The Final Desperation

Genji leisurely enjoyed the next few days, playing around and spending money without care. Now that they had an extra month, they could afford to enjoy their time. It was a true vacation without any worries.

Astros tried lots of food throughout these days, rarely spending a moment without a snack. The people at the workshop wondered how a ferret could eat so much, but they quickly dismissed the issue when they realized Astros was unaffected by the intake. Since Astros wasn't being harmed, they had no reason to deny him.

What they did find strange, however, was the sight of Astros playing with a phone. Every day, as Alysha hogged Genji to herself, the ferret could be seen sulking in the corner, ferociously tapping away at the device.

In one instance, Kosa grew curious and peeked at his screen, only to see numerous circles chaotically flying across the screen. Astros rapidly tapped away at them, filling the display with overwhelming special effects and an ever-increasing combo count. From what she could tell, Astros was playing a rhythm game and he was very good at it.

'What the? Since when can ferrets play like that?' she inwardly asked, bewildered by the scene.

Astros finished the level after a few more seconds and looked up at her, having sensed the intruding gaze.

"Grrrr." Astros raised a claw at her and grumpily growled as if asking what she wanted from him.

Kosa's heart skipped at this adorable scene, and she almost rushed forward to cuddle him if it wasn't for the inkling that reminded her of Genji's presence.

'Stay calm, Kosa. Stay calm.' Kosa took deep breaths and tried her best to suppress this urge. 'You don't want to provoke that monster.' Yet seconds later, her thoughts wandered in a dangerous direction. 'But if I can just bury my face in that luxurious tail, it might be worth enduring his wrath?'

At this moment, the other bodyguard loudly cleared his throat behind her. "You're in the way, Ms. Kosa," he said, jolting her awake.

'Oh shit! That was dangerous,' she thought, gulping down a mouthful of anxiety. 'I can't believe I almost willingly committed suicide. This guy's cuteness is too dangerous. I need to stay away from him.'

However, her true thoughts were revealed not even a second later when she snuck another peek at Astros. The bodyguard furrowed his brows at her distracted appearance and grabbed her arm.

"Get a hold of yourself! Why are you spacing out like this?"

"But he's so cute though," she inadvertently cried out.

"..."

"..."

The two of them awkwardly stared at each other, both taken aback by what Kosa had just said. After a few seconds, Kosa let out a few embarrassed coughs and stepped back. "Let's pretend I never said that," she said, glancing around for anyone who could have heard her. Once she confirmed they were alone, she inwardly sighed and rushed away.

As the bodyguard watched her disappearing back, a shiver crawled down his spine, producing countless goosebumps. 'I can't believe she is the same Scythe Maniac who gave me so much trouble a few years back. She's like a completely different person after she saw the ferret,' he thought, his trembling eyes revealing his fear, but not daring to look at Astros.

As a trained agent entrusted with this task, he was more than aware of the unfathomable abilities possessed by people from that place. Yet even among his superiors, this subtle influence ability was beyond creepy.

After all, no one likes having their cognition distorted, even if it was unintentional. Rather, this being a passive ability only highlighted its dreadful nature, as there was no easy way to defend against it. One slip of the mind and he wouldn't be able to extricate himself.

A few minutes later, Genji walked out of Alysha's workroom and noticed the strange atmosphere between the two bodyguards. 'Hmm? Why are they so uncomfortable with each other? Did someone catch them making out or what?'

Genji brushed aside the question and scooped up Astros into his arms. "I hope you weren't feeling too left out," he said, causing Astros to pout at him. "Come on, let's have lunch. I ordered delivery."

At the mention of food, Astros's mood immediately turned around and he jumped onto Genji's shoulder. Genji scratched the ferret behind the ears and walked toward the door. He fiddled with his phone for a few minutes before a car with a restaurant logo pulled up on the sidewalk. A deliveryman stepped out and handed him a large box of food.

As Genji easily took the box, the deliveryman's eyes subconsciously went to the unusual ferret perched on Genji's shoulder. This was his first time seeing this duo, but he wasn't too surprised. There have been rumors of a rich man and his pet going around in the food industry, so he was half-expecting this when he heard the large order and the address.

Genji paid for the food, returned to the studio, and called for everyone. Each person took a container and sat around a large worktable, treating it as a makeshift dining table. Alysha plopped down next to Genji, much to Astros's annoyance, and happily dug in.

"Thanks for the meal," she said between mouthfuls of food.

"Slow down," Finlosh said with a soft smile. "There's plenty to go around."

"But there's so much I want to do!" she chirped in response, bouncing from side to side. "I want to start the lessons right away!"

For context, the studio holds a group lesson after lunch every few days, with Alysha and Finlosh alternating lessons. Today was Alysha's turn, and she couldn't be any more excited because she could finally show Genji her teaching style.

She held off on the lessons the previous times due to the 3-day constraints. It didn't make sense to spend time lecturing when she rarely got any time with him. But now that constraint had been lifted, she had none of these concerns.

The adults chuckled at her eagerness and continued at their own pace. The only one who increased his eating speed was Nathan, the boy with the crush.

"Let me help you," he said as Alysha finished and went to prepare for the lesson.

"Okay," she said, flashing a smile that warmed his heart.

Twenty minutes later, the adults finished their meals and cleaned up the work table. Then they gathered their chairs around in a fan shape and allowed Alysha to take the stage.

"Today, we're going to carve a dragon," she enthusiastically started. "All the scales and in as much detail as possible! We're going to practice defining these details while maintaining our speed!"

She had this excited gleam in her eyes as if she was confronting a fun challenge rather than giving an actual lesson. Grabbing her carving knife and a block of wood, she interweaved them at eye-blurring speeds, showering the surface with various-sized wood chunks.

The carving rapidly took shape as Alysha boldly trimmed away the excess parts. In a matter of seconds, Alysha finished the rough shape and began working on the details. Her speed eased as she turned the sculpture like a machine, repetitively chipping away the edges and smoothing out the surfaces.

This process took most of her time, but it wasn't long before an eastern, five-clawed dragon coiled around a log appeared in their sights. Alysha put the sculpture down and dusted off her hands before proudly beaming at Genji.

"That's it. Not too hard, right?"

The audience stared speechlessly at her as if asking how she expected them to do this without cutting off their fingers. Although Alysha had been giving them tips on handling the carving knife, none of them were as proficient as her.

Genji chuckled at Alysha's mischievousness and decided to add to the chaos. "No, it's not hard. I can do better," he said, standing up and walking toward the center. Alysha grinned at him and passed over her knife and some wood. Then she stepped back and widened her eyes to capture every upcoming movement.

The audience stared blankly at him, when Genji suddenly burst into action, cutting into the wood with one smooth motion. He twisted and turned the piece like a cork, making harsh grating sounds and bending the knife at different angles. After making three rotations, he sliced down the sides and peeled off the excess material.

After this, he was left with three pieces of wood, which he threw into the air and began juggling. As he caught a piece, his hands would blur for a fraction of a second before tossing it back into the air.

The corner of Kosa's eyes twitched at this sight as she realized what Genji was doing. 'He's showing off. And using the assassin's tactical reload at that.'

However, this was only the beginning. At some point during the performance, the number of airborne objects increased to five, then seven, followed by nine. The audience didn’t know when the objects multiplied, but Genji had no trouble sustaining the cycle.

After several more minutes, Genji put the knife down and caught everything. In the end, he slid everything across the table, revealing eight evenly spaced trinkets and a grand dragon statue.

The trinkets were in sets of two, forming a symmetrical display with the dragon in the center. The dragon carving was the same design as Alysha's, except his was more detailed with crisper lines. All the surfaces were also silky smooth as if polished by fine sandpaper.

Genji clapped off the wood dust from his shoulder and smiled at the dumbfounded spectators. "See? Not hard at all."

They returned his gaze with dropped jaws, still dazzled by the performance. "He can't be expecting us to do that, right?" Jeremiah subconsciously muttered.

At this moment, Alysha clapped for the performance, compelling the others to reflectively follow. After several more seconds, the group finally recovered from their stupor, and the applause faded into pin-drop silence.

"That was AWESOME!" Alysha breathlessly exclaimed. "When will you teach me to do that?"

"Maybe later. You need to learn how to juggle first," Genji said, sitting down beside her.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Alysha tugged at his arm and pointed at her room.

"Aren't you going to guide your students?" Genji asked amusingly, lifting his chin at the group.

"Oh." Alysha sighed somewhat disappointedly but still chose to finish the lesson.

'What are we even here for?' The others wondered, doubting if this was the same wood carving they knew.

Meanwhile, Nathan clenched his fist, vowing to improve his skills, regardless of the efforts required.

 

---

 

Time quickly passed, and it was soon three days before the exhibition. On this day, the whole studio took a trip to the exhibit location to ensure everything arrived properly and to make some final adjustments.

The event was set in a neighboring city where a museum had agreed to host the occasion. It took two hours by car to arrive, and the museum was located at the city's heart. From its clean exteriors and well-maintained surroundings, it was clear that the city spared no effort in operating this museum.

They got out of the car, grouped up again, and Finlosh called the museum. The person on the other side listened to their purpose and instructed them where to go. They walked around to the side and arrived at the front door, where a squadron of guards patrolled the vicinity. They took security very seriously here since the museum held countless invaluable artifacts from ancient sites.

Finlosh approached one of the guards and showed his artist invitation. The guard scanned the electronic letter and allowed them inside. A wide room coated in shiny bronze color filled their view as they entered, creating a lasting impression on their eyes.

At the center of the room was a large, abstract sculpture that seemingly distorted the bright lights around it. It was a well-placed contrast that drew the viewer's attention after they finished admiring the interiors.

At this moment, a thin, tall man in a navy blue suit walked into view from the other side of the room. He removed the monocle from his left eye, slid it into his breast pocket, and approached them. As he entered a comfortable conversation distance, he placed his left hand on his chest and courteously pointed his other palm at the hallway he had exited from. "Master Finlosh, welcome. I am Xavier, the curator of this museum. Please, come this way. I've been expecting you."

"You flatter me, Sir Xavier," Finlosh responded.

"Not at all. You deserve your reputation. Many artists, including myself, still look up to you."

Finlosh bashfully scratched his head and led the group forward. Xavier gave them a tour of the museum and briefly introduced the artworks along the way.

"That one belongs to Sir Geppetto. He's putting his 83rd painting on display with us. Over there is a marble sculpture of David, from the collection of businessman Earnestway. It's not the original version, but the sculptor was only in college when he imitated it. Earnestway was so impressed by the young man's skills that he bought it on the spot and sponsored him for his remaining school years."

Finally, they arrived at the wooden carvings area reserved for their studio. All the pieces they had sent had arrived intact and were placed in neat display cases.

"If you have any requests, please let us know. We'll try our best to accommodate you," Xavier said.

"Can you turn this one slightly to the right? It'll give a better impression that way," Helen said, walking beside one of her carvings.

"No problem." Xavier took out a large ring of keys from his belt and opened the display case. Then he stepped aside to let Helen make her adjustment. They continued like this for another few minutes before Finlosh pulled Xavier aside with Alysha.

"How else can I help you?" Xavier politely asked.

"If possible, can you keep her involvement anonymous?" Finlosh asked, patting Alysha's shoulder.

Xavier's eyes went to Alysha, and the cogs of his brain turned to recall how she was related to Finlosh. After a few seconds, he had an a-ha moment and agreed with the request. "No problem. I'm sure you didn't like being in the limelight last time."

"It wasn't too bad, but Mom did ask the reporters to blur my face," Alysha answered. "She didn't want me to become a celebrity yet."

"And I can understand Madam's feelings. You can easily take that step forward, but it's hard to backtrack, especially with someone as prevalent as Master Finlosh. Very well, I shall only refer to your works by a pseudonym. Do you have one in mind?"

Alysha thought for a few moments before answering with a bold smile. Xavier gave a gentleman's bow and they returned to the room. Like this, three more days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to host the exhibit. Yet as Genji arrived on this day, a sudden question he'd never thought about before hit him.

'Isn't today a school day? How is she supposed to get here?'

 

---

 

Two and a half months ago, Ms. Sheri, Alysha's homeroom teacher, had a rough breakup with her boyfriend. In a fit of grief, she stormed into a nearby bar and drowned her sorrows in alcohol. Although a part of her knew she shouldn’t be doing this as an educator, her emotional turmoil was too strong to bear sober.

She didn’t know how many drinks she had that night, but she had a hard time walking. This was a dangerous state for a woman to be in at night. Luckily, she encountered Helen on the way home rather than someone with impure intentions.

Helen, having left the workshop late, saw this tipsy woman and was worried about her well-being. Thus, she approached Ms. Sheri and talked to her. However, Ms. Sheri slurred her speech and fainted seconds into their conversation.

Out of the goodness of her heart, Helen decided to bring Ms. Sheri back to her apartment and care for her. That night, Helen heard loud sniffles and saw streams of tears flowing down the corners of Ms. Sheri’s eyes, staining the pillow with black mascara.

The following morning, Ms. Sheri woke up with a raging headache and disoriented vision. It took her a while to realize she was in a stranger’s home, and panic set in. However, Helen reassured her before she could freak out too much. After explaining the circumstances of their encounter over breakfast, Helen offered to listen to her woes.

Ms. Sheri accepted this offer and poured her pent-up emotions out in droves. For two full hours, Helen listened without complaint, neither interrupting Ms. Sheri nor cutting her off. The session started with her grievances and ended with her lovely students. Even in this state, she was still thinking about them. Ms. Sheri was a dedicated teacher, and her love for children couldn't be any more evident.

Moved by this dedication, Helen asked if Ms. Sheri wanted to help plan a field trip for them. Ms. Sheri was taken aback by the question but responded without hesitation, "I do, but I don’t think I can convince the school board."

That was all Helen needed to hear. "Just leave it to me. I’ll deal with that," she said.

And that was how the exhibit came to be. Using her family’s influence, Helen contacted Xavier and explained her purpose. Xavier readily agreed when he heard her story and how they would offer a few pieces by an unknown carver that even Finlosh admired.

Afterward, she met with the school board members and argued using "artistic appreciation." Since the members were mostly parents in the district, it was easy to persuade them once she mentioned that everyone, including their children, could visit the museum free of charge that week.

Xavier was able to do this because the museum was government-run and paid for with taxpayer money. What else would he spend the money on if not for civil services?

It had been two months since Helen made these arrangements, and Ms. Sheri still couldn’t believe how smoothly it went. Typically, events of this size require months of planning, yet Helen finished in merely two weeks. It really made Ms. Sheri see this incidental friend of hers in a new light and question what her background was.

"Ms. Sheri! Look! The buses! They’re here!" Suddenly, an excited voice jolted Ms. Sheri from her reminiscing.

Looking over, Ms. Sheri recognized the voice as coming from Alysha, a cheerful little girl in her class. She always seemed so carefree and upbeat, regardless of the circumstances. Ms. Sheri admired this trait and hoped Alysha would never lose it. Life as an adult was hard enough, so everyone could use a bit of sunshine now and then.

"Now, now, don’t get too excited," Ms. Sheri said with a light smile. "We still need to wait for our turn."

The school ranged from kindergarten to fifth grade. Due to the rarity of this opportunity, the whole school would be joining them on this trip. In events like these, the typical order of dismissal starts with the highest grades and goes downward. Ms. Sheri was teaching a fourth-grade class, so it would be a few more minutes before the principal called for them through the intercom.

"But I can still look forward to it," Alysha responded and returned to gazing out the window.

Ms. Sheri playfully shook her head and turned to watch the other children in the class. Soon, it was their turn to leave, and all three classes headed out. Excited chatter filled the hallways, riling up the anticipation within the younger students as they mingled with their friends. When they reached the parking lot, they split into two groups and funneled onto the buses, each group claiming a section for themselves.

Alysha grabbed a window seat at the front, away from everyone else. This was the one thing Ms. Sheri couldn’t understand about her. Alysha was well-liked in the class and could easily join a group if she wanted to, yet she chose to sit by herself, staring out the window with her chin on her palm.

Wanting to give her some company, Ms. Sheri sat beside her after finishing her attendance duties and made some small talk. "What do you like to do in your free time, Alysha?"

Alysha turned around with a wide smile and said, "Carving. I’m obsessed with it."

"Care to elaborate? What kind of hobby is it?"

"So I take this knife and this block of wood and I do this." Alysha made some interweaving motions as a demonstration. "And depending on the angle, force, or material, I get different results. Each wood type has different properties that I need to account for. If it’s Maplewood..."

Alysha elaborated on her experience with great fervor, rambling like a madwoman in her own world. At first, Ms. Sheri thought she was talking about a game, but the more she listened, the more something felt off. Half an hour in, Ms. Sheri realized Alysha was talking about the same wood carving that she knew, and discomfort soon crept into her eyes.

'How can her parents allow this? Aren’t they the slightest bit worried about Alysha cutting herself? No, I can’t allow this to continue!' Ms. Sheri resolved to have a teacher-parent conference after this field trip and admonish Alysha’s parents for their negligence. No child should live in such dangerous conditions!

'Oh, she’s not interested either,' Alysha thought, noticing her teacher’s absent gaze, and returned to looking out the window. Ms. Sheri mistook this reticence for disappointment and tried to engage Alysha in another conversation, but the little girl just wanted some time to herself. When Alysha expressed this, Ms. Sheri thought she was the cause and felt guilty about not listening properly.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at the museum and organized themselves according to their grades. A team of museum guides welcomed them and divided them into manageable groups. Then they headed inside and toured the displayed artworks. Some of the artists were beside their works, ready to answer any questions.

Alysha's group stopped in the painting area, and the curious children interacted with a young painter in his twenties. He explained the process behind his oil paintings and the differences between various paints.

Unlike any other, oil paintings require weeks to dry, giving the painter ample time to manipulate the results. They also last longer than their modern counterparts, which is why many paintings from the olden days used this paint.

Along with this artist, there were also other painting types. Ranging from ink to watercolor, the visitors saw a variety of illustrations that represented the individual categories in the subject.

They spent 15 minutes in this area before moving on to the ceramic displays. Ceramic is like wood, only using clay as the material. The methods are different, but they can both achieve similar results. There are mainly two specializations in this art. The first is the potter's wheel, which emphasizes the creation of functional objects. Examples like dinner plates, bowls, and cups are common within this field.

The other specialization is handcrafting, which builds constructs using various tools. This may include pottery, sculptures, or even storage boxes. Due to the craft's pliable nature, it is generally easier to shape clay than to make the same object from wood.

"Once the clay dries, we put it in a furnace for a bisque firing," the potter explained. "This typically takes a few hours since it requires a high temperature to do properly. After the pieces cool, we glaze them, making sure to wipe the bottom before the second firing. This is important or the ceramic will fuse to the kiln shelf and ruin it. But once we finish this process, the pieces become like rocks and can last for thousands of years. Many archeologists are still digging up pottery from Egyptian times."

To finish the demonstration, the potter showed them some of his finished works before sending them on their way. They saw various other arts over the next couple of hours, including but not limited to jewelry making, photography, digital art, printmaking, glass portraits, and tapestry, the craft of weaving patterns in cloth.

There was even one college math professor specializing in origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, among the invitees. Although wacky, the two have way more in common than one might initially expect. The children really broadened their perspectives after his explanation.

They stopped for a short lunch break before continuing the tour. There were so many pieces of art that they could spend days here and still not finish everything. The museum spared no effort on this exhibit.

Finally, they reached the woodworking area and encountered Xavier. The guide introduced the main curator, and Xavier explained his current actions. "Not everyone could make it to our opening, so I'm introducing some works in the artists' place. Please bear with me."

Xavier bowed and led them into the area. There were a few other woodworkers present, but they made their crafts using heavy machinery instead of traditional methods. If anything, they took after the modern profession built around practicality rather than artistic expression. Their works were so polished that the students would have mistaken this area for a carpentry shop if they didn't know beforehand.

The representative explained some of the finishing treatments they apply to wood, and the group moved on. Soon, they reached the space dedicated to Finlosh's workshop. Xavier stepped aside to let Helen introduce her work before taking over for Finlosh and Alysha.

"This elderly gentleman is one of the best carvers in the country. He's made multiple renowned works in recent years and is now running a small studio to teach people interested in the craft. And over here are some pieces by Lady Lah Say Eirepon, a rising genius in the community. She's unfortunately one of the many artists who couldn't be here due to personal reasons, but it doesn't detract from her work. I dare say her knifework is unrivaled in the current art scene."

As Xavier gave them some time to admire the two masters' works, he caught Alysha's stare and subtly nodded at her. Alysha smiled back at him and averted her gaze.

Moments later, the school's art teacher raised his palm to ask a question. "Can you tell me why you put Eirepon on the same level as Finlosh? I'll admit the details are amazing, but it feels somewhat lacking compared to the master's. It doesn't feel as artistically profound."

"You have a keen eye, sir. But what if I told you Lady Eirepon finished all these pieces in merely two hours?"

"Impossible!" the teacher exclaimed, his eyes bulging in surprise.

"I have no reason to lie, sir. These are the values Master Finlosh gave himself."

The teacher turned to Finlosh, silently asking if this was true, and the elder nodded, cementing the man's shock.

"Plus," Xavier continued, "Lady Eirepon is only in her teens. She has plenty of time to improve. With Master Finlosh's teachings, I bet it won't be long until her name also resounds in the public's ears." Xavier modified Alysha's age to make the story seem more believable and to cover for her.

The teacher's mouth opened and closed several times like a fish before finally reigning in his reactions. He took a sharp breath and mentally noted that he would keep up to date on this rising genius. And that was how Alysha earned another fan in her anonymous state.

"If you're done, please come along. I would be happy to introduce some other hidden gems within our walls," Xavier's voice sounded, redirecting everyone's focus to the next area.