A Guide to Raising Snake Spirits - Chapter 6

“I never went to school, so I don’t know any of this,” the grey-haired Sentinel said flatly.

Guanyue Xi thought he detected a hint of grievance in his tone, but a closer look at the Sentinel’s face revealed the same expressionless mask as before. He wondered if he’d simply misheard.

“How did you get by in the past, then?” Guanyue Xi asked, puzzled.

“I don’t remember. Most things are a blur.”

Is this some kind of soap opera plot? Guanyue Xi complained internally. Still, despite the snark, he began to seriously consider the Sentinel’s future.

“Sigh. If that’s the case, let me think about what to do with you. Usually, Sentinels have to enter the Tower. I suppose we should be glad you at least remember how to control your five senses, otherwise this would be an even bigger headache.”

Guanyue Xi muttered his plans under his breath and patted the Sentinel on the shoulder. “Forget it for now. Let’s get out of your mental realm first. We can ask the doctor about your situation once we’re back.”

Guanyue Xi withdrew his consciousness from Shiraishi Hare’s mental realm and returned to reality. He saw the Sentinel open his eyes and realized the man was still holding the hand Guanyue Xi had placed on his forehead during the link.

A Guide can sense a Sentinel’s emotions, and the signal Guanyue Xi received now was calm and notably lacking in aggression.

“This,” Guanyue Xi said, gently trying to pull his hand back. “Usually, a Guide can link to a Sentinel without physical contact, but I needed to probe your mental realm deeply, so this made it a bit easier.”

“Mm.” Shiraishi Hare released his grip and sat up.

“Wait here a second. I need to chat with the doctor. I’ll be right back.”

Guanyue Xi gave him a quick wave and stepped out to find the Guide Physician.

Shiraishi Hare remained sitting in the room. With his superior Sentinel hearing, he could clearly hear the conversation through the door that hadn’t been fully closed.

“Doctor, he’s awake…”

It was the Guide, Guanyue Xi’s voice—high-pitched and full of energy.

“Not bad. I told you you could do it,” a male voice he didn’t recognize replied.

“What’s the deal with his amnesia?”

“Amnesia? It’s likely caused by the severe damage to his mental realm. It’s normal. Some people get their memories back as they recover; some don’t. We’ll have to see.”

Shiraishi silently assessed his own physical state. Thanks to a Sentinel’s powerful self-healing abilities, his wounds were nearly closed, and his sense of weakness had significantly diminished.

His head ached, but the pain wasn’t unbearable. In his hazy memories, it felt as though he had endured pain a hundred times more intense than this.

Moreover, while holding that Guide’s hand, he had felt a profound sense of relief. All his discomfort had faded. He hadn’t wanted to let go. Why?

Shiraishi Hare licked his dry lips.

Was it hunger? No, that didn’t feel right.

This was an entirely foreign emotional experience. An inexplicable anxiety had driven him to follow the black-haired Guide in the first place.

From this angle, he couldn’t see the Guide’s face, but he remembered those vivid, grey-blue eyes from the cave. They were captivating.

Sentinels possess excellent night vision; even in the dimmest light, they see everything clearly.

An instinct was driving him, urging him to possess the Guide to keep this bottle of “delicious special-effect painkillers” firmly in his grasp.

Observe more. Be patient. Wait a little longer, the Sentinel told himself.

A moment later, Guanyue Xi returned with the Guide Physician in a white coat, followed by a middle-aged woman in civilian clothes.

“This is your primary physician, Doctor Xudian,” Guanyue Xi said, introducing the man in the white coat to Shiraishi.

“Hello there. Though, your awakening is mostly thanks to student Guanyue Xi’s hard work. I just provided some medicinal support and guidance,” the doctor said with a smile.

“Thank you for your care,” Shiraishi Hare said, nodding to the doctor.

“And this is Teacher Qiushui, from the Tower,” Guanyue Xi added with a shrug.

“I didn’t even have a chance to ask if you wanted to join the Tower yet, but they’ve already sent someone. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, though. It’s not mandatory.”

“Hello, Teacher Qiushui,” Shiraishi said, greeting her cautiously.

“Hello,” Qiushui replied with a kind smile.

People from the Special Star enjoy long lifespans ordinary people live to about two hundred, while Sentinels and Guides can reach three hundred. Although she looked like a relatively young middle-aged woman, she was likely at least seventy years old.

“Student Guanyue Xi is right, but as a teacher, I truly hope you’ll join us. The Tower can help you become a qualified Sentinel much faster. You can look into the details before making a decision. Feel free to ask me anything.”

“The Tower currently has twelve grades, corresponding to the time from a normal awakening at age twelve until graduation at twenty-four.”

“There are also special classes for those who awaken later in life or have unique circumstances. If Shiraishi Hare is willing, he would join a special class.”

Before Shiraishi could say anything, Guanyue Xi raised his hand. “I have a question. His mental realm is still far from recovered. Is it really okay for him to attend school?”

“Excellent question. We’ve already considered his physical condition,” Qiushui said calmly, appearing well-prepared.

“Exactly,” Doctor Xudian interjected. “That’s why I recommended someone to them.”

Guanyue Xi suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

“Student Guanyue Xi, because you couldn’t finish the practical portion of your graduation exam due to special circumstances, we’ve come up with an alternative for you.”

Teacher Qiushui’s kindly face suddenly looked a lot less kind to Guanyue Xi as she smiled and presented her proposal.

“While Shiraishi Hare is attending classes, how would you like to work as a student teacher for the lower grades for two years?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

His bad feeling had been spot on.

“We’ve looked at your academic records. You’re an outstanding student. If it hadn’t been for this interruption, you surely would have been an Honours Graduate,” Qiushui said smoothly, putting her teacher’s eloquence to good use.

“An internship at the Tower for two years will consolidate what you’ve learned and allow you to look after this Sentinel. Once the internship is over, the Tower can recommend you for a position in any department you wish.”

Guanyue Xi had to admit, the offer was tempting.

He had wanted the Honours Graduate title specifically to get into his preferred department. Passing the exam shouldn’t be a problem now, but his chances of getting the “Honours” tag were slim.

Teacher Qiushui’s promise solved his immediate crisis perfectly.

However, he couldn’t just agree right away. After thinking it over, Guanyue Xi gave a non-committal answer.

“Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“Excellent. Since we have our student teacher candidate, will our Sentinel student consider joining the Tower?” Qiushui turned to ask Shiraishi.

“The Tower provides basic meals and housing, covers various specializations, and gives every student the chance to explore their interests. You can take your time to figure out what you want to do in the future.”

There seemed to be no reason to refuse. Shiraishi Hare nodded his agreement.

“Oh, I forgot to mention one thing,” Qiushui added, though her expression didn’t look like she’d forgotten at all.

“To ensure student safety, dormitories are only available once Shiraishi Hare’s condition has stabilized. In the meantime, why doesn’t he stay with Teacher Guanyue?”

“…”

Guanyue Xi felt like he’d been played. He protested immediately.

“I haven’t even agreed to be a student teacher yet! And even if I did, what subject would I be teaching?”

“Naturally, the subject you are best at and enjoy the most,” Qiushui said with a grin.

Guanyue Xi looked at Shiraishi Hare. The Sentinel’s face was unreadable polite and restrained—though his furrowed brows made him look a bit grumpy.

But Guanyue Xi had just been linked to him. He could faintly sense a feeling of happiness radiating from the Sentinel.

“…”

Guanyue Xi reluctantly accepted the arrangement.

“Doctor Xudian, when can he be discharged?” Guanyue Xi asked the physician, who was busy watching the drama unfold.

The doctor, who had been enjoying the show so much he’d pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds to snack on, looked up when his name was called.

“Oh, if you’re both willing, he can leave right now.”

Xudian offered his advice: “His condition is best treated by being near you anyway. The fact that he’s awake means his physical injuries are mostly healed. There’s not much more the hospital can do. Go home, eat well, drink well, and try to keep the patient in a good mood.”

“That sounds like the kind of advice you give to terminal patients.”

“In a way, he was. If it weren’t for the fact that this kid was lucky enough to run into a high-level Guide with such perfect compatibility, he would have died a hundred times over.”

Guanyue Xi: “…”

“If he can be discharged, that’s perfect,” Qiushui said happily. “Teacher Guanyue, take student Shiraishi home. Your Tower documents will be mailed to your house in a couple of days.”

“What about my graduation certificate?” Guanyue Xi asked.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be sent together with your student teacher credentials.”

The Sentinel had arrived in rags and was leaving with nothing but the clothes on his back.

Guanyue Xi opened his terminal and began scrolling through a shopping interface, doing the math in his head.

“Hmm.  I need to get you some basics. Clothes, toiletries… what else? Oh, right, you don’t even have a terminal yet.”

“Whatever you think is best. I’ll follow your lead,” Shiraishi said.

He reached out and caught Guanyue Xi’s arm, guiding him around a group of people in the corridor. Guanyue Xi didn’t even look up from his screen.

“Right. You’ve got amnesia and you aren’t familiar with life here.”

Guanyue Xi tapped rapidly on his shopping app, completing the order in one go.

Thanks to the high-tech logistics of the Special Star, these items would be delivered to his home within two hours. Otherwise, Shiraishi wouldn’t even have a clean pair of underwear for tonight—he’d have to wear Guanyue Xi’s, and the size wouldn’t be right at all.

“As for the terminal, it has to be bound to a personal ID. I don’t know if the Tower has processed yours yet,” Guanyue Xi mused. “It seems the Tower looked into your past but didn’t find much. That makes you an undocumented resident.”

“What happens then?”

Despite being nearly half a head taller, the Sentinel looked a little pitiable at that moment.

Guanyue Xi’s “Guide instinct” kicked in, forcing him to offer immediate comfort. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll ask around for you tomorrow. For now, let’s just head to my place.”

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