Introductions

"Sigh."

After filling all of the 24 bottles, I sighed and laid down, with the cold wooden floor touching my back, as I massaged my now aching right arm. It was stiff due to holding up the pourer, full of potion liquid, all the while I poured.

'What's the time?' Just as I formulated that thought in my head, Codex's voice greeted me.

[12:24 P.M]

"Hmm, It is still quite early and I don't have anything to do. How strange, strange indeed." I murmured to myself as I stared at the ceiling. On Earth, I always had something to do, no matter how insignificant. Sometimes, I had small bugs to clear out, sometimes I had a whole programme to write.

'Now that I think about it, I never actually had any time for myself, except when mom and dad were still with me.' I sighed as I covered my eyes with my arm.

"What's strange about that? If you are free, then just enjoy the time you have. So that you don't regret it when you have no free time, to do what you want." I guess mom heard what I said.

"Yea, Mom. Then I'll do just that." I nodded.

Remembering something, I abruptly sat up straight, startling mom, who was putting all the filled bottles back in the crate.

"Oh, and before I forget, I want you to meet someone. Trust me, you'll love her!" Seeing me being excited all of a sudden, mom arched her eyebrow as she waited for me to continue.

"Dia, Come out." I called Dia with unrestrained excitement palpable in my voice, with an equally excited grin on my face.

[Really?!] She screamed inside our mental network.

"Yeah, Come out." I said again as I extended my hand outwards for Dia.

[Coming!] She screamed again as a ball of light shot out of my chest and landed on my outstretched palm, with her head over my palm and the rest of her body coiled around my arm, up till my elbow. 

Did she grow up again? Maybe. Right now, she is at least 1.5 times longer than before, and heavier too.

'I won't be able to carry her if she grows at this rate.' I mused to myself.

"Mom, she is Dia. Dia, she is my mom." I introduced them to each other and silence descended as I waited patiently.

They were both staring at each other. I was even more nervous since mom's questions would also be on their way. But I was curious too, curious of their reactions.

"Nice to meet you, Dia." The first one to break the silence was mom, as she greeted Dia with her hand outstretched.

Her hand was very close to mine, so close that mine and hers were practically touching, so that Dia could reach her hand easily. 

After glancing at the hand in front of her for a full brief moment, Dia shifted her attention back to mom and slithered over to her hand. In a couple of seconds, she completely shifted over to mom's hand and coiled on top of her palm. 

"Ssss ssss sss." 

"What did she say?" Mom asked me, still intently staring at Dia.

[Only you can understand her. Don't act dumb now.] Codex interjected, his voice contained a tinge of annoyance.

'What did I do?!'

Since Codex didn't respond, I continued. 

"Um… She said 'Nice to meet you, Grandmaster'."

Something doesn't feel right… wait, Grandmaster? 

'Oy Dia, did you just call mom grandmaster?' I asked through our telephonic connection, 'Maybe I heard that wrong.'

Facing me, she tilted her little blob like head and said. 

"Ss, sssss?" (Yes. was I wrong, Master?) 

"Ssssss ssss" (Master said she is master's master, so that means she is my grandmaster?) 

"No no, she is my mother, not master." Seriously, where's the logic?

"Hehe." When I was trying to make sense out of what felt like Dia's common sense, I heard a chuckle. 

"Ahem! So, do you mind telling me more about 'her'?" Mom asked when she noticed my gaze, completely changing the subject. 

I also ignored her chuckle and answered mom, the moment of truce was here.

"Um… she is Dia, an obsidian serpent. And… my soul beast."

I did have to tell her at some point, so why not tell her now? 

"Is this the reason there's a set of your clothes missing?" She asked again. 

Uh… oops? 

"Yes, mom."

"..."

"..."

"Sigh."

"No, actually, I got Dia when I was looking for herbs. The set of clothes that are missing were because I went to the forest… again." I finally came clean. I said everything with my head hung low, staring at the floor. 

I just couldn't bear it. Keeping something from her. What was even the need to lie? Whatever she would say would be for my betterment. So why not come clean?

Telling her everything made me feel lighter, as if an invisible weight was lifted from my shoulders, which I never knew was even there. 

After the revelation, silence descended again.

This time I was even more nervous, since I was imagining all sorts of scenarios in my head. But I was satisfied at the same time, ready to face it. 

"Hehe." There was a chuckle again, making me lift my head up and look at the two faces staring at me, with one being as cute as ever. But the chuckle came from the other one, mom.

"Tell me, why are you telling me all this? And did you think I would cook you if you tell me Or don't tell me?" She asked with an amused smile on her beautiful face, as she kept stroking Dia's head perched on her shoulder. 

"I don't know… I just wanted to tell you." And that was the truth. 

But, I still couldn't tell her the whole truth, the truth that was better buried into nothingness. 

"Hmm, So what should I do? So that I can stop you from going there." She asked again, and again, I had no answer. 

"I don't know…"

I wanted to say that I won't go back to the forest ever again. But I knew, I knew that I won't be able to keep my word.

Funnily enough, I was planning to go there tomorrow. 

"Listen, I can't do anything to stop you from doing anything. Just keep yourself safe, ok? Not for yourself, but for me. You can at least do that much, right?"

"Of course, mom!" I said in a heartbeat. 

How can I leave her alone? More like, why would I leave her alone? If I ever think of leaving her alone, that would be an indication of me finally going insane.

And I also made a promise with a certain son. I can't go around breaking promises, now can I?

"Dia, keep him safe, ok? And don't let him do anything reckless." Mom said seriously, facing the little snake that had made her way to mom's shoulder and rested her head on the other shoulder.

"Sss." (Yes, Grand fMaster.)

Mom telling Dia to keep me away from trouble wasn't what surprised me, What surprised me was the fact Dia gave her a nod in approval. 

"She can understand you?" Seriously? 

[I already told you, don't act dumb. Dia can feel what emotions you feel. And she has access to your memories, though in a third person perspective.]

"Of course she can." Mom reprimanded me. 

"Yea, she can. I just forgot. Haha ha ha." I laughed it off.

"If it's done, let's get going. We have a lot of work pending." She said as she proceeded to stand up.

"Yes, that is all I have to say…" In the end, I didn't get the reaction I deemed as the worst case scenario, and stood up myself.

'It is for the best.'

***

—Khinch —Tinch

With the trolley full of bottles filled with pink liquid in hand, I was going to the spot where I last made a killing.

"Hum hm hm hum hm hm…" While humming to myself, I picked up on some of the gossip.

"You know, the young knights are here."

 "Yeah I know, they are staying at the mayor's mansion."

In short, the new recruits that were supposed to arrive two days from now, were already here and were staying at the village chief's house, since that was the best building there was in the whole village.

But not like they have anything to do with me.

Putting that at the back of my mind, I continued on my way.

In a couple of minutes, I reached the market district. It wasn't crowded at all, since it was still early. But since I didn't have anything to do anyway, I decided to go set up the stall.

—Tuk

Seeing a good enough spot, I parked my trolley there and put a couple of stones around the wheels to keep it from moving.

'All that is left is to wait now.' And that is what I shall do.