If you enjoy this story and want to help it continue, you can support the project on Patreon.
Your support allows me to dedicate more time to writing, maintain a consistent publishing schedule, and keep creating new stories.
As a member, you'll also have access to benefits like early chapters, previews of future projects, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Thank you for reading and for being part of this adventure!
https://www.patreon.com/c/Panoli
---
Chapter 71
The first fence lasted two days.
The second did not survive until dawn on the third.
The reinforced wood tilted outward with a long creak. The nails popped free one after another. One of the planks spun through the air and landed on the grass several meters away from the enclosure.
Subaru stepped backward.
—That wasn't a bite.
Another plank went flying.
—THAT DEFINITELY WASN'T A BITE!
A broad snout appeared from the other side of the fence.
Then the head.
Then two dark plates that no longer looked soft.
Pepa pushed a little harder.
The central post snapped.
The young Wagpig stepped out of the enclosure with part of the fence dragging across her back, walked three steps, and stopped in the middle of the garden.
Three days ago, she had fit inside a basket.
Now her head reached Subaru's chest.
Her body had lengthened. The legs that had once been too large for her were beginning to match the rest of her proportions. Her plates still retained some flexibility around the joints, but her back was already covered in dark armor capable of making wood creak with a simple brush.
Subaru held both hands in front of himself.
—Pepa.
The Mabeast looked at him.
—Good Pepa.
She snorted.
The warm air moved Subaru's shirt.
—Very good Pepa.
Pepa took one step.
Subaru took two backward.
—Technically, I have never done anything against you. The apple was a cultural exchange. You ate my sleeve of your own free will.
The Wagpig advanced a little farther.
Subaru slowly turned his head.
—Would anyone like to remember that I am not legally responsible for this?
Ram sat beneath one of the trees, her right arm immobilized and a book open across her lap.
She did not look up.
—Barusu was the one who attempted to feed her without supervision.
—ONE TIME!
—You lost a glove.
—It was an investment in trust.
—The trust is currently digesting it.
Pepa lowered her snout.
She sniffed the ground in front of Subaru.
Then abruptly raised her head.
Her ears turned toward the eastern side of the property.
Something was coming.
Not running.
Walking.
The sound was irregular.
Metal against stone.
Stone against earth.
A chain dragging.
The Wolgarms reacted from the neighboring enclosure. Several heads appeared above the fence. One let out a low growl.
Pepa did not answer.
Her body tensed.
The Wagpig retreated.
Not toward the enclosure.
Away from the path.
Subaru heard the footsteps a few seconds later.
Link appeared between the trees.
He wore a sleeveless shirt covered in dust, work trousers with several cuts, and a backpack full of tools. A chain wrapped around his torso. Behind him, he dragged a block of stone roughly the size of a table.
Charizard walked several meters away carrying two logs over its shoulders.
Luci rested on one of Link's horns.
The other four lights floated around the block as though supervising a very poorly organized procession.
Link saw the fence.
Then Pepa.
Then Subaru.
—What did you do?
—WHY AM I ALWAYS THE FIRST SUSPECT?!
—Because you're outside the enclosure and so is she.
—She broke through the wall with her body.
Link dropped the chain.
The block struck the ground.
Pepa immediately crouched.
She did not need an order.
Her front legs bent. Her belly almost touched the grass. Her head lowered until it rested below the level of her shoulders.
The plates around her neck flattened against her body.
Subaru watched the transformation.
—That's new.
Link walked toward her.
He did not manifest his kagunes.
He did not display his horns any more than they were already visible.
Nor did he raise his voice.
Pepa remained motionless.
He placed one hand on her forehead.
The Mabeast exhaled.
—We do not break fences.
Pepa moved one ear.
—Doors exist for a reason.
She looked toward the hole she had just opened.
—Don't look at me like that.
Subaru pointed.
—She knows you're a hypocrite.
—Shut up.
Link ran his hand over one of the plates.
The surface had changed overnight.
Harder.
Thicker.
The joint near the neck no longer yielded beneath his fingers as easily.
A current of mana flowed down from his palm.
Pepa opened her mouth.
She did not bite.
The glow traveled through the seams in her armor, faint at first, stronger near her chest. The Mabeast breathed slowly while absorbing the energy.
Her paws sank a little deeper into the ground.
Ram turned a page.
—The gardener continues feeding his problem.
—That's her breakfast.
—Her breakfast destroyed two fences.
—The first one was badly built.
—The gardener built it.
Link stopped transmitting mana.
Pepa raised her head.
Her snout pushed his chest hard enough to move him half a step.
—That was all.
She pushed again.
—Pepa.
The Wagpig crouched once more.
Subaru approached cautiously.
—Why does she obey you like that?
Link looked at Pepa.
The young Mabeast avoided holding his gaze.
—Because I feed her.
Ram closed the book.
—The Wolgarms also receive food.
—They obey me too.
—After you tore off their horns.
Link looked toward the other enclosure.
The animals had stopped growling.
They did not appear calm.
They were watching Pepa.
She watched them from a lower position.
None tried to approach.
Ram continued:
—Pepa does not possess a horn for you to remove.
—Then she appreciates my personality.
—Ram believes even Barusu could invent a more believable lie.
—Hey.
Beatrice appeared along the path.
Her hair was partly disheveled and she held a book tightly against her chest. The disgusted expression on her face suggested she had been forced out of the Library far too early.
Puck floated behind her.
—Betty sensed you wasting mana again.
—I'm not wasting it.
—You give it to a creature that grows every time Betty stops looking at her.
Beatrice approached Pepa.
The Wagpig did not retreat from her.
Nor did she try to sniff her.
She remained pressed close to Link.
Puck circled her head.
—She grew again.
—Five centimeters since last night —Link said.
—Eight —Beatrice corrected.
—I didn't measure the plates.
—Then you measured incorrectly, I suppose.
Subaru looked at Pepa.
—In three days she went from trying to eat a bucket to being able to pull a carriage.
—She still tries to eat buckets —Link said.
Pepa turned toward the water container.
Link snapped his fingers.
She looked back.
—Don't even think about it.
Puck landed on one of her plates.
Pepa did not react.
—She is not domesticated —the spirit said—. She simply does not want to challenge him.
Subaru pointed at Link.
—Why?
Puck looked at the young man.
Then at the Wagpig.
—Instinct.
—That doesn't answer anything.
—It answers quite a lot.
Beatrice observed the hand Link still kept on Pepa's forehead.
—She recognizes something more dangerous.
The silence lasted only briefly.
Link withdrew his hand.
—I have a strong personality.
Ram opened her book again.
—An optimistic way of phrasing it.
Pepa stood.
She did not attempt to escape.
She walked around Link, dropped down beside the block he had dragged over, and began biting one corner.
The granite cracked between her teeth.
Subaru stared at the rock.
—She's eating a stone.
—She's playing.
—How do you tell the difference?
—If she were eating it, she'd swallow.
Pepa tore off a chunk.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Link closed his eyes.
—She's exploring.
Beatrice struck his leg with the book.
—We have a test pending.
—First I rebuild the fence.
—After breakfast —said a voice.
Rem walked from the manor.
She carried a basket in one hand and a pitcher in the other. Her uniform was immaculate. Her blue hair barely moved in the morning breeze.
Link saw her.
Some of the tension left his shoulders.
Rem saw him too.
The dirt on his clothes.
The scrapes across his hands.
The shadows beneath his eyes.
The way he kept his weight slightly forward, as though completely stopping was more difficult than continuing to work.
Her smile did not disappear.
But it changed.
—Link did not come in when the bell rang.
—I was bringing materials.
—The bell rang half an hour ago.
—The materials were far away.
—Breakfast was not.
Subaru raised one hand.
—In his defense, Pepa began a demolition operation.
Rem looked at the broken fence.
Then at Link.
—That does not help his defense.
—I didn't build it for her current size.
—You built it yesterday.
—She grew during the night.
Rem placed the basket on the stone block.
Pepa sniffed.
Link rested two fingers on her head.
The Mabeast stayed still.
Rem took out bread, meat, eggs, and a bottle of broth. There was enough for Link and a second person.
Subaru approached.
Rem closed the basket.
—The second portion is also for Link.
—Two breakfasts?
—He did not eat dinner properly.
—I ate.
Rem looked at him.
—Half a loaf of bread is not dinner.
—There was cheese.
—Such a small amount that it does not deserve to participate in this discussion.
Ram spoke from beneath the tree.
—Rem has started recording his meals.
Link turned toward her.
—That's an invasion of privacy.
—Ram believes losing the ability to remain conscious while working affects the entire residence.
—I haven't lost consciousness.
Rem opened the bottle.
—Yesterday you fell asleep on Charizard.
Subaru's eyes widened.
—While flying?
—We were on the ground.
—That's less impressive.
Link took the bottle.
—I closed my eyes.
—For twenty-seven minutes —Rem said.
—I was thinking.
—You snored once.
—That could have been Charizard.
The automaton lowered its head.
Link pointed at it.
—Do not participate.
Rem poured the broth.
Link drank while standing.
She waited until he had finished half of it before lifting a hand toward the clasp of his shirt.
—It's crooked.
—It doesn't matter.
—It does.
Rem approached.
She could have corrected the clasp while maintaining a certain amount of distance.
She did not.
Her fingers worked slowly across the fabric, straightening the clasp and removing a small twig trapped near his collar.
Link's entire body went still when she leaned a little closer.
The softness of her chest brushed his.
Rem did not appear to notice.
Only appeared not to.
—You're holding your breath —she murmured.
—I'm drinking.
—The bottle is down.
Link looked at the bottle.
Indeed.
Rem finished straightening the clasp.
She did not immediately move away.
Her blue eyes rose until they met his brown ones.
—You should breathe.
—I'm evaluating my options.
—There is only one advisable one.
—That's debatable.
A small curve appeared on Rem's lips.
Then she stepped back.
Link continued watching her.
Rem walked toward the pitcher with calm steps. Halfway there, she barely turned her head.
She caught him staring.
Her smile grew by a fraction.
Link quickly raised the bottle.
Ram closed her book.
—The gardener has recovered his appetite.
Subaru covered his mouth.
Puck sat on Pepa's head.
Beatrice observed all of them with ancient disappointment.
Rem poured another serving.
—Link needs energy.
Ram carefully stood.
—Ram would appreciate it if that recovery did not make her an aunt before her shoulder heals.
Link choked on the broth.
Subaru did too, despite not drinking anything.
Emilia, who had just appeared at the manor entrance, stopped without understanding why everyone was suddenly looking elsewhere.
Rem tilted her head.
—Nee-sama worries far too early.
The silence afterward was considerably worse.
Link set down the bottle.
—Why did you not deny anything?
Rem offered him the bread.
—Eat before it gets cold.
—That also wasn't a denial.
Ram began walking toward the manor.
—The Oni population is reduced. Ram is merely considering long-term planning.
—DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A SPECIES RECOVERY PROGRAM!
—Ram did not mention the gardener.
—EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT ME!
Beatrice turned her back.
—Betty regrets coming outside.
Puck raised one paw.
—I don't.
Pepa bit another corner of the block.
Charizard raised its thumb.
Link pointed at it with the bread.
—Especially not you.
The test began an hour later.
Beatrice had prepared six clay figures.
They did not have faces.
They did not need them.
Each contained a small crystal charged with mana and a circuit imitating simple circulation.
Roswaal had permitted the use of training materials on the condition that Link pay for any losses.
Which was why he had supplied the cheapest crystals.
And why Link did not believe the claim that they were cheap.
The figures were spread across the clearing.
Puck covered the perimeter with a barrier.
Ram watched from a chair.
Rem remained beside her.
Emilia had promised not to interfere unless something went wrong.
Subaru had promised the same thing.
Nobody placed much trust in Subaru's promise.
Beatrice raised one hand.
—First, movement.
All six extensions emerged.
They did not strike the ground.
They did not open their tips.
They remained behind Link, motionless for one second.
Then they separated.
One picked up a stone.
Another grabbed a branch.
The third wrapped around a tree trunk without tightening.
The fourth drew a line across the earth.
The final two remained suspended.
—Faster —Beatrice ordered.
All six changed targets.
The stone flew.
One extension caught it.
The branch fell.
Another held it before it touched the ground.
The trunk was released.
One tip opened.
The fangs appeared.
Link clenched his jaw.
The mouth closed.
The kagune became smooth again.
There had been no involuntary movement.
Beatrice observed the mana circulation.
—Again.
Link repeated it.
Faster.
All six extensions crossed the space between the trees, changed direction, crossed one another, and returned without touching.
A branch dropped from above.
Link did not see it.
The fifth kagune did.
It rose.
Caught it centimeters from his head.
Subaru raised his fist.
—AUTOMATIC CONTROL!
—Instinct —Beatrice corrected—. Do not praise him for something he still does not entirely decide, I suppose.
—It caught it.
—It also tried to eat a table yesterday.
Link turned.
—It did not try to eat the table.
Rem looked at him.
—The tip opened around one of the legs.
—It mistook it for an enemy.
Ram intervened:
—The table possessed four legs. A formidable opponent.
Link returned his attention to the figures.
—Next test.
Beatrice pointed toward the first.
—Contact without a mark.
One extension advanced.
The closed tip touched the clay chest.
Nothing happened.
No dark lattice appeared.
The crystal continued glowing.
—Withdraw.
Link obeyed.
Beatrice pointed to the second.
—Strike.
The kagune shot forward.
It pierced the figure's shoulder.
Clay broke.
The crystal remained intact.
No mark appeared.
Subaru took one step.
—He did it.
Beatrice raised one finger.
—Not yet.
Third figure.
—Voluntary mark.
Link breathed.
The extension touched the torso.
This time, something black emerged from the point of contact.
It did not spread across the entire body.
It remained concentrated in a small circle.
Link could feel the presence of the crystal.
Not as hunger.
Like a locked door he knew he could open.
—Activate it —Beatrice said.
The mark pulsed.
The light inside the crystal weakened.
A current returned through the kagune.
Mana.
Only mana.
There was no life force inside the figure.
Even so, the old instinct searched for something more.
A force that did not exist.
Link stopped the drain.
The mark dimmed.
Beatrice counted mentally.
—Good.
Link's expression did not change.
—I want to remove it.
—It's recent.
—Exactly.
He extended one hand.
He did not need to touch it.
But he did.
His fingers rested against the clay.
The mark receded.
The black lines contracted toward the center and vanished into his palm.
The crystal still held roughly three quarters of its charge.
The figure remained standing.
Puck passed through the barrier.
He floated around the target.
—No trace.
Beatrice approached.
Placed one hand against the clay.
Closed her eyes.
—A minimal remnant.
—Active?
—No.
Link looked toward the enclosures.
Rem followed the direction of his gaze.
—Pepa.
He nodded.
Beatrice closed the book.
—That creature's mark has been inside her body for three days.
—That's why I want to try now.
—It isn't the same as a fresh mark.
—I can already stop it.
—Stopping is not removing.
—I'll learn.
Beatrice looked at him.
He did not look away.
Puck descended beside her.
—We can cut the flow if something changes.
—And Emilia can freeze me.
Emilia raised her hands.
—I would rather not.
—Me too.
Ram spoke from the chair.
—The gardener is far too enthusiastic about offering methods to immobilize him.
—I'm trying to demonstrate responsibility.
—He attempts it with concerning frequency.
Rem helped Ram stand.
—First we examine the mark.
Beatrice sighed.
—Betty did not agree.
—Yet —Link said.
—That habit of yours is irritating.
—It works.
—That makes it worse.
Pepa waited near the broken fence.
She had not willingly gone back inside.
She had lain down directly in front of the opening.
As though she understood the concept of an enclosure but rejected the part involving walls.
The Wolgarms remained far away.
Link knelt in front of her.
Pepa rested her snout against his thigh.
Rem positioned herself beside him.
—Will it hurt her?
—I don't know.
—Then slowly.
Link touched the Wagpig's neck.
The mark remained there.
Incomplete.
A small web buried beneath the fur and plates.
It had drained nothing since he contained it.
But it had not disappeared either.
Pepa closed her eyes.
Link allowed his horns to absorb a moderate current.
Mana traveled down through his arms.
Not into the mark.
Around it.
He enclosed it.
The first attempt produced no change.
The second made the dark lines contract.
Pepa lifted her head.
Link did not release her.
—Stay still.
The Mabeast tensed.
She did not attack.
The mark responded to its original command.
Absorb.
Drain.
Take.
Link sensed the old impulse inside it.
It was not a voice.
There was no thought.
Only a function that was far too simple.
He seized it with the same firmness he would use to close a hand.
And forced it to stop.
The lines stopped searching.
—Now —he murmured.
He pulled.
The miasma resisted.
Puck moved closer.
Beatrice opened her book.
Rem kept one hand on Link's shoulder.
Pepa made a low sound.
Not aggression.
Pain.
Link reduced the force.
—Almost.
The mark tried sinking deeper.
One of the extensions reacted.
It rose behind him.
Rem did not move away.
Link felt her hand.
Her presence.
The exact weight of her fingers.
The extension stopped.
The tip remained closed.
He pulled again.
The mark came out.
Not physically.
But Link saw the shadow leave Pepa's body and gather over his palm like a black thread.
He absorbed it.
The Wagpig abruptly stood.
Rem took one step backward.
Link remained kneeling.
Pepa opened her mouth.
Her head had become large enough to cover much of Link's torso.
She brought her fangs closer.
Stopped beside his neck.
Sniffed.
Then pressed her forehead against his chest.
Link fell backward into a sitting position.
Pepa kept her head over him.
Subaru released his breath.
—That could have ended differently.
Beatrice crouched.
She examined the neck.
Nothing.
—You removed it.
Link rested his back against the ground.
—Yes.
—That does not mean you can remove any curse, I suppose.
—I didn't say that.
—You were thinking it.
—I was thinking it worked.
—That too.
Pepa was partly crushing him under her head.
Rem knelt beside him.
—Are you all right?
—I think so.
—Rem was asking about Link.
—Him too.
She touched the palm that had absorbed the mark.
There was no burn.
No black lines.
—What will you do with the miasma?
—It already disappeared.
Beatrice frowned.
—It did not disappear. It entered you.
—Then I'll store it.
—That is exactly what caused the previous problem.
Link looked at Pepa.
—It was very little.
—The favorite words of someone who ends up causing an explosion.
—I didn't explode.
Ram started back toward the manor.
—Yet.
Link let his head fall onto the grass.
Pepa pushed him again.
—We need another fence.
Subaru looked toward the hole.
—We need a wall.
Pepa snorted.
—A wall with a door —he corrected.
During the first day, Link entered the manor three times.
The first for breakfast.
The second because Beatrice dragged him to the Library by one ear.
The third because Rem refused to serve dinner in the garden.
He spent the rest of his time outside.
He repaired the irrigation system.
Removed dead branches.
Replanted two areas destroyed during winter.
Rebuilt Pepa's enclosure using thicker logs, salvaged metal plates, and a door that opened inward.
Ram inspected the work during the afternoon.
She struck one of the posts with her knuckles.
—Acceptable.
Link, who was installing a hinge, looked up.
—Was that praise?
—No.
—It sounded similar.
—Exhaustion is affecting your hearing.
Ram continued walking.
Her arm remained immobilized.
Without the collar, her neck was bare.
A cold gust crossed the garden.
Ram brought her left hand toward her throat.
Only for an instant.
Then kept walking.
Link did not see it.
He was correcting the door.
On the other side of the enclosure, Pepa was biting a metal plate.
—THAT COST MONEY!
The Wagpig released it.
Link pointed at her.
—Thank you.
Pepa waited until he went back to the hinge.
Then bit another corner.
The Wolgarms watched from the neighboring enclosure.
One approached the fence.
Pepa raised her head.
The animal bared its teeth.
She did not respond.
She looked at Link.
He kept one hand on the tool.
—Calm down.
The Wolgarm stopped growling.
Pepa lay down again.
They were not a pack.
Not yet.
But they had spent an entire afternoon without attempting to kill one another.
Link considered that a victory.
Beatrice considered the standard offensively low.
After the garden came lessons.
The Forbidden Library was full of parts.
Plates.
Screws.
Joint fragments.
One Charmander arm.
Two sketches that might have been an underground creature or an onion with claws.
Beatrice held the second.
—This is not a blueprint.
—It's a top view.
—It looks like food.
—It has measurements.
—The measurements contradict one another.
Link took the sheet from her.
—Petra will clean it up.
—Petra should not have to translate your crimes against writing.
—She gets paid.
—That does not make the original readable.
Luci floated above the table.
The other four lights pushed small pieces of metal.
Link placed three objects in a row.
A small ochre lagmite.
A copper ring.
A plate engraved with pathways.
—Source.
He pointed at the stone.
—Route.
The ring.
—Command.
The plate.
Beatrice waited.
Link looked at the pieces.
—Output.
He picked up a metal claw.
—At least you remember the words.
—I always remember them.
—Applying them is the problem.
The door opened.
Subaru entered sideways carrying a stack of papers.
He looked at the table.
Then the sketches.
Then the ochre stone.
His expression changed.
—No.
Link raised one finger.
—Don't say anything.
—It's...
—No.
Subaru closed the door.
He looked into the hallway.
Nobody.
He approached and lowered his voice.
—You're building an Excadrill.
—I am building a mining tool inspired by Excadrill.
—That is an Excadrill.
—It has no biology.
—Charmander didn't either, and you called it Charmander.
—It worked.
—THIS ONE WILL HAVE DRILLS!
Beatrice looked at both of them.
—What does that name mean?
Link answered before Subaru.
—A burrowing beast from a story from my homeland.
—Another creature that only says its own name?
—This one won't speak.
Subaru placed down the papers.
—It has to.
—No.
—At least when it finishes a tunnel.
—No.
—Can it use Earthquake?
—I don't want the mine collapsing.
—Dig.
—Obviously.
—Metal Claw.
—It's a stone-and-steel tool.
—Drill Run.
Link looked at him.
—That isn't a move.
—It should be.
Beatrice struck the table.
—This lesson is not about listening to two idiots argue over an imaginary creature.
Subaru pointed at the sketch.
—It has three blades on its head.
—Betty can see them.
—Together they form a drill.
—Betty can also infer that.
—It can drill through iron.
Beatrice looked at Link.
—Yours?
—That's the goal.
—Not with that lagmite.
Link picked up the core.
It was the final unassigned stone remaining among his materials.
Small.
Earthy.
The veins inside reacted to pressure and vibration.
—It doesn't need to drill through it all at once.
—Then you'll need gears.
—I'm building them.
—Badly.
—That's why I'm here.
Beatrice looked away.
—Betty did not agree to help.
Link placed a bag of candy on the table.
Beatrice looked at it.
—That is a bribe.
—Educational material.
Subaru took one.
The book struck his hand.
—It isn't for you.
Link smiled.
—Then we have an agreement.
—No.
Beatrice put the bag inside one sleeve.
—Start by redrawing the pathways.
—Petra—
—You.
The smile vanished.
The lesson lasted two hours.
Link drew.
Beatrice corrected.
Subaru proposed ideas.
Beatrice expelled him.
Luci held the ruler.
One of the other lights burned a corner of the third blueprint.
Link started again.
When he left the Library, the sun was already beginning to set.
Rem was waiting in the corridor.
—Dinner is served.
—I need to test a joint.
—Dinner is served.
—Five minutes.
Rem took his hand.
—Five minutes after eating.
Link looked toward the workshop.
Then at her.
—Fine.
Rem did not let go.
They walked together toward the dining room.
Sleep found him after midnight.
It did not last.
Ram stood in front of him.
She had no face.
Only her neck.
Crimson Heart lit up against her skin.
The lagmite cracked.
An extension pierced the space.
Link tried to stop it.
His arms did not respond.
His horns absorbed more.
The collar exploded.
The statue appeared.
But this time it was not made of ice.
It was flesh.
The tip emerged from its back.
Rem screamed.
Link turned.
She was on her knees.
Another kagune wrapped around her waist.
Not to protect her.
The fangs closed.
Link woke before seeing her split apart.
His body sat upright so violently that his forehead struck the wall.
The wood creaked.
He breathed.
Once.
Twice.
The air was not enough.
His hands searched for something that was not there.
No blood.
No forest.
No bodies.
The room remained dark.
The door was still closed.
Luci slept inside a small lamp.
Charizard was not visible.
Link lowered his feet to the floor.
He did not want to lie down again.
The coldness of the wood helped.
He sat beside the bed.
Rested his arms over his knees.
He would wait until dawn.
It would not be long.
The door opened.
Rem entered without turning on the light.
She wore a simple nightgown beneath a robe. Her hair was loose. Part of it fell across her face.
Link did not ask how she knew.
Perhaps she had heard him.
Perhaps Luci had called her.
Perhaps she had not been sleeping either.
Rem closed the door.
—Again.
It was not a question.
Link looked at the floor.
—I'm fine.
She approached.
—The wall isn't.
—It was an accident.
Rem knelt in front of him.
Touched his forehead.
There was no blood.
—What did you see?
—Nothing important.
—Link.
He closed his eyes.
—Ram.
Her fingers remained against his forehead.
—And you.
Rem waited.
—I couldn't stop them.
—The kagunes.
—Yes.
—The curse too?
—That too.
Her hand moved down to his cheek.
—Today you controlled it.
—Today I was awake.
—You were awake when you saved nee-sama too.
Link let out a humorless laugh.
—After trying to kill her.
Rem did not deny the first part.
Nor did she allow him to erase the second.
—You recognized her.
—Late.
—You recognized her.
—She could have died.
—She didn't.
—Because a collar exploded.
—And because Link stopped.
He raised his gaze.
Rem was too close for him to hide behind a joke.
—I don't trust that.
—Rem does.
—You shouldn't.
—Rem decides that.
Link turned his face away.
She held his chin and made him look back.
She did not use force.
She did not need to.
—Return to bed.
—I'm not sleepy.
—You lie worse than Emilia-sama.
—I have work early.
—That is why you should sleep.
—It will come back.
—Then Rem will be here.
Link looked at the bed.
Then at her.
—You don't have to do this.
—Rem knows.
—Tomorrow you work.
—She knows that too.
—Your room—
—Will continue existing.
Rem stood.
She removed the robe.
The nightgown remained underneath.
The pale fabric fell beneath her knees. It was not revealing.
It did not need to be.
Link looked away too late.
Rem placed the robe over a chair.
—Link.
—Yes?
—The bed.
He obeyed.
He lay down at one end.
Rem completely extinguished the lamp and took the other.
For several minutes neither spoke.
There was enough space between them.
Link continued staring at the ceiling.
His body remained tense.
Rem moved.
First, one hand over the sheet.
Then a little closer.
Her forehead finally came to rest against Link's shoulder.
One arm crossed his chest.
—Are you comfortable?
—Yes.
—Your pillow is far away.
—Rem has another.
—That was bad.
—It works.
Link slowly lowered his arm around her.
Rem settled against his side.
The tension did not disappear.
But it moved elsewhere.
His breathing began finding a rhythm.
She listened to his heartbeat.
—Fast —she said.
—I just woke up.
—Several minutes ago.
—Still counts.
Rem did not answer.
The hand over his chest moved once.
Then remained still.
Link closed his eyes.
The darkness did not return immediately.
First came warmth.
Then the scent of Rem's hair.
Soap.
Clean fabric.
A faint note of laundry herbs.
The weight of her body.
The certainty that he could open his eyes and find her.
Sleep took time.
But it came.
This time, when the forest appeared, Rem was still breathing against him.
The nightmare did not manage to finish.
The second day began with a leg over his.
Link opened his eyes.
Rem slept pressed against his side.
Or pretended to.
Her face rested beneath his chin. One hand held part of his shirt. Her knee had slid over Link's thigh during the night.
He stared at the ceiling.
He did not move.
Moving might wake her.
Not moving created other problems.
Rem breathed slowly.
Link carefully tried to move her leg away.
The fingers gripping his shirt tightened.
—You're awake.
—Rem was checking your breathing.
—For how long?
—An amount.
—You learned that from me.
—Yes.
She lifted her head.
Her blue hair was completely disheveled.
Link smiled.
—You look pretty.
—Rem hasn't combed her hair.
—Still true.
She watched him for several seconds.
Her knee did not move.
—You slept two hours and nineteen minutes.
—That's a lot.
—No.
—More than the night before.
—The night before you slept forty minutes.
—Then I improved enormously.
Rem raised herself slightly.
The nightgown tightened before falling against her body again.
Link looked away.
She noticed.
—Is something wrong?
—Nothing.
—You're staring at the wall.
—The wall is interesting.
—You hit it last night.
—We have history.
Rem brought her face closer.
—Link is red.
—It's hot.
—The window is open.
—You're hot.
She stopped.
The words had escaped before Link could review them.
Rem looked at the arm still around her waist.
Then returned to his eyes.
—Is Rem hot?
Link considered faking another death.
—That question is a trap.
—No.
—That also sounds like a trap.
Rem shortened the distance.
Her lips stopped centimeters away.
—You may answer.
Someone knocked on the door.
Once.
Dry.
Precise.
Ram.
—Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes.
Link closed his eyes.
Rem did not move away.
Another sentence came from the hallway:
—Ram expects both of you to use that time to get dressed.
The footsteps moved away.
Link looked at Rem.
—She knows you're here.
—Nee-sama knows many things.
—Since when?
—Probably since Rem left her room.
—Why didn't you say anything?
She smiled.
—You didn't ask.
Link let his head fall against the pillow.
—Your family is going to kill me.
—Nee-sama approved our relationship.
—That does not mean she approves of this.
—Nee-sama allowed twenty minutes.
—TO GET DRESSED!
Rem finally removed her leg.
She stood.
Picked up the robe.
Link remained lying down.
She stopped beside the door.
—Eighteen remain.
—Don't help.
Rem left with movements that were far too measured to be innocent.
Before closing the door, she glanced back over her shoulder.
Link was still watching her.
The door closed.
—She did that on purpose —he muttered.
Luci lit up inside the lamp.
—Rem.
—Yes, I know it was Rem.
The light turned reddish.
—Don't comment.
After breakfast, Charizard took off toward the north.
Link rode alone.
This time there were no ice targets.
No projectiles.
No Subaru shouting from the ground.
Only a construction of metal and stone crossing the air with two boxes secured to its torso.
The flight was more stable.
Link had stopped fighting every movement. He allowed the wings to correct themselves. He used the tail's weight. He reduced mana before turns and increased it afterward.
Even so, the first landing destroyed a bush.
The second produced a trench.
The third was acceptable.
Charizard touched down on a hillside covered in gray rock.
There were no houses nearby.
No crops either.
Only an old cut in the mountain where someone had extracted stone years ago.
The main entrance was half collapsed.
Link climbed down.
Luci emerged from a cavity in the automaton's chest.
The other lights spread around them.
—Don't go inside.
Luci blinked.
—Yet.
The quasi-spirit settled on his shoulder.
Link approached the opening.
Smell did not help.
Only wet earth, rusted metal, and roots.
His hearing did.
He struck the wall with his knuckle.
Listened.
Solid rock.
He struck again higher up.
A hollow.
To the right.
An old tunnel.
Charizard lowered its head.
—You won't fit.
The automaton opened its wings.
—That wouldn't help either.
Link took out a hammer.
He worked for an hour.
Removed stones.
Marked cracks.
Tested stability.
He found no sufficient mineral.
Only a thin vein of iron and several greenish stains that could indicate copper.
He needed to dig deeper.
He could not spend weeks striking walls.
He looked at the folded drawing inside his backpack.
The onion with claws.
—You had better work.
Charizard raised its thumb.
—You almost burned down a pantry during your first week.
The arm lowered.
—Exactly.
A sound came from the sky.
Link turned.
A small figure approached riding a current of wind.
No.
Not a figure.
It was Rem riding Charizard.
A second Charizard did not exist.
Link blinked.
The automaton beside him remained still.
What was descending was a broad board reinforced with magic, supported by Puck.
Rem sat on it with a basket in her lap.
Puck landed.
—Special delivery.
Rem climbed down.
Link looked at the board.
—That is dangerous.
Puck smiled.
—Says the man who fell three times on a mountain.
—The last two were landings.
Rem looked at the destroyed bush.
—The first one also received an optimistic name.
—You weren't there.
—Puck described it.
The spirit floated around Charizard.
—I also mentioned the trench.
—Traitors.
Rem opened the basket.
—Lunch.
—You could have waited at the manor.
—I could have.
—That means you chose to come.
—Yes.
That ended every protest.
Link sat on a rock.
Rem placed the food between them.
There was cold meat, bread, cheese, fruit, and a light drink.
Link took the bread.
She removed a small stone from his hair.
Then another.
—You're covered in dust.
—It's a mine.
—Not yet.
—It will be.
Rem dampened a cloth.
Cleaned his cheek.
Link stopped chewing.
—I can do it.
—Rem can too.
—You'll get dirty.
—She can wash her hands.
The cloth passed near his mouth.
Then down his neck.
Rem leaned closer.
Breathed softly.
—You smell like earth.
—Mine.
—Smoke.
—Charizard.
She remained there a moment longer.
—And Rem.
Link swallowed.
—What?
—Her soap stayed on your shirt.
—Oh.
Rem moved away.
The serenity on her face did not entirely match the brightness in her eyes.
Link watched her.
—You're enjoying this.
—Rem is cleaning you.
—That wasn't an answer.
—Link should eat.
Puck floated behind Charizard.
The Great Spirit had decided to look toward the mountain.
He recognized when a conversation did not need participants.
Two men from Arlam arrived during lunch.
The elder had sent tools and a small cart after Link asked about the quarry.
One was an older farmer.
The other was a brown-haired young man named Leto, responsible for repairing wheels and tool handles.
Leto left the cart.
He greeted Link.
Then saw Rem.
Straightened.
—Rem-sama.
—Good morning.
—I didn't know you would be here.
—Rem brought lunch.
—Ah.
Leto looked at the basket.
Then at Rem again.
—Blue suits you very well in the mountain light.
Link stopped chewing.
Rem smiled politely.
—Thank you.
Leto began unloading the tools.
—Actually, blue always suits you, but here it seems brighter.
The handle of the spoon creaked.
Rem lowered her gaze.
The metal was bending between Link's fingers.
She extended one hand.
Gently removed the spoon.
—Link.
—I'm calm.
—Rem did not ask.
Leto continued speaking, unaware of anything.
—The village is thinking of holding another gathering once the weather improves. Maybe Rem-sama could—
One of Link's kagunes appeared behind him.
It did not attack.
It merely picked up the entire cart and moved it three meters.
Leto fell silent.
Link set the vehicle exactly beside the entrance.
—Thank you for bringing it.
—Y-yes.
—The way back is clear.
—Yes.
The older farmer hid a smile.
Leto bowed his head toward Rem.
Then toward Link.
—We'll return tomorrow.
—That isn't necessary —Link replied.
—Link —Rem said.
—They can come if they want.
The two men left.
Puck descended.
—Very subtle.
—The cart was in the way.
—You were jealous —Rem said.
—No.
—The spoon disagrees.
—It was low quality.
—You lifted it before he finished speaking.
—We needed space.
Rem approached.
—He only complimented Rem.
—Three times.
—Twice.
—The third one was coming.
—How do you know?
—You could tell.
She took his hand.
Intertwined their fingers.
—Rem is happy Link pays attention.
—I was paying attention to the tools.
—Of course.
—And the mine.
—Naturally.
—The guy had bad intentions.
—Leto helps repair furniture for the village.
—That doesn't make him innocent.
Rem rested her head against his shoulder.
—The next spoon should survive.
Link looked toward the path.
Leto was no longer visible.
—I'm not promising anything.
She squeezed his hand.
—Then Rem will have to watch him.
—That sounds acceptable.
Puck made an exaggerated vomiting sound.
Charizard imitated it by opening and closing its jaws.
Link pointed at it.
—You did not learn that from me.
The automaton raised its thumb.
The first Excadrill body did not work.
The head spun.
So did the claws.
The problem was that they did so in opposite directions.
When Link activated the lagmite, the figure advanced half a meter, buried its right arm in the ground, and spun around itself three times.
Subaru jumped onto a table.
Petra hid behind Rem.
Beatrice closed the book.
—Turn it off.
—I'm trying.
Excadrill spun again.
One claw ripped off a chair leg.
—MY WORKSHOP!
—It's one of Roswaal's rooms —Subaru reminded him.
—MY DEBT!
Link lunged.
One extension caught the torso.
Another held the arm.
The head continued spinning.
The frontal drill scraped the floor and threw up a spray of dirt.
Rem raised a tray to protect Petra.
Beatrice extended one hand.
The lagmite went dark.
Excadrill became still, suspended in the air by two kagunes.
The chair leg fell.
Subaru climbed down from the table.
—Promising first attempt.
Link looked at him.
—It almost drilled through your leg.
—That is why I observed it from a strategic position.
—You jumped while screaming.
—Emotional strategy.
Petra emerged from behind Rem.
She carried the corrected plans.
—The arm route is connected to the head.
Beatrice took the page.
—Because someone copied this symbol incorrectly.
Link looked.
—That one isn't mine.
Everyone looked at him.
—It's too readable.
Petra raised one hand.
—I copied it from your notebook.
—Then you interpreted it wrong.
—There was a sauce stain over it.
—That explains everything.
Rem lowered the tray.
—It explains something.
Link placed Excadrill on the table.
The sculpture stood a little over a meter tall.
Its body was dark and reinforced with metal bands. Two large claws extended from the arms. A third structure rose from the head, designed to join the others when the body leaned forward.
The legs were short.
The torso broad.
It did not look fast.
It did not need to be.
It needed to endure pressure, move stone, and return without collapsing inside a tunnel.
Link opened the chest plate.
The ochre lagmite rested in the center.
It was the last free stone.
Behind the plans, on a shelf, sat a small box.
Inside remained the blackened chain, the broken mount, and the remains of Crimson Heart.
Beatrice had left them there after examining them.
Link needed space.
He picked up the box.
Moved it to a corner.
Placed two sheets, a tool, and a copper plate on top.
He did not open it.
—Again —he said.
Petra corrected the symbol.
Beatrice separated the pathways.
Rem held a lamp.
Subaru proposed making the eyes glow red.
Link chose blue.
Subaru protested.
Nobody listened.
The second attempt walked straight.
Five steps.
It leaned forward.
The three claws joined.
The drill spun.
The workshop wall made a deep sound.
Link shut down the core immediately.
—It won't drill here.
Ram stood in the doorway.
Nobody had seen her arrive.
Her arm remained immobilized.
—That was what I was going to say.
—You thought it after pointing the thing toward the wall.
—It was an alignment test.
Ram looked at the broken chair leg.
—Obviously.
Pepa's head appeared through a window.
Everyone turned.
The Wagpig had grown enough to look inside from outside without lifting her front paws.
Subaru pointed.
—HOW DID SHE GET OUT AGAIN?!
Link closed his eyes.
—The door opens inward.
—Yes.
—She learned to pull.
Pepa displayed part of the latch between her teeth.
—We need a lock.
Ram looked at the Mabeast.
Then at Excadrill.
—The gardener is manufacturing a creature to acquire materials with which to repair the damage caused by his other creatures.
—It's an economic cycle.
—It's a disease.
Pepa dropped the latch.
The piece fell into the workshop.
Excadrill raised its head after detecting the impact.
Its blue eyes lit up.
Pepa watched it.
Excadrill watched her.
The Wagpig stuck her snout through the window.
The automaton raised one claw.
Link stepped between them.
—No.
Both remained still.
—Neither of you will eat the other.
Subaru raised one hand.
—Technically, Excadrill cannot eat.
—Do not help.
On the second night, Link tried sleeping alone.
He did not want Rem to become medicine.
Nor did he want her losing hours of rest every time his mind decided to return to the forest.
He waited until everyone withdrew.
Closed the door.
Lay down.
Sleep came quickly from pure exhaustion.
So did the nightmare.
This time, it was not Ram.
It was Rem.
She was sitting on the bed.
Smiling.
Link approached.
His hand went through her chest.
There was no kagune.
Only his fingers.
Rem continued smiling as blood covered the nightgown.
—It's all right —she said—. Rem knew this would happen.
Link tried pulling his hand out.
He could not.
Her body leaned toward him.
—You don't have to stop.
The dream changed.
The room disappeared.
There was ice.
A carriage moving away.
Ram held Rem inside it.
Puck filled the sky.
Link walked toward him.
He knew what would happen.
He could not change it.
The mana inside his body increased.
Rem opened her eyes inside the carriage.
Looked at him.
The explosion began.
Link woke outside.
He did not remember opening the window.
He sat on the roof, his legs dangling over the edge and his hands tightly gripping the tiles.
His horns remained visible.
The kagunes did not.
The night was cold.
—That's new —he said.
—Yes.
Rem stood behind him.
She wore the same robe.
She did not look surprised.
She sat beside him.
—Did you sleepwalk?
—Looks like it.
—Luci opened the window.
The little light floated above the roof.
—Then she's guilty.
Luci turned red.
—Thank you —Link added.
The color returned to gold.
Rem rested her hands on her legs.
—You saw something worse.
—Different.
—What?
Link looked toward the garden.
—It doesn't matter.
—It matters if it brings you onto the roof.
He released his breath.
—I killed you.
Rem remained silent.
—Then I was somewhere else.
—Where?
—I don't know.
He did know.
But he could not explain why that image had hurt differently.
A carriage.
Cold.
A farewell.
The sensation of knowing the ending without having lived it.
It was not a memory.
It had to be just another nightmare.
—Let's go back inside —Rem said.
—I'll sleep here.
—No.
—The air helps.
—Falling won't.
—I can't die from falling.
—You can break the roof.
Valid argument.
Rem stood.
Extended her hand.
Link took it.
They did not return to his room.
Rem walked toward hers.
—Your bed is smaller.
—It is also farther from the window.
—That won't stop Luci from opening it.
The light retreated.
—Do not open it.
Luci blinked.
Rem opened the door.
Ram was standing in the hallway.
She wore a nightgown, a blanket around her shoulders, and an expression devoid of surprise.
She looked at Link.
Then Rem.
Then toward the direction of her sister's room.
—Ram will use the guest room.
Rem blinked.
—Nee-sama doesn't need—
—The gardener does.
Link raised one hand.
—I can return to my room.
Ram walked past him.
—You can also cast an explosion over the manor. The fact that you can do it does not improve the idea.
—I'm not going to—
—Ram wishes to sleep.
She stopped in front of Link.
—Without destroying furniture.
—I wasn't planning to.
—Without dirtying the sheets with soil.
Link looked at his clothes.
He still carried quarry dust.
—I'll change.
Ram continued:
—And without increasing the Oni population tonight.
Link covered his face.
Rem closed her eyes.
—Nee-sama.
—Ram merely establishes domestic limits.
She walked away.
Link waited until she disappeared down the hallway.
—She hates me.
—No.
—That was an execution.
—Nee-sama gave you her room.
—After verbally killing me.
—That is how she shows affection.
—I'd prefer less affection.
Rem led him inside.
Closed the door.
That night he slept for three hours.
It was not enough.
It was the best sleep of the week.
By the third day, Pepa had reached the size of a young adult.
It had not happened through a sudden transformation.
Everyone had simply stopped recognizing the exact moment when the cub disappeared.
During the morning, she had still resembled a creature too large for her age.
By noon, when Link finished giving her mana, her legs could support the body without clumsiness.
By the afternoon, the plates had closed over much of her back.
She was still growing.
More slowly.
But still visibly.
Roswaal watched from the balcony while Pepa dragged a log used to reinforce her enclosure.
—This will affect the budget.
Link walked beside her.
—She can work too.
—She is a Mabeast.
—Earth Dragons are too.
—Dragons are domesticated.
Link snapped his fingers.
Pepa dropped the log.
Sat.
The ground trembled slightly.
—She's learning.
Roswaal looked at the previous door.
It had been replaced with a sliding metal plate.
—At an expensive speed.
Pepa stood.
Picked the log up again.
Continued walking.
The Wolgarms followed her from the other side of their fence.
One barked.
Pepa did not react.
She did not need to prove anything.
As long as Link remained nearby, the hierarchy was far too clear.
He was the one who provided mana.
The one who gave orders.
The one who had removed the mark.
And something inside the Wagpig, older than any training, prevented her from confusing his patience with weakness.
Link did not fully understand it.
He was simply grateful he did not need to fight her every morning.
That day, the training ended successfully.
Six clay figures.
Six impacts.
Three with marks.
Three without.
Individual activation.
Drain.
Stop.
Removal.
Not one extension attacked on its own.
Not one mouth opened without an order.
Beatrice examined the circuits for several minutes.
Puck did the same.
—Control recovered —he said.
Link flexed his hands.
—Completely?
Beatrice struck him with the book.
—Don't be an idiot.
—That means no.
—It means you can be around other people without Betty considering locking you inside a barrier.
—Sounds like yes.
—Do not touch anyone without warning.
—That was already a social rule.
—With the kagunes.
—That too.
Rem approached.
Extended one hand.
—May I?
Link looked at her fingers.
—Yes.
One extension slowly advanced.
Its tip was not open.
The black surface remained still.
It wrapped around Rem's wrist with minimal pressure.
No mark appeared.
She ran her fingers over the surface.
The kagune shivered.
So did Link.
Rem looked up.
—Does it hurt?
—No.
—Then?
—I can feel it.
—That is not an answer.
—It's difficult to explain.
Rem touched it again.
More slowly.
The extension reacted by moving closer to her palm.
Link withdrew it.
—We already confirmed it.
Rem's small smile suggested she had learned something.
Ram, standing a few steps away, spoke:
—The gardener appears to have found a new reason to lose concentration.
—Ram —Link said.
—Rem was only testing the control —she replied.
—For too long.
Rem turned toward him.
—Did it bother you?
Link closed his mouth.
Subaru began laughing.
—He walked into the trap.
One extension caught his ankle.
Subaru ended up hanging upside down.
—THIS IS AN ABUSE OF POWER!
—There's no mark —Link said—. The test works.
Beatrice opened her book again.
—Betty will permit five seconds.
—WHY?!
—Four.
—TRAITORS!
Excadrill was completed before nightfall.
It was not perfect.
One plate on the right shoulder was a different color.
Its claws made more noise than necessary.
The neck mechanism needed oil every few hours.
And its blue eyes went dark while it stood still, making it resemble an abandoned statue.
But it walked.
It obeyed basic commands.
It recognized Link's voice, Luci's presence, and four signals engraved on small plates.
Stop.
Return.
Dig.
Danger.
The last would activate if it detected a hollow space too large, underground water, or pressure beyond the limits of its joints.
Beatrice insisted on adding it.
Link insisted he had already thought of it.
Nobody believed him.
The final test took place at the quarry.
Charizard transported Excadrill in its arms.
Link flew on its back.
Subaru received permission to accompany him after promising not to give contradictory orders.
He broke the promise before they even took off.
—USE RAPID SPIN!
—It doesn't have that command.
—DRILL RUN!
—Not that either.
—DIG!
Excadrill tilted its head from Charizard's arms.
Link struck Subaru with his elbow.
—Don't shout moves at it from the air.
—It needs motivation.
—It needs to arrive in one piece.
Charizard landed on the slope.
This time, it destroyed nothing.
Link climbed down.
Subaru followed.
Excadrill was placed in front of the entrance.
Luci emerged from Charizard's chest and sat on its metallic head.
The automaton looked upward.
—She will supervise —Link said.
Subaru crossed his arms.
—She's too small for a helmet.
—She doesn't need one.
—Mining safety is important.
Link pointed toward his clothing.
—You came in sandals.
Subaru looked at his feet.
—Mining safety is a flexible construct.
Rem and Beatrice arrived through a door.
Ram remained at the manor.
Emilia too.
Puck had promised to come only if the mountain began collapsing.
Beatrice looked at the entrance.
—One test.
—One.
—Five meters.
—Ten.
—Five.
—Eight.
—Six.
—Deal.
Link placed one hand on Excadrill's body.
He transmitted mana into the lagmite.
The eyes lit up.
The claws opened.
—Search for metal.
Excadrill struck the ground.
Once.
Twice.
The lagmite responded to the vibrations.
The automaton turned toward the left wall.
Walked forward.
Placed one claw down.
Then the other.
The structure on its head lowered.
All three pieces joined.
—Dig.
The drill began spinning.
The first impact loosened small fragments.
The second opened a crack.
On the third, Excadrill advanced.
The rock gave way before it.
Not through an explosion.
It was crushed, cut, and pushed to the sides. The claws removed material while the head opened the center.
The noise filled the quarry.
Subaru shouted to make himself heard.
—IT'S PERFECT!
Link did not answer.
He watched the walls.
The vibrations.
The dust.
The flow of mana.
Excadrill advanced two meters.
Then three.
The entrance remained stable.
Beatrice raised one hand.
—Five.
—One more.
—The test is over.
Excadrill stopped.
Its eyes changed.
Blue.
White.
Blue.
The discovery signal.
Link approached.
—It found something.
—Could be iron —Beatrice said.
—Or an ancient sword —Subaru added.
—Or a pipe.
Subaru looked at him.
—Pipes don't exist here.
—Then iron.
Excadrill backed out.
It dragged a stone between its claws.
Dropped it in front of Link.
The block was gray.
A reddish stripe ran through it.
Iron.
Not pure.
Not abundant.
But enough to confirm the system worked.
Subaru raised both arms.
—EXCADRILL, KING OF MINING!
The automaton raised one claw.
Link blinked.
—I didn't program that.
Luci floated behind it.
She had raised her arm at the same time.
—It copied her —Rem said.
Charizard raised its thumb.
Excadrill imitated the gesture awkwardly.
Its claw was too large.
Subaru dropped to his knees.
—They're brothers.
—Do not say it like that.
—Charmander is proud.
—It's Charizard.
—An older brother.
Beatrice kicked the stone.
—The vein continues downward.
Link crouched.
Touched the stripe.
—How much?
—You cannot know without digging.
—Then we'll dig.
—Tomorrow.
Link looked at the entrance.
Then the sky.
The light was beginning to fade.
—One hour.
—Tomorrow.
Rem approached.
Placed one hand against his back.
—Tomorrow.
Link looked at Excadrill.
The automaton waited.
He had spent three days building it.
The iron would not pay all his debts.
Probably not even a significant part.
Roswaal would claim rights over any material extracted within his territory.
Tools would cost money.
Transportation would cost money.
Reinforcements would cost money.
Pepa would eat part of the profit if she kept growing at that rate.
Charizard required maintenance.
Excadrill did too.
It did not matter.
The vein meant metal.
Metal meant parts.
Armor.
Tools.
New bodies.
Better joints.
More experiments.
The debt could wait behind all of that.
—Tomorrow —he agreed.
Rem smiled.
—Good.
Subaru picked up the stone.
—How much do you think it's worth?
—Not much.
—Then we need gold.
—Iron first.
—Or evolutionary stones.
Link looked at him.
—Nobody else can understand you, but it is still stupid.
—Admit you'll look for one.
—If a glowing stone appears in a mine, I'll keep it.
—THAT COUNTS!
Beatrice opened a door.
—We are returning.
Charizard carried Excadrill.
The automaton held the iron stone against its chest.
When they passed through the door, the quarry became empty.
Inside the mountain, beyond the six meters that had been excavated, the vein continued downward.
It was not the only one.
Excadrill had detected other vibrations.
It simply did not yet know how to communicate them.
It would learn.
Dinner was peaceful.
Until Roswaal presented a new bill.
Link read the paper.
Or tried to.
—What does this number mean?
—The cost of two fences.
—The first one was already paid for.
—The first one was expanded.
—With my wood.
—Obtained inside my territory.
—That's miserable.
Roswaal smiled.
—Administration.
Link continued reading.
—Additional food for a Wagpig?
—Her consumption has tripled.
—She consumes mana.
—She also ate a door.
—The door was already broken.
—After she ate it.
Subaru looked over his shoulder.
—Quarry maintenance?
—We haven't extracted anything yet.
—A property inspection was performed —Roswaal said.
—I performed it.
—Inside my property.
Link lowered the paper.
—I'm not paying this.
—It will be deducted from your share of the mineral.
—What share?
Roswaal rested his face against one hand.
—Forty percent.
—Too much.
—Thirty.
—Ten.
—Twenty-five.
—Fifteen.
—Twenty.
Link extended his hand.
Roswaal shook it.
Ram drank tea.
—The gardener has just negotiated his way into paying a debt using resources he does not yet possess.
—I have a vein.
—You have a rock.
Subaru placed the iron block on the table.
—A historic rock.
—You're not helping —Link said.
Rem added food to his plate.
—Eat.
—I'm negotiating.
—You finished.
—I could renegotiate.
—Tomorrow.
Link looked at the portion.
Started eating.
Ram raised the cup.
A cold current entered through the window.
The fingers of her left hand tightened slightly around the porcelain.
Rem noticed.
She stood and closed the glass pane.
—Thank you —Ram said.
—Yes, nee-sama.
Link was reviewing the bill with Subaru.
He did not look up.
In the workshop, beneath two plans stained with dirt, the box holding the remains of the collar stayed closed.
Nobody spoke about it.
That night, Rem did not wait for Link to have another nightmare.
She entered his room while he was still organizing plans across the table.
—No.
Link raised his head.
—No what?
—No more work.
—I'm only organizing them.
—That is also work.
—Five minutes.
Rem took the pages.
Stacked them together.
His writing remained terrible.
The drawings were worse.
There was a material list.
Iron.
Copper.
Coal.
Lagmites.
Durable stone.
Wood.
Gears.
Near the bottom appeared the word debt.
It was the only one without calculations.
Rem set the papers down.
—The debt does not appear important.
—It isn't.
—Roswaal-sama may disagree.
—Roswaal has money.
—He also has patience.
—Then he can wait.
Rem looked toward the bed.
—Link can too.
—I'm not sleepy.
—You said that yesterday.
—I slept.
—Because Rem was there.
Link did not answer.
She approached.
She had left the robe in her own room. She wore a nightgown beneath a light garment.
Her hair was loose.
Link tried to turn back toward the plans.
Rem placed one hand over them.
—No.
—You're becoming authoritarian.
—It works.
—That doesn't make it fair.
—Link does not need fairness. He needs sleep.
—That is a dangerous sentence.
Rem took his hand.
Led him toward the bed.
Link offered no real resistance.
He sat.
She remained standing in front of him.
—The horns —Rem said.
—What about them?
—They're still visible.
Link touched one.
He had forgotten to retract them after feeding Pepa.
—I'm tired.
—Rem knows.
She raised one hand.
Her fingers stopped near the base.
She did not touch.
—May I?
Link looked at her face.
There was no fear.
Curiosity, yes.
Something else too.
—I don't know what will happen.
—Neither does Rem.
—That isn't reassuring.
—It wasn't meant to be.
Link released his breath.
—Slowly.
Her fingers touched the base of the horn.
The reaction was immediate.
A current traveled down his back.
His shoulders tensed.
His breathing vanished.
Rem withdrew her hand.
—Does it hurt?
—No.
—Then?
Link looked to one side.
—It definitely feels like something.
—Another incomplete answer.
—There isn't a better one.
Rem brought her fingers close again.
This time she traced a small section of the surface.
Link caught her wrist.
Not hard.
Only enough to stop her.
—You're taking advantage.
—Rem is checking a reaction.
—You already checked it.
—Once is not enough.
—That sounds like Beatrice.
—Rem learns from good teachers.
—Beatrice would not do this.
—No.
The answer was far too calm.
Link kept hold of her wrist.
Rem did not try to pull free.
Instead, she took one step.
Her knees touched his.
—You're not helping me sleep.
—You haven't lain down yet.
—You know what you're doing.
—Yes.
The honesty left him defenseless.
Rem brought her free hand to his cheek.
—Link has spent three days outside the manor.
—I was working.
—He comes in to eat.
—And sleep.
—He barely sleeps.
—I'm here now.
—Because Rem came.
Link lowered his gaze.
She tilted her face.
—Look at Rem.
He obeyed.
—You do not have to run away from Rem to protect her.
—I'm not running.
—You work until you can no longer think.
—I need to make up for lost time.
—Lost to what?
Link did not answer.
His fingers were still around her wrist.
Rem waited.
—To losing control —he finally said—. To not knowing what I could do. To almost...
—Rem knows.
—I don't want it to happen again.
—Then train.
—That's what I'm doing.
—And sleep.
—I try.
—With Rem.
Link looked up.
—I don't want to need you every night.
—Rem does want you to need her some nights.
—That sounds possessive.
—It is.
There was no embarrassment.
Nor apology.
Rem leaned a little closer.
The nightgown brushed against his legs.
—Rem needs it too.
Link's hand slowly released her wrist.
—Why?
—Because when Link is outside, Rem cannot know if he fell, if he exhausted his mana, if Charizard lost a wing, if Pepa decided to sit on him, or if he built another creature without telling anyone.
—Excadrill wasn't a secret.
—It was for half a day.
—I was designing it.
—And when Link returns, he smiles as if he is not tired.
Link tried to speak.
Rem placed one finger against his lips.
—Then he sleeps for forty minutes and leaves again.
The finger lowered.
—Rem has nightmares too.
The sentence changed the air.
—About what?
—Link without a face.
He went still.
—The kagunes returning covered in blood.
Rem swallowed.
—Nee-sama calling for him and Link not answering.
Link's hand rose to her waist.
He pulled her closer.
Rem stood between his legs.
—I'm sorry.
—Rem does not want an apology.
—What do you want?
She pressed her forehead against his.
—For you to stay.
Link closed his eyes.
—I'll stay.
—Tonight.
—Yes.
—Tomorrow you will return to sleep too.
—Yes.
—And eat.
—Yes.
—Two portions.
—That's abuse.
—Two.
—One and a half.
—Two.
—Deal.
Rem smiled.
Link kissed her.
At first it was brief.
Only lips.
A confirmation.
Rem did not move away.
The hand resting beside his horn returned to its base.
Link breathed against her mouth.
—That's cheating.
—It worked.
—You're learning too fast.
—Link reacts very obviously.
She touched it again.
The kiss stopped being brief.
Link wrapped both arms around her waist.
Rem rested her hands on his shoulders and moved closer until there was no space left between them.
When they separated, both of their breathing had changed.
—You are definitely not trying to make me sleep —Link murmured.
Rem brushed her nose against his.
—Rem said you would sleep.
—When?
—Afterward.
—That was dangerously intentional.
—Yes.
Link looked at her.
Rem met his gaze without retreating.
Then gently pushed his chest.
He fell backward onto the bed.
She lay beside him and pulled the blanket over them both.
She did not move away.
One leg crossed over his.
Her head rested on his chest.
—Now close your eyes.
—I don't trust you.
—You may keep them open.
—That makes the problem worse.
Rem laughed against his neck.
Link extinguished the lamp.
Darkness returned.
This time it was not empty.
It had breathing.
Warmth.
Fingers intertwined with his.
Lips that found his cheek before he could start thinking too much again.
The nightmares took their time looking for him.
By the time they arrived, Rem was still there.
And she left them no room to stay.