Book 3 - The Merchant from the Depths: Chapter 37; Home at Last

The screen turns on as the chapter title plays "Chapter - 37; Home at Last".

Yuu walked up to her dorm. But due to the fact she had volunteered to help with the overblot mess clean up it was already nightfall when she got back.

She stood at the gate and just looked at the house with some kinda pride as she thought 'It's as decrepit as ever, but it's good to be back. As there's no place like home, and this is as close as I'll ever get to one in this world.'

But as she was about to open the gate and walk up, she spotted green fireflies out of the corner of her eye.

When she turned to them she saw the horned student, Tsunotaro.

He spoke first, telling her "Ah. You've returned. Who would have ever expected you to win a bet with Ashengrotto? For as doe-eyed as you look, you're quite the schemer."

She smiled and thought 'Your advice got me there, Tsunotaro.' but didn't say it exactly like that and instead told him "What you said about gargoyles was just the hint I needed." with a wink at the end.

He looked surprised and actually admitted to her "Really? I wasn't trying to offer some cryptic clue or the like." Her eyes also widened in surprise but both are quickly back to normal as they both chuckle and giggle at the same time.

Tsunotaro makes one last noise of amusement before telling her "In any case, I'm glad to know this garden will remain nice and quiet. Ashengrotto's calm features contorting in frustration must have been quite the sight. Wish that I could have been a fly on the wall."

Yuu looks to the side, as she's VERY aware that was not in any sort of way what had happened. As he had instead overblotted and was quite deranged.

Tsunotaro takes notice of her change, but doesn't speak on it, as he either notices the time or something else.

He then tells Yuu "Mm… It seems I had best be returning to my dorm now. I bid you goodnight." with a soft smile at the end.

Yuu went to reach out to him, as her assumption was that he had gotten uncomfortable with her reaction and had made up some kinda excuse to leave.

But she failed as he disappeared in a flash of light.

Just then she heard two sets of footsteps running up.

She hides in a panic and watches them.

It's the neon pastel green hair and the silver haired Diasomnia boys both from around the same time as Leona's overblot.

She remembered the silver haired one was uncreatively named Silver, and the other green one was called Sebek.

The two looked around, Sebek more anxiously than Silver as he asked "Well? Is he here?" Sebek answered rather disappointed and worriedly "No, I don't believe he's present in the vicinity." Silver told him "Perhaps he's near the western schoolhouse." Sebek put a hand to his head as he anxiously shouted "How could you go on an excursion unescorted?!"

He then puts his hands on his hips as he shouts at Silver "This is your fault for taking your eyes off of him, Silver!" Silver calmly told the other "He's not a baby. Personally, I think you're worried to an abnormal degree."

But Sebek only shouts "It won't be so inordinate if something happens to him! You must never relax, even for a second! Or do you not understand the gravity of your duty as a guardsman?! You are lucky that he and Lila took you in and raised you despite your humanity. Don't you dare forget it!"

Silver put a hand to his head and sighs, clearly not letting any of Sebek's words phase him as he told the other "I think we're getting off track…"

The two then run off to continue their search.

She then steps out of her hiding spot and said "'Master"...?" in confusion as she walked up to her dorm thinking 'Are they looking for a lost child?'.

But only shakes her head as she opens Ramshackle's door and walks inside.

She then goes up to her room and spots Grim already asleep. He's sleep talking again "Aaah… Now that's a whopper of a fish… I can't eat all that…" before purring and making some more normal sleeping sounds.

She smiles and whispers "What an exhausting day…" as she walks over to her bed and flops down on it.

Of which immediately after she thinks, surprised 'I feel so at home in this bed…'

But then she spots the mirror glowing again. She thinks 'Hm…? The mirror's glowing.' as she thinks about how those dreams had worked while she was at Savanaclaw and asks "Is this another dream?" aloud.

She walks up to it as it doesn't swirl but instead lights up to an almost shadowy white glowing void. Which doesn't make sense as how could a glowing place have shadows?

But she doesn't question it and instead stares at it, wondering what will happen next.

As she thinks about the figure from last time, a hand knocks on the mirror from the other side twice.

She then hears someone say from inside "...lo? …ear me?" With the voice not being very clear as it was not fully coming through.

A vague, shadowy humanoid mouse figure is then slowly seen coming closer or at least more clear.

As the humanoid mouse becomes more clear so does what is most likely his voice as she hears "Is…anybody there?" as it comes closer.

It then entirely whites out before returning back to a normal mirror.

She then takes a couple of steps back as she puts a hand to her head and asks "What…just happened?" She then mutters "I heard a voice from the mirror…" as she walks back to her bed.

But elects to ignore whatever had just happened with the mirror, as she was extremely tired from today and a bunch of strange things happen around here, so it was probably just better to ignore it.

So she gets into bed and pulls the covers over her to get to sleep.

The screen then fades to black as "To be continued" played before fully turning off.