Otherwise, you can find another savior.

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The eighth floor, between the sky and the earth.

"Oh, so it flew over there. It's alright then." tide Jian scratched her head. "Did we give the familiar too much freedom?"

These ravens circling or landing around the inn are indeed familiars created by Shiomi.

Based on runic magic, by creating this power and granting temporary life, familiars were able to be established as ravens, just like ordinary birds.

The reason for choosing a raven was to show Odin Shiomi's respect.

It is much stronger than the familiars that Shiomi used in the past. It has the characteristic of self-destruction even if it is attacked, which makes those who want to kill these familiars hesitant to act.

“That kind of thing…anything is fine…” Skadi said absentmindedly with her eyes closed.

She leaned against Xijian's chest, her body trembling slightly. Then, as if electrocuted, she straightened her back. After a while, her whole body gradually relaxed, and she looked like she could hardly stand.

tide Jian withdrew her hand, looking at her wet and sticky fingers: "Wow, that was fast."

Skadi was blocked by him, separated by the balcony of two rooms, and due to the height difference between the eighth and seventh floors, Aoko and Arisu didn't actually notice what was happening on this balcony.

"You actually greeted someone you don't know at a time like this? You scared me to death!" Skadi grabbed Shiomi's arm and glared at him with dissatisfaction and resentment.

In the afternoon, he returned to his room to create a familiar, and Skadi, who was also proficient in primordial runes, lent him a hand.

The result was that Shio-mi was able to release the ravens ahead of schedule, but it also brought her...

At first, she was just leaning against him and looking at the scenery from the terrace, but halfway through, Shiomi's hands started to wander.

With the addition of the yukata she was wearing, her defenses were easily breached, turning her into a puppet at his mercy.

"I think I went a bit too far, I'm sorry." Shiomi touched Skadi's hair at the back of her head and apologized to her.

"Well, I can't say it's too much... I'm mainly worried about being discovered." Skadi blushed and nestled in his arms. "After all, it's quite..."

It's quite comfortable.

Skadi couldn't bring herself to say it, but she was sure Shiomi would understand.

"It seems I'm quite familiar with your body now," tide Jian whispered in her ear. "I won't let you get bored from now on."

"Just hearing you say that you might be the murderer in this morning's case is enough to make me bored." Skadi gradually calmed her breathing and then turned to make a serious joke about Shiomi.

Since it wasn't an official event, Skadi wasn't too tired.

This feeling is as simple as eating an ice cream during a time of idleness.

“I’ve already told you the details.” Shio had wanted to flirt with Skadi by licking her fingers, but Skadi stopped her with a firm look, so she rubbed her hands with a tissue instead. “These ravens are preparations for the upcoming investigation.”

“For example?” Skadi asked.

“Of course it’s Aozaki Aoko,” Shiomi said. “Unlike Chaldea’s spirit particle transfer, Aozaki Aoko’s fifth magic can intervene in this singularity in a different way. In other words, she can accomplish what it would take many of Chaldea’s massive facilities to work together.”

Perhaps it is precisely because it can be done so easily that it can be called magic.

Even time travel is merely a byproduct.

“You suspect that Aozaki Aoko didn’t tell the whole truth,” Skadi said knowingly. “That she died without any witnesses or warning signs because she possessed information we don’t yet know?”

"That's about it." Shiomi glanced at Aoko and the others who had already returned to their room. "Then there's that witch's descendant, Kuonji Yuzu. As Aozaki Aoko's close friend, what was the purpose of her exorcism request, given that she appeared in this singularity and lived in this era?"

The sudden occurrence of the murder early in the morning overshadowed the other people's concern about the mystery surrounding Kuonji Aratsu.

"Could it be related to what you said... about this land being rewritten?" Skadi connected the two topics.

"It's hard to say." tide Jian shook her head. "So I want to ask you, if you were a god, to what extent could you influence this land?"

Skadi thought for a moment, then turned around, leaning on the railing to gaze at the mountains and fields:

"This is not the Nordic world, but a distant island nation in the East. Moreover, this is not the world where I was born and exist. To influence this land is not easy for me. Even if it is just rewriting the rules of the land, it will not be as subtle as you have discovered."

“That makes sense. Uruk was in a similar situation back then. According to Miss Siduri, the land changes in the southern part of the plains were unusually significant.” Shiomi said, her left hand supporting her chin as she pondered.

Skadi, seeing Shiomi's troubled expression, let out a soft chuckle: "Heh~, you had time to tease me earlier, I thought you had everything under control here."

"Because we can't see the real enemy. So far, apart from little things like strange mountain spirits, there's no culprit at all." Shiomi shrugged. "Otherwise, I would have just captured the leader, just like when we dealt with the Lostbelts."

“Capture the king…” Skadi murmured.

“Isn’t that right?” Shiomi reached out and ran her hand through Skadi’s hair. “It is precisely because we were able to successfully ‘take you down’ that the Norse Lostbelt was able to end in a relatively peaceful way.”

Skadi quite agreed with this.

If she were to go to war with Shiomi, regardless of how the alien apostles and Katniss would interfere, she wasn't confident that it would end easily.

"Let's not talk about that." Shio tugged at Raskati's bathrobe. "Although there are still singularities to investigate and resolve, did you have fun these past two days?"

Skadi was a little surprised by Shiomi's question, and she couldn't help but think back to it: "Whether it's accommodation, food, or sightseeing, it's all an unfamiliar experience. But I don't feel uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, I feel at ease."

"Are you unhappy?" Shiomi emphasized again.

“I’m still very happy.” Skadi nodded, responding somewhat shyly.

Whether it's sightseeing or spending quality time with him, I'm always happy.

Both body and mind received the best treatment.

"That's good." tide Jian hugged Skadi. "Don't worry about things here, I'll figure something out."

“So I don’t have to do anything?” Skadi disagreed.

"Not necessarily. If it really comes down to a situation where we need to fight, I'll definitely ask you for help without hesitation," Shiomi said.

She was slightly surprised, but quickly understood that this was only natural.

"Hehehe~, feel free to use my power, I won't let you down."

Chapter 81 Scáthach's Hot Spring Raid

Shiomi leaned against the edge of the pool, gazing at the starry night sky.

The air in the mountains is cleaner than in the city, and on clear nights, you can see a sky full of stars that resemble a canvas.

The bathhouse on the top floor of the Kumano Onsen Ryokan is the best place in the entire ryokan to enjoy a bath while stargazing.

He leaned against the rock, listening to Morgan and the others chatting and laughing in the women's bath next door, seemingly discussing their visit to the hot spring hotel during the day.

This hot spring inn has many mysterious places, such as the endless corridor, which seems to be affected by some kind of spirit. Under Morgan's guidance, Sakura and Rin successfully completed the exorcism.

Although most of the experience gained cannot be retained after the singularity disappears, Sakura and Rin seem to enjoy this time spent studying magic together.

Even though they changed their surnames, they never lost their sisterly relationship.

This is one of the many blessings Shiomi gave Sakura after adopting her.

Thinking this, Shiomi, tired from looking at the stars, placed a hot towel over her eyes to rest.

I was actually quite tired during the day. I woke up early and first had to work with Morgan, then there was the murder case, so I had to question people and confirm their alibis.

After that, I continued to work with Orange and my master.

Next, he went downstairs to the lobby, helped Karen get her things back, and then got intimate with Artoria in the room.

Finally, near dusk, with Skadi's help, they finished preparing the familiar. At first, it was just a little playful activity, but they couldn't resist sneaking around on the terrace again.

Especially on the terrace, Skadi was even more excited than usual because she was afraid of being discovered and kept her voice down. She was absolutely in a frenzy.

What a busy yet fulfilling hot spring trip!

tide Jian smugly thought to herself.

Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of someone entering the hot spring next to him.

This hot spring pool is very large, and it's currently open, so other guests coming to soak in the hot spring won't bother Shiomi.

So he didn't take it seriously, but he was just surprised that there were still guests soaking in the hot springs so late.

There weren't many male guests at the hot spring inn this time, so Shiomi could easily enjoy having the place to herself without having to make a special reservation, as long as she avoided those times.

But the sound of people wading through the hot spring pool grew closer and closer, and he sensed something was wrong, so he lifted the towel.

What came into view was Scáthach's face right in front of her.

What would normally only make his heart race now made it race even faster.

"Master, this is... um..."

Before Xijian could instinctively cry out, his master covered his mouth.

"Keep quiet for a bit, don't let them hear you," Scáthach reminded her with a smile.

He strained his ears to listen and noticed that the hot spring pool next door had quieted down; they had finished soaking in the hot spring and gone to change. The sounds came from the changing room.

"...Master didn't leave?" Shio turned her head slightly, regaining her freedom from Scáthach's grasp.

“I said I wanted to soak a little longer.” Scáthach lay on Shiomi.

Although she actually took advantage of the others leaving to sneak over the wall, which posed no obstacle for her, and came to attack Shiomi, who was taking a bath there.

"Even if you're going to come over, you should at least make sure it's just me first." tide Jian knew that there was practically no one coming at this time.

Even if someone comes, Master can quickly return to the women's bathhouse.

"Am I so oblivious that I can't even tell if it's just your presence?" Scáthach retorted confidently.

“That’s true…” Shiomi hugged Scáthach, stroking her waist and hips underwater, “You should at least wear a towel.”

"Would you like me to wrap myself in a bath towel?" the master asked in return.

tide Jian thought for a moment and said, "Okay, actually I don't want to."

“Then don’t say things against your conscience. I know your true nature better than anyone else.” Scáthach turned her back and sat in his lap. “Hmm… indeed, a hot spring trip has to be like this.”

"It's a pity that I can only steal a moment of leisure during the Spirit Transfer." Shiomi's hand encircled Scáthach's flat and firm abdomen, stroking her silky skin. "If only we could go to one of those hotels with its own private hot springs."

Scáthach turned slightly to the side and looked at him ambiguously: "Feeling bad about it?"

"Of course I will, don't ask such obvious questions, Master." tide Jian said, giving her a light peck on the lips. "You are my mentor, and I owe everything I have to you to become who I am."

“I don’t remember teaching you to be such a dissolute apprentice.” Scáthach glared at him with displeasure. “You are clearly this kind of person yourself, don’t try to shift the blame onto me.”

"Uh……"

Xi Jian didn't mean it that way, but his master clearly misinterpreted his meaning to tease him, so he could only admit it and try to fight back.

"But, but it was my master who made me a man. It was from my master that I learned how to treat women."

“That’s true, but it sounds infuriating.” Scáthach snorted. “And you’re even better at charming women than you were in the Land of Shadows. I noticed that when I was in the North American Singularity.”

tide Jian's eyes began to wander: "After all, I'm not a saint. I'll eventually have a girlfriend or wife... And look, haven't all the skills I've improved given back to my master in the end?"

"It's more like karmic retribution," Scáthach chuckled, engaging in a verbal battle with him. "I've taught so many disciples, so why did I fall for your trick in the end?"

“That means I’m Master’s favorite disciple. Master always calls me his beloved disciple.” Shio hugged Scáthach tightly, leaned over her shoulder, and pressed her cheek against Scáthach’s. Her voice suddenly deepened. “...If Master feels lonely, then it must be my fault.”

“I’m not lonely anymore.” Scáthach placed her hand on the back of his hand, turned her face slightly, and answered him sincerely, “Even if my power has been suppressed by the world because I left the Land of Shadows without permission, I will stay by your side and watch over your path.”

"Actually, you just want to keep an eye on me and prevent me from messing around with other women, right?" tide Jian knew perfectly well what was going on, hugged Scáthach tightly, and teased her softly.

Scáthach scoffed dismissively: "How could I possibly keep an eye on you? Besides, in your current state, I really couldn't handle you alone."

"Oh dear, Master is afraid of me too." tide Jian gently nibbled on her master's earlobe, nuzzling against her temple.

“It seems you’ve gotten a little carried away, you rebellious disciple.” Scáthach raised her hand and pinched Shiomi’s face. “I know you haven’t stopped during the day, and now you’re at your limit. Let your master teach you a lesson after so long.”

tide Jian was taken aback: "At least go back to your room, it wouldn't be good if someone saw you."

"Then hide behind the rock, so you won't see anyone coming in."

"Oh……"

Chapter 82 Help Me Out

After soaking in the hot spring, Shiomi rested in her room while Morgan took a nap with his head on her lap. She casually patted Morgan's shoulder with her hand.

Everyone sat in the room watching TV, having snacks, and playing video games to pass the time.

Orange, the only one who wasn't present, returned from outside the room and her first words were to ask for Xijian:

"Tianxi, come over here for a moment. I need to ask you for help with something."

"Huh?" tide Jian asked, puzzled. "What's wrong? Why are you being so polite?"

Orange pushed up her glasses: "It's not my business, so could you come out for a bit? I'll talk to you on the way."

So Xijian patted Morgan to see if she was asleep.

“…Hmm…” Morgan sat up, shifted slightly, and leaned over the table. “Go ahead, it doesn’t look like a small matter.”

So Shio was called out of the room by Touko and headed to other floors.