Angel made another round of adjustments to the alchemy blueprint on the parchment, then paused for the time being.
For one thing, an alchemy blueprint was not something that could be completed in a short time, and Angel had already prepared himself for a long-term undertaking. For another... Angel raised his head and looked out the window. Beneath the clear night sky, unshrouded by clouds or mist, the moonlight was especially alluring.
"It's about time." Angel rose to his feet, ready to head out.
Perhaps sensing Angel's presence moving away, Toby, who had been sleeping in his miniature bed, forced his eyelids open and looked at Angel in confusion, as if asking where he was going.
"I'm going to Youthful Grace Hall. You can keep sleeping," Angel said softly.
But Toby did not follow Angel's advice. Dazed, he climbed out of the soft little bed. Then, with a ripple of spatial fluctuation, the unfolded quilt and the miniature bed carved with elegant patterns were all stored away by Toby in Snow-Kissed Feather.
After swiftly finishing all that, Toby yawned and fluttered into the air. Like a drunken bee, he circled around for quite a while before finding his destination—the breast pocket of Angel's indigo windbreaker.
Toby plunged headfirst into the pocket and, without caring that he was sprawled on his back with all four limbs in the air, fell asleep again.
Feeling the warm pulse emanating from his chest, Angel could not help but laugh.
Toby had trained like mad for some time, and coupled with the fact that he had not truly slept in a long while, he had only recently shaken off the entanglement of the Extreme Grudge Intent and entered a lengthy period of catching up on sleep. Yet even so, Toby seemed to still cling to