His dead conscience seemed to stir again

"Ughhh!"

━((*′д｀)爻(′д｀*))━!!!!

The two hatchlings collided and began wrestling.

Seriously, that's it? Chaos immediately lost interest.

How was this any different from kids fighting? Wait, they actually were kids right now.

Boring, boring. Not watching anymore.

Better go check on the ingredient soaking by the riverbank.

He heaved himself up and walked over to the riverbank.

"Chaos, aren't we watching anymore?" Feeny asked.

"Nope. It's boring."

Bamokangla's bathtub-sized heart lay intact, soaking in a shallow pit ringed with pebbles.

He prodded it with a claw and turned it over.

It had soaked for four hours and looked quite clean. In that case, time for hot pot.

Chaos suddenly remembered something.

Oh, right. The pot was gone.

Bamokangla had crushed it. Now he had to carve out another one.

Tch, damn Bamokangla. Dying was one thing, but smashing my pot too? You really deserved to die.

He raised his head toward the rock wall.

Carve out another one?

Hmm, what's that?

At the foot of the rock wall, a small, round Black Hatchling lay fast asleep on a flat, square slab of stone.

Black Coal Ball?

His emerald slit pupils narrowed slightly. He changed his mind.

He padded over to Black Coal Ball.

Black Coal Ball slept soundly on the stone platform, showing no sign of waking.

This won't do. Slacking off. Far too much slacking off.

Today, Lord Chaos will teach you a lesson, you ignorant little hatchling.

He stood upright, spread his Dragon Jaws in a grin, and raised a large clawed foot.

Kick!

The kick wasn't hard, but it was enough to knock the figure off the stone platform and onto the ground.

The Black Hatchling rolled a few times before springing up, crouching low and spreading her wings. Her fierce gaze locked straight onto the figure standing before the platform.

Oh-ho, baring your teeth too? Fierce, aren't you?

Chaos perked up. This was the first time he had seen Black Coal Ball show a temper.

Usually, she looked soft and easy to bully.

He leaned his head closer.

"Want to eat together?"

Huhhh?

Black Coal Ball stopped baring her teeth. Her narrowed black slit pupils widened slightly, filling with visible confusion.

She couldn't understand it. She simply couldn't understand why Chaos would suddenly invite her to eat.

Looking at the wary Black Coal Ball, Chaos flashed his teeth.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm only inviting you to eat as an apology."

Chaos raised a claw and pointed at Black Coal Ball's right wing.

On her outstretched right wing, the injury where it had been broken stood out clearly. He had spotted it at once.

An instinctively folded her wings. Her narrowed pupils gradually widened, and her tense body instantly relaxed.

So this guy really came to apologize? He didn't look like it...

Seeing Black Coal Ball relax, Chaos struck while the iron was hot.

"I didn't expect Water Serpent to be so powerful. Just one water ball injured you."

An: ...

Her black slit pupils narrowed again. So this guy actually came to provoke me!

Chaos looked at Black Coal Ball with sincere eyes.

But his sincerity received no response.

Seriously, what's her problem? I'm showing plenty of goodwill here. Say something! Have you gone mute?

He waited a while, but Black Coal Ball still said nothing, merely staring straight at him.

Forget it.

Chaos gave up.

He had shown his goodwill, anyway. If Black Coal Ball wasn't interested, so be it.

"I'll be by the riverbank. The invitation still stands."

Come or don't. Suit yourself.

Chaos reached out and hoisted the stone platform onto his shoulder.

Lifting the two-meter-long platform was no different from lifting foam. Effortless.

With the platform on his shoulder, he turned and made himself scarce.

An watched the emerald figure leave with the stone platform.

He really left?

Could he really have come to apologize?

Should I go?

She quickly made up her mind and stepped forward.

The food Chaos had invited her to eat was surely the heart by the riverbank. The concentration of magic within that heart practically made it Bamokangla's second magic core.

Every hatchling had set their sights on it the moment it was dug out, but Agatha had spoken afterward, forcing them all to give up.

Now that she could have a bite, she would go. Why wouldn't she?

[Shuffle, shuffle~]

Hmm?

Footsteps behind me?

He turned his head and glanced back from the corner of his eye.

A raised, chubby little black claw froze in midair. An stopped walking and quietly met Chaos's backward glance.

So she followed me. His Dragon Jaws spread in a pleased grin. Chaos looked away and continued forward.

He reached the riverbank and set the stone down. Looking at Black Coal Ball, who had followed him, he grinned and pointed a claw at the platform.

"Hollow this out into a Stone Pot. I'll prepare the ingredient."

If you want to mooch a meal, how could I let you get away without doing some work?

An: ...

Watching Chaos turn and step into the water by the riverbank, she hesitated before lowering her head toward the stone platform.

A hint of conflict appeared in her black slit pupils.

After a brief hesitation, she extended her claws.

Crack, crack!

Listening to the sounds behind him, Chaos was thoroughly satisfied.

This Black Coal Ball knew what was good for her.

All right, time to prepare the ingredient.

He looked at the heart in front of him. Cut it into chunks?

No, no, slices would be better.

He extended a claw. Its sharp tip lightly traced across the heart, opening a neat cut as easily as slicing tofu.

First, he cut it in half, then sliced it.

He left the finished slices soaking directly in the pool.

"Chaos, Chaos, is there anything I can do?"

Feeny's voice came from above his head.

"No need. Just eat as much as you like later, Feeny."

"All right."

"Then can we form a contract after we eat?" (Expectant.)

His slicing paused. Why did this little fairy keep thinking about that? Trying to catch me off guard, huh?

"Ah, uh, mm-hmm~" (Noncommittal.)

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Feeny cheered happily, flapping her little wings as she flew in small circles.

Wonderful! Chaos finally agreed to sign a contract with me.

Wait, I didn't actually agree to anything. How did this little fairy get so happy all of a sudden?

No, I need to think of something fast.

Otherwise, actually signing a contract with an ordinary little fairy would be far too much of a loss.

His brain raced.

Got it. A powerful person once said that balance was the foundation of all things.

And right now, Feeny clearly lacked someone to balance her out.

He looked at the little figure happily circling through the air before him.

"Feeny, could you do me a favor?"

The little figure stopped circling. She fluttered over to Chaos's head and looked at him expectantly.

"Mm-hmm~"

"Whatever you need me to do, just say it, Chaos. We're friends!"

Feeny patted her chest with a little hand and gazed eagerly at Chaos. Her blue eyes looked so pure and innocent.

Chaos: ...

His dead conscience seemed to stir again.

"Well, um... Feeny, you know we need fire to cook hot pot, right? We don't have any fire here. Could you go find Agatha?"