Chapter 130

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Chapter 130: The Girl Carrying the Fate of the Continent and the Talking Turtle

Kanor stood in silence, deeply affected by Lolth’s words.

Though she understood Lolth’s reasoning, it still stung. The Wizard Association had existed in Cloud City for millennia, and countless extraordinary wizards had emerged across the continent. Her own “created” spells, while impressive in her eyes, were neither new nor groundbreaking.

Still, having been hailed as a genius since childhood, Kanor felt a pang of guilt as she reflected on Lolth’s patient teachings.

“Master Lolth, I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “I’m just… too stupid.”

The talent she once took pride in now seemed insignificant before the vast wisdom of her mentor.

No wonder Master Lolth commanded such respect in every city they visited. It wasn’t just her culinary brilliance—she was extraordinary in countless ways.

Lolth observed Kanor’s downcast expression, her heart softening.

“Is this what true genius looks like?” she thought. “Setting impossibly high standards for oneself?”

For a moment, she compared Kanor’s diligent spirit to her own “teacher’s” lazy personality. A faint ache stirred in her chest.

But as Kanor’s teacher, it was her duty to guide and uplift her student.

Lolth placed a reassuring hand on Kanor’s shoulder and spoke gently.

“Kanor… when I first started learning magic, I spent an entire day just mastering my very first spell.”

Kanor’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Really, Master Lolth?”

“Of course,” Lolth replied, bending slightly to meet Kanor’s gaze. Her dark eyes were earnest. “Creating spells is one of the most challenging tasks a wizard can undertake. Even a Great Sage would struggle to invent a completely new spell. Don’t be discouraged. When I asked you to create three spells, it was only meant to encourage you.”

Kanor’s tense expression softened as she nodded, reassured by Lolth’s words.

Seeing this, Lolth straightened up, shaking the iron bucket in her hand.

“Alright, enough worrying. Let’s focus on something more fun. Today, we’re learning about cooking different kinds of fish! Wilderness fishing is an important survival skill, after all.”

Kanor’s face lit up with excitement.

“Okay—yay!” she cheered, her usual energy returning.

The moment she looked forward to most each day had finally arrived.

Leaving the classroom, the two entered the spacious, modern kitchen that Lolth had built at great expense.

They ceremoniously swapped their wizard robes for chef outfits, with Lolth donning her signature tall chef’s hat.

The kitchen was pristine, its polished counters gleaming under warm lights. Lolth placed the bucket of freshly caught fish on the table and selected a few smaller ones to feed a large turtle resting in a water basin nearby.

As the turtle stretched its neck to gobble up the fish, Kanor stared in surprise.

Until now, she hadn’t realized the turtle could even eat. Tina, who had been feeding it until recently, had always complained, “I don’t understand why this creature is still alive, but since Master Lolth brought it back, we’ll care for it for now.”

This was Kanor’s first time witnessing the turtle eat, and she found it oddly fascinating.

Lolth, however, paid it no mind. After feeding the turtle, she shook the water off her hands, selected four larger fish from the bucket, and began gutting and scaling them.

“Kanor, today I’ll teach you four common ways to prepare fish: grilling, making soup, steaming, and frying fillets. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch the right type of fish for sashimi, so we’ll skip that for now.”

She arranged the cleaned fish neatly on a plate and turned to Kanor.

“I need to grab some side dishes and seasonings. Feel free to practice on the remaining fish in the bucket, or take a break if you like.”

With that, she washed her hands and headed toward the walk-in refrigerator.

Kanor watched Lolth leave, then decided to try cleaning a fish herself. She rolled up her sleeves and reached for the bucket.

But just as she was about to start, a voice interrupted her.

“Hey, young lady.”

The voice was sharp and impatient, much like an older woman demanding attention. Startled, Kanor dropped the fish and instinctively cast a protective spell, her eyes darting around the room.

Her gaze landed on the water basin.

There, the giant turtle was waving its front paws at her.

“Are you… talking to me?” she asked, bewildered.

“Who else would I be talking to?” the turtle replied, its tone exasperated. “Come closer. I have something good to show you. If that succubus comes back, I won’t have the chance!”

Kanor frowned, her instincts on high alert.

“If you have something to say, you can say it in front of Master Lolth. Why hide it from her?”

The turtle flinched.

“Wait—she’s your master?” It seemed genuinely shocked. “How strange… I thought she captured you to be used as backup food!”

Kanor’s opinion of the turtle sank even lower.

“Keep talking nonsense, and I’ll call Master Lolth right now!” she warned.

The turtle panicked.

“No, no, no! Please, I mean no harm!” it pleaded, hastily reaching into its shell. After a moment, it pulled out a brass key.

“This is what I wanted to show you,” it said, holding the key aloft.

Kanor blinked, confused.

“A… key?”

“Yes!” the turtle said, its voice lowering conspiratorially. “This key unlocks the box in the corner of the kitchen. Inside is a treasure that will shake the entire continent. And you—”

It paused dramatically.

“You carry the fate of the continent, young lady. You were born special, destined to claim this treasure. That’s why I’m entrusting you with this key.”

The turtle’s tone turned pleading.

“Once you become strong, all I ask is that you help me escape this cursed life.”

Kanor hesitated, but eventually, she took the key and nodded.

Then, without hesitation, she called out:

“Master Lolth! The turtle can talk—and it just gave me a key! It says there’s a great treasure in the box over there!”