Thoughts had barely begun to take shape in Tetsu no Sosuke's mind before fresh knowledge crashed in and scattered them. His head soon ached terribly.
Shinobu Kocho sat beside him, silently watching his brows knit together. Before long, she was frowning too.
She wasn't frowning because she shared Tetsu no Sosuke's troubles.
It was because... nature was calling!
She had eaten and drunk earlier. Now her body had digested what it needed, and the rest had to come out.
But... where could she go?
She looked around, feeling terribly awkward.
They weren't out in the wilderness. When she and Tetsu no Sosuke worked together, this sort of thing happened sometimes, but out there she could hide in the bushes or behind a tree. Tetsu no Sosuke was a gentleman and always kept his distance, so it had never been too embarrassing.
But now...
He was absorbed in studying Mechanism Arts. What if he suddenly heard some strange noises... and came looking for the source?
Shinobu Kocho's face burned red at the thought.
If that happened, how could she ever face him again?
Worse, the ground here was far too flat. Anything she did would feel awkward... especially if the floor happened to slope.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she grew, and the stronger the urge became.
At last, she couldn't bear it anymore. Seeing that Tetsu no Sosuke hadn't noticed her, she quietly edged away.
Tetsu no Sosuke looked utterly focused, even pained. He had no idea what she was doing, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
But no matter where she looked, she couldn't find a suitable spot. All she could do was head somewhere as secluded as possible.
She passed several furnaces and workbenches, then crouched to test the spot. Once she