Yet he could not speak of the real reason, so he could only ponder for a moment before choosing his words carefully.

"Isha's death really was the fuse that set everything off."

"Perhaps it was because of her weakness, because of her innocence, or perhaps because I truly had hopes for her."

"At first, I only wanted better evaluations and to display my friendliness, so I took better care of them."

"But Isha was too unfortunate. She actually got seasick, and even vomited from it until she became dehydrated."

"So I paid her a little more attention. Because of that, I developed some unrealistic hopes, hoping that she could become a Formal Wizard, so that my small investment might bear sweet fruit."

"But just as it said in that book, Barnaby Hull's Thoughts."

"The more you give to one person, the more you expect from them, and the harder it becomes to let go."

"Many times, even when people already know that continuing to invest may bring no worthwhile returns, they still find it difficult to decisively cast it aside because of what they have already put in."

Thinking was common to humanity. In Arro's previous life, there had been a Psychological Effect called Sunk Cost, which was very similar to this idea.

"Because of that, when I saw Isha die, the fury in my heart could no longer be suppressed."

His mother gently stroked the scars on Arro's back and said sorrowfully, "Are you still grieving over their deaths?"

"No." Arro smiled faintly. "No matter the outcome, I did everything I could. That was enough."

"Is that so?"

After pondering for a moment, Nicole looked up and smiled at the Black Cat. "Gemma, it seems I made you do something unnecessary."

Something unnecessary?

Arro looked at the Black Cat in confusion.

"That's troublesome, then. This thing itself absorbs Negative Energy. Putting them in was easy, but clearing it out completely seems a little troublesome."

Following the Black Cat's gaze, Arro looked at the dark round ball on the ground.

Why did this thing... seem so familiar?

"Teacher Gemma, what are you talking about? That thing on the ground couldn't be..."

"It's the Wooden Ball we obtained from the Anomaly Space." The Black Cat raised its head, its whiskers trembling slightly as it revealed a half-smiling expression.

"Mother, what exactly did you do? Could you stop speaking in riddles?" Arro looked back and forth between his mother and the Black Cat. He had a guess, but did not dare confirm it.

"That's right. I used this Wooden Ball to collect the souls of the dead students."

"Huh?" Arro looked in astonishment at the Wooden Ball that had turned black.

Nicole comforted him, "Since you do not need them, Gemma and I will certainly find a way to clear away those souls for you."

"Don't!"

Arro hurriedly stopped them, unable to keep himself from sighing inwardly.

He had thought that matter was already over. He had not expected Mother and Teacher Gemma to hand him such a difficult problem.

"Mother, what would happen if their souls were released?"

Nicole looked at the Black Ball and gently shook her head. "Even the soul of a Formal Wizard will easily dissipate without a suitable vessel."

This truly was a Hot Potato!

Arro looked at the Black Ball with a complicated expression. "Then... could I give this Wooden Ball to you?"

The Black Cat deliberately said, "Sure. Once I've cleared it out, I'll return this Wooden Ball to you."

Uh!

Arro looked at his mother, only to see her shake her head apologetically as well. "I'm sorry, Little Arro. I have neither the time nor the energy to look after these things."

Arro said with difficulty, "But it wouldn't be good for me to keep it by my side either. After all—they're souls."

I'm just an ordinary person. Why do things like this always have to make things difficult for me?

Besides, I don't know how to deal with them.

How am I supposed to settle these souls now?

And how should I arrange their final destination afterward?

Seeing Arro's tightly furrowed eyebrows, Nicole could not bear it and spoke out. "Arro, don't worry. I'll suppress those souls for now and make sure they cannot come out and cause trouble."

"Once you reach the level of an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, you will be able to project your Mental Strength outward and will no longer need to fear these weak souls."

"However, you had best break through as soon as possible. This Wooden Ball came from an Anomaly Space, and none of us know its exact function. If souls accumulate inside it for too long, no one knows what changes may occur."

Changes?!

Arro's eyebrows rose slightly, and he hurriedly refused. "Then I definitely can't take it. What if it turns into some kind of monster? I wouldn't be able to deal with it either."

Unable to hold back any longer, the Black Cat stood up and kicked the Black Ball. It scolded him irritably, "Arro, this is merely the lowest-grade thing produced by an Anomaly Space. No matter how strange it is, how strong could it possibly become? Don't be so cowardly!"

"Think it through!"

"If you give this Wooden Ball to us, then our method of handling it will be to empty out these souls."

"If you're unwilling, then keep it yourself. We'll give you six years to find a solution. If you truly cannot come up with one, then we'll directly clear the souls!"

Arro looked at his silent mother and immediately understood.

So this was your way of pushing me to grow faster?

"Arro, stop looking at your mother."

"Think carefully. That little girl named Isha has Double Excellent Aptitude, and the soul extracted from her was the most complete. She may very well retain all her memories. Once you become an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, you'll be able to break through the Mental Barrier, and then you can continue your lovey-dovey affair with her."

Arro did not know whether to laugh or cry. Who was having a lovey-dovey affair with a little girl?

But faced with this matter, Arro truly could not think of a proper solution. He could only reluctantly agree for now and wait until he entered the Wizard Academy to seek another way.