The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

”What’s wrong, Aisha?” Sabel noticed her silence and nudged her gently on the shoulder.

Aisha looked up and thought about telling them they might not be able to train at the residence where she was staying, but with them looking at her as if she were becoming their hope, she couldn’t bring herself to say a word.

First, she understood that the moment she mentioned it, they would try to make her feel better by assuring her that it was fine and that they could look for another place.

Lastly, they might not find a suitable place at all. After all, Aisha also needed a quiet, undisturbed place where she didn’t have to worry about prying eyes looking into her ability. What happened at the training field had been nothing short of a miracle. Fortunately, no one had noticed her spreading her mental barrier around the campus.

But how could she be lucky the next time?

Thus, after sending another message to Zeke, she decided to say, ”Nothing. Let’s go.”

Vesper, Sabel, and Kane had no idea that they almost lost another place to train.

The group didn’t have to take a flying shuttle to get to the residence. It only took them fifteen minutes to reach it, and on their way to the house, Vesper bought a lot of snacks for them to munch on, saving a little bit of it so they could eat them while training.

When they arrived, the three stopped in their tracks and looked at the residence before their eyes.

It was a moderately sized house with its own gate and front yard. But that wasn’t why they were surprised. It was the fact that this house was near the school and the town center, which means that the price of the land was definitely not cheap!

”Wow... I never thought that even as an adopted child, you could live in a place like this—OW!”

Vesper winced and jumped a few times on one foot, cradling his other foot in his hands while tearfully glaring at Sabel.

”Shut up, idiot!” Sabel cruelly told him before she turned to Aisha. ”Don’t mind him, Aisha. He was born with half of his brain removed, so he’s not thinking right.”

”Who are you calling stupid?!” Vesper stomped his foot, forgetting that it had just been stepped on a few seconds ago. Wincing in pain all over again, he looked at Aisha with tears brimming in the corners of his eyes. ”Don’t listen to her. It’s not true. And I was just saying that because I was impressed. Who knew that even after being such horrible parents to you, they can still give you something!”

Aisha almost laughed when she heard his complaints. Sabel’s strength couldn’t be compared to an A-rank Sentinel, but between the two of them, she could naturally pummel Vesper to a pulp.

Seeing how he looked at her with tearful eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to side with anyone else.

Besides, she knew Vesper had no other malicious intent; he was just overly honest and straightforward.

”Are you alright?” She stepped over quietly to check on him.

Vesper, however, instantly straightened his back as if nothing happened, and replied, ”I’m fine. Don’t worry about me!”

”Well... this house isn’t mine, or my adopted parents’,” Aisha finally explained after giving Vesper a little nod. ”It’s a place I’m staying for a little bit. I’m going to move out soon.”

If she was going to keep being friends with them, it was better to tell them the truth now. After all, they might not be able to use this place in the future.

”Huh?” Vesper exclaimed.

”Let’s not linger outside. We should go in and train now.” Kane didn’t stay on the topic and veered the discussion toward their fight.

Aisha nodded and opened the gate. They headed inside and dropped the things they bought on their way there on the table. Vesper’s nostrils flared the moment the door opened, and he tilted his head upward like a dog.

”Guys, can you smell that?”

Upon hearing him get close, Aisha’s eyes widened in surprise.

Before anyone could react, she quickly ran to the kitchen and called out, ”Wait, don’t come in just yet!”

She had completely forgotten about the jar of miasma sitting on the counter. Moreover, she almost forgot that she left a big portion of meat stewing in a pot the whole day!

When she got to the kitchen, Aisha swept the jars on the counter and quickly placed them inside her storage bag. One by one, they disappeared without a sound until only the last jar—

”Vesper, you insolent idiot!”

”Aisha already told you to wait! Haa...”

Vesper didn’t listen to either of them and stood in the middle of the kitchen, eyes bloodshot and drool already pooling from his mouth.

”Smells good...”

Holding the jar of trapped miasma, Aisha quickly hid it behind her back and stared at him, wondering if he had seen it.

Fortunately, Vesper did not even look her way. He went straight to the pot that was still on the stove, leaning forward to inhale the scent of cooked meat rising from the steam coming from the vents.

Psshhhh!

Guurggle.

Over the hissing of the pot, a loud growl rumbled from his stomach.

All eyes turned toward the sound. Vesper smiled awkwardly, wiping the drool from his lips while Aisha raised an elegant eyebrow.

”S—sorry. I was just...”

Pa!

Vesper received another smack on the head, this time from Kane, who gave him a thorough scolding before telling him to kneel before Aisha.

Aisha quietly let out a breath of relief. Had the pot not taken Vesper’s full attention, it would have been hard for her to explain why she had a collection of miasmas trapped in jars. With how dangerous and plague-like they were, her classmates might really end up running away and reporting her to the authorities instead!

Sabel apologized on Vesper’s behalf and sighed, ”Don’t invite him here anymore. That should teach him a lesson.”

Kane harrumphed and added, ”Better yet, throw him outside now.”

Vesper whimpered. He was still kneeling before Aisha and glanced up at her with tearful eyes, explaining, ”I just smelled something really delicious. You know... I love eating. No, actually, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again!”

Naturally, Aisha couldn’t allow this to continue. Although Vesper was wrong for not listening to her, how could she make friends if they had to tiptoe around each other for every single thing?

So, she forgave him and told everyone to wait in the living room. Once the three left, she finally put the last jar inside the storage bag. Then, took the pot from the stove and looked inside.

The meat she cleansed that morning was tougher than any she had prepared before. So, this time, she decided to stew it for a long time until it was tender. Fortunately, her timing was right, and the meat was already falling off the bone when she took it off the stove.

Just right, she cooked a lot this time, so none of it would go to waste now that there were three more mouths to feed.