Volume 7 Chapter 374 - Better Potential
When Yoruichi, Kuroka, Medusa, Aika, Sona, and Koneko reached the fountain in front of the Tower of Babel, they saw Line quietly waiting for their arrival, "Good morning, everyone! I'll be in your care today!"
"Yo~. Line-chan~. Are you ready?" Yoruichi greeted her. They already went through their introduction last in the pub while Kisuke is busy dealing with the entire Loki Familia.
"Yes!" With her staff and shoulder bag, Line answered energetically.
Sona at that time suddenly asked, "Is it fine not going to Sophie-san first?"
"It's fine. Let's just focus on you people leveling up." Yoruichi then started walking towards the Tower of Babel while also reviewing their plan for today. It was then the girls except for Line suddenly felt a piercing stare and did their best not to react to it and just hurriedly followed Yoruichi, 'Such inquisitive stare… I guess she already received the news about the Sona, Aika, and Koneko… But aside from that… A trace of confusion? Why?' Yoruichi thought as she silently gauges that gaze.
"You haven't leveled up yet even after that?" Line curiously and confusedly asked. Afterward, however, she suddenly recalled something that she's has been evading, "Uhmm… May I ask how many times did you update your status?"
Medusa then silently went behind Line and Aika answered, "Only a single time. Remember when Kisuke asked us not to update our status until he said so? We followed that and just updated yesterday."
At the same time, Medusa used her hands to cover Line's mouth, "----------!?"
A few seconds later, Line was able to get a hold of herself and profusely apologized, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I almost blurted out something important!"
Patting her back, Koneko comforted Line, "It's fine… Line-san…"
"Let's talk about this when there's no one around," Kuroka suggested and they all quietly followed Yoruichi until they reached the sixteenth floor.
Making sure that no one is around, Line finally couldn't take the curiosity anymore and ask, "Did you fight those Minotaurs with just I-rank basic abilities!?" Since she's so focused on receiving Kisuke's teachings, she forgot this very important fact.
"Yeah… I guess it's really a miracle that we survived that." Aika answered while scratching her cheeks, 'Thinking about it again, Kisuke really did put us in a ridiculous situation.'
Line looked down and stopped walking, "What's wrong, Line-chan?" Kuroka asked while the rest also stopped walking and looked towards her.
Taking a deep breath, Line looked up to everyone and with gleaming eyes, she shouted, "Please teach me how to get strong too!"
"Isn't Kisuke teaching you magic?" Yoruichi felt a bit interested and asked.
"Yoruichi-san… It isn't enough! Although I know that I don't truly belong with you guys, I still couldn't stop myself from being hopeful! True, Kisuke-san is teaching me magic and I can barely follow, but if I compare myself to any of you, it feels like I haven't tried enough! Even Sona-san is a lot better than me when it comes to physical abilities! I finally learned that if I truly wanted to be strong, I need to learn everything I can despite my apparent weakness and incompatibility with them! One day, I'll reach the limit of my magic and I don't want that to be the end of my journey, so, please! Teach me how to get stronger! I'll do everything I can to return this favor!" After shouting everything she wanted to, her throat hurts but she didn't mind it and didn't break her determined gaze with Yoruichi. She figured that she's the one who holds the group together aside from Kisuke. And if someone could give her an answer, it would be her.
Yoruichi's smiling face disappeared and was replaced with an indifferent expression along with the manifestation of a bit of her pressure, "Everything? Even if it means leaving the Loki Familia?"
Due to the unexpected pressure that came down crashing to her, Line became scared and her face started contorting due to her fear. But despite this, Yoruichi's question came loud and clear to her head and without thinking much, she answered her question, "N-No! I can't do that! I would be really thankful if you can teach me, but I can't leave the Loki Familia! They've taken care of me all these years and I can't return that favor by betraying them just because I wanted to get stronger!"
Yoruichi eased up her pressure and smile returned to her face, "That's fine~."
"W-what?" Line was confused, but before she could think through it more, Yoruichi asked another question, "If by some chance both the Loki Familia and Hestia Familia became enemies, which side are you on?"
Line blanked out on her question, "T-that's…" She honestly doesn't know how to answer that but she still tried her best to think of one since Yoruichi seems to be waiting for her answer. She knows that she's being tested right now but she also wanted to pass by being herself so after a few minutes, she arrived at a compromise, "I don't know."
Yoruichi and everyone else looked at her with a surprised expression as her answer is too simple for the time she spent thinking, "That's it?"
Feeling confident, Line continued, "Yes… I can only decide which side I'm going to be on when that actually happens and I figured what each group is fighting for."
Yoruichi approached her and put her arm around her neck, "I'm actually just messing with you when I asked that question. You already passed the moment you answered the first one."
"Eh!?"
"Well, that's also a good answer. If you're torn between two things that you like and fight for, you first have to learn the whole story before you could decide. Although it isn't as simple as that in reality, it's a good mindset."
"Does that mean I pass and you'll teach me?" Not minding Yoruichi's closeness, Line happily asked.
"Yep~. Since Kisuke is already investing in you, I figured that I should do the same and see where are your limits."
"Thank you very much! I promise that I'll do my best!"
Separating from her, Yoruichi laughed out loud, "I'll accept your gratitude for now since you'll probably regret this later on."
"W-what do you mean?"
Not entertaining her question, Yoruichi continued, "However, as I see it now, you have more potential than that Ais Wallenstein…"
Line became even more confused when she's suddenly compared to the ace of the Familia, "W-what?"
"Either way, I would need you to sign a magic contract before we start. We'll need Kisuke's help for that so for today, just watch and see what you can do." She then proceeded to give her instructions to the girls, "The three of you need to shake off any of your trauma against this Minotaurs so you'll be separated and fight Minotaurs on your own. Sona, you'll go Medusa and Line. Koneko, you'll go with Kuroka, And Aika, you'll be going with me."
The three of them became serious and nodded in understanding while Line frantically followed their steps not knowing what she just subjected herself to.
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