|Interesting, I kind of expected Mia to tell on us to Laura and reveal everything to get you in trouble.|

Patience sounded a bit surprised as no one had stopped Zombie from walking out of the small house and leaving Laura's farm to head into the city.

|It's because she would get herself in trouble if she did.|

Zombie shrugged his shoulders indifferently while looking back on the house to make sure that Mia really wasn't following him.

|Relax, she wouldn't want her legs chopped off. Although you were a little bit over the top with that threat, from now on she would invest a lot of time into training and getting stronger – so everything's fine. For us that is. Increasing the intensity of her training will cause her to injure her body more and more but that will make Luke pursue the healing magic, revealing the hidden affinity he has for it.|

Patience sounded as if they were smiling and tried to ease Zombie's bad mood.

|Yeah, I just can't believe that a girl who almost got kidnapped by the Envy family would try to join in on their mission. What exotic merchandise does she think could be procured from the woods that are just a few days away? We are in the Envys territory, that could only mean the elves!|

Zombie furrowed his brows and complained internally.

"Haa..."

He even let a very Cranberry-like sigh escape his mouth.

"Master... Are you worried...?"

In response to that, a muffled high pitched noise coming from the sheath on his side formed into words.

"Hmm? No, no. It's nothing, really."

Zombie raised his brows and smiled softly in response.

He put his hand on the pommel of the sword and caressed it gently.

"...you know what? The limit on the party members is indeed two, why not make use of it?"

Zombie asked, and smirked looking at his sheathed sword.

"Master...?"

The high-pitched noise made by the high frequency of the vibrating blade formed into a question, before Zombie pulled out the weapon and smiled at it.

|This could be used as a surprise factor, but it could also pull some unwanted attention to you and Kopia.|

Patience pointed out, sounding just a tiny little bit jealous.

"It will be fine."

Zombie's smirk grew into a full-on smile.

He looked around, making sure that no early worker is looking their way, and put the sword in his hand on the ground blade first.

"Kopia, do you want to go on a trip with me in your humanoid form?"

He asked without releasing his grip.

"Can I?! I want! Master! I want!"

The weapon vibrated excitedly in response and started glowing with a pale light.

|Hmph...!|

Patience scoffed inside Zombie's head and sounded as if they turned around.

The next moment, Zombie was no longer holding a sword.

Instead, he was reaching up to pat the head of a genderless person with very long crimson-red hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Kopia. you forgot clothes."

Zombie rubbed its hair and shook his head,

"Mmm?"

Kopia furrowed its brows and looked down.

"But I won't fit in it in this form, I'm too big!"

It complained while pointing at the fancy sheath still at Zombie's waist.

"Not your clothes as weapon, silly. Human clothes. You remember, right? We practiced it together."

Zombie's smile grew warmer and he continued patting Kopia's head.

"Ah! I remember!"

The weapon in a humanoid form perked up in realization and closed its eyes.

"Hnnnnnng!"

And it even let out a grunt of very deep concentration.

*puff*

With a short flash of white light, a set of cute frilly clothes appeared on its body as if they were always there.

|Oh-ho! Little Kopia has studied a bit - it didn't make anything as complicated as those before.|

Patience sounded as if they nodded with great interest.

|Ah, yes indeed, that gives me a perfect opportunity to ask it something.|

|Eh...?|

Patience sounded as if they furrowed their brows at Zombie's unexpected remark.

"Kopia, say, how do you want me to address you?"

Zombie asked out loud, observing the humanoid weapon's face.

"Address...?"

Kopia titled its head and returned the question.

"How do you want me to talk to you. If you want, I can stick to calling you 'it', but truth to be told, this doesn't really sit well with me. Do you prefer 'they' or maybe 'he' or 'she'? Oh, and you don't have to answer immediately. Just tell me when you decide."

Zombie explained to the wide-eyed Kopia.

"...master, what do you want me to be...?"

It asked suddenly sounding very timid, it even grabbed onto Zombie's sleeve and lowered its head to glance at him cutely.

"Huh? What do I want?"

Zombie tilted his head in confusion and furrowed his brows.

"I want you to like me, master! I will be whatever you want!"

Kopia perked up and its smile was almost blinding, so blinding in fact that Zombie almost had to back off.

|...where did it learned that...? It must have been reading our minds while connected to you during training and fights...|

Patience grumbled in a barely recognizable murmur.

"It's alright, Kopia. I already like you very much and it won't change no matter what..."

"Master!"

Before Zombie could finish his sentence, Kopia exclaimed happily and hugged him tightly, and nuzzled its cheek against his neck while leaning down.

|!!!!!!!!!|

Patience exasperated gasp resounded in Zombies's head, but otherwise, the sealed being didn't comment on this behavior.

"Whoa! Hey, you're acting as if I never told you that before. Khahaha! Hey, you're tickling me! It's alright. Just take your time and think about how do you want to be addressed and tell me when you're ready. It's just that calling you like an inanimate object feels odd to me - but of course, if you like it, then that's how it will stay."

Zombie smirked and hugged his humanoid weapon back.

|...|

The silence of the sealed being was heavier than any words they spoke before.

"Master! She! Call me she! I'm a girl!"

It took Kopia a whopping five seconds to chose and she happily announced her answer to the boy.

|...well, someone showed their true colors fast... hmph...!|

Patience scoffed sounding really grumpy.

"Alright, if that's what you choose..."

Zombie nodded with a serious expression and...

"Good girl! Thank you for always helping me with killing monsters, I'll be counting on you from now on too!"

"!!!!"

He said and patted Kopia's head very gently, which made her go wide-eyed and blush for some reason.

|Yeah, yeah... your show of affection is very cute indeed, but not very appropriate for the middle of the road! You still need to go get your gear too, remember?|

Patience scoffed at Zombie and pointed out.

|True.|

The boy nodded and pulled away from Kopia.

"Alright. we should get going. Here. Remember to stay close, it would be terrible if you got lost."

He said grabbing Kopia's hand and started walking towards the city.

"Master!"

The girl exclaimed happily and tightly squeezed the boy's hand.

|I'm a girl too.|

"Huh...?!"

"Master, is something wrong...?"

Patience's words caused Zombie to stop in place and gasp, which caused Kopia to tilt her head with concern.

|Yeah! You heard me right! I never mentioned it before because I thought that it was obvious! I'm a girl too so you better treat me just as nice as her!|

Patience announced and demanded, sounding as if she was crossing her arms and raising her head pridefully.