“Hey there” I say to Yasia, as I sit down next her. The only thing really happening is Kassa climbing a tree to try and use the cape again, Patir trying to convince her not to.

“You seemed a little down today, what’s the matter?” I ask her.

“Di-did you notice?”

“Notice what?” I ask. That she was down?

“The cooking.” She shrinks a little as she says so. “It was not as good as usual, was it?”

“I mean, it wasn’t as good as the food you usually make, but you are much more limited out here, right?” The dish she served today was pretty bland and standard. I think I could have done a similar job.

“I… cheated… sorry… forgive me…” She starts muttering disjointed words as she starts crying. What? Why? What’s happening?

“Hey, hey, there’s no reason to cry.” I try to comfort her by rubbing her back slowly. Its warmth seeps through to my hand.

“you… don’t think I am a bad person? Even if… you are so amazing… I can’t even cook right.” I am confused.

“What do you mean? I have tasted your cooking plenty of times. You just need the right environment and tools and it will be as delicious as ever.” She turns her head towards me with teary eyes, red shades spreading around them.

“You haven’t tasted my cooking… Not until today.” She says.

“Huh?”

“The other meals… Were made by mother. Father said it was okay because I would eventually become as good as mother… but now I feel like I have cheated you since I can’t give you her food any longer... and you were going to find out and abandon me.” She starts breaking into sniffles once again.

I am astounded both by how trivial a thing she has been worried about for most of the past day, along with shocked anyone would try to cheat me in that way. Her father always did seem to play it fast and loose. I won’t say anything about it, but now I am guessing the other ‘homemaker’ skills were falsified too. I sigh, but only inwardly.

“What are you worrying about?” I ask as I stroke your hair. “True, I am a little disappointed that you lied and I won’t get to eat as good food as before, but I won’t abandon you.” She pauses her sniffles and looks at me again.

“Really? You’ll still marry me?” Ah, I want to decline that part, but as time passes, her face starts quivering and it grabs me by the heart. I remember her taking herself hostage in the village.

“Ah, in five years, remember, in five years.” I back down. Fuck I am a coward. Her smile widens, even as her cheeks are still wet.

“Really? Really, really?” She says looking awful expectant.

“ah, yeah.” I can feel my own voice shrinking as I give the confirmation.

A while later, Patir comes with a strange suggestion. “I guess Yian will keep watch for the night, if you don’t need sleep?” He suggests.

“Keep watch?” I am a bit confused. And Patir seems to be too.

“Y’know, for monsters. We’re still pretty close to the frontier, so they should be out there, swarming. I check my read without finding a single signal.

“Really? Because I can’t sense any now, nor did I ever see any wild monsters when I were at the village.” I think back. I remember there being wild monsters until I made it to Berlizo, but I have seen none since then.

“Huh… Wait, I thought you were the one chasing them away?” Patir is also confused. Maybe I have some weird monster-repelling function now? I wonder.

Eventually the matter is laid to rest and people go to sleep. I want to practice magic as I do most nights, so I fetch Dixy and sit down with her a little ways away, just so that I don’t disturb their sleep with our talk.

“Why did you not want me to mention God?” Dixy complains the moment I open her. A rare instance, where she starts conversation.

“It would just be too much trouble.” I answer curtly, attempting to get back to my studies, but Dixy presses on.

“God is great and powerful, you know, shouldn’t you be proud to make her acquaintance?” What’s this. Her? And it seems Dixy has lofty ideas of God. Did God themself implant that into Dixy, when they made her.

“God is a her?” I try asking.

“Not really. Gods physical bodies and the genders that come with them, but I still think it’s ‘her’” Dixy replies. Curious, a subject other than words and magic that Dixy is knowledgeable about.

“How do you know?” I am hopeful to get an answer, but.

“I just know. The same way I do with magic.” Is the reply I get.

“Guess it isn’t strange for the God who made you, to make you think highly of… her, I guess. She did come off a bit self-centered.”

“God isn’t self-centered, God is great!” Dixy shouts as some strange preacher.

“Alright, alright, let’s get to the magic.” I give in to calm her down and spend the night trying out my patterns and chatting a little with Dixy.

After breakfast the following day, we realize just how low supplies are. My initial estimate of a couple of days seems to have been too generous. We’ve got one more day at this rate. I sigh and ask everyone to sit down in the cart and to hold on to it to both it and the luggage firmly.

“Wh-what are you going to do?” Patir asks, sounding a little scared.

“Run!” I reply confidently, as I start building up speed. Soon, we practically fly, as each small bump in the off-road terrain sends the cart flying for a few moments due to it’s speed.

“ARGHHH!!! STOP! STOP!” Patir cries. I can’t hear Yasia, but Kassa is the opposite with “THIS IS SO GREAT! MORE! FASTER!”

“JUST FOCUS ON KEEPING ME ON THE RIGHT TRACK, PATIR!” I shout as I let the high-speed ride continue. I laugh a little inside at the hysteria as we travel.