Endless Silver Machine

Aika got up and came to the courtyard, just as he expected.

"So you're here. Can't you sleep?"

Hitomi, who was sitting on the edge of the corridor and looking at the night sky, turned his head when he heard the sound, and stared at Aika who appeared here at an untimely moment with his slightly raised eyes.

Hitomi's eyes didn't seem surprised that Aika found her. She should have noticed it when Aika woke up.

"A little……"

Soon, he looked at the night sky again as if he had lost interest in Aika.

"You're not going to ask why I'm not asleep yet?" Aika sat down next to her with her knees on her knees, "Forget it, I guess you can also see the dreams I've had."

"The concentration of magic particles inside the World Tree is very high. If I stay next to the master, it may affect the master's spiritual world."

Is that dream really related to Hitomi... Although I don't know why I forgot such an important memory, it is indeed something I have experienced personally.

"Even if you hide here, I will wake up naturally after my dream. Since it is useless to put such a little distance away, at least you can stay by my side when I wake up, instead of looking for you everywhere after I wake up. Feel more at ease."

Hitomi turned her head. She didn't know what she thought about Aika's words, but she just stared at Aika's face with eyes that showed no emotion.

The gentle silvery moonlight coated her bathrobe with a layer of silver, and her long pink hair was fluffy and soft on her shoulders.

"Sorry, Hitomi."

"?"

She tilted her head in confusion, as if she really didn't know what Aika was apologizing for.

"I don't know why I forgot. I didn't remember until now. It turns out that Luoluo and I were saved by you a long time ago, but we forgot that you were always by our side."

After listening to Aika's confession quietly, Hitomi looked away from his face and looked at the moonlight flowers in the courtyard that only bloomed at night.

"...It's my request."

After a long time, she told Aika briefly.

"Request? What does this mean?"

"I asked Orchid Heart to seal the memory of that time."

Orchid Heart has very few abilities to manipulate spirits. During the "Moon Flower Festival", Luo Luo also had memories sealed by her that she didn't want to recall.

"Actually, you understand Orchid Heart, is that right?"

In the past, when Aika asked Hitomi about Orchid Heart, Hitomi said that she didn't know much about Orchid Heart, which had no historical records.

"That's because I judge that the master doesn't need to know too much about Orchid Heart."

Hitomi's answer was very reserved, and it seemed that there were many things that Aika didn't know.

"After having that dream, now I want to understand what happened at that time. To be honest, I still don't know what happened after I was rescued by you. I only know that Shun used a flare to find the adults. Me and Luoluo was saved after waking up on the river beach. But when he woke up, you were no longer there. We forgot the fact that we were attacked by monsters. We always thought that we just fell into the river and fainted. And then it washed ashore.”

"Wouldn't it be better if I didn't think about it..." Hitomi's tone seemed to be a little lower, "Even if I think about it, what's the difference?"

"I don't want to forget the first time I met you."

"..."

"At that time, you seemed to have mentioned a name like Pansy? Whose name was that?"

The last words Aika heard Hitomi say in her dream were not addressed to herself, but to a fourth person besides them.

Pansy is a legendary flower with seven petals, each petal showing a different color. That is a flower whose existence itself goes against the laws of nature and only appears in legends or fairy tales.

"Magic equipment is the fallen leaves that withered when the World Tree went berserk. Anything that contains the magic power of the World Tree may become a magic equipment."

The foundation of the World Tree can both maintain the operation of this world and destroy it.

During the cross-border war, the outbreak of magic around the world disrupted the foundation of the World Tree.

The continent was torn apart, and the withered leaves flew to various areas of the world. The areas where the fallen leaves were obtained formed the so-called "relics", and it was the magic suit of the withered leaves that bestowed the magic power of the World Tree on the "relics".

Of course, there are also special beings like Hitomi among the magic costumes.

"The Orchid Heart is a seven-colored pansy that was born at the root of the World Tree. It is an illusory thing that cannot exist in the real world. The 'Qianze' family got such a magic outfit by chance. The Orchid Heart is an extremely special existence. She does not have it. It belongs to her own spiritual world, but dyes the host’s spiritual world into her color in a parasitic way.”

"...Will this approach cause danger to Luoluo?"

"There is no danger, and it will not conflict with the host's spiritual world."

"Then there's no problem. As long as it doesn't hurt Luo Luo, nothing else matters."

Aika only cares about this issue. He doesn't particularly understand the complicated situation, but if there is something that threatens Lolo, he will never tolerate it.

"So that sentence at that time, did you say it to Orchid Heart? Seal our memory..." Aika sorted out the clues in his mind, "But wait a moment, you and Orchid Heart Are you thinking that Luoluo and I only got the outer clothes from my parents before we left home? Have we already concluded a contract with you before we got the outer clothes?"

"Has the master done any contract signing ceremony before setting off?"

That said, there really isn't. That's why Aika treats the silver-white wrist wheel as an ordinary magic tool, and Luoluo treats the aquamarine necklace as an ordinary decoration.

Probably before he could remember the time of birth, the ceremony of concluding the contract was already completed.

"It turns out that I have been protected by you since I came to this world, sister."

Hitomi's face still turned cherry red under the silvery moonlight.

Aika ignored her embarrassment and continued talking on her own.

"Let's go back to the topic just now. So, the Orchid Heart is the viola at the root of the World Tree, right? If you know so much about the Orchid Heart, why didn't you tell me at that time?"

"In no mood……"

"Um?"

"It's just not necessary..."

"You just said 'don't want', right?"

“A master-slave relationship that lacks mutual trust is fragile.”

"Okay, okay, I believe you."

There was no conversation between Aika and Hitomi for the time being, and they looked up at the night sky together.

The night sky inside Yggdrasil is also dotted with stars. The starry sky is like a canvas, dotted with diamonds, sprinkled with diamond powder, and spread over the vast sky.

Starlight brought a ray of light to the dark night sky. Although it is only a very weak ray of light, it can lead the confused and groping people to the end of darkness.

"Then let me ask another question, Hitomi. I hope you can tell me the truth."

"..."

"You didn't hide here because you were afraid that sleeping next to me would affect my rest, right?"

"..."

If you want to ask Aika why she thinks this way, it's because seeing her figure sitting alone on the corridor not far away gave her an indescribable feeling of loneliness.

"...The Orchid Heart is a magic weapon used by the Qianze family to restrict me."

"Eh?"

The fact that Hitomi suddenly said made Aika stunned for a moment.

"This is something that only the 'Chize' family can achieve. The spiritual space of ordinary humans cannot accommodate the spiritual space of the World Tree. Even the master does not have such magnanimity. Pansy can suppress the magic power of the World Tree and use Orchid The characteristics of the Heart can suppress the existence of the Fiery Eyes."

"That characteristic...are you referring to the magical path between me and Luoluo?"

"Yes."

That magical path connects the bodies and minds of Aika and Luoluo. Just like the literal meaning, even the fluctuating emotions of the other person can be felt as if they are experienced personally.

"The Orchid Heart will eliminate the magic power of the Fiery Eyes, and the 'Qianze' family uses two-body magic equipment to reconcile the spiritual space of both parties."

"But if there is only one heir to the family, does it have to be a contract with you and Orchid Heart at the same time? But if you do this, won't there be a conflict?"

"Unfortunately, there has never been an example of the owner's assumption in the family history of 'Qianze'. The heirs of the 'Qianze' family have been twins since ancient times, and the twins have always inherited the Eyes of Fiery Flame and the Orchid Orchid respectively. Heart."

"So this is ah……"

In fact, this fact did not shock Aika. Just like Hitomi said before, it doesn't make any difference whether you know or not. It makes sense to use that sentence in this kind of place.

"Tong, I remember you told me before that you don't like to be interfered with by others, right? But isn't Orchid Heart like this..."

"If I lose my master because of me, I will feel guilty..."

"Guilt", Aika didn't expect to hear this meaningful word from Hitomi's mouth.

Hitomi's emotions in front of everyone have always been as plain as water, but she will always show sentimentality and delicateness inadvertently. For example, he felt competitive towards Wei Xi who was on the same side, and he was dissatisfied with Guang who was inexplicably close to him.

Is the reason for such a contrast because Hitomi is not used to living in this world as a human yet? Or is it because Hitomi has been alone for too long and has become a little bad at interacting with other people?

An impulse surged through Aika's heart.

"Hitomi, now I order you as the master not to worry about the things you are thinking about now. Since I have made a contract with you, it is also the responsibility of the contract owner to accept everything from you. Yours I will also take care of your worries."

"I don't worry about that kind of thing..."

"But haven't you just run away like this now?"

Aika used the undeniable facts before the two of them to block the lies that Hitomi was trying to conceal.

"..."

"But to put it this way, if Luoluo and I were too far apart and the magic pathway couldn't be connected, would you be any different at that time than you are now?"

"After Luoluo left, Orchid Heart's inhibition disappeared. But there was no abnormality."

"That's true. Luoluo has been away from us for a long time..."

"..."

"That is to say, even if Luo Luo is not with us now, you won't feel any discomfort, right?" Aika recalled Luo Luo's sentimentality, cheered up, and her tone returned to her previous optimism, "Having said so much, there is no problem at all now! There is nothing to be afraid of!"

"I don't know either..." Hitomi pressed her chest lightly with her little hand, feeling the beating in her chest, "Obviously the magic power of the World Tree cannot be compatible with humans, but the master and I are gradually becoming one..."

"Tong will definitely be like Wei Xi and gradually integrate into the world and live as an ordinary girl."

"That would bother me."

"Why?"

"If I become an ordinary girl... I won't be able to protect my master..."

"Hahaha. So I was worried about this problem. I think this worry is a bit unnecessary."

"It's very important. For me..."

"You need to learn this from Wei Xi, she is your senior in this aspect. 'Becoming an ordinary girl' and 'becoming strong' do not conflict, and you will get a lot from ordinary life. Precious feelings and the strength of the soul are also powerful.”

"Can I also...become like Xue Shishiji?"

With an unconvincing tone, Hitomi raised her head slightly and looked up at Aika's confident smile.

"Most definitely."

Aika is sure.

He knew that the reason why Hitomi appeared in front of him was because he longed to live freely in this colorful world like Wei Xi.

It's just that Hitomi herself didn't notice this wish, or she noticed it but was embarrassed to admit it.

No matter what, Aika will accept everything Hitomi has to offer.

Because this is not only the responsibility of the master, but also the obligation of the family.