|Say... the Great northern woods are at least one day away, even with how fast the horse monsters are going. How come this guy put up a minimal amount of time necessary to be two days? That's just barely enough time to arrive at the place and then go right back... Is he just that optimistic or...?|

Zombie furrowed his brows while looking out of the carriage's window while gently patting Kopia's head that the girl placed on his lap with a bright smile.

|...|

Patience didn't respond to him, and for whatever reason, her silence seemed to be brimming with contempt...

|Miss Patience...? Could you be so kind and bless me with your response?|

Zombie furrowed his brows and asked internally.

|If you want to talk, talk with that redhead on your lap! And you know the answer anyway!|

Patience finally spoke but it ended up being just an angry scoff and not the conversation that Zombie was hoping to start.

|You know that it's not the answer and only a suspicion until it's confirmed, I would like to discuss the options and possibilities with you... Or I really can try to talk it over with Kopia.|

He smirked and looked down, right into Kopia's face as the girl turned around and smiled adorably back at him.

|Don't get fooled by her! She can read our thoughts just fine since she coiled her hair around your arm! She's just acting cute and clueless!|

"I'm not! I'm just happy that master is spoiling me!"

Patience scoffed and Kopia pouted and looked away, outing herself as someone who really can read Zombie's mind, or rather thoughts going through Zombie's head.

"Shh. It's alright, "

Zombie put his finger to his lips and hushed the crimson-haired girl before continuing to pat her head.

|You are literally spoiling her way too much and even she realizes that!|

Patience scolded the boy, sounding very angry.

|It's fine. She's always working hard as my weapon, she deserves at least this much.|

Zombie shrugged his shoulders and smirked in response.

|What about me then?!|

Patience's voice got high-pitched inside Zombie's head.

|You're amazing too. Here. I'm sending you the coziest, fluffiest mental hug for the most amazing sealed overseer in the whole world. Here, have a kiss too. *muah* Are you happy now? Let's talk about what our merchant could be planning next.|

Zombie shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

|...I hate you so much, you sassy idiot...|

Patience also sighed, but she sounded just a little bit embarrassed over Zombie's words.

|There are a few options, first one, the guy is just some overly optimistic idiot, ant thinks that finding an elf roaming cluelessly around the Envy territory ready to get kidnapped is as easy as picking a stone off the side of the road.|

Nonetheless, Patience did end up picking the topic that interested her host.

|That would be nice, but since he is the owner of a shop backed by the branch of the Envy family, it means that he has dealt with such things in the past...|

Zombie frown and made a sour expression.

|Then that leaves us with a few options. Like, someone from the Envy family is already waiting on the spot, as they captured the elf or elves, and we will be just transporting them back, or...|

|Or Jackfruit himself is secretly a part of the Envy family.|

Zombie finished the thought for Patience, sounding just as bitter as she did.

|The Envys of this playthrough are still holding Saint captive and have bonus effectiveness with dealing with the elves, right?|

Zombie sighed and glared at the wall of the carriage where the merchant was sitting on the driving seat smacking the backs of the monster horses with the reins to make them go faster.

|Well... yes, but not exactly.|

"Huh...?"

Zombie was surprised enough to let out an audible gasp,

|Administrators are a one-and-done kind of thing, no matter the playthrough – their death carries over regardless of whether you started a new save file or not.|

Patience explained, sounding as if she was thinking of the best way to explain it to the undead in the body of a young boy.

|Huh... so that's how it... Then, what makes the elves fear Envys so much without making them fight back at the same time? Is the problematic main branch of the Envy family that strong...? It doesn't feel like it judging from the events of Mason's route...|

Zombie furrowed his brows and tilted his head.

|Eh...? Wait, so you believe the thing about the administrators just like that?! With no additional information?!|

Patience sounded as if she jumped up in place from sheer shock.

|I've already witnessed weirder things than that. But you can act like I don't believe you and try to convince me that it's the truth if you want. Or just answer my question.|

Zombie shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Nhehehe!"

Their exchange made Kopia snicker so much she put her hands to her mouth to block the laughter.

|O-oh...! Um, yeah, sure! Why are elves still fearing the Envys even though there's no Saint anymore? Right. So, the thing is – even if the being known as the last living administrator is dead, that only means that their physical remnant was left in their place - just like what you and your villainess fought before, you know, the remnant of Wing. The physical remnant does carry most of the power of the original but carries on all the wounds and whatnots at the same time.|

|So what you're saying is, somewhere in the underground bunker-like basement of the Envys mansion, there is a physical remnant of the god of spirits, Saint, that is just as weak as Saint was before my Cranberry finished them off – and that very remnant is still giving the Envy family the partial power over the elves?|

Zombie asked to make sure whether he understood things properly.

|Exactly.|

Patience sounded as if she nodded.

|That means that absolutely nothing changes about the relation between the elves and the Envy family and consequently nothing changes about the events either.|

Zombie summed it all up.

|Yes.|

And Patience once again sounded as if she nodded.

|Then it's completely useless to us right now... Haa... anyway. We have the guy's name and since you've said that he isn't anyone important for the story - at some point during this mission, it might be that an unfortunate accident will have to happen to our dear employer if the need will arise.|

Zombie smirked evilly and spoke to the being sealed inside of him before turning towards the window once more, clearly showing that he was done with the chit-chat.

And the wheels of the carriage turned around and around bringing them all towards the Great northern forest where lied Zombie's hope for changing the story.