When Theanore saw Marinus coming towards her, she dropped the basket with nettle she was carrying and rushed to clomp him. She hugged him tight as they both laughed.

“You came back! Luca has been here for a week.” Said Theanore and Marinus smiled into the hug.

“Of course I did. Didn’t you get the missive from grandpa Thinker that I am coming back? And, besides, I am tough. It would have taken more than a few mermaids to separate me from you.” Said Marinus. He couldn’t help it. He tickled Theanore’s sides, and she swatted at his arms.

“Mari, I am delighted. But I refuse to let you go alone like this again. Promise me you will never leave me again.” Said Theanore in her sternest voice. The effect was a little muted as she still mispronounced the r’s as l’s.

“I promise, silly. Besides, I got what we needed. Did Luca show you the life-extending ring?”

“He did. There is so much magic in it. At least a million mana worth in the stone alone. And there is more in the band.” Said Theanore and Marinus became thoughtful.

They both had one million mana each. The stone was doable. But how much mana was needed for the band? What if it was a ridicules amount like ten million? They had so many projects they needed to do.

“I don’t know. Too much. Do you think grandpa Thinker can help us again? Mommy said she doesn’t have that much mana.”

Well, if even Esmer von Kleindorf didn’t have that much mana, then neither did Marinus and Theanore combined. Esmer was older than grandpa Thinker. She had had a lot of time to build up her mana regen.

“Best if we save up the mana ourselves. Grandpa Thinker just agreed to spare Darion. Plus, he saved me. I don’t think we can ask for more favors for quite some time.” Said Marinus, and he finally released Theanore. He bent down and took her nettle basket.

“What is this for? Don’t say dinner.” While it was said lightly, as if it was a joke, Marinus really didn’t want to eat any more nettle. It was a bland plant.

“It is for Petunia, Chrysanthemum and the babies. Well, they are as big as the murder muffins now. Do you want to feed them with me?” Asked Theanore. Marinus craned his neck to see where Darion was speaking with grandpa Thinker, and he tugged Theanore’s sleeve.

“Maybe we can go check out what their agreement is first? Are you really ok with Darion staying at the grotto?” Asked Marinus. Theanore looked at him as if he was being silly.

“I can’t turn him away. No other dungeon core will welcome him. And Darion completed the camping site. We are thinking of inviting people to spend Yule here in the forest. Moreover, while you were away, mommy had me register myself in the peaceful dungeon list. No one will ever raid my grotto.”

Well, that made all the lying and scheming of before pointless. But Marinus was glad that now Theanore was under imperial protection. He could sleep more peacefully from now on.

The two children made their way to Darion, and they caught the end of the conversation.

“…and I will work towards my new supreme overlord’s happiness, and I will not turn the grotto into a murder trap. Odious Thinker, Sir, thank you for saving little Marinus. Thea would have been heartbroken if something happened to her friend.” Said Darion, eyes still staring at grandpa Thinker’s feet.

“What you did is wrong. But then again, I have done many wrong things too. With sparing you, my old granny has told me I receive + 100 years on the good list. Let us see if I can’t squander them by Yule.”

Grandpa Thinker gave a belly laugh, and even Darion cracked a smile. Then the gremlin looked up, his eyes hopeful.

“Can I make amends to those who were at risk during the sabotage? Is there anything I can do?” He asked, and he was ready to do anything grandpa Thinker asked of him. But grandpa Thinker just laughed again.

“Prove you can be a good, hardworking, gremlin. You are a manager of some ants?” Asked grandpa Thinker and Darion raised a finger up in the air.

“An overseer. The supreme overlord gave me my position.” Said Darion proudly. The ants have taken a liking to him, and they made ant hills next to his sleeping space. What is more, they didn’t walk over him as he slept.

“Overseer, then. Treat those ants fairly and when you are given more power, remember: it comes with responsibility. Maybe in a few centuries, I can forgive you for what you have done. But if you want for your fellow gremlins to forgive you, then you have to have someone sing your praises to them.”

Darion wilted at that. The ants couldn’t talk, their thoughts needed to be translated by the system. He told as much to grandpa Thinker, and the elderly man placed a grandfatherly hand on the gremlin’s naked head.

“Sometimes that which someone shows is better than that which someone says. I have seen anthills next to your bed. If you have treated them unfairly, the ants would have kept away from you. In the end, I think I share in on the blame. After all, I am a violent dungeon. And you are a mob. But we can be more than that. Take care, Darion.” Said grandpa Thinker. Then both of them noticed the children.

In his most stern voice, grandpa Thinker said.

“+1 on the bad list for eavesdropping.” Then he winked and smiled as both children looked at him in disbelief.

“We can get you both on the good list by the end of the day.” Said Darion, determined. “And I know how. We will invite the children of the orphanage to the camping site for Yule. That is a good deed, right, grandpa Thinker?” Asked the gremlin, and he received another smile.

“+1 on the good list for you all. Keep being good and decorate your halls. Yule is just two weeks away. And now I bid you goodbye.” Said grandpa Thinker, and he went back to his deer, where grandma Thinker waited.