Now that Luna had finished learning about the towers, Cain carried her sleeping form back into the house where children were swarming Cyrene, both her own and the ones they had met today.
Cain waited until he caught her attention before speaking. âI know you were looking forward to travelling with me, but it looks like escaping isnât going to happen anytime soon. I am planning to take a few others and go looking for the Librarian who has the books I need.â
Cain paused while Cyrene relocated Remi, who was stretching out from the top of her head to try to poke the sleeping form of Luna that was wrapped around Cainâs arm.
âThey are somewhere in the Southern Continent, but Iâm not sure where, so we could be gone a while.â Cain finished.
âThatâs fine. Lamia arenât usually very good or concerned parents, but maybe because I wasnât always one, I couldnât bear to leave these girls with someone else. Plus, Iâm in your mind now; thatâs pretty close to you.â Cyrene agreed.
Cain smiled as two girls tried to open a pistachio someone gave them, eventually resorting to using a tiny sword.
âI need to collect Jessica and Jin before I leave. Theyâre involved in the Quest as well.â Cain told her, wondering where they might be right now. He didnât see them, but the area was crowded, so they might just be out of sight.
Kone waved as she walked up with a very dejected-looking Larkin. âTheyâre in the spa, Jessica chipped her nail polish today helping deliver some baby sheep, so we made it an excuse to relax. I will also be coming with you; I have a Quest to help you find the Librarian.â
That explained the look on Larkinâs face. Not only was he prohibited from the spa after an incident a while ago, but Kone also intended to leave him behind to go on an adventure with Cain.
He really was hopeless.
âPerhaps Larkin could go visit Neffie while we are gone? Theyâre old friends, and Neffie is looking for more soldiers for her guard. The extra training could help him bulk up and gain a few more levels.â Cain suggested, giving Larkin hope that things might not be that bad while he was separated from Kone.
âThat sounds good. I hear her Dino Cavalry are very powerful. If I could pass the training, it would greatly boost my combat power.â Larkin nodded happily.
Larkin didnât realize that Neffie would push him just as hard as Kone, but would not be nearly as understanding about his slow progress and reluctance to actually work. Cain thought it might be just what he needed to regain some of his dignity.
âLet me know when everyone is finished in the Spa, and we can head out to the farm for the evening. You guys will love it there, and the people are great.â Cain told Kone, who nodded and left for the spa to join her new friends.
The Puppets had found a new product among the goods traded to the Guild by the Ice Youkai of the Southern Ocean. It was a protective wax for scales and armour that mitigated fire damage, but more importantly, it gave a glossy, wet look finish.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Jin was their first test subject, and they would massage her with the wax and polish her scales to a lustrous shine. Many Dragons and scaled demons like the Lamia took great pride in the shine of their scales, so if it turned out well, they would have a new service to offer in the spa.
âYou donât think Cain will be trying to make us an adventuring team, do you? Iâm getting good at healing, but I donât like violence.â Jessica asked Kone, who had known him much longer.
âI doubt it. Heâs bringing his infant daughter with him as well, so he can teach her about her class basics. If there is any fighting, he will likely take care of it himself. The Quest we are both on is to find answers, it doesnât require hunting anything.
The problem is, the Elf who has the information we need went missing over two hundred years ago, and the city where they were last seen was destroyed in the great war, so we donât even have many clues.
We can only say for sure that they took the entire library with them and it wasnât destroyed with the city.â Kone explained.
âWell, that could make things difficult. One random Elf in an entire Continent, who might be disguised, and that nobody has seen in centuries. Who even made this quest?â Jessica asked.
Jin only smirked and waited for the Bunny to remember where all the System Quests came from.
âThe Laughing God. Of course, it would be. I should have known that.â Jessica muttered a few seconds later, thumping herself on the forehead.
âWe should get him to stop by the Temple of the Creators when weâre down there. Itâs a temple primarily to the Laughing God, the only one on the planet I know of, and its supposed to be really cool.â Kone suggested.
âWhy would we go there? Agent we looking for an Elf?â Jessica asked, wondering if she missed the point of this mission.
âWhoâs to say she isnât waiting for him there? Cain met her before she went missing, some strange time effect so it is possible she might remember him and show up somewhere he is likely to be.â
Jessicaâs nails were beginning to dry now, and Jin was starting to shine, so Kone went to soak in the herbal bath for a while. If she was going to meet new people, she would smell good doing it.
While they were finishing their rituals at the spa, Cain went upstairs to the smaller bath to get cleaned up while doing his best to wake up Luna gently.
Cyrene woke up if you stroked her back, but Luna just made happy noises in her sleep. She also didnât wake up to the sound of conversation. The only thing that woke her up reliably was an attempt to remove her from around Cainâs arm, but that always made her panic and think she was falling.
âSilly girl, get up, or Iâm getting in the bath while youâre still fully dressed.â Cain admonished his sleepy companion.
âMm, bath. The lemon scent, please.â Luna mumbled, then returned to slumber.
âFine, itâs been two hours since you left the tower; itâs time to get up.â Cain decided, sliding into the bath while carefully keeping Lunaâs head above the water.
She seemed to enjoy the warm water and didnât mind that her clothes were wet, but she did wake up a little, at least enough to open an eye and see what Cain was up to, then finally cooperate and grab a luffa to get herself scrubbed free of dirt from the tower.
Lamia donât sweat, so Luna didnât worry too much about bath time, but today she was dirty, and her hair was messy from all the exercise she got keeping track of the fights.
âBoss, are you in there? The girls say fifteen minutes until theyâre ready.â Laura called from out in the hallway.
âThanks. Iâll be there on time. I need to finish Lunaâs scales, and we are good to go.â Cain called back, headed for the towel rack.
With everyone clean, polished, and happily smelling like the custom bath products from Long Fang Manor, the small group headed for the travel circle, in a bit of a rush to keep themselves on schedule after accounting for the time difference between locations.
It was almost dinner time on the farm, and the Echoes had gone all out today, celebrating a new Mythic food product. This one was not a fruit; they had managed to grow a Mythic Quality form of Corn. Even a few bites would sate the appetite, making it perfect for travel rations, and the taste remained that of regular sweet corn.
They hadnât had a chance to do a long-term test to see if there were side effects from eating such a small volume of food for an extended period, but the early trials showed a lot of promise.
At least they did after the first one, where the plant suddenly increased in volume ten times once eaten, causing intense stomach pains. The Echoes werenât counting that test.
âEveryone is so powerful here. The amount of mana in the air is incredible as well. Are you sure this is the same planet?â Jin whispered once they stepped through the travel circle and arrived at the farm.
âI am one hundred percent certain. I sailed here in person the first time, so I can guarantee that there were no magical transportation shenanigans involved.
This area used to be protected by a barrier that kept Mythic Beasts contained and that helped concentrate the mana in the air. We will be extra cautious while we travel so that nobody gets hurt.â Cain assured her before turning to greet all the people who had seen them arrive.
The decorations around the travel circle have gotten even more elaborate since the last time he was here, and the scene was almost otherworldly, so Cain could understand Jinâs question. The Druids had outdone themselves this time, and whoever had updated the stonework had excellent taste.
The group made their way down the walkway to where the staff was setting up for dinner, and everything came to a sudden halt as all the Bunnies all stopped to bow to Jessica simultaneously.
âWelcome, High Priestess. We hope you find our home to be pleasing.â They welcomed her, making the Bunny smile at the warm welcome by so many of her people and, even better, fellow clerics of the Bunny God.