—
Over the past month, the mortals have developed the camp to the point where it rivals some of the lower, middle income societies in the world with bamboo and wood houses reflecting the Japanese Edo period.
In one, three roomed cottage that had a mixture of clay bricks to its exterior sat three individuals. It was nighttime, but the middle room was being lit by a lantern powered by a strange liquid produced by the Main Character's Tama.
Whilst they ate their dinner, Shinji read his favorite book out loud for Lucien to hear:
"When someone is born, the universe simultaneously produces their Tama. I tell you this: everyone in this world can practice Tamaism."
Shinji took a pause, looking at Lucien with a dry smile.
"This is why most people think the first Tama-Artist is fabricated."
Lucy furrows his brows. Shinji was clearly mocking him for not being a Tama-Artist. Taking his time, he chews his food, before swallowing.
"I told you before, it's about faith. Even if I drink the faith Tama, I won't be a Tama-Artist, I'll only be damaging myself. I'm not you who can manipulate his faith by hypnotizing himself."
Shinji nods, moving to a random page. Although the Journey of the First Tama-Artist starts as a simple story, the intellections in the later stages of the book are hard to unriddle.
"What is the primordial space? It's the place all Tama is born, not a space in your body, but it's close to your body than your soul, at the moment.
"When you join Tamaism, you unlock your primordial space —the size and structure doesn't matter—, and have access to your initial Tama —the gift which you were born with.
"However, most die before opening the primordial space, fomenting the Tama to be moved to the outside world for beasts and others to use.
"Also, they are those who have a way to enter the primordial space and plunder other people's Tama. Most of the time, they destroy it, to kill someone since the initial Tama is connected to its owner."
Shinji immediately stored the book away at the last statement.
With how people monitored Lucien's life, someone might have taken the Tama he is asserted to awaken, inciting him to be a cripple who can't awaken a primordial space in this life.
'At least he is alive.'
—What am I thinking?! Why would they do that to an innocent person?!
Shinji almost laughed at the last thought. If Lucien's initial Tama was powerful, then human greed would never let him have it.
'Let's think of something... Lila... Lila my sweet...'
As Shinji fell into his delusions with a grin, Sora devours the freshly cooked buns on the table, saying, "Shinjikun, (munch), (munch), you're really in, (munch), gulp, deep trouble."
The beige-haired wipes his grin. Understanding what Sora implemented, he sighs lifelessly.
"Don't stress yourself about it. These are part of the challenges that block the Main Character's path to success."
Over the past month, Tsubaki has noticed that Shinji never misfires with a bow, and promoted him to be her right hand instead of being a leader, since they weren't any Bushi to assist her. Tsukino and Mikino did get special treatment thanks to their amazing talent. However, the Main Character is favored more by the new Bushi instructor.
Not only that, but Tsubaki likes teasing him because of the reactions he makes which make it appear as the two are dating, inciting rumors to spread over the place.
This, however, is because the mortals are jealous, since Tsubaki appears to be someone open for any sort of relationship —she is a mature woman after all.
Lucien looks through the window with a stoic apprehension, calming the young man:
"Do you want me to deal with them?"
Shinji's trembles lightly.
He knew the meaning clearly. This version of Lucien was too ruthless even to him. Nonetheless, he liked it, since Lucy had set borderlines to stop himself from going to the other side.
His face torpid, he shakes his head.
"Let them be. It's not going to hurt me. Although, I was worried about Lila, she seemed fine with the whole issue when I told her. Thank goodness she is understanding."
"She is not fine with it."
"..."
Shinji blinks a few times ghostly, staring at the man close to him.
As someone lacking in experience when it comes to romance, he desperately nudged his head in request for information.
"The female mind is complex even for me. It's governed by emotions a lot of times; not reason. These emotions react in various ways; when she says it's fine, it's probably because you're around.
"It's fine when you're around her; when she is alone, her emotions will act... she might murder someone, or place you in an isolated place to satisfy her fixation."
Shinji's face sank inwardly in fright, cold sweet forming from the back of his neck, not realizing the last words were a joke.
'The moment I find whoever is making these rumors, I'm going to boil him; feed him to the beasts before he dies!'
Lucien adds:
"Some people say: there is nothing right on the left side of the female brain, and there is nothing left on the right side."
"I see."
Shinji nodded in awe, giving Lucien a look filled with reverence
'As expected from someone who got a girlfriend at seven.'
Sighing, Lucien turns to look at the Main Character, blinking at his ridiculous visage.
"That was a joke."
"Ahh! You!"
Lucy laughs at Shinji's expression —his whole body was trembling. It has been a while since he teased someone who isn't Sora who always has the same classical reaction.
Unable to stand the laughter, Shinji clamps his hands together in pleading, "Dernieresama, please help me out on this, okay? I never had a girl before; you're the only one with experience between the three of us."
—He asked the wrong person.
Relaxing his face, Lucien decides to help. It would do more harm if Shinji's relationship fails. Thinking for a second, Lucy repeats the statements his mother told him:
"Girls need attention, affection, and care. You'll figure most along the way. Women are different; they like different things as well.
"There is a reason why she likes you, not any other man. It's woman nature to like strange men who are different from those they know."
Shinji nods, his brain paraphrasing what he heard.
"Attention? Mental focus?"
"Something like that."
Before the two boys could make the issue more complicated, Sora finishes eating all the food. Staring at the empty clay plates, she licks her lips
"Sora doesn't know what you two are saying, but with Shinjikun's cooking skills it might be bad for their relationship. She might feel challenged, you know?"
"She doesn't know how to cook boiled eggs, worse fried."
"Good for you."
Silence descends on the room.
—They are adopted siblings with one flaw: they have nothing to talk about most of the time.
As the seconds turned to gruesome minutes of pointless fidgeting, Shinji suddenly remembers something. His eyes lock at Lucy, pleading:
"Since, we, three will be in the same group for the Survival Hunts: I, the Main Character, would like to inform you that during that period, I would like to spend more time with my girlfriend. We haven't seen each other in a while, please understand."
Sora turned to Lucy with a tearful face, hugging his arm.
"Derniere-san, Sora won't be feeling well tomorrow, and the days after. She ate too much tonight, her stomach is going to burst."
The young men look at the empty dishes before them, speaking in unison, "You're just a glutton."
"Ahh! You!"
Puffing her cheeks, the young girl shifts her position to look at the other side of the room were Lucy and Shinji's clothes hung.
Unperturbed by how shameless these two were sounding, Lucien agrees.
"I was planning to fight some stage 3 profound beasts on my own, anyway. All the stage 2 beasts in the forest have become easy to kill.
"I need something strong to fight; stage 3 profound beasts doesn't sound so bad... I hope I find one with a Tama."
Before Lucien could head out to sleep, Shinji takes his hand, looking at him with watery eyes. Meanwhile, Lucy frowns, feeling creeps all over.
—This is why I don't like doing him favors, he keeps asking for more to the point of using me.
"What is it?"
Shinji clears his throat, smiling.
"Lilachan asked me to kill a stage 4 profound beast for her, but as a good friend, I didn't do it, because it's best for you to kill it than me."
Lucien furrows his brows. Incontestably, Shinji had lied when he said, 'good friend', he just didn't want to do it, yet agreed because his girlfriend asked!
Shrugging, Lucien turns around.
"Thank you."
—So, the presence that made me queasy was a stage 4 beast?
'These Survival Hunts might prove to be challenging.'