“SO FROST!” Cer’s voice rang through the walls of their estate. “Got a moment to explain yourself?”

Frost was pressed by the triplets not even a minute after returning to the Floor of Amalgamation. The angry wolfwomen surrounded her with scathing eyes the moment she collapsed onto a pile of beanbags.

“What’s this about manufacturing the Corrupted? You were the last person I thought who’d stoop to their level. But here we are.” Ber demanded an answer with a low-pitched hiss.

“Look… I get it. I’m not an idiot to not see where you’re coming from. We just want some peace of mind by hearing your thoughts out loud.” Res took a more levelheaded approach as all three eagerly awaited an answer, all the while Anna, the Star Child, Jury, and Magus flooded through the front doors.

“It’s the only way we’re going to generate enough Nex. You know that.” Frost couldn’t lift a single finger as she lay there, sprawled against the sea of colorful beanbags as Anna fearfully watched.

Jury leaned on the side of the triplets, but like Frost, understood that they didn’t have much of a choice. In a sense, the triplets did too but sought to hammer the implications into Frost in case it had slipped her mind.

What the triplets saw was a fallacious slippery slope of cruelty if this was the line Frost was willing to cross. After having seen friends and even family transform into the Corrupted, the triplets knew better than to outright condone it.

“Rationalizing it is the only thing we can do. It’s also the only fucked up resolution that I’ve greenlighted. If you’re wondering if I know the implications, then yeah – I do. I’m sorry if you were expecting a miracle from me.”

“It’s not a damned miracle we wanted. Enforcing Corruption sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.” Ber argued. “But you obviously know better than us.”

“Good to know that you made us the bad guys now.” Cer growled.

“Cer – Ber, wait. Let Frost explain –!” Before Res could calm the two down, Frost interjected with narrowed eyes.

“I am kicking myself just as hard. Believe me, I know the implications. Blame me for whatever happens from this point on. But don’t pretend like you had a better solution. Nex is the one thing that’s keeping the Nexus afloat. We don’t know what happens when a Beholder can’t generate enough Nex. What about the Nexus?”

She did not blame them for thinking in such a way. Her stern voice caused their ears to perk up as they listened intently. Their crimson eyes desired nothing more than a piece of Frost’s heart, and judging by her exhausted form, they understood that she had struggled to rationalize this as much as they did.

Cer let loose of a long sigh before she whacked Frost’s belly with her tail.

“Your only rationalization is ‘Nex’. If I didn’t know any better, then I’d think you were a Beholder too. Heh. Well. What’s done is done. Hey. Are you really that tired?”

“You wouldn’t believe it.” Frost groaned, watching Jury approach.

“At this rate the only thing we can do is hope that you know what you’re doing.” Ber stood beside Jury, leaning against her shoulder. “But hey – Claw of the Amalgam? When’d you get so good with names?”

“I was never bad with them in the first place.” Frost laughed. “… and I appreciate that you three get it. Good to know that you have good heads on those shoulders. Wait – Ahaha – Stop!”

She was immediately flailed by a bunch of fluffy tails, leaving her laughing as Jury sat down to join her.

“No point in having them if no one’s going to listen. But at least you get why we’re so pissed. Look. I hate normal people too, but I ain’t going to go out of my way to Corrupt them. But hey, I’d be lying if I said that Scarlet Logic didn’t have it coming to them.” Cer shrugged, allowing Jury to monopolize Frost as her tail made several loops around her waist. “Someone’s gotta pay for the healers.”

“Hope comes at a price. It should never be the case, but this world is far from the norm.” Magus announced, brushing a hand along the spine of a couch where he then checked for dust. “Pristine! Marvelous! Magnifique! It feels like I’ve entered the body of something! This wood is stronger than it looks!”

“That’s bone.” Res answered. “From Ignis.”

“O-Oh. My apologies… bone?” A question mark seemed to form above his head as he immediately tugged his hand away, wiping the glove against his suit. “B-Beauty comes in many forms. It is in the eye of the beholder after all… Erm…”

“Is it the bone or Ignis that disgusts you?” Cer cocked her head teasingly.

“Preposterous. Dear Ignis is a friend! You see, I’m not a fan of blood, let alone gore. But to each their own. It’s surprisingly reminiscent of marble. What do you call this place, may I ask?”

Suddenly, the front door opened revealing Nav, Ignis and the Alter Frosts. They were greeted with friendly waves as they entered the crowded atrium, happy to see each other again. Nav approached Magus with stern eyes.

“The living room.” Nav answered.

“Carpalis would be pleased to hear that. This is quite a lovely home. Much larger than it appears from the outside.” Magus complemented as Ignis shuffled to the sunken Frost.

“Hey Ignis~” Frost smiled, as did Jury.

“How was the Arbiter’s Council?” Ignis wondered.

“Exhausting. But cool. The Beholders are exactly what we expected them to be. Not a care in the world for the people they run down. Haaaah. Aside from maybe Inflow Direct. I didn’t think they were so concerned about their citizens. Color me surprised.” Frost ranted. “Oh… Sorry. Hey, how was the Library?”

“Fun. Lots of books. None of them made sense to me.” Ignis dejectedly said, lowing her head as Frost reached up to pat her. “I wanted to learn about the bio-thingy.”

“Studying to get ahead?” Frost hummed.

“I don’t want to depend on you forever.” Her sweet voice caused Frost to mellow further into Jury’s embrace.

“At least let me teach you the basics before you get lost.” Frost tenderly spoke before Ignis then asked if Jury was feeling ok.

“Me? Exhilarated! But also tired. I’ve never spoken to so many people before, so it was kind of nerve wracking. Unbelievable for a Beholder to say that, hmm.”

“So long as you get the point across then who cares. Also hiding how you feel is a part of the scheme. I’d say a six out ten.” Cer nodded to herself, fiddling with her sapphire hairclip.

“Gotta put more effort into sounding like you’d murder a village if someone refused you. Big dogs like to use intimidation tactics and fear to get what they want. The difference between a Beholder and some other low lives like Kings is that Beholders also have the bite of a big dog.”

“Jury’s approach is what makes her stand out, no?” Magus raised his cane. “If a big dog is known only for its bite and bark, then what happens when one comes to lick that fearful hand?”

“It’s a dog taste testing its prey.” Nav interpreted it literally.

“Right!? So I’m not the only one!” Cer shouted in agreement.

“No, idiot.” Res sighed. “It goes against the conventions of what’s known about the big dog. For better or worse isn’t something we can measure easily, but I want to say that it worked. Moons had their eyes on you, Jury. In a good way.”

“Yup. Because you got us too.” Ber pointed a thumb at herself. “First time an Atelier stuck out their neck for me. Aside from Galia, but she’s all neck anyway as a snake.”

“Speaking of Galia, did something happen between you back there?” Jury pointed out, instantly silencing the triplets as they communicated through side-long glances.

“… Just something. Nothing big.” Cer brushed it aside, but they could tell that the topic weighed heavily on her conscience. “Just our annual day off.”

“Flower tending. Galia arranges flowers for us every year on the same day.” Ber lightly explained as she scratched the back of her head, her eyes moving off to the side as she contemplated something. “… I mean, I wouldn’t mind explaining. But I think showing would be better. Just…”

“Frost only.” Res was adamant about this.

Neither Jury nor the others complained. It was a topic close to their hearts and they reserved every right and ounce of respect for their decision. Ignis hovered around Ber, clasping a hand reassuringly.

Ignis seemed to understand exactly what was going through their mind.

“… Mm. It’s close to that time of the year. The Blooming Week. The Renewal, before the Rejuvenation Festival at the end of the year.”

Nav didn’t have much information about the Blooming Week, which was widely called the Renewal by the Demi-Humans. It was a cultural phenomenon that occurred in the final weeks of the year before the day of the Rejuvenation Festival.

This festival was colloquially known as the birthday of every Demi-Human. Those of the main continent held theirs at the end of the year, whilst the Beastkin in the continent of Demis – located in the far south beyond Emvita – held theirs in the middle of the year.

This was the first time Frost was made aware of Demi-Human customs. It was also fascinating how Demi-Humans inherited the culture of their distant ancestry. She wanted to learn more, but Nav didn’t seem to know much else.

“CogitO does not appear to have many Demi-Humans or Beastkin as part of their Collection.” Nav deduced. “… this sensation is one I recognize but cannot explain. Frost. What is sorrow?”

… that isn’t something I can explain myself either.

Frost could only speculate on what the Renewal was. But the mention of flowers led her to also associate sorrow with the event. She wondered if the reunion they spoke of with Galia referenced Raoul, so she was optimistic to find out.

Whatever the case was, this was special to not only the triplets, but to Ignis as well.

“We’ll be heading to Atlas when the time comes. Bring flowers if you can Frost. We’ll tell you when. Just… be ready to say hello for us.” Res whispered as Frost reached out to pat her head, instantly bringing back her smile.

“Mhm. I’ll definitely be there.”

The rest of their day was spent leisurely. They had a full day of respite before business needed to be attended to. And of course, the bothered Frost clung onto Jury and this time was the one who initiated an intimate moment between them.

Afterwards, it would be time to meet with the healers.