SOLARIS the Abyssal

Chapter 2

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There’s a curse hanging over me.

It was April 1st, 2145, in the Orient Federation-controlled waters of the Pacific Ocean.

He had finished unpacking only yesterday, and yet here he was already diving to the seafloor 1,500 meters beneath the surface without any kind of breathing apparatus.

It was only a routine mining exercise, so Minato wasn’t originally going to partic.i.p.ate, but the instructor who was scheduled to oversee the practice ended up with a sudden stomachache. The president, the woman at the helm of the entire academy, happened to be nearby, and she offered this proposal:

Seems like the perfect chance for your first sortie, don’t you think?

She had a point. Mining exercises themselves were pretty simple, so there wasn’t much involved in the process. All you had to do is take the trainees to a predesignated spot on the ocean floor and mine a certain amount of the living mineral Solaris. For water manipulators, people for whom moving around in the ocean depths was possible, this kind of work was everything they could ask for. It was as basic as it got. Just dive and gather. There wasn’t a single complicated thing to it, and so for Minato Yamajo’s first time supervising the trainees as an instructor, it was the perfect fit.

And yet… could you call this a curse?

“A-A ja-jark… Uh, sh-sh-shark!”

There was a shark.

A form of sea life found commonly scattered throughout the many oceans of the world. There were also cases of people being attacked by the larger, more fearsome varieties.

It was like coming across a bear on land.

Three large shapes swam around Minato and the trainees as if trying to surround them. Although the ocean depths were dark, water manipulators could perceive their surroundings as if through an infrared lens, so the sharks were as clear as day.

It looks like they managed to slip into the academy’s mining area last night. What a curse.

“It’s a sh-shark! Are they great whites?!”

Minato tried to hold down one of the female trainees as she flailed her arms and legs around in fear.

Panicking underwater was far more dangerous than simple carnivorous fish. Although water manipulators were capable of moving around and functioning in the deep, a single misstep at these depths could spell sudden death—that would never change, regardless of one’s abilities.

“Calm down. Everything will be fine as long as we take the proper steps, so don’t panic. And they aren’t great whites, by the way. They’re called oceanic whitetips. That question will come up a lot on your tests.”

Minato’s first action was to gather all of the trainees into one place and make sure there was no one missing. …38, 39, 40. Alright. Everyone’s accounted for.

Now then, all that’s left is to get the sharks to retreat.

If only they were great whites…

“Out of everything it could’ve been, it had to be whitetips…”

Although they weren’t very well-known, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the world’s most ferocious shark.

They were indiscriminate gluttons. Be it people or trash, they consumed anything their eyes fall on. That’s why there were many cases of them attacking people, even without any provocation.

Just as expected. As the three sharks continued to carefully circle around the trainees, one of them suddenly changed its course, almost like it couldn’t take the temptation any longer.

“It’s coming!”

“I told you not to move!”

Minato flicked the forehead of the trainee who was starting to panic and then launched himself by jumping up from the ocean floor.

It was the perfect opportunity to teach them about counter-shark measures, so he explained what he was doing clearly for all the trainees to hear.

“Number one: you punch them hard, right in the nose.”

He demonstrated this right after. The shark approached him from the front, and Minato landed his fist square between the eyes.

The shark twisted its body on impact and changed direction, likely out of surprise. It swam farther and farther away, convulsing as it did.

Ignoring the retreating shark, Minato turned towards the trainees and followed it up with an explanation.

“See? Other vital areas include the eyes and gills, but the nose is most effective. The thing is, though, these sweet spots change with each kind of shark, so when we get back to the surface, make sure you guys carefully memorize what works against what. With that in mind, dealing with sharks up close can get a little dangerous, so I don’t recommend this method.”

“Eek! Behind you! There’s one coming behind you!”

“Number two: you use the anti-shark cloth provided by the academy. This method is your best bet.”

Without skipping a beat, Minato quickly pulled a small container the size of a pack of cards from his belt and pressed the b.u.t.ton on the side. There was the immediate sound of decompression, and the contents of the small case were expelled and started to expand rapidly.

It was a sheet of fabric. It was white, thin, and made from organic fibers. The cloth opened up towards the attacking shark and blocked its vision.

That’s all it did.

And yet, the shark stopped immediately.

“Sharks have a tendency to avoid anything larger than themselves. That’s why if you open this cloth up in front of them, they stop attacking. And just so you’re aware, it’s made from materials that eventually dissolve in water, so it doesn’t harm the environment either.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you while you’re having a moment, sir, but there’s a third one!”

The final shark avoided the cloth and greedily swam towards the trainees.

“This is why I hate whitetips…”

Unlike other sharks, they tended to defy theory. Because they often lived out in the ocean where food was scarce, their frequent hunger caused them to occasionally get frighteningly aggressive. In cases where water manipulators wound up hurt after a run in with sharks, the culprit was almost always the oceanic whitetip.

Out of other options, Minato pulled out the knife from his belt. He’ll just have to kill it.

Although he hadn’t explained it yet, there was always a third option when dealing with sharks.

Depending on the person, however, it could be difficult to pull off. He would be hard pressed to formally teach a technique not everyone could use successfully.

He would just have to explain it in more depth once they all got back to the academy. For now, Minato tightly gripped the knife in his hand to take down the oncoming shark, and then—

—he heard a girl’s voice.

“With all due respect, this is ridiculous.”

The surroundings were suddenly illuminated.

“Huh?” Minato reacted.

The light was golden. It was almost as if fragments of moonlight were rapidly diffusing throughout the ocean depths.

It was a Territory, the origin of a water manipulator’s power. Normally, the light it emitted was almost imperceptibly faint, but at maximum output, you could clearly make out its unique hue.

In some cases, you could even put enough power into it for it to function as a weapon. This was what was called expanding one’s Territory, and the result differed for each person. That was the water manipulator’s third and final shark countermeasure.

“What do you think, sir?”

The source of this voice turned around with a cheeky expression.

She stared at Minato and smirked. It was almost like she was bragging.

“Don’t you think this method is much faster?”

It was a small girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She manipulated the pale golden light, and within it, the shark dissolved completely and without trace.

It all happened in an instant. The scene unfolded almost like a dream, and for a bit, Minato could only gulp, dumbfounded.

The whole reason water manipulators start off as trainees is so that they can perfect their ability to create and use their Territories. They need the guidance of their predecessors—that’s why inst.i.tutions like the academy exist in the first place.

There are some, however, who naturally excel in every field.

Without ever receiving a hint of help, they intimately understand every aspect of their Territory and manipulating it comes as easy to them as breathing does to a baby—true geniuses.

At that moment, Minato couldn’t help but wonder if she was one of them.

“You…”

The golden glow almost seemed like warm sunlight descending on the dim waters of the deep.

She possessed a beautiful Territory, the kind that etched itself into your memory.

Her blue eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with unshakable confidence. For a brief period, Minato and the girl locked gazes.

Finally, he spoke like an instructor—straight to the point.

“When we get back, I want you to write up an apology.”

It’s possible the girl was expecting some kind of praise. Smile still on her face, her expression froze completely.

It stayed that way much longer than expected.

Really, what a terrible curse on my first day.

Barring emergencies, it is strictly prohibited for trainees without licenses to expand and manipulate their Territories without prior permission from instructors. Furthermore, the aforementioned emergencies are limited to recognized cases of self-defense and the protection of human life, and also include any situation in which an instructor deems its application appropriate.

That’s it—taken directly from the handbook itself.

What the rule boils down to is: “Don’t go and use your abilities whenever you feel like it.”

“I refuse to accept this.”

Discontent laid bare in her expression, the girl objected strongly.

After the mining exercise had ended, Minato returned back to the academy’s staff room. In no time flat, the power-walking, blond-haired genius stormed into the room and demanded to see the rules.

Was it that she didn’t want to write the apology, or was it a matter of wounded pride? Whatever it was, you could feel her indomitable spirit as she challenged Minato’s stance.

With her small stature, she puffed out her chest with a humph. “There was a shark. I believe you’ll agree that falls under ‘self-defense’ and ‘the protection of human life."”

To be honest, this was getting to be a pain in the a.s.s.

He had arrived only yesterday, so there was still a lot he had to take care of.

Minato wasn’t making her do this because he wanted to either.

For him, rules were rules.

There were other trainees there when it happened, so there was no way that he could let her off the hook after breaking the rules that brazenly. As an instructor, he had no other choice.

“It only works like that if there are no instructors nearby. I hate to say it, but I was there.”

“I judged the situation to be too much for an instructor as inexperienced as yourself to handle.”

“Oh yeah?”

There was a lot of fight in her. Nothing she said was strictly untrue, but were there any other trainees who would talk back to their instructor like that?

He didn’t dislike that, though. If anything, he had a thing for people like her. For better or worse, people like her never spoke with ulterior motives, so that side of them was always fun to watch. It’s probably because they’re constantly serious that their responses are always so downright adorable.

Be they men or women, Minato loved to watch people with strong reactions.

“Your punishment is now a written apology plus solitary confinement, Chloe Knightley.”

“Wha—”

“The reason being disobedience towards an instructor.”

“Guh…”

“Or rather, solitary confinement is what will happen if you don’t hurry up and write that apology. I’m sure you of all people can handle writing a single page by tomorrow.”

“‘Me of all people…’ Today is the first time you’ve met me. How could you possibly know—”

“Anyone could learn about you with a little research.”

This blond-haired girl was named Chloe Knightley.

She was 15 years old and entered the academy as a trainee in the year 2144. She was born to American parents in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of the Orient Federation.

It hasn’t even been two years since she entered the academy and already her grades were nothing other than extraordinary. Her practical and written exam results were virtually perfect, and the control she possessed over her Territory was immaculate enough to already warrant receiving a license.

It was possibly because of this skill, however, that her pride prevented her from cooperating with others. You could find evidence of this anywhere.

“I didn’t mean to imply that I find writing the apology difficult in any way. It’s just that I’d rather not take unfair punishments lying down.”

She never lets up, does she? Always trying to challenge everything… She really has no idea how to talk with others.

This is getting more and more annoying. In reality, this kind of insubordination was already grounds for further punishment, but if I go that route, she’ll probably use it as “proof” that I’m being tyrannical somehow and double-down on her convictions that she did nothing wrong. There would be no point to even punishing her in the first place if that happened, Minato thought.

He decided to continue pressing his argument for a little longer.

“So what you’re saying is that there was no proof I could’ve handled the sharks on my own?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then let me ask you a question. Why do you think I’m calling you out for using your abilities and breaking the rules?”

“I a.s.sume it’s because I stole your thunder.”

“You think I’m a child?”

“May I ask your age?”

“18.”

“Well look at that. A mere three year age difference.”

“But unlike you, I have a license, and I’m also certified in seabed operations. It should go without saying that I’ve studied shark countermeasures as well.”

“Is that an attempt at showing off? I can easily dispatch sharks, even without those fancy certifications.”

“You’re right. You’re definitely better than me when it comes to dealing with sharks. Your Territory was much more efficient than what I was going to do in that situation. Yeah, I really am impressed by how amazing your abilities are.”

“Uh…”

After hearing something so entirely different than what she was expecting, the girl’s expression seemingly started to loosen up. I think it was the word “amazing” that did her in.

“I-I’m already well aware of that…”

She looked away, and her lips curved into a smile. She seems pretty happy. I would’ve never imagined that a little flattery here and there was all it took to get her like this. What a simple girl.

Minato didn’t say that to placate her, however. He had a different purpose in mind.

“It doesn’t matter how amazing your abilities are, though. If you don’t follow the rules, then there’s no point to having them in the first place.”

“So that’s what this boils down to…” Chloe’s gaze turned cold once more, as if resigning herself to disappointment. “You think you’re always right, just because you have the rules on your side? What are you, a G.o.d?”

“Of course not. Even I make mistakes. The thing is, though, I’m not the one in charge. I have to listen to the higher-ups, just like you have to listen to me. I don’t plan on letting you off the hook, especially not after you tried to show off without my permission. This is how it works here. You’d better get used to it.”

“That’s not fair…”

“You’re free to feel that way as long as you follow the rules. That’s how you get through life.”

“Fine, I understand… I’ll submit the written apology tomorrow morning.”

The girl finally gave in. Judging by her expression, however, it was safe to say it was less out of acceptance and more because she realized that arguing wouldn’t get her anywhere.

Chloe turned around and stormed out of the staff room with heavy steps.

Minato remained seated and watched as she left.

“She’s a piece of work,” he muttered to himself. Was it out of exhaustion or admiration—not even he was sure.

All he knew for certain was that she had made one h.e.l.l of an impression.

A couple minutes pa.s.sed.

“Chewed her out on your first day, huh?”

Minato turned around and found himself a couple inches away from a huge bear-like person looking down at him. The giant had beefy arms and a suit bursting at the seams. To a stranger, it probably felt like being trapped in the ring with a professional fighter—that was the kind of presence this muscular man possessed.

Whoops, my bad. I meant “woman.”

It was the head of the academy, the very Princ.i.p.al Maria herself.

Possessing years of military service under her belt, she towered over Minato with a ma.s.sive body that seemed to rival the scale of Yggdrasil. She cracked a wild grin.

“First day on the job and you’re already making the Knightley girl write an apology. Boy, you’re something else.”

Minato sighed at the half-sarcasm and responded while arranging the the things on his desk.

“It looks like she’s his daughter… The director of the Solaris Applications Agency.”

“That’s not the half of it. I hear it’s the stuff of legends, how much he dotes on her. Stuff like: if you make her angry, her dad will make sure you never set foot in another water manipulation job for the rest of your life.”

“Interesting.”

It make sense. While looking through her records, I saw lots of pa.s.sages that hinted towards her breaking the rules, but strangely enough, there wasn’t a single official violation to her name. The director of the Solaris Applications Agency could be considered the boss of every professional water manipulator. As a result, it’s possible her other instructors never called her out even if they thought she did something wrong out of fear for their position. How sad. When it comes to disobeying authority, water manipulators and office workers are pretty much one in the same.

“You know, she’s definitely stubborn, but she doesn’t seem like the kind of girl who would flaunt her family’s position around like that.”

People like her just wouldn’t be satisfied if they didn’t win with their own power. She’s just a blunt, awkward girl, imagined Minato.

“Even still, there aren’t many who’d stand their ground against her. When you were a trainee here yourself, you were always a little—how do I put this—bold? I’m glad to see you haven’t changed.”

“Well in my case, even if I do get fired, I’ll always be able to return to a blissful life with my little sister. I’ll forget all about this water manipulation nonsense and the two of us can open up a nice cozy bed and breakfast in the countryside.”

“It looks like your lovey-dovey sister stuff hasn’t changed either.”

“So yeah. What can I say? I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A Chloe Knightley or two isn’t enough to scare me away.”

He started to feel like he was getting a little too carried away.

There was a glint of excitement in the princ.i.p.al’s eyes.

“That’s the spirit!” The beast-woman reared her fangs and laughed. “You’re going to be in charge of Chloe, starting tomorrow.”

“—Huh?”

I’m a personal instructor right off the bat? I figured someone new like me would start off teaching beginner cla.s.ses.

“Her previous handler couldn’t take it anymore—ended up in the hospital with a stomach ulcer from the stress. All the other ones steer clear of her, too. You’re perfect for the job, though, don’t you think? You being bold and whatnot…”

“I’ll be having a lot of fun with a girl like her if you don’t mind my teaching methods…”

“I do mind.”

Shame. I can definitely tell Chloe will be fun to tease.

“Just to be clear, how far am I allowed to go with her?”

“As far as you can take it before hitting potential lawsuits.”

“It depends entirely on her tolerance, then. Sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in.”

My only grievance at the moment is that my little sister isn’t at my side.

It’s said that the academy was originally built in the Orient Federation’s capital, Ulaanbaatar (former Mongolia). That meant the j.a.panese Autonomous Zone was right next door, and Minato could visit his homeland over the weekends if he wanted. While that sounds nice, it was unfortunately not the case anymore.

It was now on an artificial island in the Pacific Ocean, far from the coast.

It was a lonely island out in the distant sea, crafted by mankind in the spot where Tokyo used to be some time ago.

During the Oceanic Calamity a hundred years ago, the island was hastily built by j.a.pan to house a provisional government as their lands were being swallowed up by the sea, but the Orient Federation eventually abandoned the plan midway. The Federation government later repossessed this island made by j.a.pan and resumed construction. The result was a water manipulator training facility with limited access to the outside world.

That meant that in all four cardinal directions was nothing but the sea. Even if I were suddenly overcome by the desire to see my sister again, a one way trip by airplane would take around five hours, and the cost of a round-trip would eat up half a month’s wage—just the perfect location. Going back a couple times a year is probably the most I can manage.

That aside, however, this wasn’t a bad place by any stretch.

Especially wonderful was the abundance of good fishing spots. For Minato, it was a rare pa.s.sion.

“You’re always so easy to find, Minato!”

The sun had just set.

After completing his first day as an instructor, Minato headed over to the breakwater near the lighthouse, unable to resist not fishing for any longer. That’s when Natsuka Hoshino, someone who knew his habits ever since he was young, showed up unexpectedly with a big smile.

Something about her seemed even brighter than usual.

“Are the fish bitin’?”

“Some here n’ there.”

They did their usual exchange, and she plopped herself down like a jellyfish next to him, smile unyielding. She seemed to have taken a shower before her evening stroll as she smelled faintly of soap.

“Today was your teaching debut. How was it?”

“We got surrounded by man-eating sharks.”

“Isn’t that big news?! Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

"It’s me we’re talking about. I could’ve taken care of all of them in three seconds flat, no problem… One of the trainees called Chloe stole the thunder from right under my legs, though. I got downright green with envy and made her write me an apology as a punishment.”

I told her this jokingly, and she responded, “Chloe? As in, the Chloe?”

“I guess everyone knows about her…”

It only made sense for girl who constantly disobeyed and fought back against her instructors to not get along well with her fellow trainees. It seems that was the case with her.

“I’ve never met her myself, but I hear her name sometimes from the other girls in the locker room, you know? They’re always saying mean things about her.”

“I can’t say I don’t understand where they’re coming from.”

“Oh? You don’t like Chloe either, Minato?”

“I wouldn’t say that. From what I’ve seen, I actually rather like her. She’s strong-willed and honest, in a way.”

“I see.” Her mouth curved happily into a grin. “If you like her, she must be a sweet girl.”

That smile of hers… She looked uncannily like a dog wagging its tail.

“I made some riceb.a.l.l.s for a snack. You can have one,” Minato said.

“Yay!”

In his days as a trainee, Natsuka was quite possibly the main reason Minato didn’t crack under the pressure of not being around his sister. Her cuteness was a point of pride for him.

She stuffed the riceball into her mouth, and for no reason in particular, he poked her cheek. She smiled.

“Hm? Why’d you do that? It tickles.”

She’s like a baby.

You could probably even fondle her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and she wouldn’t complain—if anything, it was almost scary. How long will I be able to keep this up? When she eventually gets married, I feel like I’ll end up being the one who sobs like a father at the wedding. Part of me also feels like I’ll end up kidnapping her and running away before it does come to that.

Trying to take his mind off of any other strange thoughts, he returned his focus to the fishing.

I could also do with a change of topic.

“So, how’s your training coming along?”

“Really bad…”

She turned visibly depressed in an instant.

According to her, she started to stagnate ever since entering the intermediate curriculum.

Unlike at a normal school, each trainee in the academy graduated at a different pace. It was an entirely exam-based system.

Beginner Curriculum, Practical Exams: 45 subjects

Intermediate Curriculum, Practical Exams: 52 subjects

Advanced Curriculum, Practical Exams: Approximately 20 subjects (course-dependent)

There were over a hundred different practical exams in total, and, in addition to that, there were also various written exams that tested cultural and technical knowledge. Upon pa.s.sing all of these, a trainee would finally be allowed to graduate.

It took five years on average for a trainee to graduate, and the maximum allotted time was eight. If you went over that time limit, you would lose your chance to take any more courses and be expelled from the academy. What that essentially meant was you would never have another opportunity to become a licensed water manipulator. There were always one or two trainees every year who had their dreams crushed in this fashion.

Natsuka Hoshino, in her fifth year at the academy, was also starting to come face-to-face with this bitter reality.

“I don’t know why… I mean, I can dive and move underwater, but anything more than that, like hardening or changing the shape of my Territory… It just never works. I just don’t have any talent, I think.”

“Are you really a zone specialist?”

Water manipulators were categorized into four basic types, and the one Natsuka supposedly fell under—Zone-Specialization—included those who excelled at directly controlling their Territories, altering them, and so on.

Those techniques included the very “hardening” and “changing the shape” that Natsuka found difficult. Controlling her territory was something she was supposed to be good at but had a hard time doing. That’s a little much, even for someone as clumsy as her, Minato thought.

“Are you sure you’re not actually a perception specialist like me, or some other type?”

“Can that happen?”

“Not really.”

With developments in Solaris-based technology nowadays, it was possible to determine a water manipulator’s type with near-pinpoint precision. It was a matter of black and white. It’s hard to imagine the academy would make a mistake like that.

It was probably a simple issue of talent.

While there were trainees like Chloe Knightley who were perfect from the start, there were also those like Natsuka Hoshino who found even the basics taxing.

“Not to jinx you or anything, but what will you do if you can’t graduate?”

“Hmm, well…”

Natsuka stared up at the night sky as if deep in thought.

Though Minato had only just realized it, you could see the stars with impressive clarity on a fine evening like this one. I remember hearing about it before. While the planet’s total land-area shrunk due to the Oceanic Calamity, the starry sky apparently only grew more beautiful.

When he returned his gaze to the longtime friend sitting next to him, her face showed a sad smile as it pointed up towards the stars.

“I can’t really think of anything… I’m not that smart. Sorry I’m so useless…”

“No, it’s my fault for asking something like that. Just forget I said anything.”

It wasn’t a lost cause just yet.

Besides, she’d probably end up leading a happier life if she didn’t become a water manipulator.

You aren’t able to choose where you end up a.s.signed once you get licensed, and because the job revolves so fundamentally around deep-sea operations, the work goes hand-in-hand with danger. Instead of walking the th.o.r.n.y path of the expert, how about finding and chasing a new dream instead?

I couldn’t stop the thought from entering my mind. I guess I really am overprotective.

In the morning, Chloe Knightley submitted her written apology. Normally, one or two pages were sufficient for this kind of thing, but she instead handed over fifteen.

She strutted in confidently with a triumphant expression on her face, looking as if she herself thought she wrote a masterpiece. “Not a bad job if I do say so myself.”

The words “waste of talent” came to mind as he took the apology and flipped through all the pages in fifteen seconds. His eyes scanned each page in only a second.

He then immediately fed it to the shredder without a moment of hesitation.

“WHAT?! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!”

“Do it again.”

“I even lost some sleep over that! And all you did was skim it!”

“I did read it. My Territory lets me read things quickly.”

“A speed-reading ability?”

Chloe opened her eyes wide in surprise, and then a contemptuous smile grew across her face.

“I can’t believe it. What a boring ability! Forget water manipulators—even normal people can do that.”

“Well it’s not so much speed-reading as it is data management, but it definitely is boring, I’ll give you that. Anyways, what you wrote wasn’t an apology, so do another one. I mean, come on. The entire thing was just a bunch of sentences of you defending yourself and getting mad at me. There wasn’t even a bit of remorse in it.”

“Well, that’s because I don’t feel any remorse. I dislike lying.”

“Lying or not, what I told you to write was an apology. I knew very well you didn’t agree with me, but I still told you to do it. Listen to orders. Once you get into the real world, you’re going to run into a bunch of situations where you have to swallow your pride even though you think you’re right—you’d better get used to that.”

“You really are a textbook dictator, aren’t you, sir…”

“You’re going to have to get over yourself. Listen, I don’t care if it’s short, but if you continue to refuse, I won’t let you do any training.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Hate to break it to you, but I can. Go on, then. Shoo.”

“I’ll never forget this.”

She glared at Minato with a vengeful expression and then stormed out of the staff room.

Minato smiled bitterly.

If only she realized her showing her anger to everyone was the whole problem in the first place.

At any rate, Chloe returned again once it reached 1:00 in the afternoon and handed in a page with a couple “I’ll be more careful”s here and there. It was pretty much all lip service, but he accepted it anyways.

Minato Yamajo then started Chloe Knightley’s training for real.

Well… there wasn’t much to teach her in the first place.

“What ridiculous talent…”

They were five kilometers off the coast of the artificial island, 1,700 meters below the surface of the sea.

Enveloped in her golden Territory, the girl chased after him. You couldn’t really call it swimming—it was more like she was flying through the water.

Was she a mermaid? Some kind of torpedo?

It’s a little scary to imagine what she’s going to be like in the future. Her reckless att.i.tude only makes it worse.

—Academy’s Intermediate Curriculum: Underwater Maneuvering Training IV

In layman’s terms, it was a course that tested multiple fundamentals by having the trainee move underwater at high speeds while avoiding obstacles like sunken ruins. From a strictly results perspective, however, Chloe finished it with more than half of the allotted time remaining.

To add to that, Minato, who originally should have been guiding her through the course as an instructor, ended up falling behind her.

She waited with her usual smugness as if welcoming him to the finish line, and then smiled c.o.c.kily.

“You’re slower than a trainee, sir. Wouldn’t you say your skills are lacking?”

“Man, you’re fast; you beat me by a mile. You win.”

Well, the course was only meant to test for basic underwater movement competency at any rate. You’d pa.s.s as long as your maneuvering abilities were above a certain threshold. Still, her fundamentals are as good as they get.

It’s pretty tough teaching someone with almost nothing left to learn. I have to say I feel for the guy with the ulcer.

And to top it off—

“If you continue to have me partic.i.p.ate in these shabby drills, I fear I may lose my motivation altogether.”

—this girl really enjoys running her mouth.

“We can’t be having that. Before taking an exam, you have to do at least one training course corresponding to it. Those are the rules.”

“Again with your rules… That’s all you’re good at. I honestly don’t mind having to take the courses, but under an instructor with skills inferior to mine? Doesn’t it seem like a waste of time? Though I suppose you’ll brush it off by hiding behind the rules again.”

I bet it was this mouth of hers that did the last guy in, thought Minato as he silently prayed for the other instructor’s recovery.

Minato was different, however. Possibly due to his personality, whether or not he was slandered or made a fool of, none of it ever affected him. It was almost like he didn’t feel any self-worth. He focused so entirely on what was important to him—like his little sister and childhood friend—that he himself tended to be of minor importance. Of course, if his sister was the one being slandered, there would be no mercy for the instigator.

Back to the issue at hand… His pupil had just called the time spent training with him useless.

What to do, what to do…

“Then how about we have a proper match this time?”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed with suspicion at Minato’s proposal.

“A match, you say.”

“Yup. There’s nothing else we need to do for today’s course, though, so I’m thinking we could make the trip back to the academy a race. Getting there normally would be pretty boring, don’t you think?”

“Alright, then. I’ll take you up on that!”

With a small body that looked as if it were a fairy’s floating in the water, she confidently puffed out her nonexistent chest.

Wait… Could it be?

“Okay then, how about the loser gets a punishment?” I asked.

He threw the suggestion out there, and then as if right on cue, she nodded back in exactly 0.3 seconds.

“Sure, why not? There’s no possible way I’ll lose, after all.”

“Man…”

Minato was certain. She was the real deal. There wasn’t an ounce of self-doubt in her. Her naivety could even rival Natsuka Hoshino’s.

Here I am proposing a punishment, and yet there isn’t even a hint of suspicion in her. Shouldn’t she be thinking something like: Maybe Minato was holding back earlier? Well, not that I was…

There was, however, a hidden side to Minato’s challenge. He was planning on winning.

It seemed like the girl didn’t notice that one bit.

To make matters worse, she looked as if she were a baby spotting a new toy when she asked, “So, what should the punishment be?”

“Oh, um…” Even Minato started to feel somewhat guilty at how innocent she was. “I’ll leave it up to you, Chloe.”

“Really? You’re going to regret that.”

Her blue eyes shined brightly.

“Then the loser has to become a slave!”

Minato coughed as he choked on his words. It was so childish and yet so extreme at the same time.

What should I do? My pupil is selling herself off for cheap.

“Are you being serious?”

“Yes, after this, I’ll have you obey everything I say. You’ll be adhering to all of my rules. Maybe I should make you write me an apology for punishing me so unfairly once we return to the academy? A 30 page one. And in addition to that, you’ll have to come running like a dog whenever I call you. I’m no monster, however. I’ll release you out of pity once I graduate.”

She went on and on about about the loser’s conditions like she had already won the race.

It seems she took having to follow Minato’s orders exceptionally hard.

“Haha, I can hardly believe I already have the chance to eliminate one of my life’s most unsightly eyesores.”

“What a short life…”

“Quiet, you! I won’t let you back out of this now, puppy-instructor!”

“I don’t remember that being my t.i.tle.”

Oh well, it’s fine. This was as good a time as ever to really show this sheltered princess how naive she actually was.

With personal freedom on the line, the race started.

—15 minutes later.

“HOW?!”

The blond-haired girl was in near hysterics as she stood on the sandy beaches that const.i.tuted the race’s finish line.

There was no way Chloe could’ve escaped defeat after jinxing herself that much beforehand. Minato had won the race by a mile.

It was true that Chloe had the advantage in terms of raw speed. The decider in this match, however, boiled down to a so-called difference in experience.

“The key to moving quickly underwater is to look for the strong currents. You should remember that.”

Immediately after starting the race, Chloe zoned in on the shortest possible route to the finish line. The problem with that, however, was that it took her through currents running in the opposite direction, slowing her down considerably—a cla.s.sic beginner’s mistake.

When using your Territory to move through water, your muscles don’t experience as much stress as they would if you were swimming normally with your body. That meant that there were many people who ignored currents altogether, even if they were strong.

Minato, on the other hand, was aware of a strong current that headed towards the finish line, so he rode it all the way there without a care in the world.

“So as you can see, raw skill becomes less of a factor—by making use of your environment, you can drastically increase your efficiency. If you understand this now, I’d say today’s training wasn’t a waste after all, right?”

The whole point of the race was to drill that point through her head. Minato thought that for someone like her, there was no way she’d seriously listen to him if he told her that normally.

That said, she didn’t look all too eager to listen to him at this moment either. Her entire body was quivering.

“I regret to inform you that I don’t quite care about your constant preaching.”

“Loser has to obey the winner.”

“Guh…”

“Is it really okay for a slave to ignore her master?”

“Ugh, I wanna die…”

She started to break down in tears on the beach. She was acting as if the world was going to end.

Well, her reaction wasn’t unfathomable. After all, she was bound by her promise to an instructor whom she absolutely despised.

Minato was no monster, however. He’ll release her out of pity once she graduates.

At a periodic inspection when I was 12 years old, I learned that I was compatible with Solaris.

By choosing to become a water manipulator, I could make more money than your average office worker. There would be little to no chance of losing my job. My future would be all but guaranteed.

With that strangely mature reasoning, Minato Yamajo garnered the resolve to part with his parents, isolated himself on the artificial island in the Pacific, and spent three years studying as a trainee to become a water manipulator.

The result was that he didn’t have many he could call friends, and he was well-aware that he had brought it upon himself.

“Eek! Minato Yamajo?!”

“Eek, you say…”

He’d heard that the instructor Aishwarin would be returning back to the island after a week-long business trip and went to welcome her back—only to see her face go explosively pale.

When Minato was a student, she was the mentor specifically a.s.signed to him. Born in the Indian Autonomous Zone, she was a beautiful 21 year old female instructor whose healthy light-brown skin matched her good proportions and gave her a mature yet childlike appearance. Add to that her lively personality and sprinkle in a willingness to look after others, and she won the hearts of everyone in the academy, men and women alike. I would like to remind you that her face is ghostly pale at the moment.

I even went out of my way to wait for her at the airport like this…

She dropped the bags she was carrying in both her hands to the ground and started to point at her former pupil with a panicked expression.

“W-W-W-Why are you here, you brat?!”

“Brat, you say… Wait, did the princ.i.p.al not tell you? I also started working here as an instructor two days ago. That means we’re coworkers now. I look forward to working with you!”

“I didn’t hear anything about this nightmare! I mean, yeah, I saw your name on the instructor candidate list, but I was like, haha, no way are they going to let this punk in or something ridiculous like that! But they actually took you? Are you serious? I never have any idea what the princ.i.p.al is thinking, and like, anyways, this is impossible. No, no, no, this is impossible. It’s so impossible. I can’t do this… I can’t, I can’t, I can’t… I’m going to murder you. I’m so going to murder you for real this time.”

She went on and on like this, cradling her head. She might’ve even been stomping the ground a little.

“I’m glad to see you haven’t changed one bit.”

Minato thought back warmly to his former trainee days and started to grin excessively.

He didn’t intend on doing anything differently.

“Just like always, you’re so cute when you’re riled up, and to top it off, you still don’t have a boyfriend. Well, this island is in the middle of nowhere, so I can’t really blame you for not being able to meet anyone nice, but I mean, look at you. You’re downright adorable, so you should stop trying to sneakily wait around with your shirt all unb.u.t.toned like that and be proactive for once. Oh, would you like me to carry your bags, by the way?”

“Just shut up! You also haven’t changed at all, you little s.e.xual-hara.s.sing s.h.i.t. I-I only unb.u.t.toned the top ’cause it’s hot out. Getting b-boyfriends has nothing to do with it!”

“Nothing, you say…”

Like always, she flailed around like a child.

This kind of thing isn’t good for me, honestly, Minato thought.

For as long as I can remember, I haven’t been able to resist people with that kind of card up their sleeve—namely, huge, over-exaggerated reactions. Maybe it was something like how little boys always wanted to bully their crushes… Maybe it was because she got cuter and cuter the more he messed with her… Whatever the reason, he eventually developed this bad habit of his. Whenever he asked her something like, “Don’t those b.o.o.bs get in the way,” her reaction was priceless, and the payoff felt divine.

Likely due to that teacher-student relationship of theirs, Minato eventually ended up getting branded a perverted monster all throughout the academy, and most of the female trainees that saw him would wind up running away as if trying to avoid a spider. Not to mention his ability essentially made him a walking three-sizes detector.

That background may have been one of the reasons why Chloe Knightley’s att.i.tude never got the best of Minato. After all, he himself was the kind of trainee that constantly disrespected his instructors.

He suddenly realized Aishwarin was staring at him shakily.

“S-So you’re really an instructor now?”

“I’m just as surprised as you are. Well, apparently it’s because of my ‘bold’ personality, and it’s possible that the princ.i.p.al chose me specifically to see where this one trainee named Chloe is at.”

“Oh, her, huh? She does seem like a good match for you… Even if you were the cause of my suffering, personally!”

“You’re so mean. We should try mud wrestling again, for old time’s sake.”

“Don’t bring up the stuff I did when I was drunk! You must be dumb! We are absolutely zero-percent friends, and the only reason I let you get away with everything you did was ’cause you were a trainee, but now that we’re coworkers, you’d better forget it! Just go die in a pit already.”

“Die in a pit, you say…”

“And carry my bags for me!”

“I already told you I would, though…”

She really was a sweeter person than she let on.

That’s why Minato truly respected her, more than he let on as well.

Lots of people knew this already, but the housing unit put aside for the instructors was entirely mixed. There were a whole host of good reasons for the tight security measures in place.

That’s why helping Aishwarin take her luggage back to her room also doubled as returning home for Minato. For whatever reason, however, she decided to go back to the academy on foot even though it took a good hour from the island’s airport.

Albeit it made for a good conversation.

“Look at us walking back together like this. It’s almost like we’re lovers.”

As Minato said this with a little smile, she glared at him from the side.

“Could you not with the sick jokes? It’s so creepy how you can avoid security cameras and infrared sensors with your ability. If you ever come to my room, I swear I’ll rip you apart.”

“You know, even I adhere to a strict code of conduct whenever I hara.s.s you. Three things: I don’t touch, I respect privacy, and I never do anything to anyone who isn’t a target. I would never break these rules.”

“If you know it’s hara.s.sment, then why do you do it in the first place?! And what the h.e.l.l do you mean ‘target?’ Am I one of the targets?!”

“Well, it’s more like you’re the only target. There’s no one else like you in this whole world!”

“For such a sweet line, it’s making me surprisingly unhappy!”

“And besides, ma’am, I can clearly imagine all the underwear and stuff laying around your room already, so there’s no need for me to go through the trouble of breaking in.”

She kicked him in the b.u.t.t.

“How the h.e.l.l do you know what my room’s like?”

“Oh G.o.d, I was right… That won’t do, ma’am. Just because you’re a certified water manipulator doesn’t mean you can slack off on things like cleaning and cooking. Lots of guys these days seem to think that women should take care of the ch.o.r.es. That’s right, didn’t your last boyfriend break up with you over your cooking? I’m pretty sure it was something to do with curry, which is surprising considering you’re Indian—”

“No, it wasn’t! I keep telling you it was because the long-distance thing didn’t work out! Ah, screw this. I’m so thirsty now… I hate how I can never control myself when I talk with you. Ugh, I just want to disappear.”

“When I first met you, I remember how everyone thought you were so cool and collected.”

“Yeah, well thanks a lot a.s.shole. Just get eaten by a shark already.”

“Oh, speaking of sharks, I just remembered…”

He didn’t actually forget anything, but it was the perfect chance to chime in anyways. It was about Chloe Knightley.

Minato had wanted to ask one of his senior coworkers for their opinion on Chloe ever since he was a.s.signed to her, and Aishwarin, the one he trusted the most, was the perfect fit. It was even one of the reasons he decided to meet her at the airport in the first place.

Using the nicely timed mention of sharks as a segue, he told Aishwarin about how he made Chloe write him an apology and everything that happened after that (excluding the little bit about slavery). Finally, he gave his own opinion on the matter:

“So I’m thinking it’s more important to focus on fixing her mindset than it is to develop her abilities.”

“I agree.”

By the time the story finished, Aishwarin had already completely turned calm and nodded. I can’t believe I lived to see the day when I could get professional help from her of all people, thought Minato with a strange sense of fulfillment.

That’s when this kindhearted Indian sister to us all started to speak at length about the topic.

“It’s definitely true that Chloe’s talent as a water manipulator is an incredible a.s.set. All of her abilities, from the basics functions to the unique characteristics of her expanded Territory, are top notch. Most importantly, the way with which she can instinctively control her abnormally strong powers is astonishing in every sense of the word. I doubt there’s more we can teach her in that regard… Unfortunately, she’s realized this as well, and it’s given her a warped understanding of her time here. As a water manipulator, Chloe has started to imagine herself as a ‘completed product.’ Though it’s true in a sense, it’s also incorrect. For a profession that requires both mind and body, she’s missing half of what’s necessary.”

That’s exactly it.

She was able to accurately put Minato’s thoughts into words.

It was the exact kind of verbal a.n.a.lysis that you’d expect out of someone with such extensive teaching experience.

“Have you mentioned this to her?” I asked.

“Yeah right. Talk about a pain in the a.s.s.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m not in the habit of looking out for pupils that aren’t mine. Besides, even if I did tell her that, there’s no way she’d take it seriously. You’ve seen how see looks down on the instructors. Hate to say it, but I have absolutely zero interest in dealing with her.”

That’s true.

Though I couldn’t help but think there was a special caring tone in her voice. Of course, if I tried to tell her that, she’d deny it vehemently. It might even ruin the serious atmosphere.

The discussion of Chloe continued.

“I think she’s an easily girl to understand, though,” Minato said.

“That’s exactly why it’s such a ha.s.sle. She’s convinced she’s the best and won’t listen to anything that says otherwise. Just like you said, I think putting together a curriculum for her that focuses more on developing her mindset will be better for her growth in the long run. For example, giving her a environment where she can interact with cla.s.smates like at a normal school.”

Interesting idea…

“Cla.s.smates, huh?”

“It’s a shame though. This academy doesn’t have any system like that in place. Oh well, do your best. Not that I care.”

“No, that was plenty helpful, Aish. You really are a great senior,” said Minato genuinely. He not only received a valuable hint, but he was also able to have a nice time talking with her.

He suddenly noticed Aishwarin had stopped in her tracks.

She stood there motionless, in complete silence. Ten seconds went by. Minato understandably tilted his head in confusion.

“Is something wrong?”

“What did you say just now?”

“Huh? It was helpful?”

“No, not that. The part after it.”

“Um… You’re a great senior?”

“Again.”

“You’re a great senior.”

“One more time.”

Once he repeated it for the seventh time, it suddenly dawned on Minato that before he arrived at the academy as an instructor, Aishwarin was the youngest member of the staff.

It was possible she really longed for a younger coworker to fawn over, surprisingly. Proof of that was the fresh spring in her step once she started walking again.

For seemingly no reason, Aishwarin suddenly started to demonstrate her generosity. “Come on, let me treat you to some food.”

Really, what a great senior.

“Apparently, you’re famous for hara.s.sing girls, sir.”

—snicker

With a triumphant grin, Chloe spoke about Minato’s academy days. Lots of people knew about it, so it didn’t come as a surprise.

If anything, the strangest part of all of this was how she was actually here in front of him. Ever since becoming a slave, Minato a.s.sumed Chloe would’ve wanted to remain out of sight for as long as possible. Instead of playing hooky, however, she was faithfully at their designated meeting place on the sh.o.r.e. It was possibly because she was so straightforward, or maybe she just conveniently forgot about everything that happened. Did she actually like being treated like a slave? Minato started to suspect traces of masochism in Chloe.

He didn’t plan on abusing her, however, so he decided not to press the issue.

“You hear that from your friends?”

“No. My older sister’s on a mission right now, so I can’t get ahold of her.”

It’s a little strange that she started talking about her sister when I asked about her friends… On the topic of her sister, she was someone who joined the academy at the same time as Minato but who graduated much more quickly, one year before him. She was pretty well-known, but the two never had a chance to talk. Both sisters clearly possessed the esteemed Knightley lineage.

That aside, Chloe apparently learned about it by chance.

“Some of the girls were talking about it in the locker room and I overheard it. I definitely wasn’t trying to listen in on their conversation, so I’d rather you not take that the wrong way.”

It seems the academy’s girls locker room is a hotbed for rumors…

Not only that, but Chloe had also apparently taken the time to write down what she had heard. She proceeded to list them out loud one-by-one, as if she were a reporter for some kind of weekly gossip magazine.

“So, I ordered the major points into a list: 1) You always keep an eye out for visible bras. 2) You abuse your ability by taking girls’ bodily measurements. 3) Through your own information route, you expose the secrets of various couples. 4) You can impregnate girls through malicious brainwaves. 5) Your mother tongue consists only of inappropriate slang and indecent euphemisms. 6) You are in the process of domesticating your childhood friend, Natsuka Hoshino. 7) You have a collarbone fetish… That’s all. What do you have to say?”

“What the heck? Number 7 is so true it’s scary.”

“And the rest is false?”

“Number 6 is completely false. I can understand why the rest might be there, though.”

That said, all of it was just stuff I did to Aishwarin, blown out of proportion. She’s always been a klutz with her appearance, so I’ve had to warn her countless times about that. When she and her ex-boyfriend were in their honeymoon period, she went on and on about their relationship despite Minato not asking for it, and it’s true he used a lot of what she said to tease her after they eventually broke up. And the whole thing with pregnancy probably came about during a little episode when a female instructor who was close with Aishwarin retired right before her shotgun wedding.

Chloe started to crumple up the paper in her hand.

“I see. Well, I was never going to bother with this gossip in the first place.”

“Oh? You don’t think it’s true?”

Of course not, she responded resolutely. “Your actions towards me have never const.i.tuted s.e.xual hara.s.sment, after all. These rumors contradict the reality of working with you.”

How on Earth was she always so sure of herself?

It was like the Code of Chloe. It was like she was thinking, if this man was truly was a habitual offender, then there’s no way he’d not target me. Sure Minato was just like any other guy with a healthy interest in the opposite s.e.x, but the most he wanted to do with Chloe was maybe give her some candy. At the moment, at least…

She’s just so amusing. I’ll buy her some juice after training’s over. Minato couldn’t help but break out into a small smile.

“I am now aware, however, that you’re universally hated by every woman in this world.”

“Yeah, well, I’d rather you didn’t make it a global thing.”

It was true at least within the confines of the academy. Not that he’d be any more popular in the city…

For who knows what reason, this incomprehensible girl started trying to console Minato.

“Please don’t take it to heart. The fact that even someone as dull and of such disreputable character as you can successfully obtain a water manipulator license is proof of the wonder of this fantastic world we live in. Be a.s.sured, for even now, I empathize with your struggle and am blessing you with the chance to guide someone like me. I fear I am the only thing keeping you from being chased away by the academy, after all.”

Unbelievable.

“I’m so moved I can hardly speak.”

It seems that by hearing about Minato’s ill reputation, she managed a complete return to how she used to be. Simple, as always. I wonder if she forgot she’s the slave of that aforementioned dull person of disreputable character, Minato thought.

Though her constant preoccupations were a shame, that conviction of hers was definitely her greatest a.s.set.

“So anyways, this is what we’re going to do in today’s training…”

With that, he started the exercises like normal.

We’re still in the preliminary stages.

All that we can do now is sow the seed. There’s no way of knowing what kind of flower it will grow into.

“Instructor Minato Yamajo, the princ.i.p.al requests your presence. Please report to the princ.i.p.al’s office after lunch. Repeat, instructor Minato—”

Soon after lunch recess started, an announcement blared over the intercom.

Today like every other day, Minato was eating his lunch on the roof of the training building—the girls always glared at him when he used the lounge inside—and once he heard the summons, he scarfed down the remaining food and hurried over to the princ.i.p.al’s office.

He had an idea as to why he was being called for.

It was probably an answer to his earlier request.

“I thought you were a little more rational than this,” the princ.i.p.al said as soon as he entered the room.

The chair the large brawny woman sat in was much bigger than the average chair, so the sight of her didn’t look that far removed from reality. If anything, seeing her sit down like that gave an even intellectual impression.

It was difficult to make out the president’s expression with the sun shining behind her, but judging by her voice and the choice of words, she was probably in complete disbelief.

Unable to figure out what she was implying, Minato repeated it back to her.

“Rational?”

Her shoulders started shaking, as if she were laughing.

“It’s just that I never imagined you’d be looking after that girl like this. You have a thing for little girls?”

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