With all the personnel who were likely to converge on the town hall, the narrow residential thoroughfare through which Alicia was travelling lay in hushed repose akin to a necropolis. Gratitude was to be proffered to cicadas’ untamed stridulating and crows’ sporadic crow from keeping the night from the eerie silence. Them, as well as the harmonic melody of Orb nagging in the lass' arms. The footsteps of Alicia and her automatons served as rhythmic instruments.

Even in the depths of her vexation, Alicia could not bear her own soliloquies, not to mention the sullen monologue emitted by Orb. "I apologise, Orb," she lamented. Although her face soured still, her vocal cadence betrayed a mood of despondency. Exactly the compound of sentiments she was enduring. "I... can't defend you." Her tone rose half an octave. "I feel like an incompetent! A coward!"

Alicia, I'm not reproaching you. Orb purred. They're hiding something. One cannot fathom every recess of their minds.

"That one doesnae make sense! I mean, I feel it too, Orb. Protos Particles linger there! They were handing them out to people on purpose or by accident, and I let them have them when I was supposed to stop them—I think I should go back—"

You shall restore reason to their deliberations, Orb resounded in resolute buzz to forestall the lass' contemplated retreat, …with caution and patience.

A flicker of scepticism was on Alicia’s lips for a short span, but her body eventually acquiesced to the gentle coercion onto the path home. "Y-yes, Orb."

You trust me, don't you?

Alicia's lips thinned firmly. "I do, Orb,” she affirmed, nodding.

You earn your rest for today, my wielder.

Despite the empty thoroughfare they treaded, Alicia could not shake the sensation that every crevice and edifice possessed eyes, notwithstanding the assumption that denizens of a modest hamlet would not entertain nefarious intentions as those in Takamagahara’s metropolitan alleyways. Not when the sounds of the guardian automatons were louder when slashing with their swords.

But perhaps there was one possessor of eyes who was a veritable tester of guts. The cadence of footfalls multiplied by one more instrumental presence.

Alicia's pair of automatons cast a backward glance ere the lass herself. Having seen them, the lass cast a lugubrious look back over the thoroughfare.

"If I come closer to you, ma'am, your machines ain't gonna go chopping off my head, now, are they?"

"You heard the lad, gentlemen."

Thus did the lad align his distance with the lass. This time, Barong was finally allowed to become material and draw a deep gulp of crisp air after quite a time. Though it was unlike it to rely on such.

"Hello, Alicia!" exclaimed the beast. Suddenly its shape condensed and turned into an ursin kitten with umbilical cord, alighting upon Alicia's shoulder.

Alicia regarded Barong with the faintest trace of a smile before wilting back into a grave countenance. "Has the briefing concluded already, Wisesa? That was fast."

"It's gonna take a spell. They reckon we gotta endure that preacher Domen caterwaulin' in his scratchy tone once more after the briefing. How in Durga's Soul can callin' that singing be a blessing? It's more like the harbinger of nightmares. My shamanic chant trumps that racket any day."

The look on the bespectacled girl's face said a lot about not being in the mood to hear jokes. A few steps elapsed with a soothing rhythm before Alicia disrupted it anew. "Are ye going to accept the potion?" she asked, her neck snapping back to Wisesa and Barong.

Wisesa's narrowed eyes reflected a modicum of amusement. "Should I?"

"Must ye ask for my approval? I simply pose the question.”

"Ah, the dilemma. Killing them without a scrap feels sneaky. Ain't no honor in pulling that off, you know what I'm saying?"

"You sound like Izel," Barong commented.

"That's right. Oh, I hate being a copycat too. Might as well snatch one myself, then."

Alicia's languid face divulged nothing. For the third time, her eyes reverted to the path.

"Guarding the Kagatseans and digging into mujinos' origins has never been easier, no?" Wisesa remarked once more. "Things get done quicker, which means I can mosey on to 'the other place' sooner."

"Forget it, Wisesa."

The lass' response was flat and short. Funnily enough, it was the lad's pique that reached its boiling point. "Jeez, you really are turnin' as bland as the guardian automatons of yours! No, okay? Foolish as I might be, I ain't keen on letting another sketchy thing invade my system! Can't even get this one out yet! To be honest, I saw a lot of hesitant faces when you made that call."

"Especially from some Tamoanchanese warriors. They harbour an aversion to Arcane, now they are presented with the prospect of being saturated with Khaos," Bagong added. "They regard it as a sick joke!"

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"I had a peek backstage, and the minister was going off, in Kagatse's tongue. No need to feel bad, okay? Your branding did its thing. The minister seems to have fallen for it, too."

Alicia absorbed the entirety of the aggravation in the tug of her hair. "By the Silent Divine, Wisesa. Branding? Seriously!"

Now Wisesa's grin rekindled with unabashed pride. His talent had yet to be diminished.

Following her lips-smacking, Alicia posed another query in a trice, "Didn't you feel it?" Her gaze drifted to the kitten on her back. "You're also sensitive to the presence of Protos particles. Please dinnae joke this on me."

"Hey, Miss, I'm not as irksome as Wisesa," came the beast's defence. "Unfortunately they look and feel like ordinary potions. Sang Hyang Sukra's intuition didn't forewarn us about that as well."

Wisesa folded his arms behind his neck. "Confidence is cool, but can you be sure your Arcane orb didn't misjudge Khaos's air?"

"Orb' has never misjudged Khaos' air!" Alicia underlined with a stern tenor.

I have never misjudged the air of Khaos. Orb reprised with a chirp the lad would never comprehend.

"Well, maybe it's just my feelings, but the head of the Kagatsean Magisterium dropped some real deep words, you know? 'Arcane may be the greatest power, but just like anything else, it is fallible'."

"Pure glaikit! Orb is not a human-like creature! Orb has Arcane, and Arcane perpetually contends with Khaos! Orb kens how to track Khaos better than anyone! Ye ken, Orb and I are tired of repeating ourselves again and again. If no one buys it, then dinnae bother mentioning it again!" Alicia seemed to quicken her pace, causing Barong's umbilical cord to stretch further. The wide-eyed feline made a rude hand gesture to Wisesa, but he merely shook his head and shrugged, plastering confusion on his countenance.

"Actually," Barong attempted to console Alicia softly in her ear, "do you recall what this situation brings to mind?”

A canny brainstorm always did wonders to win back Alicia's heed. She gave Barong and Wisesa a wee eye roll. The lad looked like he had to answer for himself when Barong gave him a 'seeking an explanation' glare too.

"Oh," something clicked in the lad's mind, though his expression lacked vigour. "That day. First time we fought near the hut."

"Right!" exclaimed the kitten. "That day Alicia and Orb wanted to purify Wisesa from Protos particles but proved entirely unsuccessful!"

"The core of Khaos ain't within me, but in this damn beast. Gotta cleanse it in its own dimension, where we could touch it," Wisesa concluded his explanation.

There was little progress on Alicia's visage; flattening rather than frowning miserably. Progress, no less. The girl raised her eyes to the dim firmament and reminisced, a reflection that concluded with a sigh.

"I'm picturing a wee pocket realm drenched in the potion liquid, where I've got to step in to purify, bottle by bottle," Alicia replied with a touch of pessimism. "Nah, that sounds absurd and superfluous.”

"The crux lies not in locating a portal to the liquid-filled world or the like, but knowing they have some sort of stratagem to prevent Khaos from being purified by the Arcane," Barong corrected.

Before he knew it, Wisesa found himself immersed in Alicia's predicament. Just enough to muster the energy to play devil's advocate. "But what if... it's true? They really did create a pocket dimension in the liquid with magic and implanted Protos particles there?"

They came to a standstill before an open gate, a protracted complex of buildings behind it—their sleeping quarters. Alicia, hesitant to cross the threshold, once again wrestled with the need to reason with Wisesa's proposition. Yet, amidst the internal struggle, she found a glimmer of gratitude that the lad shared his curiosity. If indeed the thought held veracity, that an imperceptible artificial realm could be encapsulated in a vial, then it stood as a pinnacle of the alchemist's extraordinary achievements. Or a genius smuggling magic technique.

"Can you steal a vial for me, Wisesa?"

"You sure do enjoy lettin' someone else do the dirty work, don't you—"

"Wisesa will readily procure a potion for you," Barong cut in.

"Stop dictating me, Damn Cat!" Wisesa's hand was set to lunge at Barong before the kitten-shaped yellowish energy took refuge on the other side of Alicia's neck. But the enraged clawed hands did not stop and Alicia had to jerk back.

"You hiding behind a woman?" scoffed Wisesa. "The Patron of Lands stooped to the lowest level now!"

"Alicia, please tell him to stop being feral! He may torment me in his subconscious!" Barong thoroughly enjoyed pestering Wisesa.

"Screw you!" Wisesa started chasing Alicia without hesitation. "Your time-out is over. I'm pulling you in!"

The problem was, once Barong was freed, its sole constraints were compliance and consent. In their absence, it was Barong who bullied Wisesa into spoiling everyone's idyllic dream time.

"Wisesa, stop!" Alicia hissed, halting her steps. "Barong, please."

"Alright Miss, I'm sorry." Barong hovered silently behind Wisesa, the lad's hand futilely attempting to seize its form.

"You need not pilfer it anyhow," Alicia said again. "Just take yer share and dinnae use it."

Wisesa stood momentarily stupefied. "You don't think they'll suspect me?"

"Why should they?"

"I accompany you everywhere. You, a hypercurious investigator. Don't tell me you need more clues."

Before Alicia could articulate her response, Wisesa silenced her again. "But you know what? Tomorrow, your brain's gonna need a good wringing out. Guess I gotta figure out a plan too."

"Wisesa, that's...," the ensuing words caught in her throat. "I appreciate it. Truly."

"Yeah? You best uncover something in that assignment of yours once we're through." Wisesa delivered a punch to Alicia's shoulder, but to her shock, Alicia staggered backwards, nearly toppling.

"Wisesa!" Alicia groaned with vehement. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What? I'm just settling the score for that earlier punch!”

"It wasnae that strong!"

"Exactly that strong. You're just weak."

Wisesa's hand sought Alicia, but she was already on her feet clutching her arm and groaning.

"I think you dislocated my shoulder," Alicia moaned sotto voce.

"Nonsense. If you want to feel what it feels like to be dislocated I'll give you a real one!" Wisesa's clenched fist poised in the air, but Alicia promplty recoiled, again swayed by the lad's bluster. Her face betrayed signs of alarm.

"Stop it already. I had a lot of dislocations in my youth!"

"The Princess of the West has suffered sprains? What games have you been playing, Missy?"

"None of yer concern."

"Okay. I'm just joking. Don't cry."

"I'm not crying."

"Yeah, you look like you're about to, Princess!" jeered Wisesa as he bent down to align her gaze.

"Hey, might genuinely bring her to tears!" Barong admonished.

"I-I'm not crying, stop it!" Alicia shoved the lad away. Little did she know that the blush on her own face deepened rapidly. Wisesa was already laughing, pointing at her, prompting Alicia to sulk, stride, and veer towards her dormitory.

"Hey I can hear you whimpering," Wisesa jested again.

"Hush!"

At least Wisesa got what he wanted: to lure Alicia into his bait. When his allotted laughs were spent, Wisesa sauntered in a different direction towards the soldier’s barracks, without the formality of a proper farewell.

"Hey, Wisesa!" Alicia called out once more.

Upon Wisesa’s turn, Alicia offered a brief nod and uttered, "Thank you." A slight smile was bestowed before she turned away again.

"Thank you" might not have been the most sacred words, yet Wisesa remained rooted there for an extended moment... []