Failed Deception

This is Orenjii's point of view.

"Is that the way you speak to a mega-tutor?" 

Honestly, when I speak like that, I’m not sure what kind of repercussions we might face. Even so, I know we can’t retreat once we start. Our only option is to fully support Jage’s plan or resign our lives to fate, and I decide not to resign. I mean, how could I resign my life when the stakes are getting caught lying and being thrown into the equatorial regions?

"M—mega-tutor?” The airport officer’s voice is slightly high-pitched when he says the word, and then the atmosphere at the airport changes as everyone turns to look at us.

“Yes,” I replied, almost growling.

“Sorry, may I show you my abilities?” Jage asks politely. Without waiting for an answer, he extends his hand forward, and then a glowing sword slowly appears in the air. The largest and longest sword I’ve ever seen. “This is my ability. I am a Blacksmith mega-tutor. With this, I can defeat Sanguinara without fear of my weapon being taken from me.”

“Now, these two are my younger brother and a loyal follower.” He glances at me for a moment, and—although I’m not sure what his eyes are trying to say—I extend my hand forward, entrusting my entire life to Jage. Then Jage materializes a sword in my hand, which looks luxurious, more luxurious than his, but shorter and easier to handle. He signals to Oliver, who immediately extends his hand without hesitation, and a beautiful short sword with a gleaming blade appears in his grasp.

“See? I gave them these powers,” Jage says. “Do you still doubt me?”

The officer is clearly hesitant. He probably thinks what just happened could be a trick, and he isn’t entirely wrong. However, when Jage spins his sword's hilt and slices the officer’s hat off in a split second, faster than the blink of an eye… well, that’s clearly not magic.

Panic and fear appear on the officer’s face as he says, “Please, this way, sirs.”

*****

The plane is nearly full when we board, and for a moment, panic returns to my veins as they direct us to business class seats, where there is a mega-tutor and his entourage. There are about 60 mega-tutors worldwide, with numbers constantly changing. Do they know each other? Of course, they do! That’s a small number.

Even so, Jage appears relaxed as he sits in a middle row seat, right next to an Asian girl about our age, whom I guess to be the daughter of a mega-tutor.

“Hello,” Jage greets politely, propping one long leg over the other. “How are you?”

The girl’s eyes widen, as if surprised by being spoken to, but she doesn’t say anything.

Oliver and I exchanged uncertain glances. Neither of us is sure about this. But eventually, Oliver joins Jage and extends his hand to the mega-tutor’s daughter, supporting his older brother.

“Hey, I’m Oliver Suez, and you?” Oliver has a naturally friendly demeanor, with a gesture as if putting an exclamation mark on his name.

Oliver! The pretty boy who might have been a cheerleader once, the girls' best friend, and cheerful.

The mega-tutor’s daughter greets Oliver’s hand with a shy expression. “I'm Futaba Yamada. I’m from Tokyo, my friends and family call me Fuu-chan.”

“Okay, Fuu-chan,” Oliver says cheerfully, confidently positioning himself as a friend. “You can call me Olive.”

“Olive?”

“Yeah!”

"Sounds cute," Jage comments politely.

Fuu-chan, who we thought was an introvert, then enthusiastically offers a large bag of potato chips to Oliver and Jage, who both accept the chips with delight and grace. When Futaba’s gaze shifts to me, I politely decline and sit in a separate seat on the right side.

“So,” I heard Jage start, casually playing with the potato chips between his fingers, “what are you doing in Duluth?”

Fuu-chan seemed to take a moment before answering, “My dad has business here. I’m just following him. What about you?”

“Oh, we have business here too,” Jage replies casually. He eats, grabs another chip, and then tilts his head above the seat, looking at me, and silently offering me a chip.

I shook my head, so he turned back to Futaba.

“So you and your dad are going to Antarctica?” Oliver asks.

Futaba nods enthusiastically. “Actually, only him who will go there, not me. But I’ll join him later. Are you going to Antarctica? My dad says it’s very cold there, and we need to be able to read a compass to avoid getting lost.”

In the aisle before entering our cabin, a commotion suddenly erupts, but I am too focused on the mega-tutor’s daughter’s words, absorbing as much information as we can from her.

“Antarctica, huh? We’re really looking forward to seeing it!” Oliver says, his voice like the sound of glass, so beautiful and pleasant.

“By the way, Futaba, what do you mean you’ll join your dad later? What will you do before that?” Jage asks.

“I’ll study with another mega-tutor. She’s currently in Nepal. My dad lets me choose any mega-tutor I want, and I want Sovi Jang.”

As Futaba talks about Sovi Jang and her very reclusive personality, as she only takes one or two students each month, Jage leans back in his seat, then lifts his head and looks at me. There is something bothering him, though I’m not sure what it is.

I only realize what makes his expression so tense when suddenly an old woman bursts into the business class cabin and rushes towards Jage. I immediately recognized her. She is the woman who argued at the check-in desk. The one who couldn’t buy a ticket for the next thirty days.

“You—you’re a mega-tutor, right?” she asks Jage loudly, drawing attention from everyone. I feel a cold sweat on my forehead as Jage tries hard not to be startled. Meanwhile, behind the old woman, flight attendants are chasing after her desperately.

“Mega-tutor?” Fuu-chan stares at Jage in shock, as do her father and his followers. Mega-tutor Rory Yamada now turns to the woman bowing near Jage.

“Yes, how can I help you?” Rory Yamada asks.

Jage’s face muscles tense momentarily as the woman ignores Rory Yamada and pushes her way down the narrow aisle to plead with him.

“Please, let me and my children join your group. There are only three of you, right? Or at least give us your superpower.”

Even Jage can’t escape this one.

“Ah, you mean,” the mega-tutor chuckles, “the young man is a mega-tutor? Ah, you have the wrong person.”

“No, he—” the woman tries to argue, but she falls silent when Rory Yamada stands up and looks at Jage and Oliver, who are as pale as corpses.

“Either you’re mistaken or the young man is lying,” Rory Yamada says. Then he turns to Jage and Oliver with an icy gaze. “Do you claim to be a mega-tutor, young man? You and your brother?”

Jage glances at me. I returned his serious gaze. Please, don’t back down, I told him without a voice. This isn’t a game, this is—

“Yes!” Jage replies, his voice calmer now. “I am a Blacksmith mega-tutor. Not yet officially recognized, but I will be, in the future.” He then looked at the woman in front of him. “At that time, I will be able to help you, madam. Not at the moment.”

And then, with disappointment in her gaze, the old woman leaves us, as do the flight attendants who ask us to relax until our departure time, which is only fifteen minutes away.

Meanwhile, after ten minutes have passed, I am wiping my sweat, still traumatized by the earlier events—when suddenly Rory Yamada says, “I’ve reported those two frauds. Fuu-chan, don’t get too close to them. That woman almost thought their group was three because you were too friendly with them.” Then he turned his icy gaze to Jage and Oliver. “I’ve reported you and your brother to the police. They are waiting for you outside the plane.”