Mona suddenly appeared beside them and walked over curiously. Earlier, she had entered the Oddity Space once more, drinking tea as she spoke face-to-face with the big fish. For the moment, nothing on her face revealed whether those talks had made any progress.
The bearded wizard showed little reaction to the sudden appearance of another person. He merely glanced at her, looking utterly calm, as though he had never considered escaping.
Ruger's eyes lit up. Mona was also highly skilled at erasing imprints and had her own unique methods.
A distinct wave of spiritual power rippled out.
The bearded wizard raised a hand he had not used for days and brushed it across his cheek. Naturally, he knew exactly where Ruger had left the imprint.
Ruger watched his movements.
With that gentle stroke, the imprint immediately faded considerably.
But the bearded wizard's breathing caught. Clearly dissatisfied, he wiped at it again.
During that brief instant between his attempts, the faded imprint had already become clear once more.
This time, the erasure worked better, leaving less of the imprint than before. The bearded wizard did not pause. He pressed his hand directly against his face and even boldly closed his eyes in front of Ruger and the others, seemingly entering a state of deep concentration.
Mahama stared wide-eyed without blinking, growing even more interested.
Mona's interest was also piqued. She watched from the side with a smile.
All three of them remained absolutely silent.
The bearded wizard was rather open-minded—or rather, he understood the situation very clearly.
Ruger considered himself a kind and benevolent wizard. If it had been Mahama, he would have smashed them to pieces and tossed them by the roadside, without even giving the Monster Wolf a chance to feed on their chains.
"Huff!"
The bearded wizard finally