I couldnt help but stare at her. Our confused eyes met, and there was a feeling of connecting between us.

”It-, It would seem Bob cannot write?...”

She seemed very unsure, and every word was almost stuttered, as well as unsure.

I hung my head in shame.

What use would an angelic handwriting have if i couldnt use it?...

Lloyd was just about to grab my quill as i realized something, and consequentially thrust the quill to Hans.

Here! If i cant write, then you must write for me!

Hans’ gaze hopped between the quill and Lloyd like a frightened hare, before finally asking:

”W-, Would it be alright if i wrote it?...”

”We get forigners all the time who cant write in swedish. The problem lies in that this ”Bob” cannot communicate at all...”

”H-, He can! You saw him!”

”Indeed, but he cant speak. I might have to ask you to write him in as a mount or companion instead...”

”P-, Please! Im begging you! If he has concious, as youve noted him to have, then how could i possibly pretend him to be a pet?!”

”That might be the case, but as i assumed you knew, we do have regulations on non-human exterminators.”

”Then why did you pretend you didnt?!”

”M’am, he answered that he wanted to be an Exterminator. I cannot refuse such desires, no matter his species. Whether or not someone agrees to be an Exterminator is one thing, whether or not he can is another.”

”...Dont you M’am me...”

”We do have some qualifications not written on paper, and oral communication, as well as written, is one of those qualifications. Whether he is concious or not doesnt matter. We need him to be able to speak.”

”...But-,”

”Can he speak?”

”No, but-,”

”Then how can he, in the midst of battle, alarm you if he sees something dangerous that you need to be alarmed of?”

”He’ll nodd that way, or point with his roots!”

”And if youre in the midst of battle as well?”

”Then-,”

”Then there is nothing he can do. Im sorry. No matter how concious or powerfull he is, if he cannot communicate, he cannot be an Exterminator. However, i am not rying to say you cannot register him. He can still be a pet, companion or mount.”

”...Hes not a pet...”

...

Is there nothing i can do?

Am i unable to assist her?

Is there no way for me to speak?

...

- ... -

= ... =

- ...There is a way. -

= Ve-, Voice! =

- Shush. -

= B-, But... =

- What kind of #@&•+*” would we be if we refused to assist him? -

= I-, I suppose so... =

- Bob. -

Yes?...

- There is a way. -

R-, Really?!

- Indeed. But it isnt easy. You’ll have to acess something youre not supposed to know exists. -

W-, What?...

- Humanification. -

W-, What!?

- Sadly, your level of #p0++1 is not high enough to precieve that skill. -

p... 0?...

- Indeed. As such, before you can use Humanification, you need to level up #p0++1. -

And-, And how do i do that?

- You need to focus. Concentrate. Try to see what you cannot. Strain your mind to the breaking point. Dont allow it to mend itself. Focus so hard that you cannot precieve anything but what you cannot percieve. Become so familiar with yourself that any abborrarion is not only a prickeling thorn, but a sword stabbing through a part of yourself that you cannot feel. Gaze into the void, and allow it to gaze at you. -

And so i did.

There was no pain.

There was no breaking.

There was no body to feel.

There was no eye to see.

There was only white, white, white.