Chapter 42 - Fix This

I was silent the whole dinner time where Von, Sir Grand; Lei, Fily; and Petunia and I were seated in front of each other.

Venedette was the one seated on the end of the table while I was seated beside Fily and in front of Petunia to which I couldn't face properly.

"What's wrong?" Fily whispered to me, probably noticing my awkward movements while they were just eating peacefully.

"Nothing," I whispered back at her mindlessly and just continued eating my favorite carrots that I saved for eating last.

Dinnertime was nearly done and I could not wish for anything more than speeding it up because of the thoughts running inside my head about Petunia.

The more I see her, the more pity I feel for her.

'A year or so.'

Venedette's words echoed in my head.

More or less a year.

We haven't even begun our friendship yet but then you're telling me she has more or less a year left to regain her human body or die as a cat!?

Her soul will die when her body becomes a cat permanently.

Is this why she agreed to join Venedette's squad? To have one last purpose in life before completely turning into a normal cat?

If I don't help her find a solution to her dying soul, her brain will forget everything about being human and she'll become a normal cat forever who wouldn't be able to speak our language!

I don't want her gone!

I don't want a normal cat!

This is unfair!

I looked up at the ceiling to stop my tears from shedding.

This is not the right time and place for me to cry.

I should stay positive during these times!

It's not yet time to cry.

You can still help her Gem.

Find a way to use the level zero ability so we can use the Energy slimes inside!

Ask for Fily's help in upgrading this level zero skill and if it doesn't work, ask for a professional for help...

Of all the possible skills that I could obtain from this gemstone, why is it that I was given something unusable? A skill that was level zero... It's like another false hope!

A level zero skill is something that I could never use without a master.

Damn it!

Unless Fily can unlock a chapter from the guide that could help me with this level zero ability, I would have no choice but to ask Yumeki for help, she's the only one we know who can use the powers of the Salamandite effectively and during her time with it, I'm sure she had already mastered a lot of skills from them.

But why is it that she's evil and she's our enemy!?

She killed Venedette's daughter and a lot more people for the gemstones that the thought of asking her for help makes me want to puke already.

But Petunia...

"Gem," Fily whispered to me aggressively, she was telling me with her eyes to look at my hands on the table which I did, and noticed that my anger was causing me to bend my spoon and fork using my super strength unintentionally.

"Sorry," I whispered back at her as I hid my hands under the table while holding the bent spoon and fork.

Venedette asked the both of us if there was something wrong but I just forced myself to smile at them while telling no.

Venedette surely knows why I was acting like this, evident in her eyes that were full of sorry's.

I stopped eating after that.

Aside from my spoon and fork being already broken, the thought of asking Yumeki for help was making me want to puke.

If I don't want help from her I need to work harder to develop this skill of level zero Liquity.

[Fily, do you think my healing could help your brain to heal faster so you could unlock more chapters in that book?]

I texted her privately using the stat-hut but she was still too busy with her food to care.

I planned to be the first one to leave after dinner but since Fily asked me to wait for her, I agreed to do so while thinking deeply about my next steps.

I really wanted to go to my room already so I could sulk privately and brainstorm all the ideas that I have in mind but because Fily was still unaware of my message, I opted to talk about it personally instead.

Petunia already left the dining room so it was no problem for me to stay there.

Looking at her really just makes me sad. She reminded me of my old friends who died on the border.

"I'm done!" Fily suddenly announced while Von was being reprimanded by Venedette and Sir Grand.

"Let's go?" I asked her and she agreed to go out with me after bidding goodnight to Venedette and her family who was still busy lecturing Von about manners.

Lei was still sitting in her seat while Petunia was already long gone before us.

"What did you want to talk about?" Fily asked me as we were walking slowly across the living room.

"Check your inbox." I simply told her which made her pause for a little while to look at her stat-hut.

As I was waiting for Fily's response, I noticed that Petunia was following us from behind.

"I don't know." Fily tucked her lips to the side as she finally finished reading my message to her.

"Hey, you! The girl with multiple personalities! Help me fix this." Petunia suddenly shouted at us while looking away. Her arms were crossed and she was probably talking about her ruined purple cloud that was floating above her.

"The girl with the multiple personalities?" Fily asked me while pointing at herself which I responded with a shrug.

I don't know who that is.

"Are you talking to me?" Fily went closer to Petunia and carelessly carried her from the carpeted floor to her floating purple cloud.

Petunia was shocked because of what Fily just did.

"Put me down, you dimwit!" She said aggressively. Even scratched Fily's hands while resisting from her hold.

"Ouch," Fily complained half-heartedly after placing Petunia on her floating purple cloud.

"There, fixed." She smiled at Petunia, obviously teasing her.

"Filyy." I groaned and went closer to her to check the scratches in her hands.

"What were you thinking?" I said as I swiped my thumb swiftly over the scratches that Petunia made on her hands, curing it just like how I previously did it with the burn on the maid's hand.

"It worked," I said with a smile, still surprised with my own skills even though I already expected it to work.

I guess I just did not trust the Salamandite's powers that much because of that frustrating level zero Liquity.

"Thanks!" Fily smiled at me as she examined the shallow scratches on her hands, gone in a flash.

"H-how." I heard Petunia mumble but she quickly regained her posture, closing her mouth that was wide open after seeing me cure the scratches that she made on Fily's hands.

"You should be careful with that." I reminded her, pertaining to her sharp claws.

"That doesn't matter. I need you to help me fix this. Now." She commanded bossily which really did not sit well with me but it seemed like Fily was up for it.

"Sure! I don't want to sleep yet anyway. Do you want to join?" Fily looked at me enthusiastically while Petunia scoffed at her.

"This is not a girl's night out you know? I'm asking you to help me fix this." She said and even rolled her eyes after.

"More like commanding," I murmured.

I really want to be friends with her but her attitude won't let me!

"Well if you don't like to then never mind. I'll just do it myself." She turned around but thankfully, Fily was quick to hold her gum cloud from leaving.

"We'll help you." She said with a smile that warmed my heart a little bit.

I just realized this now after studying Petunia's actions.

She was trying hard to look strong on the outside but on the inside, she's really just like the rest of us.

We want to be loved and find comfort in other people but maybe because of the time that she spent hiding from humans who wanted to treat her like an object, she got used to making people hate her.

Maybe that was why she's this rude and unlikeable.

But luckily for her, Fily here is immune to all those negativities.

"You sure?" Her monotone voice suddenly gained emotion.

"I mean... are you sure you'll help me?" She regained her monotone cat voice after clearing her throat which made me sure of my speculations even more.

"Sure," I said and let Fily drag me along with them to wherever they'll fix her gum cloud back to its original state.

Though I will probably just watch them do their work, I won't mind spending more time with Petunia.

Especially if I want to be friends with her during her hardest time.