Chapter 218: A Pause
I woke up with aches all over. Good morning.
I ended up camping out on the terrace in front of the house. My body feels stiff and sore, but when I opened my eyes, I found something fluffy beside me. Rishu had snuggled up next to me.
“Good morning, Rishu. I’m fine now.”
I noticed Rishu licking around her chin and gently petted her.
Rishu has an interesting sensation, warm yet cool, probably because of her ice affinity. I lay there, petting her for a while. My little one is so cute.
I stood up, stretched, and loosened my stiff body. The sky was brightening with the dawn, gradually turning into morning. I felt like I could just sit and watch the sun rise, but I still needed to shake off the fatigue.
Ah, I’ll enjoy the view from the bath. I went inside, changed the water for Rishu, and then headed to the bath. As soon as Rishu realized I was taking a bath, she followed me, usually lounging around in the living room or bedroom.
She stayed closer than usual, occasionally bumping against my legs. Did I worry her too much?
I set down the Ex-Staff, took off my coat, prepared the hot water, laid out a bath towel for after, and placed a bath mat in a spot where it wouldn’t get wet. When Rishu picked up the Ex-Staff and settled on the mat, I petted her head once more before stepping into the bath.
As I soaked, I watched the colors of the sky change. It’s pretty easy for me to feel happy.
By the time I got out of the bath, I felt much better. I checked myself in the mirror. Good, my chin isn’t broken, and there are no bruises anywhere.
For breakfast, I made a sandwich with ham and cheese, dipped it in egg batter, and grilled it slowly, alongside regular toast. I added a bit of salad, an orange, two sausages, vegetable soup, and milk.
As I cut into the sandwich, the cheese oozed out, a feast for the eyes. The sausages made a delightful pop as I bit into them. They tasted great too.
I spread butter on the toast and topped it with blackberry jam. I took a big bite of just the butter first. The blackberry was sweet and tangy, which was also nice.
Once again, happiness came easily.
After breakfast, I took a morning walk and tended to the field.
“Good morning, Pal. The tomatoes are starting to turn red, huh?”
“Good morning. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
Pal was pruning the side shoots of the tomatoes in the field. I joined in.
The side shoots that sprout from the main stem and leaf joints can turn into branches if left alone. If neglected, they can produce a lot of fruit, but some won’t receive enough nutrients. So, to grow big, shiny fruits, we snip them off.
We chatted about the vegetables and fruits I brought from Japan, the native varieties here, and recent activities and places I visited while we worked diligently.
I’ve made sure pests can’t get in, and the little Spirits help out, making things much easier for us.
“That island over there has poor soil.”
“Yeah, I’ve been trying to bring in leaf mold from the mountain and mixing it with soil from the forest.”
“There’s a Black Ledge to the southeast, so you should break some and bring it over.”
I learned dynamic solutions to problems like this.
After finishing my morning routine, I decided to return to Karn, who I had left behind. Rishu wanted to come along, so we went together. It was pretty hot, but the treasure vault is spacious, so maybe I could teleport directly? It’s underground, so it should be much cooler than outside.
When I【Teleportation】ed, I found myself in a hallway. It seemed I had miscalculated because Karn and the others were inside, causing a shift in the location, like a push-out effect.
“Excuse me. You’re still here?”
Thinking about it calmly, entering the treasure vault without permission was a no-go. But since I was allowed to take the treasures here, was it safe? Hm? I hadn’t defeated the Spirit, so I can’t take it? That’s a no-go?
“Welcome back. I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared—hey!”
Baylis, who was close to Karn, exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“That Spirit…?”
Karn was sitting, looking somewhat on guard.
“My beloved dog. This is Rishu, nice to meet you.”
Oh no, Rishu is holding the Ex-Staff; is that the issue? It’s too late to worry about it now, so I’ll just ignore it!
“There are so many things to comment on, but first, I want to thank you for helping Shahira.”
Karn placed his fists on his knees, bowing his head.
“They say that old ties may reappear to confuse you, so I thought the Black Spirit would take on a disguise.”
I had thought Karn was suppressing the Black Spirit, but it turned out to be different.
Well, Karn probably had been suppressing it, but there was still a part of him that cared for others.
I had thought the “King’s Branch” would turn completely black, but up close, I could see white parts remaining, and the white Spirit that appeared didn’t seem to be disguised. I had only judged that if I cut it off, I might be able to separate the sane part, but I’m glad it worked out.
“Why did you leave the Black Spirit?”
“I felt like if I got rid of it, you might die.”
“…”
“Yes, I had been suppressing it, but over the years, it gradually merged with me. Besides, your lifespan should have long since expired.”
Baylis spoke up in place of the silent Karn.
The decision to cut off the branch had come from my unreliable intuition, and I wasn’t confident that it would be safe to eliminate the Black Spirit. I thought it might be okay if the white one was present, but considering the look Shahira gave me back then, it was likely a bad idea.
The white Spirit was able to protect the “King’s Branch,” its true form, because Karn, as the king, still loved this land. The “King’s Branch” has a trait of crumbling and disappearing if all conditions are violated, so the Black Spirit wouldn’t last long.
The white Spirit protecting the “King’s Branch” likely didn’t want to disappear itself, but it also didn’t want Karn to die at the same time.
“If it had gone wrong, I was planning to burn it or do something else, so I’m glad it worked out.”
I wouldn’t want to be resented by a beauty like Baylis.
Baylis lovingly stroked Karn’s cheek. I sat down too, cradling Rishu in my lap and petting her. It’s okay; Rishu is definitely cuter.