Breakfast, Aptitude

"A pervert first thing in the morning. Unbelievable..."

Carl tightened the buttons on her black robe and strode into the courtyard.

He considered himself quite bold, but who would want a pervert for a neighbor?

Morning mist cast dappled light and shadows through the woods, and the entire courtyard came into his view.

The little wall made of piled-up corpses was still there, but each corpse bore numerous signs of stitching.

From the gate to the far end of the courtyard, the stitching on the corpses grew scarcer until it disappeared altogether.

"Corpse stitcher. She really lives up to the name."

After a few glances, Carl silently looked away.

"Tap, tap!"

Crisp footsteps came from the gate, drawing closer.

"Come on over. What are you standing there for?"

Dressed in pale purple, Lianke stood outside the courtyard and beckoned to Carl. "Your teacher is inviting you to breakfast."

She wasn't a stingy person. Even if she was going to send someone back, treating them to breakfast was no problem.

Is this person really that kind?

Full of doubts, Carl walked over.

Before coming out that morning, he had harvested all the Bomb Pomegranates and planted 90 Qi and Blood Pumpkins in their place. His stock of Bomb Pomegranates had recovered to 53,960, while the number of Qi and Blood Pumpkins had fallen to 29.

To meet the Phantom Troupe's daily needs as well as her own, Carl had prepared to plant Qi and Blood Pumpkins on a large scale.

Too bad there are only so many pumpkin seeds...

Thinking about what to plant on the estate next, Carl followed behind Lianke.

"Hey! Kid, what are you spacing out for?"

The blazing sun turned the moisture in the woods into a hazy veil, and a faint sheen of sweat appeared on Lianke's delicate cheeks. August weather really was a little hot; even in the forest, they still felt its effects somewhat.

Carl came to his senses and looked around, realizing that he had reached the back of the small building without knowing when. Dark green lichen covered the brick and stone walls, and the fresh moisture of the forest mingled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, making his nose twitch involuntarily.

"Teacher Lianke, junior Carl, breakfast is ready~~~"

The faded wooden door swung open, and Hisoka, wearing an apron, smiled and waved to them.

Carl's gaze swept over the suspicious dark red stains on the apron, and he could see a table set for breakfast behind Hisoka.

Is, is this right?!!

The corner of Carl's eye twitched. It wasn't that he was making a fuss over nothing; Hisoka had left a fixed impression on him...

His enhanced sense of smell let him pick up more scents. The distinctive aroma of wheat from the bread mingled with the fragrance of hot milk and drifted over to him, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Since coming to this world, Carl hadn't had milk in a long time. Every meal had been either Qi and Blood Pumpkin or Nen Komugi, and smelling that familiar scent so suddenly made him rather nostalgic...

"Scrape~"

A wooden chair was pulled out.

Following the thought in his heart, Carl obediently sat down at the table.

He wasn't craving it. It was just that Teacher Lianke had invited him so warmly, and as her student, he couldn't very well refuse!

Hisoka had prepared a generous breakfast: two steaming slices of bread, a cup of hot milk, and an opened jar of blue jam.

For a child from Meteor City, this could definitely be called a feast!

Seeing Carl sitting there in a daze, Lianke shook her head. For a child who had grown up in Meteor City, perhaps these things had never appeared on the table before.

She patted Carl on the shoulder, spread jam on his bread, and then put it straight into his hand:

"Take a bite of bread and a sip of milk."

"Give it a try."

Lianke gently shook Carl's shoulder as she spoke.

Then she picked up the bread on her plate and took a bite, demonstrating for Carl.

Looks like it isn't poisoned.

After waiting a few seconds and seeing Hisoka casually spread jam on his own bread and put it in his mouth, Carl finally moved.

He hadn't let down his guard since the first moment he saw Hisoka!

He wasn't an eleven-year-old child who would trust two strangers he'd just met without any caution at all!

Besides, the one who had made breakfast was a future pervert!

"Chomp, chomp~"

After swallowing the bread in five bites, Carl picked up the wooden cup and drank all the milk in one go.

So good!

The sun was high in the sky, baking the flagstones until they were hot. Lianke's parasol cast a mushroom-shaped shadow over the open space.

"Before you learn a Nen Ability, Carl, I need to test your aptitude."

Lianke leaned back in a wicker chair. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for Carl, standing before her, to hear.

"Swish~"

Hisoka, who had settled down in the shade of a tree early on with his arms around his knees, raised his right hand.

"Teacher Lianke, I have something to say."

"Go ahead."

Hearing him, Lianke turned her head, her expression unchanged.

"This morning, Carl saw my 'love'~"

With that, Hisoka licked his tongue, a gleam of heat flashing through his narrow eyes.

He could see Bungee Gum?

Carl could see Nen Aura?

Lianke's expression gradually froze, but knowing what Hisoka was like, she still turned to look at Carl.

"You can see it?"

Carl shook his head.

"I thought so..." Lianke let out a long breath, her expression softening.

How could it be such a coincidence that I'd run into a genius?

That brat Hisoka does nothing but lie all day!

"What I mean is, not only can I see it, I have some of my own too."

Carl calmly held out his hand, pale golden Nen Aura enveloping his entire palm.

"Crack!"

The sound of a heart breaking rang out.

Watching the pale golden Nen Aura surging around Carl's hand, Lianke turned to stone on the spot.

"Heh, hehe~"

Her disciple was a genius. She should be happy! That was right! She should be happy!

After spending a long time preparing herself mentally, Lianke twitched the corners of her mouth into a forced smile and asked Carl:

"Carl, were you born able to sense Nen Aura?"

"That's right!"

Carl nodded, shamelessly taking credit for what the Nen Komugi had done.

For one thing, as the owner of the estate, he had grown the Nen Komugi himself!

For another, since Hisoka had already exposed his secret, he might as well establish himself as a genius. Perhaps he could learn more from Lianke that way!

Ordinary people received the treatment due to ordinary people, and geniuses naturally received the treatment due to geniuses!

There wasn't a teacher who wouldn't like a genius student!

"Good... good!"

The smile remained on Lianke's face, but a sense of melancholy welled up in her heart.

Back then, she had nearly run out of Nen Aura trying to open her Aura Nodes...

And now someone had been born with their Aura Nodes open?

Does this world make any sense at all...?