“Five Lands in uproar as news about the Butcher of Gods spreads,” Isabelle murmured, her eyes fixed on a newspaper clipping. “Currently a young child around twelve years old, he is suspected to have Unique Skills that can hamper and injure the great gods, as well as their familiar spirits.”

           “I don’t recall having anything,” Gaius commented lightly. “If anything, of the otherworlders, I’m the only one without a cheat.”

           He thought back to Flynn, who had an entire building as his Unique Skill as well as a status window, and then insulted the world a few times over.

           Nakama patted his arm lightly, and the boy responded by poking her cheek. It was clear that she was trying to comfort Gaius, but he never needed any comforting to begin with. Rather, this whole Status and Skill thing had sounded rather dodgy to him in the first place, and besides, he wasn’t brought over to Orb normally.

           “The Mortal Light Dynasty has publicly declared the Butcher of Gods as a person of high importance, and extends his hospitality should he arrive in the North, with the Pinnacle offering to host him in person,” Isabelle continued. “On a somewhat-unrelated note, the Pinnacle has also criticised the Conferment Committee for coming up with the title of ‘Butcher of Gods’ for a young child.”

           “Good, because I haven’t butchered a god before, and nor do I intend to do that. A peaceful life is good enough for me,” said Gaius. “What was that phrase again? The tall tree yearns for peace, but the winds will not cease.”

           “That about sums it up, I think,” said Isabelle.

           A faint rumbling filled the air, and Isabelle clutched her tummy, embarrassed.

           “Let’s get some food, shall we?” Gaius smoothed over the topic, leading the way towards what looked like an inn. The eatery on the first floor was fairly crowded, but queueing to get some proper food felt like a dream after weeks of eating preserved junk.

           An odd expression began to surface on Gaius’ face as he eavesdropped on the ongoing conversations.

           “What’s wrong, Gaius?” Isabelle asked.

           “I just remembered something,” he replied. “Do you remember why Paragon Ying Xin got me to return to Feng-Lang in the first place?”

           “Erm, to support an offensive in order to…” Her eyes widened. “The three months deadline the Human God gave the East!”

           “None of us thought about that while escaping, eh?” The boy shook his head. “What’s the date today?”

           “It’s the twenty-first of January,” Isabelle replied. “Ten days before the deadline, but since the Lifespring is dead…does that declaration still hold water?”

           Gaius reined in an urge to laugh. “You’re a funny one.”

           “Huh?”

           The boy glanced at the clueless Knight, raised an eyebrow, and shook his head. “Never mind. At any rate, the Human God might just think that way too, and then spare the Eastern Territories. After all, the dead cannot come back to life.”

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           “It’s a twist that no one even saw coming,” Isabelle agreed. “But who killed Conrah? Why? And…how?”

           “We’ll have to look for the Information Brokers for that,” Gaius replied. “Oh, it’s our turn now. Order whatever you like; I don’t feel like choosing.”

           It didn’t take long for the food to arrive, and as Gaius stared at the four plates of vegetable dishes, the boy began to regret not choosing at least a meat dish. Sure, the boat trip saw little in the way of veggies, but ordering a table full of them was overdoing it.

           Gaius picked up a small slice of bread, and dipped it in some gravy from a broccoli dish.

           Bread was apparently a staple here, unlike the East, where rice was the staple food item. Most of the customers lounging around the eatery were eating bread with a small platter of dips to choose from, with the odd meat dish thrown in once in a while.        

           The little black hole in the form of Gaius’ sister finished the dishes after ten minutes or so, a feat that thankfully no one else in the eatery noticed. Nakama yawned twice, clambered onto Isabelle’s lap, and fell asleep a moment later.

           “Wow.” Gaius picked up a fork and ran it across an empty plate. “Looks like she really disliked the food on the Kusanagi ferry.”

           “Eating vegetables are good for the body,” Isabelle replied. “But even I think that’s…”

           “Overkill?” Gaius suggested. “Well, she has been holding herself back for some time, so I think it’s okay for her to eat this much once in a while. At most, we’ll just get her to exercise and train after a while.”

           “Speaking of training, when do you intend to let her cultivate?” Isabelle asked. “She’s already ten years old. I know you started a bit later, but not everyone is as monstrously talented as you.”

           “After I find a mantra that doesn’t cause pain,” said Gaius. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask you to teach her, but your family…”

           “My family will not begrudge their saviour,” said Isabelle. “A mantra is nothing.”

           Gaius looked evenly at her, and then smiled.

           “That reminds me,” said Gaius, “we should return to the South and pay a visit to your family. It’s a good idea to keep them informed on your wellbeing, after all. They must have been worried sick.”

           “Really?” Isabelle asked. “Do you not have other reasons in coming to the North?”

           “I only came to uphold a promise,” said Gaius. “Although…”

           “Although?”

           The boy placed the fork in his hand down. “No, it’s nothing. It’s just that I wanted to make some preparations, that’s all. And more importantly, I’m seeking out a stable environment for Nakama for her education.”

           “Preparations?”

           “Just in case,” said Gaius. “But there’s no need to speak of it yet. Anyway, we should return to the ferry for now, and wait for the others there. Let’s get this over and done with.”

           Isabelle shifted Nakama over to her back slowly, and then stood up.

           The sight made the boy crack a small smile. “Sorry for making you do this, but I’m too short to piggy back her without looking like an idiot.”

           “You’re apologising now?” Isabelle suppressed her smile. “Well, you just need to grow taller. You’re almost at the age of puberty anyway, right?”

           “Let’s hope I get taller real soon, then,” said Gaius. “Being short has its disadvantages.”

           The two exchanged more small talk as they left the inn, their destination the Kusanagi ferry.