Explosion

"A-a grudge?" Hazel was stunned.

"Your teacher raised a student just to eat her. Surely you don't think her ancestor and I could have had any normal sort of friendship?" Neph spread her hands.

Hazel frowned. Clearly, she still didn't believe Neph and persisted, "Perhaps you're just lying to me."

Neph stared at her for two seconds, then turned to leave.

Now Hazel panicked instead. She jogged after her, calling out to stop her. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"I get the feeling you won't believe me no matter how much I say..." Neph muttered, slowing her pace. "And it's not as if I need you to believe me anyway... Why don't we just forget it?"

Hazel looked rather taken aback. "A-aren't you here to help me?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh, so you do believe that?" Neph stopped and looked back, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Hazel flushed at her mocking tone, lowered her head, and stammered, "I-I don't believe my teacher is a bad person..."

Her fingers clenched her skirt, and her lips pressed tightly together. Neph watched her for a few seconds before shaking her head. "A Marauder and a Swindler-how good a person could she possibly be?"

"But..." Hazel lowered her head even further. "Teacher said that was just acting!"

"She really did teach you quite a few things," Neph said approvingly, shaking her head. "True enough. You have to give something to get something. Trading a little knowledge that's utterly worthless to a high-sequence Beyonder for a fine meal is certainly a good deal."

Only now did Hazel seem to belatedly notice her choice of words. She couldn't help asking, "A fine meal?"

"What's wrong?" Neph looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean..." Hazel tried to gather her words. "What do you mean