In the end, we talked while grilling meat outside. We talked while eating. After the meal, we talked while drinking tea brewed from pine needles growing nearby. Back in the cave, we talked some more. Nonstop talking. Abigail wore a smug, Ebisu-like smile.
I just can't quite understand her…
"So, you feel like you've connected with that woman… through her… services?"
"Absolutely."
"Oh… right…"
My confident nod left Abigail at a loss for words.
She kept asking this and that about the woman. Since we were planning to escape together anyway, I decided to be almost completely open about her.
After all, there's not much I'm hiding, and I also hoped Abigail might have some information about her.
"Sorry, based on her physical traits alone, she doesn't match any alien species I know. She's similar to the demon tribe, but they're among the most resilient alien races. I don't think they'd do that kind of work."
*Ugh.*
"And I've never heard of anyone spitting out spiders from their mouth…"
"Those spiders disappeared into the city. Just like you said, Abigail. Thanks."
Come to think of it, I hadn't reported the aftermath to her yet.
"I see…"
Abigail narrowed her eyes slightly, deep in thought, as I spoke.
Her profile looked a bit tired.
We'd been on a grueling march for about four days, and even though I carried her while running, she must be exhausted.
"You should get some sleep soon."
And please, free me from this talking marathon.
"Mm, yawn… yeah, you're right."
Abigail stretched, yawning, and I found myself distracted by her golden hair cascading over her beautifully curved back.
"What about the night watch?"
"I'll take it. You can sleep through the night."
"Huh? But… don't you need sleep, Gévaudan?"
"I don't sleep. I just zone out a little sometimes."
"Zone out…"
With a look of admiration, Abigail wrapped herself in a thin blanket and curled up in a corner of the cave.
"Goodnight, Gévaudan…"
The cave was lit by a lantern. When I extinguished it, only the faint moonlight filtering through a crack in the ceiling remained. Instantly, the cold night air seemed to descend along that beam.
We'll need some basic bedding…
I wanted to lay Abigail down properly, and that thin cloth probably wouldn't keep her warm. When I looked at her, she was indeed shivering slightly.
In the dark, I can't use the writing-on-the-ground strategy…
Reluctantly, I moved beside her and tapped her shoulder. "Are you cold?"
"A little… maybe…"
Of course. You're on the ground, leaning against a rock.
I sat cross-legged and had her lie on my lap.
"Whoa… you're so warm… thank you."
Warm as usual? Oh, right—during sex, you get excited and your body heats up. Well, that's part of it, but my basal body temperature is naturally high. Maybe because I'm fat.
"Um… hey…"
Abigail looked up at me hesitantly.
"It's… pressing against my back…"
Naturally, after all that abstinence during the journey, I'm rock hard… Oh, right.
I shifted my apron and pressed my erection directly against Abigail's back.
—*A hot water bottle.*
"Uh…"
It's warm, right? My pride and joy, this scorching rod. Your golden hair brushing against it feels ticklish, which is kinda nice.
"It's… warm, but…"
Abigail seemed unnerved. I get it, but this is the warmest option. Even I'm impressed by my own perverse ingenuity.
Abigail fidgeted.
"Um… should we…?"
I'd love to say yes, but no. You need to rest properly so you can keep going tomorrow.
"Oh… right…"
Abigail looked down, embarrassed.
Wait, did I just make her feel ashamed…?
She seemed restless for a while, but exhaustion must have taken over, because she soon stopped moving.
I hope she gets a good rest. Catching a cold would be disastrous.
After all, my life now depends on her.
This alone time—just the two of us—is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we don't make progress here, things will get much harder. Abigail's on a tight schedule, after all. No woman can remain Butcher's sacrificial lamb forever.
This is our first and last chance to save both you and me.
Do you realize it?
The beast you're trying to free, with all your good intentions, is a bottomless monster that will one day become the world's greatest enemy.
Listening to her quiet breathing in my arms, I returned to my task: staring down the darkness gathered in the cave.
---
"Why does it look so retro?"
Abigail tilted her head, disassembling the control terminal.
"Don't you think so, Gévaudan?"
"Yeah, it's old-fashioned."
"…Right?"
After a brief pause, Abigail agreed.
She keeps checking my reactions.
There's no doubt Abigail thinks I'm a former human. I accidentally wrote in human script—undeniably human. Even now, her questions require someone with human life experience to answer.
Well, it's too late to change that now.
The control terminal looks like an ancient cell phone. It's about the size of a dumbbell, like an enlarged cordless phone handset. Instead of a speaker, it has a display, and the handle is cluttered with buttons. It seems to have a microphone too.
"Hmm… I understand its internal structure now."
She does…? Seriously, this girl's amazing.
She started disassembling it this morning, and now it's early afternoon. So, just half a day.
She mentioned being in Intel, right? No wonder she's an elite…
"I'd like to examine the components in more detail… In this case, I'd need a *Magic Stone Analyzer*."
Huh?
"What's that?"
"First, alien technology relies on *magic stones* as cores for their tools with special effects."
Oh, I see.
"Magic stones are crystallized alien magic, allowing anyone to activate specific effects. We call these tools *magical artifacts*."
I see.
"The Magic Stone Analyzer is a device humans developed to analyze the contents of those stones."
Got it.
"Where can we find one?"
"You noticed it, right, Gévaudan? On our way here, there was a human forward base on the mountainside."
Yeah, I did.
It was camouflaged from a distance, but it's probably Echo Team's secret forward base. It wasn't there last time, so it must be new.
As I nodded, Abigail said,
"Can you take me there? Can we capture it?"
…Huh? Is that okay?
I knew there was a base, and I figured attacking it might yield something useful for your work, but I stayed silent because I thought you'd object.
"Is that okay? It'll be a massacre."
There's no other way.
I'll kill everyone in sight—men, women, young, old—and destroy all the equipment. We can't leave evidence. And we'll withdraw before reinforcements arrive.
"I don't care."
Abigail stated flatly.
"That's likely Echo Team's secret forward base, an engineering unit under the intelligence division. I've already been screwed over by Earthspin. I don't care what happens to those intelligence-linked teams. Our survival comes first. Some sacrifices are necessary. Let's analyze your device there."
Harsh.
She doesn't sound like the same person who spoke kindly to me the other day.
Does she have a split personality? This must be what an elite is like…
I immediately set off with Abigail. It was impulsive, but every minute counted.
We should be able to hide near the Echo Team base before sunset.