Can someone in MyGo stay in an adventure group forever?

Page 120

So she quickly put down the doll in her arms, ran over, and introduced herself somewhat timidly.

"Hello, sisters, my name is Shiina Tatsuki."

The woman in the lead, who had narrowed her eyes and looked very gentle, smiled at her and waved.

"Hello, you're so cute, go play!"

Shiina Tatsuki nodded, and after turning around and taking a few steps, he heard a murmur of discussion behind him.

"Maki's younger sister is quite polite."

"After all, it's Maki..."

Shiina Tatsuki was somewhat puzzled.

Why do they still refer to themselves as "Maki's sister"?

I already told them my name.

A slight sense of confusion quietly took root in my heart.

------

Happy 12th birthday to Xiaolixi!

The warm candlelight flickered, and Shiina Ritsuki took a deep breath and blew out all the candles in front of her.

"You can make a wish now, right?" Shiina's mother said.

"Yes!" Shiina Riki nodded emphatically, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes devoutly.

...I want the latest limited edition panda plush toy.

She opened her eyes.

"Finished making your wish?" The father smiled, got up, and turned on the light. "What did our little Lixi wish for?"

Shiina Tatsuki shook her head, looked at him, and puffed out her cheeks slightly.

If you speak your wish aloud, it won't come true.

"I see." Shiina's father chuckled. "Alright then."

"Time flies," he exclaimed. "Before we knew it, Lixi was already 12 years old. In another year, he'll be going to junior high school."

“When your sister was your age, she had already started to feel the flow of magic and learn magic tricks. Lixi, you have to work harder too.”

"Hmm..." Shiina Riki's voice was slightly softer.

Of course she tried, she tried very hard.

But even now, she still can't sense the existence of magic, let alone learn magic tricks.

....*Moon*/Ripples - First Release..

She thought for a moment and silently added another wish to her list.

...I want the latest limited edition panda doll, and I also want to become a mage as powerful as my sister.

"Speaking of which, didn't Maki say why she didn't come today?" The father glanced at the empty seat.

"It seems she's the only one in the class who can consistently cast second-circle spells, so the teacher signed her up for the national junior high school professional competition, and today happens to be the preliminary round..." the mother said.

"Alright." Shiina's father turned to Shiina Ritsuki. "Ritsuki, can we cut the cake now?"

"Ok!"

Shiina Ritsuki stood up, holding a plastic knife, and carefully planned her actions.

Cut a big piece for Dad, cut a big piece for Mom, and there's another big piece—

"Remember to save one for your sister too; she worked hard in the competition today." Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts. "That was the National High School Professional Competition... I almost did it myself back then... if it weren't for..."

"Alright, alright, it's clear you don't have the talent." His mother interrupted him mercilessly. "Maki got in because she worked hard, so stop patting yourself on the back. You should be thinking about how to get promoted. Your high school classmate, that Wen Shui, because of her connections from the Adventurers' Association, became a division head in just two years. And you? You're still just a director..."

"Wasn't all of that for you? If you hadn't said you wanted to go to the same university as me, I'd be at the University of Tokyo by now—"

“,,,,,,”

Shiina Tatsuki's hand holding the plastic knife paused slightly.

The cake's delicate cream seemed to have become exceptionally thick, and it took her a great deal of effort to finally press the plastic knife down.

If I close my eyes, can I make a wish again?

When no one was watching, she quietly closed her eyes.

...I hope to become a mage as powerful as my sister.

The plastic knife was pulled out, and a piece of cake was separated.

The cut was a little crooked, and the red cherry at the top trembled and rolled down, leaving a faint red mark on the white plate.

------

Reality, like a cold tide, sweeps people forward, never stopping and never asking the will of those being swept along.

Naturally, Shiina Tatsuki did not become a professional when he entered junior high school.

However, with her sister's recommendation letter, she was able to enroll in the professional preparatory class at Haneoka Junior High School.

Nevertheless, those obscure chords and music theories remained like a foreign language to her.

Not to mention that she still can't sense any magic power.

It's like everyone else is using 5G, but she's still using China Telecom's 3G – it's so fast! Even if she writes down every single point the teacher makes in class, she can't understand a single word when she goes back to look at it.

This is why her grades were often at the bottom of the class.

As time went on, the teachers also learned about her situation and gradually changed from encouraging and expecting her to ignoring her. They stopped investing too much energy in a student who couldn't even sense magic.

But perhaps God closed one door for her while opening a window.

Shiina Tatsuki unexpectedly discovers that he has an unusually keen sense of "rhythm".

No matter what melody it is, once she hears it, she can accurately capture the drumbeats and rhythms and imitate them without any mistakes.

This talent allowed her to successfully establish herself in the school's combat club.

Unable to rely on magic, he poured all his energy into pure skill, speed, and power.

With this advantage, she successfully defeated a second-year junior high school student, winning the club challenge, even though neither of them could use magic.

Shiina Riki looked down at the certificate in her hand with her name on it.

Aside from the "Hygiene Little Model" award from kindergarten, which is merely a consolation prize, this should be the first proper award he has ever received in his life, one that he earned entirely on his own merit and that has both commendation and commemorative significance.

Before that, her older sister, Maki Shiina, already had so many certificates of merit that they could cover an entire wall and still have room to spare.

That day, Shiina Tatsuki stood in front of her parents' bedroom, raising her hand to knock on the door.

Just then, clear, deliberately hushed conversations came from behind the door.

"...As you know, the industry hasn't been doing well lately, and my salary has been declining. My family can't possibly support two mages..."

"What about Riki?" Shiina's mother asked. "Didn't you promise her you'd let her learn magic?"

"Anyway, she's not cut out for magic. Look how interested she is in weaponry..."

"Once Riki graduates from Haneoka, let her go to Hanasaki River," the father said without room for argument.

Shiina Tatsuki's raised hand slowly lowered, hovering in mid-air, before finally falling limply.

She silently turned around, holding the certificate she had just received, still warm from her touch, and walked away step by step.

------

Upon entering his third year of junior high school, his final year, Shiina Tatsuki finally became a professional.

They are not mages who can manipulate elements and chant spells as one might expect, but rather melee combat professionals who rely on their physical strength and weapons—warriors.

This news caused quite a stir in the preparatory class of Haneoka Junior High School.

Not only because it almost meant she was giving up her precious opportunity to go directly to Haneoka High School, but also because people who can successfully awaken before entering high school are extremely rare.

Occasionally, when she encountered upperclassmen in the corridor, their gazes towards her seemed to hold something else, and some would even stop to greet her warmly.

"Ah, isn't this the [Sword Dancer]?!"

Shiina Tatsuki's steps unconsciously stopped, his heart tightened slightly, and a vague expectation quietly rose up.

Could it be... that someone has finally...

"...your sister?"

I long for an instant cooling sensation, like being doused with ice water.

It turns out that my older sister had simply changed to a new, more prestigious title.

She is Shiina Maki's younger sister. She is the younger sister of the runner-up in the National Junior High School Professional Competition, the younger sister of the band captain, the younger sister of the leader of the school's star adventure group "Matopia," and the younger sister of the now-famous "Sword Dancer"... These titles are dazzling, layer upon layer, making it hard to breathe.

But the only exception was "Shiina Tatsuki" herself.

The novelty of Haneoka Magic Academy having a new warrior quickly wore off, and no one talked about it anymore. The focus of school conversations was swiftly replaced by Shiina Maki's latest achievement—she had successfully conquered a high-difficulty void, her level had astonishingly risen to level 9, and which renowned teacher had taken a liking to her...

"Ah, so Lixi is her younger sister."

"That's so great! Lixi has such an outstanding older sister. I'm so envious."

...Enviable?

Is that what you originally thought?

Unintentional words are like fine needles, pricking the heart of Jiro (six) again and again.

Shiina Tatsuki then realized that she had never truly escaped the shadow of being called "Shiina Maki".

The shadow that loomed over her entire life was so intense that it began to give rise to dark thoughts.

If only... all of this were fake.

Even Shiina Riki herself was startled when the idea came to her.

Isn't that right? Becoming a professional at the age of 13 and then reaching level 9 so quickly... Is this really a normal person?

But what if it involved making a deal with the devil, or using some forbidden technique that burns one's life force—

If that's the case, then everything makes sense.

In that case, no one will ever...

boom!

The training sword in her hand slammed down hard on the wooden dummy, producing a dull thud that interrupted her dangerous thoughts.

Then came the second strike, the third strike...

She swung her training sword in a fit of rage, her movements distorted and rhythmless due to the intense fluctuations in her emotions.

"Lixi, the rhythm is wrong!"

A familiar voice came from the side, causing Shiina Riki to stop abruptly and freeze in place.

She turned her head and saw her older sister, Shiina Maki, standing by the training field, smiling at her.

She was still wearing her Haneoka High School uniform, so she had obviously just come over after school.

"It should be stab, flick, slash, not slash, stab, flick," Maki stepped forward and pointed out gently. "This way of applying force is smoother and more conducive to the transmission of power, you know?"

Looking at her sister's sincere and concerned face, and recalling her own dark speculations, Shiina Tatsuki felt a strong sense of guilt welling up inside her.

She couldn't face her sister like that, and she couldn't face herself in such a despicable way.

"So... Lixi?!"

Shiina Maki watched as she abruptly dropped her training sword, turned around in a flustered manner, and ran off in the opposite direction without looking back.

------

The sky had darkened completely at some point, thunder rumbled, and large raindrops began to fall without warning, quickly forming a curtain of rain that washed over the entire world.

Shiina Riki ran aimlessly in the rain, the cold rain soaking through her school uniform and clinging to her body, bringing a chilling sensation.

Her hair clung to her cheeks, and rainwater mixed with some other scalding liquid blurred her vision.

She didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to escape the gaze of comparison and escape this despicable version of herself.

She was exhausted from running and shivering from the cold. Finally, she squatted down under the eaves of an inconspicuous house by the roadside, curling up like an abandoned little animal.