Chapter 84

－From Chai's Perspective, Mistaken for a Dog－

The master is harvesting with the golems.

To be honest, it's a strange sight.

The golems are there to do the master's work.

For the master to do it together is unusual.

Until a little while ago, the master seemed a bit unwell, and everyone was worried.

Perhaps it was because the master was using too much magic.

There was concern that the master might collapse, so someone was always nearby to keep an eye on things.

The master's current state is close to the way it was before the problems.

The magic seems to have settled.

That's good.

However, I was surprised by what happened a few days ago.

Suddenly, a vast amount of magic was released from the master.

To see such a quantity with my own eyes.

Not only the quantity but also the quality of the magic surprised me.

It was pure, without any impurities.

The master always surprises me.

But, it wasn't just surprising; it was also scary.

Losing magic all at once can be life-threatening.

For a moment, my mind went blank with the thought of "what if."

While everyone gathered by the river, the master calmly emerged from the water and drank.

The master seemed to be deep in thought but was surprised to see us gathered.

Everyone who lived in the dwelling had come together.

For a few days after that, no one except those going hunting left the dwelling.

They were worried, of course.

But, things are gradually returning to the way they were before.

The master is back to the way they were before the illness.

The magic flowing within the barrier is as gentle and kind as usual, with no problems.

Looking at the master again, it seems they are fine now.

Probably, the master needed a large amount of magic to expand the barrier or something similar, which disrupted the balance.

The cause of the massive release of magic is unknown, but if it restored the balance, it might have been necessary.

As long as the master is fine here and now, there's no problem.

……

Today, I'm going hunting with Core.

We'll hunt a few prey as usual and head back.

"The master isn't sending any images."

The first person I met when I met the master was Core.

After Core, it was Core's companion in the cave and me.

In the beginning, the master sent images a few times.

We couldn't understand the master's words, and the master couldn't understand ours.

So, the master sent images to convey important matters.

Over time, this decreased, and now we communicate with gestures.

I'm not complaining, though.

"The master's kindness, I guess. Sending images forcefully can be a burden to the recipient."

That's true.

Indeed, receiving images unexpectedly can be a burden or even damaging.

But it was okay.

"Chai, the connection hasn't been severed."

…Core is reading my thoughts.

Even with one-way images, I felt a strong connection.

Now that it's gone, I feel lonely and sad.

"I know."

"Well, it is a bit lonely, I guess."

Core laughed deep in his throat and made the prey float in the air while running.

I chased after it, but my thoughts wouldn't leave my mind.