Of course, he had never expected this thing to be so useful.
It had brought the Beast-Eared Witch back from the very brink of death and turned the situation around. This was probably what had given her the confidence to track that plump Wizard Tab. And that voice, that vigor, clearly had not belonged to her. They belonged to an Old Wizard who had experienced far more and carried a distinct air of world-weariness. Perhaps this was another special ability of the so-called Hair Planters. That thing did far more than simply attach hair to a body.
But a single use like this had destroyed it completely.
What about Fur Shepherds, then? Where did they stand within the Association?
The information he had obtained from the Knowledge World had mentioned that Fur Shepherds represented the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association in its more innocent days. Born from attempts, driven by a pure enthusiasm, to create a fluffy Ascension Ritual related to Spirit Furs, it was an Ascension Ritual devised by Wizards with shared interests who had gathered together in the Association's early days. It might even have been the first Ascension Ritual the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association had ever created.
A breeze blew past.
Ruger glanced around, then copied what the Faith Wizard had done not long before. He walked over, gave her a quick examination, and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Only, he jumped onto the Flaming Centipede, so he had no opportunity to show off his silhouette slowly receding into the distance.
Avoiding the directions that might lead to trouble, he picked one at random. The Flaming Centipede began running silently through the air.
Ruger scratched his head.
The beast-eared woman was breathing steadily now, and her complexion had improved somewhat, but she was still asleep.
Looking at her face, he