Xiao Xiao opened his eyes.
In his line of sight were two clothed rats. The short ochre hamster looked at him with curiosity, while the tall, plump Rat Immortal regarded him with scrutiny.
And the owner of the Wander Bar, smiling at him.
Beyond his field of vision, orange sunlight slanted across a steep peak opposite them. Clouds and mist coiled around its middle, while its summit leaned against a giant's skeleton.
At that moment, the giant tilted its head and looked at him curiously. Two points of red light flickered softly within the enormous skull's eye sockets.
The short wizard drew a light breath of icy air and forced himself to look away.
"You said it yourselves. This was an accident."
The young wizard sat up, pulled his black notebook from his robes, carefully withdrew his gaze, and stared only at the small patch of cold, bare rock beneath his feet. His tone was very calm. "I can remove my memories of this period... I won't cause you any trouble."
The Wanderer Wizard said nothing, merely smiling at the short wizard.
Xiao Xiao felt his lips go dry and quietly swallowed.
"...I can also help you alter the memories of the others, to make sure everything was just an accident." Stroking the black notebook in his hand, he repeated softly, "This really was an accident... We mistakenly entered a natural maze formation while hunting Nikita. With me there to confirm it, the explanation is more than sufficient. None of them will suspect anything."
By "them," Xiao Xiao meant Zhang Jixin and the others.
The two rats remained silent.
The owner of the Wander Bar, however, snapped his fingers and handed the young wizard a glass of rich Amber Light. "Not sleeping anymore? You seemed quite comfortable pretending to sleep