"Do people outside do rituals?" asked Sith after he calmed down a little.

Hearing the question, Yuji falls silent for a second. He doesn’t even know what this ritual is. He needs to think about the answer. If he says yes, there's a high chance Sith will ask how they do rituals. If Sith asked that, it would be hard to explain. But if he says no.

"No," answered Yuji.

"Outside people don’t do rituals! Then how can you talk?" Asked Sith with surprise and a voice of disbelief.

Upon hearing Sith's words, Yuji was momentarily speechless. Having found himself on the farm, he was clueless about any rituals and had hoped to evade such inquiries. Now, it appeared his attempt to sidestep the question has backfired.

Unexpectedly, he also received the answer he was looking for. How can goats talk? Never thought he would receive this answer from a kid goat.

But Sith doesn’t know he doesn’t know anything, there are still ways to reverse the situation.

"Haha, I was just joking. Obviously, we do rituals," Yuji chuckled.

"Outside people do? How? Do you guys also have a sacred tree?" Sith inquired as he took a step toward Yuji and settled close, facing the cave's exit where the bright sky, adorned with stars, lay beyond.

"Yes, but before I share ours, tell me more about the sacred tree of this place and how rituals are conducted here," Yuji requested. Sith had proven to be invaluable, the first friend who had stood up for him. Yuji didn't want to risk saying anything that might strain their friendship.

"W-well, it’s forbidden to speak of the sacred tree and our rituals in front of outsiders, but I've never been one for following those silly rules. R-rules are for the stupid, hahaha hahaha," Sith's laughter filled the cave, his eyes gleaming mischievously. Yuji couldn't resist joining in, feeling the warmth of their camaraderie enveloping him. He also noticed something: when Yuji is too excited, he can’t talk without shutting.

As their laughter subsided, Sith's expression softened, his gaze shifting to one of introspection. "My ritual took place when I-I was very young, and I can’t remember everything. But I’ll share what I can remember.”

Yuji nodded his head a little, indicating Sith to continue. He told Sith about the head-nodding thing before so their conversation could be smooth without saying anything.

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"From what I know, one person can have a ritual only once. I have also gone through it. From what I can remember, I was placed in line, and a sacred food from the sacred tree was given to me. After I ate the food, I could talk."

"That’s it?" asked Yuji, seeking confirmation if Sith missed something.

"Well, it’s a long time ago, so I don’t remember everything. I don’t know what happened after I ate the sacred food. But all I know is I could talk, and I was seen as a cursed being from that day onward. And everyone hates me. I don’t even know what I have done wrong." Sith's tone softened, tinged with sadness as he said the last part.

"So that’s what happened. A tree that bore fruits that have the power to grant speech," Yuji pondered silently. Yet, there were still missing pieces to the puzzle. Speech didn't equate to intelligence automatically. Though, it was possible. Yuji wouldn't be surprised if these fruits also confer intelligence upon animals. Perhaps that explained why Sith couldn't recall anything before undergoing the ritual.

As he contemplated the fruits further, his curiosity about them deepened. Now, he wants to see with his own eyes. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Sith's voice.

“Now tell me yours,” Sith asked.

"It’s similar. Our sacred tree bears green fruit resembling oversized sobos. What does your sacred tree look like?" Yuji inquired in return. Oversize sobos is actually nothing but a Made-up word by Yuji.

“I don’t remember much, but I think it looked more like this,” Sith paused as he started drawing on the ground what he had seen with his hooves. Slowly, Sith’s drawing formed shapes resembling a crescent moon. Since it was a fruit, the image reminded Yuji of a banana.

"A banana plant!" he exclaimed, recognizing the resemblance. But there’s a high chance this thing is entirely different. It could be a new fruit that he has never seen before.

As Yuji examined the drawing Sith had etched onto the ground, his thoughts drifted to the goats that couldn’t speak. It puzzled him deeply. Since all the goats who had undergone the ritual could talk, why were there exceptions? Had they somehow missed the ritual?

When Yuji asked Sith about this, Sith couldn’t answer properly. He doesn’t know anything about this. This left Yuji feeling unsettled; he realized he couldn't blindly trust everything Sith conveyed. There were too many unanswered questions.

After that, they talked for hours. Mostly Sith, ever curious about the world beyond this farm, bombarded Yuji with questions. Yuji, lacking concrete knowledge, found himself weaving tales and fabricating explanations to satisfy Sith's curiosity.

After Sith heard everything he wanted to know, he let go of Yuji. Yuji wasn’t angry about this. After all, Sith also helped him. But it surprised Yuji how much Sith wanted to leave this place. And the reason for that is even more heartbreaking. Sith doesn’t have any friends; that's why he wants to leave this place, and he wants to make new friends.

As Sith absorbed his sought knowledge, he released his hold on Yuji. While Yuji harbored no resentment since Sith also helped him, he couldn’t help but feel surprised by Sith’s strong desire to leave this place. The reason behind Sith’s longing for departure struck Yuji deeply: Sith lacked companionship. The ache of loneliness drove Sith’s yearning to explore new horizons and forge new friendships. The only reason he wants to leave this place is because he wants to make new friends.

After that, both of them fell asleep. Unfortunately for Yuji, he couldn’t fall asleep fully. He felt like something was staring at him. Every time he tried to fall asleep, he had this sensation.

Eventually, exhaustion washed over them, lulling them into sleep. However, for Yuji, rest remained elusive. An unsettling sensation gnawed at him as if a pair of eyes were looking at him. Each attempt to drift into slumber was met with this unsettling presence, leaving Yuji restless and uneasy for half of the night.

In the end, he had to take a walk outside. Only after midnight passed, he felt the sensation had gone away. But once again, his sleep was broken for a few seconds. He felt a presence coming near him and seated close to him.

[ Warning, you have been exposed to negative energy ]

[ Warning, you have been exposed to negative energy ]

[ Warning, you have been exposed to negative energy ]