I was even going to get Sadeena to train Ethnobalt. The effect of crossing between worlds had left Ethnobalt as weak as a monster called an usapil, which looked a bit like a rabbit. In his world, it was apparently called a “library rabbit.”

A killer whale and a rabbit . . . for a moment that old story called “The Hare of Inaba” kinda hopped through my mind. But that was a shark, of course. Or was it a crocodile?

“Put this on, Ethnobalt, and go get really strong,” I told him, passing him a pekkul costume that served as diving gear.

“What is this? Something Chris made?” he asked. I mean, I could see why the design would make him think that. It was just a coincidence though.

“It’s based on a different model. A monster boss from a certain area dropped it,” I said.

“So it’s not order made? This design is quite something, I must say,” he commented.

“I’m more interested in you than this suit,” I responded. I had identified that Ethnobalt had the same kind of growth potential as Rishia. I’d gotten the old Hengen Muso lady involved and it had been just as I suspected. After checking Ethnobalt’s body countless times, the old lady had shouted, “You see this maybe once every hundred years! It doesn’t matter that he’s a monster! This is quite the year we’re having!” Pretty much what she had said with Rishia. Still, it meant I was right.

When I told her that there was basically a whole tribe of Ethnobalts in the other world, she had clutched her head as though she was really thinking hard about joining my little expedition. As it turned out, the old lady had been training those with potential in this world in order to help support Trash. Furthermore, after learning of the danger the old lady was in during the fight with Takt, her rather undependable son was also finally starting to take things seriously, and so she was hoping to train him too.

She was a mother, after all. Of course, her own son would be more important than some unknown but highly skilled group. However, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering about the apparent age gap between mother and son.

Anyway, she’d said something about leaving the training of the library rabbits to Rishia. She’d also asked me to bring some back once my work there was done. So she wanted to raise some after all!

“I trained as hard as Rishia but still failed to achieve my true potential. I’ll make the most of this opportunity, even if just for a short period!” Ethnobalt enthused.

“Holders of vassal weapons do have trouble learning life force,” I sympathized. They could do it, but the requirement to use SP makes it hard to get a handle on, stopping them from achieving it easily. “Like you said, it’s just a short period, but go and do your best. Then keep it up once we come back.”