A Tea Party in a Dream

Returning to the traditional dwelling, this vast palace occupying the entire mountain seems to be perpetually spring-like.

"I'm back." Bai Mo said as he opened the door, but the sight before him startled him, and he almost instinctively took a step back. Chiyome was kneeling in the entryway, her head slightly bowed, saying:

"Welcome back, let me help you change your shoes."

"No need, what are you doing?"

Bai Mo helped Chiyome up from the wooden floor, changing her shoes into slippers as he did so. Seeing the inexplicable disappointment in Chiyome's eyes, Bai Mo felt his nerves, which had just been tormented by Yog and Nyarlathotep, begin to twitch.

"I told you, he didn't like it."

Shi's pure white figure appeared in the entryway, waved to Bai Mo, and smiled, "Welcome back."

Looking at Shiki's serene yet joyful smile, and then at Chiyome, Bai Mo sighed deeply.

The hot pot was steaming on the table, and plates of brightly colored ingredients were arranged around it. Bai Mo handed the sauce he had prepared to Shi.

"Come and sit down, I've also prepared some Japanese sashimi."

"Thanks."

"So what happened just now?"

Bai Mo looked at Chiyome and asked with a hint of helplessness.

"Soldiers who have just returned from the battlefield deserve sufficient relaxation, both physically and mentally, and... I don't dislike it."

Chiyome took small bites of the tuna sashimi, and the delicious taste made her eyes light up.

"This child is surprisingly diligent; at least she does a great job with all the chores around the house. The floor she wiped herself has a subtle, more lived-in feel to it than one that was tidyed up by hand. Considering that, I might as well prepare a guest room for her."

And also...

Shiki's eyes shifted to Chiyome, who then said to Bai Mo somewhat solemnly:

"No one eats without working. You have already been kind to me, and now that Chiyome has fulfilled her duties to the Mochizuki Clan, if you do not mind, please allow me to address you as 'My Lord'!"

Chiyome bowed her head solemnly, like a knight swearing allegiance. Bai Mo looked at Shiki beside her with a slight twitch, while the latter covered his face with his sleeve with a hint of schadenfreude.

"This is the loyalty and righteousness of the Warring States period, Bai Mo. What should we do? I've heard that abandoned wandering ninjas all meet tragic ends."

"Your description doesn't seem right at all..." After replying to Shi's words, Bai Mo helplessly got up and helped Chiyome up again.

"Lord or whatever... we are equals. There's no need to distinguish between us based on strength or anything else. As for those favors..."

"Please don't say things like 'gone with the wind.' For me, without you, I might still be struggling in the machinations of my family. Even crows know to feed their parents; though I am weak, I am willing to offer my life."

Looking at Chiyome's resolute gaze, as if she would simply vanish into thin air if rejected, Bai Mo couldn't bring himself to say anything like "let it all go." He thought to himself, "The values of the Warring States period are truly too cruel."

"All right."

With a sigh, Chiyome's face couldn't contain her joy.

"But please don't call me 'Lord' or anything like that... If you'd like, just call me Bai Mo, or Doctor, like before, it'll be easier that way."

Your life belongs to you, not to your family, nor to me. As for what happens here... after you finish cleaning, you're free to do as you please. You can go to the Lostbelt world or anywhere else, it's up to you."

For her, we have to take it slow. Some simple tasks are nothing to her. Since she wants to be here and Shi agrees, then it's fine to do it this way.

"But what happened just now must not happen again."

"Is that not allowed? I can put a chair in the entryway."

"No, what's the difference anyway..."

After dinner, Bai Mo sat cross-legged in the hot spring, eyes closed, constantly examining his mind. Abigail had previously said that most of the wisdom bestowed upon him by Yog -Sothoth had been cleansed.

That means there's still a portion left.

Although there are no immediate effects, Bai Mo is unknowingly aware of the extra things that have appeared in his mind, which makes him somewhat wary. He falls into deep meditation, and memories come crashing in like waves, each one clearly visible.

But there was nothing extra.

He checked several times, but it was still empty. Bai Mo frowned slightly. Although Yog Sothos probably wouldn't harm him, his intuition told him that this hidden knowledge was absolutely crucial.

"Was it because he had already lost consciousness that he did that?"

Thinking this, Bai Mo closed his eyes and simply went to sleep. He needed to resolve the issues of consciousness and memory as soon as possible; otherwise, the longer he delayed, the more likely things would go wrong.

A strange sensation washed over him. Bai Mo knew he was in a dream, but the realistic tactile sensations surprised him. Just as he was about to examine the dream more closely, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Bai Mo, are you asleep? I hope you have sweet dreams."

Abigail placed her hands behind her back and looked at Bai Mo with a gentle smile. Bai Mo was quite surprised to see this girl, who should be light-years away, suddenly appear in his dream.

"It's Abby, right?"

"It's me, not a product of your dream, but the real Abigail. Even though we're far apart, we can still communicate. Relax, this is your dream world, and I'll be here."

Abigail's tone was somewhat like her when she was a witch. As if she could see Bai Mo's worry, Abigail smiled slightly.

"Whichever one it is, it's me. But... if 'I' am summoned by Chaldea as Servant later, don't get confused. I'm Abigail, who's with you. Although your concern makes me happy, it seems you've come here for a reason."

"Yes, Abby, the knowledge you mentioned before."

"Well... knowledge changes with different ways of thinking, and everyone's understanding is very different. What is the ultimate knowledge? Perhaps we can only see it when we reach the end of everything."

However, it wasn't anything harmful; it was knowledge you'd derived from your own experience, which is why it wasn't taken away. Perhaps it's better to call it inspiration—it makes it easier to recall formulas when doing math problems, right?

"I see. Now that you say so, I'm relieved."

Bai Mo nodded, and then the surrounding scenery seemed to begin to blur. Abigail tilted her head and asked, "Are you leaving? It's been a short time."

"I'm going to bed now. Since it's harmless, I'll leave early. Although I don't get much sleep, I'll come to check on you from time to time."

Study hard, Abigail! Although I don't know much about those subjects, feel free to come to me anytime if you get bored.

"Okay, next time we meet, let's have a tea party. I'll decorate your dream nicely. There might be octopus tentacles or something else, do you like that?"

"Don't!"

Bai Mo's words echoed in the hot spring, and he felt as if he had been jolted awake from a nightmare. Looking at the familiar hot spring, he worried whether Abigail had heard him.