Part 3
The group had found a safe place by a small lake.
Seri was sleeping soundly in the makeshift tent, her breathing steady like a whisper amid the nighttime silence.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group had gathered around a campfire.
The flames cast a faint glow on their faces as they cooked fish skewered on wooden sticks.
The silence was uncomfortable.
Heavy.
Kaito knew it well.
Ayame, sitting beside him, looked grateful—but she hadn't let down her guard.
Her drooping ears spoke louder than her lips.
Sadness still lingered within her.
Kaito stirred the embers with a stick, watching the sparks rise into the darkness.
Finally, he broke the silence:
"Tell me, Ayame," he asked in a calm voice, "how did you end up in that situation?"
The kitsune timidly raised her gaze, her golden eyes barely gleaming under the firelight.
"What are you going to do with me...?" she asked, almost in a whisper.
Kaito smiled faintly.
"You can do whatever you want," he said as he adjusted the embers again. "We're heading to Aldoria, the academic city of Estelaris."
Ayame's eyes blinked in confusion.
"Does that mean... I'm free?"
"Of course," said Kaito, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We don't belong to this kingdom, or the Church..."
"And don't worry, you don't owe us anything."
"We did it because we saw you were in trouble."
"That's all."
The wind gently stirred the flames. For a moment, the firelight seemed to shimmer in Ayame's eyes.
But this time... it wasn't sadness.
It was hope.
"Master, would you like me to remove the collar from the kitsune?" asked Eve, tilting her head slightly.
"You can do that?" Kaito asked, surprised.
"Of course I can. My creator may have uncontrollable delusions of grandeur… but she did entrust me with a great deal of her knowledge."
Without waiting for a response, Eve approached Ayame with careful movements.
The kitsune instinctively shielded herself with her arms, trembling.
"Don't be afraid," Eve said calmly, her voice nearly monotone. "I have no intention of hurting you."
She knelt in front of her and, with one hand, took hold of the slave collar still fastened around her neck. With the other, she pulled out a small dark stone—an Umbranite.
"W-What are you going to do to me?" Ayame asked, shrinking slightly.
"Just relax," Eve replied, as if she were talking about serving tea. "Leave it to me. I'm your trusty maid. Chirai~."
She gave a mechanical wink. Her expression, of course, conveyed absolutely nothing.
Without any ceremony, she crushed the Umbranite between her fingers.
A surge of dark energy ran through her arm, briefly illuminating the hidden circuits in her synthetic skin.
Eve gripped the collar with both hands, as if assessing its structure.
"Break!" she declared.
The slave collar shattered in two, falling to the ground in harmless pieces.
The kitsune sat there in silence.
Free.
For the first time in a very, very long while.
"There you go. You're free now. You can do whatever you want," Kaito said, offering her a warm smile.
Eve approached Kaito, pacing restlessly around him. She tilted her head toward him insistently, as if… waiting for something.
Kaito let out a small chuckle and, without thinking, patted her on the head—like an obedient puppy.
"You did great, Eve."
"Annotation!" the automaton exclaimed in her usual neutral tone. "Boss has an animal fetish."
"I knew you were going to say something unnecessary!" Kaito groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead.
For the first time in a long while, Ayame smiled.
A shy smile… but a genuine one.
She even let out a small, suppressed laugh.
Kaito, smiling as well, stood up and walked over to her.
He offered her a skewer of fish—simple, but steaming.
She accepted it timidly, as if unsure she deserved it.
"It's delicious!" she exclaimed after the first bite.
Her eyes filled with tears.
But not of sadness.
Of relief.
"It must've been a really hard time," Kaito murmured.
Without thinking much about it, he hugged her gently.
Not like a hero.
Not like a savior.
But like someone who understood her pain.
"You can cry now…" Kaito whispered, pulling her a little closer to his chest. "It's all over."
"Why… why are humans so cruel?" Ayame asked, her voice breaking.
Kaito lowered his gaze.
He didn't answer.
Because he had none.
Because he didn't understand either.
"There were so many like me…" Ayame continued, clutching the fish skewer to her chest like it was her only shelter. "Locked up. Starving…"
"I wish they could be here… enjoying the world, not trapped in those cages…"
Her voice was a whisper soaked in sorrow.
"Those damn Church bastards…" Kaito muttered, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Ayame looked up.
A spark of hope still flickered in her golden eyes.
"Can we go back… and save them? You're all so strong…"
Kaito swallowed hard.
He wanted to say yes.
He wanted to say it would be easy.
But he couldn't lie to her.
He looked down, his shoulders tense.
"I'm sorry, Ayame… We're not as strong as you think."
Silence wrapped around them again.
A bitter, heavy silence that even the warmth of the fire couldn't dispel.
"That's why we're heading to Aldoria," Kaito said, breaking the silence. "I believe we can learn there… and become stronger."
"Then… can I come with you?" Ayame asked, lifting her gaze, a new spark lighting her eyes. "I want to get stronger too. I want to free all my friends…"
Kaito smiled calmly.
"I told you already… you're free to do whatever you want."
"Maybe, in time, we can help you."
"But first, we have to become stronger."
"That's why… I can't promise you anything just yet."
Ayame stood tall with unexpected determination.
"Then I want it too!"
"I want to join you and become stronger!"
"All right," Kaito nodded. "You can come with us, if that's what you want."
He leaned slightly toward her.
"And maybe… just maybe… we'll be able to help you free your friends."
Ayame didn't say a word.
She just threw herself at Kaito and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Kaito!"
For the first time since they met her, she truly looked happy.
Her tail swayed excitedly from side to side, and her ears quivered with pure emotion.
Kaito blushed all the way to the tips of his ears… but didn't pull away from the hug. In fact, he seemed to enjoy Ayame's warmth—though the red spreading across his cheeks gave him away.
Until…
"Ahem…"
A familiar voice cleared its throat behind him.
Kaito felt true terror seize his heart.
He turned slowly.
"H-Hey, Seri. Great to see you up and looking well!" he greeted, his voice just barely trembling.
The elf looked at him with a subtle smile.
Too subtle to be harmless.
"I see you're enjoying yourself quite a bit while I was asleep," Seri said, her tone so gentle it cut like a blade.
Kaito swallowed hard.
In Seri's eyes, he could see only one thing… Pure, undeniable fury.
Especially since from her angle, all she saw was Ayame hugging him—with her generous chest pressing firmly against him.
"It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh, really?"
"And what is it, then?"
"Uh… we were just talking. About Ayame… wanting to come with us..."
"Oh? So you were just talking?"
"Had nothing to do with her boobs, right?"
Kaito blinked rapidly.
"No, no! I—I think… all boobs are great! Even small ones!" he declared, giving a thumbs-up like that would somehow help.
Seri turned bright red.
Literally. She looked like steam might burst from her ears.
"Kaito Amakawa!! You pervert!!!"
"Note!" Eve announced in her monotone. "Master cannot resist enjoying breasts."
"Eve, don't say that!!" Kaito shouted, covering his face. "They're going to think I'm some kind of fetishist!"
Meanwhile, Ayame watched them all with a mix of disbelief and confusion, not understanding a single word of what was happening.
And so, under the firelight, with laughter, arguments, and embarrassment, the small group began weaving the first threads of something that might one day… be called a family.