After a successful raid, Olk and a group from the warband returned to the tribe's caravan with loot. This haul included numerous iron weapons, tools, and wagon axles found in a dilapidated stable. The axles were especially important, as the tribe faced difficulties in maintaining and repairing their caravan due to a lack of parts. More intriguing was a drawing on paper in Olk's possession. It depicted a wheel curiously attached to an axle. Olk intended to show this drawing to one of the tribe's skilled craftsmen, hoping they could understand its purpose and possibly create something useful from it.

Intriguedby the report, the chief summoned a seasoned craftsman. With meticulous scrutiny, the craftsman pored over the schematic, his eyes widening in wonder. The middle-aged man, flailing the paper for emphasis, exclaimed, "Who crafted this diagram?"

"I don’t know, the boy might have dropped it." Olk said.  He still thought that Alex was lying about being alone.

"You must know who did this. Why is it important?" The chief asked.

Olk expressed skepticism about the boy's creation, a simple-looking piece of paper. Believing it to be just a doodle, he questioned its significance. "It's just a piece of paper, not like it's anything special. I don't think the slime or the bird had anything to do with this," Olk said, doubting the importance of the boy's artwork.

The craftsman looked at the chief. "I think this is a way to make better wagons." He pointed at the strange bands that were between the wheel and the axel.

The chief paled and said regretfully, "According to the report, the warband tied him up and dumped him outside of town. He is probably long gone by now."

In a fit of frustration, the artisan grumbled, "The more time we spend out in the wastes, the more we resemble bandits," before storming off in a huff.

With a sigh, the chief turned his gaze upon Olk. "We did what needed to be done," he said. "In these lands without law, strength is the sole governing principle. I find it no more agreeable than you, but we cannot afford to take prisoners. Even the spoils we acquired without securing the dungeon made this a worthwhile venture for our warband. On that note, has the water problem been resolved? Has the flow ceased?"

Olk shook his head, "No I don't think the water will or it would have already. I'm not sure what magic they used but the only way into the rift is under water now."

"Unfortunately, the situation is less than ideal," the chief said dejectedly. "But is it possible for a skilled swimmer to retrieve it? There might still be a chance to salvage the situation."

Olk placed his hand on his chin and mused, "I believe that using the rift by swimming down there would be exceptionally perilous. Consequently, the list of people who could activate it is restricted to those with advanced swimming abilities."

—-Merumeru’s Perspective—

Merumeru's plan executed flawlessly. Water gushed out of the pipes she had skillfully created in various locations on the basement level. The cunning slime girl patiently waited until the right moment to seize several significant objects. The pipes were evidently her primary objective. Her secondary target was the enigmatic black device capable of displaying images. Knowing its importance due to Alex's constant possession of it, she recognized its value. As the muscle-bound men frantically scurried about like ants, Merumeru observed them one last time before leaping into a sewer hole. She rode the water back to the river with the current, enjoying the exhilarating slide-like ride.

 

Some time later…

 

In a peculiar scene, Alex found himself bound on the ground, his eyes darting around in search of something. From a hidden spot in the water, Merumeru noticed him. Fufi, alongside Alex, was also bound in ropes, and together they seemed to be engaged in some sort of rhythmic, albeit strange, dance. Intrigued by the spectacle, Merumeru decided to remain silent and observe their antics for the time being.

"No matter how much we poke and pull at the knots they are not coming loose." Alex complained.

"I wager that our captor possesses a certain skill in rope work or a similar art," Fufi remarked, letting out a sigh. Her futile attempts at pecking at the ropes had yielded minimal results.

Alex had a crazy idea, "Fufi, can you get the card from my pocket?" 

With her long, slender neck, she was able to reach through the net to retrieve the card. However, the rest of her body was too large to fit through. Using her beak, she picked up the card and placed it in Alex's hands.

"What are you going to do with that?" Fufi asked.

"You did suggest I try the animated doll spell, right? Step one is to get our clockwork dolls." He contorted and got to his feet, tossing the card to the ground as best he could with his hands tied behind his back. The cart appeared near the water. Alex decided it was time to test how close to the actual dance moves were required to cast his first spell. No hand movements, but he could still twirl and triple step. He did his best and after a while, his three dolls rose and joined his little dance.

"Look at you Alex! You can use magic now!" Fufi cheered him on.

"Yeah, I can't believe it." Alex said. "But I can't get them to move right."

Fufi gave a suggestion: "Try to visualize what they should be doing." She further explained that it was either that or giving them direct instructions. Since the spell required continuous dancing, she believed the former option was more feasible.

With determination in his eyes, he muttered, "Alright, let's do this." Alex closed his eyes and began visualizing each animated doll's movements. As he imagined them spinning and posing, a smile crept across his face. It was an adorable sight. However, as the dolls came to life, Alex realized he hadn't planned everything out. Edelweiss wielded a flail, Rose played with a water gun, and Lily shot arrows from her bow. Surprisingly, none of his dolls carried a knife or a sword.

Alex pondered the problem of cutting the ropes, considering the lack of edged weapons at their disposal.

"Can Lily shoot one of the knots on the net?" Fufi suggested.

"I guess it's worth a try. If it doesn't work we'll figure out another way to get free." Alex continued dancing.

In Alex's imagination, Lily readied an arrow to strike one of the knots ensnaring Fufi in the net. Her graceful movements were reminiscent of her time defending the tower. Alex was impressed by Lily's ability to move freely without being attached to a gear shaft. The small doll released the toothpick-sized arrow, aiming precisely at the knot he had visualized.

"Good job Lily!" Alex praised the doll.

Fufi poked at the arrow with her beak trying to see if it would get that part of the net undone.

"That didn't work. The arrows are too small." She said sadly.

Alex tried to think of other ways to cut the ropes.

"Well I guess I could empower Lily. It only works for a little while but that might be enough." Alex pondered aloud.

"Alex, what are you planning on doing?" Fufi asked nervously.

"I haven't tried this with Lily yet but it might make her shots better." He explained.

"You mean to make the arrow stronger?" Fufi asked.

"No, I'd like to make her more powerful." Alex clarified.

"Oh, okay," Fufi said, confused.

Alex activated his empower doll feat. "Okay, I'm ready." Lily started to glow a pink light.

With another arrow released, she aimed at the net containing Fufi. A white helix of light trailed behind the arrow as it struck the net, creating a pink heart-shaped explosion that blew a significant portion of the net away. The force of the explosion startled Fufi, causing her to jump into the air and flap her wings haphazardly. The movement caused the net to fray further, giving her an opportunity to escape. Using her beak, Fufi began to unravel a section of the rope until it created a hole large enough for her to squeeze through.

"Wow, I didn't think you could do that Lily," Alex said.

"That almost hit me." Fufi said, shaking her head.

"Well, at least you are free." Alex smirked at the flamingo.

"I think we need to get out of here before someone comes." Fufi said and flew into the sky to see if any threats were around.

Alex found himself in a peculiar predicament. He was compelled to continue dancing to prevent the spell from breaking. In an ideal situation, he would have preferred to remain still, providing Lily with a straightforward opportunity to strike between his hands, where the rope was. Alex was aware of Lily's past inaccuracies in aiming. However, his primary concern was whether he had sufficient trust in his doll to make the shot precisely and avoid accidentally injuring him with an empowered attack.

"Alex, what is wrong?" Fufi asked.

"I'm having trouble getting the timing down." Alex admitted. “I’m worried about getting hit. That might not go well for me.”

"I think I can help. I've been watching your dance. Try to strike a cute pose right at the same time Lily fires her shot." Fufi offered.

In a moment of intense focus, Alex's gaze followed the arrow, poised and ready to be released from the doll's fingers.

"Now!" Fufi shouted.

With steady resolve, Alex held the pose as the arrow was released from the doll's bow. In its flight through the air, it found its mark, striking true. The impact caused a heart-shaped explosion, releasing Alex from his bonds.

"Whoa!" Alex exclaimed, unable to contain his shock that the experiment had succeeded. He stopped dancing abruptly, his excitement momentarily forgotten. The dolls, as if their strings had been cut, tumbled to the ground, creating a clattering sound that shattered the silence.

"What happened?" Alex asked. Though the answer was obvious, he couldn’t put two and two together.

"I think you got distracted and lost the spell." Fufi replied.

Alex shook his hands and wrists a few times, happy to be free again. 

Emerging from the water with a resounding splash, a diminutive and slimy girl propelled herself towards them. Merumeru exclaimed "Meru ruu meeee!" as she clapped her hands with evident delight. It was apparent that she derived pleasure from the brief performance.

"How long were you watching?" Alex asked.

"That is not important Alex. She liked your dancing, that is what matters." Fufi explained.

"Merumeru could have just dissolved the ropes." Alex grumbled.

The slime girl nodded, agreeing with Alex.

"Alex, we should probably get out of here." Fufi pointed out.

"Yeah, I agree. We should get as far away from those bandits as possible but where should we go?" Alex contemplated.

"We should find someplace that is not here. There is an aspen grove not far from here. Perhaps we can go there and hide out for a while." Fufi suggested pointing a wing at a hill off in the distance. “It might not be perfect but at least they won’t be able to easily see us from a distance.”

On the ground, Alex saw his three dolls lying beside him. "Great job, girls," he said. "Let's get you back with your friends in the cart." After placing the dolls in their designated spots, he wound up the cart and set off in the direction Fufi had suggested. Alex was still amazed by the power of the spring that could move the large cart's wheels.

With a nimble leap, Merumeru landed in the cart and created a clear space. Extending her hand, a sizable pile of metal pipes magically appeared, with a familiar phone resting atop.

"Wow, you are full of surprises Merumeru." Alex grinned at the little slime girl.

"Meru!" The slime girl smiled and giggled.

"So, how did you get all these pipes? I thought they were in the basement." Alex asked.

"Ru me me Meeee." Merumeru explained.

"You're amazing. Thanks for not letting those thugs keep this stuff." Alex praised the little girl. He wasn't quite sure what she said though.

"See, I told you Merumeru knew where to meet us in an emergency." Fufi stated smugly.

"I guess I owe her one." Alex steered the cart along.

"I wonder what else she is capable of?" Alex pondered.

"I guess we'll find out. Our little girl is full of surprises" Fufi chimed.

A few hours passed, and the pair ascended the hill, nearing a cluster of trees. "This location exudes a sense of tranquility," Alex remarked, expressing his affinity for the forested environment. The seclusion from the dilapidated town provided a welcome respite.