When Martel entered the living room, he was happy to see that everyone was getting on harmoniously. Seeing that there was still work to be done for food preparation, Martel made his way to Hestia. Hestia gave a slight smile when he began to help her, but she couldn’t hide how tired she was. On top of preparing food for the party, training, which left a little sleep time.

“You can rest or take some time off if you need it.” Martel gently said. “If you wear yourself out, it will do more harm than good.”

“Thank you for your concerns.” She gratefully replied.

“Of course. Aren’t we friends?”

Hestia slightly flinched but couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “Yes, of course, we are. It’s nice to have an actual friend. I knew just about everyone else was only interested in me because of my position as a ducal heir. I’m sure they spoke ill of me behind my back.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that for me. Besides, I hope I’m not the only friend you’ve made here.”

Hestia nodded as she glanced around the room. While they had not known each other long, she believed that she had started a friendship with several others. She happily looked across the room filled with cheerful banter, those helping her finish the meal, and a certain mermaid who was practically drooling as she looked at the food. The feeling of happiness remained, even when she looked back at Martel. However, a trace of something else, a negative emotion, also crossed her.

At this point, a little golden fox, carried atop a big black hellhound, came over. 

“Papa, Papa,” Kogane said as the hell hound brought her over. “You should give her a name, you know? She wants a name, but she won’t accept it unless you give it.”

“Is that so? You can understand her?” Martel could not help but ask.

Kogane nodded proudly. “Of course I can. We are both canine beasts. She’s really smart and can already understand basic speech. She can’t talk, but I can understand her fairly well.”

Martel nodded. “I see. What would be a good name? Let’s see. She’s smart, happy, and obedient…” He said as he sent a sly smile Hestia’s way, who suddenly had a bad premonition. “I know, how about Ruby…”

Hestia shuddered as a wave of disappointment flooded through her. Given Martel’s expression, he was referencing the name she bore during her time as an amnesiac, a time she wanted to forget. Even though no one else here knew it, she still felt slightly betrayed.

“… Because of her ruby eyes.” Martel continued.

Ruby barked happily, as was evident by her tail wagging.

“I think she likes the name,” Kogane said before she began to suppress a slight smile. “By the way, there’s something Ruby wanted me to tell you.”

“What’s that.”

“Ruby said she will give you a healthy litter of puppies,” Kogane replied, unable to hide a couple of snickers.

Even Hestia had to fight back a laugh, which also uplifted her mood.

Martel’s face was soon covered in black lines, which only got thicker when Ruby acted bashfully. He started to think those wolf packs weren’t ravaged because she wanted to find a pack to call her own but a mate.

Pretending not to notice Martel’s expression, Kogane took a slightly bashful expression of her own. “Papa, I alsooooooooo,” She trailed off as Ruby rushed across the room, chasing the bone that Martel had thrown.

“We will have to make sure she’s not that susceptible to treats in the middle of a fight.” He mumbled to himself. Then he turned his attention to Hestia, who was suppressing her emotions by focusing on her work. “What do you think of Ruby?”

“She has a lot of potential. I’m sure she will be a welcome member to the team.” Hestia replied. There were several seconds of silence before she glanced at Martel, who had cocked his head and was giving her a slight smile. It was then that it hit her. He hadn’t named the hellhound Ruby to mock her. The time she spent as Ruby was scary in retrospect, but there wasn’t much harm done to her. Eventually, the name ‘Ruby’ would mentally be associated with the hellhound and not with her past. In a way, it was more therapeutic than just allowing her to suppress that part of her life. She exhaled in relief and internally chastised herself for doubting him. At the very least, he deserved the benefit of the doubt.

After a few more seconds of silence, Martel’s smile became solemn. “Do you regret meeting me?”

“What?” She can help but incredulously ask. “Absolutely not. My fate would have been terrible if not for you.”

“You’re right. Because of that, I hope you don’t think of your time as Ruby as bad. Think about it. That second Prince would’ve made a move against you regardless. If he didn’t decide to handle it that way, then you could’ve ended up far worse.”

“… Indeed, but it’s not that simple for me to overcome.” She barely managed to reply.

“I know, and I can help you if you need it.”

“And I am grateful.”

“Speaking of helping you, I recently heard some interesting rumors.”

“Oh?” 

“It seems that the shield hero was saved from the despicable King of Sussex thanks to the help of the people behind the Red Dragon Trading Company. It was those same people, along with the shield hero’s new party, that helped to retake the Duchy of Hastings and are currently running it.”

Hestia nodded and couldn’t hide the confused expression on her face that she did not see how this ‘helped’ her.

Martel smiled at her perplexity. “This other rumor I’ve heard involves a certain member of the shield hero’s party. At this point, it is not a secret that a certain air duchy heiress had gone missing. It seems that, to better herself, she secretly snuck off and began adventuring. After the First Wave hit, she resolutely went to the nearest capital to help protect her world. Upon learning of the unjust treatment of the shield hero, she volunteered to help his party and has been adventuring with him ever since.”

Hestia’s hands vaguely trembled as she spoke with a slightly choked voice. “Where did you hear such a rumor?”

Martel nonchalantly smiled. It’s being spread around the Kingdom of Wessex, the surrounding kingdoms, and directly to certain high-level individuals thanks to the Red Dragon Trading Company.”

Hestia had two desperately hold back her tears as her shoulders shook. How could she not know the significance of such a rumor? It gave her an alibi that she needed. Her experiences were known to only a select few, and fewer still knew her true identity. Those who knew already had a hostile relationship with her and were likely to slander her in certain situations. Even though nothing happened, her time in a house of ill repute would ruin her. Not only would it be hard for her to find a spouse with such a reputation, but even the right of her secession could come to question. She could refute the ‘truth’ known by a few with what was ‘true’ known by many with the help of such rumors. “Sir, thank you.”

“Since you are part of my party, it’s also my responsibility. On a different note, there is something I would like to test.” Martel said as he brought his hand to her neck. A slight crack sounded before a dumbfounded Hestia realized that he had just destroyed the slave contract between them. Martel’s eyes flashed before a smile came across his face. “That’s much better.”

“Sir?” She asked in confusion.

“It seems that the slave contract is no longer needed between us. Most likely, so long as your will does not waiver, you will maintain the growth rate as it hasn’t changed even though the contract has been removed.”

Hestia hesitated for a while. “Sir, I guess you trust me not to take advantage of you?”

Martel rolled his eyes, knowing she referenced the higher growth rates and how some had abused heroes for them. “Nonsense. Since you are my friend, I trust you.” He said before he turned into a sly grin. “What’s with the excuses? Did you like being my slave girl?”

Hestia’s face slightly blushed from his teasing, even though no such thought had ever crossed her mind. “Are you here to tease me or help me cook?”

“Both, of course.”

While the two of them were ‘cooking,’ Cali, Laelynn, Rio, and Echidna were talking.

Rio glanced at Laelynn. “I hear that you took the regeneration potion.”

Laelynn nodded. “Yes, and it hurt.”

Rio rolled her eyes. “Hurt is an understatement. I’m friends with someone who had his arm bitten off by a dragon, and he said the potion was the most painful thing he’d ever experienced.”

“I know, but I don’t want to talk about it,” Laelynn said with a curled lip. “I already got an ear full from Master.”

“Fair enough,” Rio said with a shrug. “By the way, are you okay? You seem a little down.” She asked as she noticed that Laelynn was less energetic when she came back from speaking with Martel.

Laelynn nodded. “I’m okay. It’s just that Master said that he doesn’t want to sleep with me anymore.”

Cali was unfazed by her comment, but Rio chuckled, and Echidna choked on her water.

“What did you do when you slept with him?” Echidna tentatively asked after she cleared her throat.

Laelynn tilted her head in confusion at, in her mind, a rhetorical question. “Sleep?”

“I see.” Echidna replied as she retreated to drinking water, but her eyes gleamed. She had become quickly subdued when she felt she ruined her first impression, and even more so when she arrived at the mansion. Her new master was surrounded by beautiful women whose appearances were comparable to herself. On top of this, they all had battle experience. Many also had unique skills, like cooking and blacksmithing, which made her feel inferior. She had never even handled the weapon, much less fought, and only had her body. However, hearing Laelynn’s remark gave her some encouragement. 

Even though Martel was surrounded by beautiful women, were Lily’s assertions about him true? If so, she had to make her move quickly. The life she left was terrible and haunted her to this day and, until she met Martel, she was really worried that it would continue. However, seeing how happy and well treated her new companions were, she quickly let go of her fears. However, these fears were replaced with a new one. Even if her new master was very good, he had no reason to keep her if she held no value. She didn’t intend to hide from the intent behind selling her at the auction but planned to embrace it.

Cali tugged gently on Laelynn’s sleeve. “Sleepover?”

Laelynn’s eyes brightened. “You want to have a sleepover with me tonight? That sounds great! I’ve always wanted to have a sleepover, but I didn’t know anyone. But, what do you do for a sleepover? I hear it’s more than just sleep.”

Rio broke into a sly smile. “You do things like pillow fights and tell your secrets, like the boy you like.”

“The boy I like?” Laelynn parroted as a question. She tilted her head he briefly thought about before she flinched and covered her face as the tip of her ears became red. “I can’t say. It’s too embarrassing.”

Rio chuckled at her response but could not help but cast an envious glance at the ring on Evelyn’s hand. Having known Jonathan, she knew the significance of such a ring. She was also extremely attentive and inquisitive towards all of her new companions. Rio knew that Laelynn did not have it before she left to talk to Martel. Given how innocent Laelynn seemed and just reacted, Rio guessed that she was also unaware of the ring’s significance but most likely made a similar promise. Of course, she also noted the ring on Cali’s hand, but she dared not underestimate her despite her appearance. Although Hestia had not betrayed Cali’s relationship with Martel, Rio already knew that the two had known each other previously. On top of this, she knew that Cali could change her body which made her race completely unknown. She would not have been surprised if Cali was older than her, even though the truth was exactly the opposite.

“Food is up,” Hestia said as she and several others began to bring the finished dishes to two separate tables. The two tables were due to the different eating habits of the party members, refined and casual, the latter being fighting for the food at the center of the table.

Martel smiled as everyone ate, thankful for the good food that would help bring everyone together. He was grateful that he had gleaned Hestia’s existence from Shiba’s sparse memories.

…

“I needed that,” Rio said with a chuckle, thankful for her first good meal in a while. “Hubby, I’m tired. Can you carry me to my room?”

Martel looked at her sly smile and knew that she had the energy to make it to her room. However, this was a good excuse to get her alone, and he wanted to talk to her. “I’ll give you the tour.” He said before he picked her up.

After a short tour, Martel brought Rio to a pre-designated room, right next to Kogane’s.

Rio took a coquettish, yet protective, pose after he set her down on the bed. “Master, you can do what you want with me. Just leave Kogane alone. She is still young.” She said in a tone of voice to make clear she was teasing him.

Martel rolled his eyes but said nothing as his face took on a complicated expression.

“What do you want to say? Don’t you know not to keep a girl waiting?” Rio asked after several seconds of silence.

“I’m not Jonathan.” He replied, causing her to flinch. “I can tell you like me, though I’m not presumptuous enough to assume you love me, especially after only knowing me for a day. I just hope that you don’t project your emotions for him on me. That’s not fair for any of us.”

Rio slowly nodded. “I understand.” She tentatively replied. “I won’t lie. You really do remind me of him. You are quite similar, except that you are only pretending to be a piece of wood. I’ll do my best to separate my emotions.”

“Don’t be so serious. I know that emotions aren’t so easy to control. I was friends with Jonathan, so I want to respect his relationships. Speaking of which, I gather you’ve noticed that Kogane likes me?”

Rio’s sorrowful expression relaxed as a slight half grin appeared. “Yes, you seem quite lucky with the… younger ladies.”

Martel’s eyebrow twitched as he knew she was referring to Cali. He was not surprised that she knew what the ring signified. He considered his relationship with Cali, along with Laelynn, to be an open secret. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m not against having multiple partners. When Kogane grows up, and if she holds similar thoughts, I’m not saying it’s impossible. However, that does have some significance… I’m not a casual person, and I do have my principles. One of them being that I will not marry a mother and daughter, mostly due to the moral implications that I have.”

Rio chuckled. “Are you that confident about your charm?”

Martel shook his head. “I will be pretentious enough to assume that you will fall in love with me. However, as facts presented, I am confident enough in my charm to acknowledge that it is possible, and your nickname for me made me think of it. I want to say this now, just in case, so there are no misunderstandings, and so I don’t come between you two.”

“Well, at least you tried to act responsible, so I guess you barely qualify for me to leave Kogane in your hand.” She replied with a chuckle.

Martel rolled his eyes. “So have we come to an understanding?”

“Indeed,” Rio replied with a cheeky grin. “If Kogane doesn’t want you, you are fair game.” She said as she licked her lips.

Martel’s eyebrow twitched as he could tell she was just teasing him. However, coming from such a charming fox spirit, such words could break the resolve of lesser men. “Close enough. We are going to start some basic training tomorrow, so make sure you rest up. Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you due to your current situation.”

“Oh, you don’t need to go easy on me when you train me, Master.”

Martel decided to promptly leave before this vixen gave him a heart attack, especially with how she emphasized the word ‘master.’ He opened the door only to find Kogane, who was immediately vigilantly looking between the two of them. “What brings you here, Kogane?”

“I… I just wanted to spend some more time with mama.” Kogane replied as her eyes darted to find an excuse quickly.

“I’ll leave you to that then.” Martel quickly replied. He could feel Rio brewing a troublesome remark behind him and rushed to leave.

“Mama, what were you and Papa doing?” Kogane asked after Martel had left, and she had climbed onto the bed with Rio.

“Just talking. Why? Did you think we were doing something else?”

“N-no. I was just making sure you are okay.”

Rio chuckled, amused by Kogane’s slight jealousy, though slightly perplexed as to why it was only towards her. “You are really lucky that he found you.” She said as she rubbed Kogane’s head.

“Lucky that he found both of us,” Kogane replied as she snuggled up, and Rio gently hugged her.

Rio gently stroked Kogane as her eyes became both lonely and envious. “You seem to be just as lucky as your mother.”

…

The moonlight peeked through the windows as a figure silently slithered her way through the dimly lit hallway. Echidna’s stomach had been in knots for several hours as she waited for everyone to go to sleep. Luckily for her, the intense training regimen, with the promise of more training, meant that everyone turned in relatively early. Eventually, she stopped in front of the door leading to Martel’s room. She took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door.

“Come in.” She heard Martel reply.

She slowly opened the door and peered inside, and paused for several seconds when she saw something she was not expecting. In Martel’s hand was a tiny purple amphithere made of ki. She watched, mesmerized, as the amphithere’s body twitched and four legs sprouted from it. The amphithere, now in the form of a true dragon, took on an air of arrogance and became more solid and lifelike.

“Finally finished,” Martel said with an exhale. “Do you need something, Echidna?”

Echidna snapped back to reality before she entered the room and closed the door behind her, which was slightly awkward because she had to wait for two-thirds of her body to come through. Then, she slowly approached him with a shy, vulnerable, and appealing appearance, though she wasn’t pretending at this point. “Master, please let Echidna serve you tonight.”

Martel had to take a deep breath. Echidna was truly tempting. In the dim light, the subtle freckles under her eyes bestowed her seductive beauty a trace of cuteness. Martel felt that his patience and tolerance were being tested like never before in this world. Even though he was surrounded by beautiful women at home, unlike here, he had someplace to vent. Even though Echidna was extremely tempting and willing, Martel definitely couldn’t cross the line with her or anyone else in his party. Even though he had already received ‘permission,’ the last thing he wanted was to be casual about it. It would cheapen the relationships he already had.

Martel calmed himself as he looked at the shy, hopeful, and expectant Echidna. “I didn’t buy you for such a purpose.”

Echidna was slightly taken aback by his response. “Master, if you are pretending, you don’t need to. We both know why I was so valuable in the auction. Besides serving my master, I have no other purpose.” She continued, with the last sentence bringing a trace of misery. 

Martel slightly narrowed his eyes. It seemed Echidna’s visit was due more to her lack of self-confidence and worth. “You shouldn’t think so little of yourself.”

“Master, I don’t have any other skills. The only thing I was ever taught was how to please my master.”

“Echidna, be honest. What is the real reason you are here? I’m not the type of person to punish honesty.”

Echidna was taken aback for a moment. When she looked in his eyes, she found sincerity and a clear lack of the lust she had grown accustomed to seeing. She was worried, even scared, but almost subconsciously began to spill her heart. “Because you’re a good master. My life before I became a slave was very bad. I hoped my situation would be better with the person I would be sold to, but I didn’t hold any delusions. I’m just a toy for my master’s lusts, a toy that they could easily dispose of when they are bored. I was really scared, but I’m happy that Master bought me; that I am Master’s toy.”

Martel quietly listened to Echidna as she desperately held back her emotions. “You are not a toy.”

“Master, I don’t have any other value. I can’t fight, I can’t cook. I wasn’t taught anything else.”

“If you feel that way, then all you need do is work hard. You would not be the first party member I have accepted who does not have any combat experience. If you find something else you are good at, especially if it’s on the Expertise System, I’ll support you.”

Echidna cannot help but be taken aback by his apparent philanthropy. “Then, Master, why did you buy me?”

Martel did not immediately reply. Echidna wasn’t stupid. There were plenty of other slaves that were much more competent than her regarding combat or support roles. “Because of your Talent. Under certain circumstances, I can take someone’s Talent.”

“My Talent? Do I have a Talent? And you can take it?” Echidna asked with a slight look of worry. After all, if he took her Talent, she wouldn’t have any chips.

“Yes.”

“Then, how do you take a Talent?” She tentatively asked.

“It isn’t something I can’t do casually, and not as a last resort. Don’t worry. I have no intention of taking it and abandoning you.” He replied, noticing her discomfort.

Echidna nodded, but her worry was not abated. “Master, is there anything I can do for you? I’ll do anything.”

Martel knew that her lack of self-confidence and lack of trust in others would not heal so easily. “Then, can you show me your back?” He asked with a little curiosity. The back part of her clothing was specially designed to be skin-tight and pleasant to touch. It was also completely separate from her other clothing and didn’t need to be removed.

Echidna paled instantly. “M-Master, are you sure?”

Even though she did not refuse, Martel could tell she was unwilling. “Is there a problem?”

“No.” She replied with a trembling voice before she turned around and unclasped the back portion of her clothing.

What Martel saw completely stunned him. He originally thought that she covered her back because her scales continued up her back, and they weren’t particularly appealing. However, his guess was completely wrong. Echidna’s back was completely covered in scars and scabs. There were so many that they formed a thick mesh spreading in all directions. All the scars appeared stretched, which meant that she had considerably grown since she last received one. The scars also seemed to have been received over a long period of time and were not correctly cleaned and treated, which caused discoloration. What made Martel furious to the point where his clenched hands turned white was what the scars, along with her Talent, meant.

 

Regenerator LVL 5 (MAX) The user will heal 6 (1+LVL) times faster than normal, including natural and other healing methods. This healing will also include the replacements of missing body parts. It will perfectly heal, without leaving a scar, unless the healing area is repeatedly damaged.

 

Echidna began to hyperventilate as she tried to hold back her tears. “I’m sorry, Master. They told me I had to cover up my back because it would affect my value. I’m sorry. Please don’t throw me away. I-” she continued before she was embraced from behind.

“You’ve suffered.” Martel softly said with a hoarse voice.

Echidna flinched before the tears started pouring down her face. She couldn’t look him in the eye, but she could hear the aggrievement in his voice. Whenever anyone else saw her back, there had only been disgust. In his voice, for the first time, she felt as if someone understood the pain she had gone through.

Martel gently consoled her until she calmed down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was something so serious.”

“That’s okay. I know my back is ugly.”

Martel did not immediately reply. He didn’t feel that lying would be appropriate. “Do you want to tell me what happened? You don’t have to.”

“No, it’s okay. I used to live with a tribe of Lamias. My mother was an outcast because she wasn’t a pure Lamia. I don’t know who my father is, but it seems that he is not a Lamia either. 

“My mother was quite beautiful and managed to become the chief’s concubine, even though she was treated as an outcast. However, soon after they were married, a powerful stranger appeared, and he kidnaped my mother for several months.

“When my mother returned, she was pregnant with me, and the chief was not the father. I grew up with her in what was effectively exile. My mother wasn’t bad, but she did not know how to be a good mother. I grew up in fear of my tribe until I was around eight years old. Then, my older half-brother appeared. He bullied me quite a bit and discovered that I healed faster than others. Oh, could it be my Talent? Anyway, he started doing some experiments on me. Those experiments soon turn into a means to vent his frustrations and practice with weapons. He was particularly fond of the whip, as you may have already guessed.

“This went on for over five years before a group of mercenaries appeared. They weren’t particularly strong, but they bartered a trade for me. I was forced to go with them and spent nearly a year training how to please men as we waited for the next big auction as I just missed the previous. The rest, you pretty much know.”

Martel quietly waited as Echidna spilled her heart and gently consoled her. He had been observing her actions and was being careful. Because she had received training, there was the possibility she was trying to play on his emotions. However, he knew she wasn’t lying and was being genuine. Listening to her bitter life experiences, Martel could not imagine the pain she must’ve suffered for five years. The very fact that her Talent was at max level attested to that. “You’ve been through a lot. I won’t say life will be easy from now on, but it will be better.”

Echidna nodded, leaning back and relaxed in his embrace.

“By the way, and I hope you don’t mind my asking, but how old are you?” He asked after doing some quick math.

“Well, I’m not keeping an exact track, but I should be near 16.”

“Oh, then you’re quite young,” Martel replied as she had the appearance of someone in her early twenties.

“Is that a problem?”

“It’s a little young for what you were planning to do when you came into my room.”

“Is it?” Echidna asked. “I suppose for humans, but it’s not unheard of, right?”

“Well, obviously not. I’m talking more along the lines of what would be considered socially acceptable, like marriage. Usually, only nobles marry before the age of 16, and before 18 is relatively rare. It does depend, but most tend to be still immature for such serious matters before 18.”

“Is that so? I suppose humans grow more consistently than demihumans. We go through two growth spurts, with the first happening soon after we are born. We skip the first few early years along with our teenage ones, compared to humans. As a result, demihumans tend to be a few years more mature than humans.”

“You seem to know a lot.”

“Age and growth came up in my training. My potential masters could have been bothered or thrilled by my younger age, so I was taught information to abate their worries.”

Martel’s eyebrow twitched. It seemed that perverts, to put it lightly, existed everywhere. “Does your back bother you?” He asked to change the subject.

“Yes. It’s quite ugly and painful.”

“I see,” Martel replied as he withdrew a potion.

“What’s this?” Echidna asked when he handed it to her.

“It’s a potion that will put anyone who drinks it to sleep for a couple of hours.”

Echidna immediately blushed. “Master, I can pretend. I’d like to be awake for my first time.”

Martel’s eyebrow immediately twitched. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then why did you give me this potion?”

“Well, I want to give you a surprise. Can you trust me?”

Echidna paused before she gave a halfhearted smile. “Okay, I will trust you.” She said before she drank the potion.

From her response, Martel could tell that she still didn’t completely trust him. It wasn’t that she felt he was distrustful, but it seemed more like she didn’t trust anyone. Perhaps, the fact that she used the word ‘will’ was the most telling. She didn’t trust him but decided to anyway. Perhaps, if Martel betrayed her trust, she would never trust anyone ever.

“I won’t let you down,” were the last words Echidna heard before her world turned dark.

…

Echidna awoke and gently rubbed her eyes. It took her a couple of seconds, but she realized she was back in her room. Several hours had gone by, and she couldn’t help but momentarily think that it had all been a dream. Then, she noticed her back itched. This wasn’t too surprising as the itching was among the least of her problems that her back gave her. However, when she reached back, she suddenly noticed that the piece of clothing that covered her back was missing. Instead, she found a few large pieces of dead skin in her hand. Her back also felt almost foreign. There was no pain, only smoothness. She got up and made her way to her mirror to examine her back and what she saw immediately brought her to tears. Aside from several patches of peeling skin, her black was completely flawless.

Echidna had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. From the pain of the pinch, she realized why Martel had asked her about her back; because he wanted to fix it. In her wildest dreams, she never thought her back could be completely healed. She practically rushed out of her room to find Martel but composed herself when she realized it was quite late. She quietly made her way back to Martel’s room and gently knocked but did not receive a reply. Tentatively, she opened the door to find Martel asleep on the bed. When she approached, she found his breathing to be quite labored, which made her concerned. “Master, are you okay?” She quietly asked.

Martel slightly groaned as he was roused back to consciousness. “Echidna? Yeah, I’m fine. I’d had a busy day, and healing you took more out of me than I thought it would. Make sure you get some sleep. You are going to have to train harder to catch up to the others.” He continued before he immediately slipped back unconscious.

Echidna immediately noticed he had fallen back asleep, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel alone, she didn’t feel unwanted, and she felt grateful. After a few more seconds of staring at his sleeping face, a light blush appeared on her cheeks. “Master said I should get some sleep, but not where.” She mumbled to herself as she quietly and gently slipped in the bed next to him and got the best night of sleep she ever had.

End of Day 93