Chapter 6: Complicated to explain

Aaron’s eyes widened a bit.

’Oh, oh, oh... Dam, Dam! Don’t tell me you’re already getting some action from a red-haired beauty! I’m soooo jealous!! Even in a new world, my 14-year-old elder brother is getting some action before me!! Damn my virgin rod!!!’

Suddenly, Abigail’s face squeezed in disgust.

"Eww... Rub that lewd, jealous smile off your face. It’s not what you think. Damien might be heartless, cold, and condescending, but unlike you, he’s not a pervert."

Aaron blinked.

"That’s a hurtful thing to say."

She gave him a deadpan look.

"We both know it’s the truth."

She carefully glanced around them again—as if hoping no one could see or hear them. Then she continued:

"I think she trains him."

Aaron sat up seriously.

"She trains him?"

Abigail nodded with a look of certainty.

"Yeah... She trains him. I bumped into them last month when Mother sent me to give Damien dinner. He left the door partly open, and I assumed there was no need to knock. So... I barged in."

Aaron watched her intently.

"And... What happened? What did you see?"

Abigail held his gaze silently for a moment. Then, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"She had him sit on the ground in a strange way and was explaining some... unusual concepts to him."

Aaron’s eyes narrowed.

’Unusual concepts?’

That was strange. Abigail was smarter than the average kid and had a good understanding of almost every meaningful thing in the world. It was rare to see her stumble upon a concept that was above her understanding.

Except...

"How unusual was it?" Aaron suddenly asked, with a tone of urgency in his voice.

Abigail observed him strangely. She seemed taken aback by his reaction and gave him a look that said, ’Why are you so interested?’ but still answered him.

"Very unusual. Damien was startled at my sudden presence in his room. He gave me a dark look and discontinued whatever he was doing. But the girl, however... ignored me and kept on talking."

As she spoke, Abigail picked another ball of potato and passed it to Aaron.

"I tried to listen, but it was useless. So I hastily apologized and left the room."

She paused slightly, then added with a shrug:

"Actually, I was just surprised. Nothing more. Not until Damien came to me later that night and gave me a stern warning never to tell anyone. That was when I grew suspicious."

She turned her head toward the door Damien had just slammed.

"I think he’s just returning from dropping her off."

Aaron’s brows furrowed.

A string of words Abigail could not understand. That was obviously something worth investigating. If she hadn’t heard of it, there was a very fat chance that he also hadn’t heard of it. Also, judging from the tiredness Damien displayed whenever he returned from the woods and the muddiness and rumpleness of his clothes...

Aaron’s eyes widened in instant realization.

’He was training with someone. He always has been! How did I fail to suspect this possibility?’

Damien’s drastic growth was abnormal. So abnormal that he scared even their father. Aaron had assumed he was just extraordinarily talented, but he had been wrong.

The source of his brother’s strength hadn’t always been his talent. There had been an unknown tutor all along.

Aaron frowned.

’But wait.’

According to his sister, Damien’s tutor had been a red-haired girl of his age. Which 13- or 14-year-old in this world was strong enough to not just rival Damien, but tutor him?

How strong must the girl in question be?

Or was she an important character from the game...

’No... No, it’s not yet even time for that. The game starts from the dungeon. And it’s in five years. It’s not possible to encounter a character this early... Is it?’

Aaron raised his head and locked eyes with Abigail, who had been quietly chewing potatoes and observing him without his knowledge.

"Do you think she’d come tonight?"

Abigail shrugged and answered with a high-pitched tone:

"I don’t know."

Aaron’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You’re lying."

She immediately averted her eyes from his gaze.

"I’m not!" she said with an even higher tone.

’Oh God! Don’t tell me we have to do this again.’

Aaron’s eyes widened in frustration.

"You obviously are!"

"I’m not LYING!" Abigail declared loudly, with her eyes averted and her arms folded.

Aaron looked away and sat up as he stared vacantly at the part of the forest Damien had walked out from.

There was a long stretch of silence between them until Abigail broke it with a quiet tone.

"I told you everything I knew."

Aaron looked back at her.

She pushed her long black hair behind her ears and continued with an unmistakable hint of sadness in her voice.

"I told you everything. And you quietly bent your head and stared at the ground for a very long moment, discovered something I did not know, and did not even consider telling me what you discovered."

Aaron stared at her helplessly. He tried to say something, but she interrupted him.

"I tell you everything, but you still keep things from me."

Aaron sighed quietly to himself.

’She’s too smart for her age. How did she tell I realized something just by watching me think?’

He sighed once again, this time loudly.

"I think Damien trains with this red-haired girl in the woods, and she’s the reason he’s far stronger than I am."

Abigail slowly turned her head back to Aaron. She held his gaze and responded in a doubtful tone.

"But you’re plenty strong the way you are!"

Aaron smiled.

’If only you knew the tasks ahead of me.’

"Yes, I am."

Abigail smiled back at him. She unfolded her arms and started packing up the leftovers.

"She’s coming tonight."

She paused and thought for a bit.

"In fact, I think she has been coming almost every night these days."

Aaron nodded.

’Perfect!’