Returning from the spectacle, Konehl-Ghervil was undoubtedly fuming.
Genipa-Berber, the mayor of this small town, was nothing short of an obstinate old man.
He refused to believe their encounter with prairie lizards on the road, dismissed the guards’ wicked deeds, and even doubted Esli’s knightly status.
He adamantly declared the town the safest place in the desert, insisting no lizard dragons would ever venture there.
His concern for them paled in comparison to his preoccupation with Sausy-Alamany, the madman who had stolen his cane and shoes.
The old man wasn’t entirely without merit; he lacked the airs typically associated with a mayor.
In response to Sali’s lecture-like pronouncements, he simply covered his ears and feigned deafness.
It was only when a commotion arose from the woods that he summoned a few men to pursue the madman, vowing to lock him in his doghouse for the night.
Thus, their first meeting concluded on a rather unpleasant note.
****
Back in their room at Kus House, Konehl-Ghervil asked Esli to heat a large basin of water on the coal stove, then sprawled on the bed to inventory all her belongings.
The pouch Dowo-Hawk had given her contained seventeen Trin Gold Coins, one of which was spent on roasted camel, and the silver coins for three nights in two guest rooms amounted to nearly half a gold coin.
Next was the satchel she had carried from the beginning.
Pulling it from within her robe, the absence of a metallic clink sent a shiver of dread through her.
Holding up the oil lamp, she discovered a five-centimeter tear at the bottom.
Still unwilling to accept it, she opened the satchel and shook it from both sides.
Gone, all gone.
Only a useless notebook tumbled out.
The gold and silver coins originally in the satchel were far fewer than those in the pouch.
Yet, it was her own money, regardless.
‘Even a mosquito, however small, is still meat.’
If one meal cost a gold coin, and she ate twice a day, the remaining money would last about a week.
Prices here were double those in the city, so even if a meal didn’t cost a full gold coin, it wouldn’t last long.
Once it ran out, she would be left with nothing but thin air.
Of course, she had no desire to linger here.
But who would ever complain about having too much money?
“The water is ready.”
Amidst her gloom, she heard a voice from outside.
After asking Esli to pour the hot water into a large wooden tub and adding a measured amount of cold water, she thanked her, then stripped and submerged herself for a bath.
Thanks to Burdurka Town having an oasis, water wasn’t an overly scarce resource; this tub cost only sixty-five Denarii, which was an acceptable expense.
Since sleep was out of the question, a bath was an excellent way to restore her energy.
****
The collection of materials had proceeded rather smoothly.
Most hospital departments had them in stock.
Following Govet’s instructions, Callan left the room, returning half an hour later when the potion was prepared, to find a thick, black, bubbling liquid on the table.
“Are you really going to drink this?”
She approached it hesitantly.
“It’s a pity you lack the talent and power for dreams, otherwise this wouldn’t be so troublesome,” Govet, clearly disdainful, stood far from the potion, covering her nose with her large tail, her voice muffled and airy.
“The principle is to make you enter a dream and connect with the target person’s dream, achieving a sort of ‘possession’ effect. You’ll then be able to see what she sees and converse with her.”
“This potion grants you temporary dream power, allowing you to actively enter a dream, and I will handle the connection.”
As she drew closer, Callan instinctively covered her mouth and nose.
It was an atrociously sour smell, merely inhaling it brought on dry retching.
“If you can’t drink it, then give up. I will destroy the potion,” Govet advised, leaping onto her shoulder.
“No, I want to clarify some things,” Callan declared, her gaze firm as it turned towards the bed.
The bed was quite large, more than spacious enough for two people.
Her original plan had been to stay in this room, constantly tending to the other.
However, plans often fell victim to unforeseen circumstances.
“Then remember what I instructed you to say.”
After giving her orders, Govet jumped to the middle of the bed, positioning herself as a dividing line.
This would ensure a certain distance between them.
With it there, how could anyone allow one sister to have intimate contact with another?
Opening the window to let in a breeze, the room’s odor dissipated slightly.
Picking up the bottle, Callan didn’t hesitate, pinching her nose and downing the liquid in one gulp.
The taste was far worse than the smell.
Its viscosity rivaled honey.
Her brows furrowed, and she clamped her mouth shut, desperately trying to prevent herself from vomiting.
Swallowing it with difficulty, the potion’s effects manifested swiftly.
In less than half a minute, her vision blurred with double images.
Driven by sheer willpower, she dragged her body to the bedside, collapsing into the space Govet had reserved for her.
Her consciousness gradually drifted into a void.
Images reappeared before her eyes: a dim room illuminated by candlelight, where ‘she’ seemed to be in a damp wooden tub.
Her hearing and sight were normal, but she lacked touch, as if her body didn’t exist.
After adapting, Callan attempted to perceive her surroundings using only her two available senses.
A faint splashing sound.
It originated from a position slightly below and in front of her line of sight.
The splashes and ripples slowly subsided.
She saw a face with coiled hair reflected on the water’s surface.
Descending further, the owner of this face wore no clothes, glistening water droplets adorned her skin, and the unforgettable complexion she remembered gradually became clear and distinct.
‘Konehl-Ghervil is taking a bath!?’
Agitation surged, accompanied by a profound sense of guilt.
Previously, she had only seen this during Konehl-Ghervil’s narcoleptic episodes.
Her actions then would not have been known.
Of course, she had never done anything inappropriate; she had even squeezed her eyes shut tightly when inserting a catheter, and similarly when cleaning areas that shouldn’t be seen or touched.
Now, it was different.
She couldn’t close her eyes.
This was the first time she was seeing it in a conscious state.
A hazy, forbidden beauty.
Both exquisite and inviolable.
Anyone would be captivated by it…
After her moment of awe, she began to ponder.
Should she make a sound?
If she spoke, they would both become aware of each other’s presence, and both would know what the other was doing.
The scene before her would vanish.
But she only had fifteen minutes.
Time was precious.
‘I wonder if she’ll be angry…’
****
In the real world, noticing no movement for a while, Govet opened her eyes to check on the situation.
Seeing blood trickle from the blonde woman’s nostrils, it felt a pang of regret for having helped.
As the connector, it could hear the dream’s dialogue, but seeing the visuals required more power, and it could only sustain that for about a minute.
Shaking its head, it closed its eyes and focused on the connection.
“Konehl-Ghervil?”
Callan ultimately decided to call out softly.
“You called my name, is something the matter?”
Konehl-Ghervil mistakenly thought it was Esli from the next room.
Yet, the identity she was currently using was Govet.
“No one called you, you must have misheard,” a voice drifted from next door.
‘Who was that?’
Recalling carefully, the voice was quite familiar.
“It’s me.”
“Callan?”
Leaning forward and sitting upright, revealing more of herself above the water, Konehl-Ghervil incredulously sought to confirm the source of the voice.
In Callan’s vision, the sway of certain parts caused by this movement rendered her almost speechless.
“Your sister… Govet… it helped me briefly connect here.” She hadn’t forgotten Govet’s instructions.
“Let me be clear, I wasn’t intentionally hiding anything.”
Konehl-Ghervil immediately grew wary.
“It’s a royal decree; you cannot deduct my pay.”
‘When in doubt, blame the royal family; no one can do anything to them anyway.’
“That depends on your performance then.”
“…”
‘How stingy.’
Konehl-Ghervil decided it was best not to discuss money with this person.
“Sister Govet… you must have paid a price for it to agree to help, right?”
“No, we get along very well. There hasn’t been a single conflict. It offered to help voluntarily.”
“That’s good then…”
Konehl-Ghervil let out a slight sigh of relief, but quickly sensed something amiss.
“You didn’t offer food in exchange?”
Govet’s instructions hadn’t covered how to answer such a question, leaving Callan momentarily flustered.
“Not much was used, within reasonable limits.”
This was the answer she formulated after a moment of consideration.
“We are currently staying on your territory?”
“Yes, a completely safe place, devoid of any danger.”
“Do you know it calls you a pervert?” Konehl-Ghervil pressed further.
“Did it? I never heard it. Govet wouldn’t curse…”
She had her answer.
Given Callan’s proud nature, if she knew someone was calling her that, she would never speak calmly, much less help explain it away.
Moreover, if it was a safe place and they got along well, why wait a whole day to use this method of contact?
Splash!
She rose furiously from the wooden tub, sending a spray of water everywhere.
The girl in the candlelight smirked coldly.
“When you wake up, tell it to prepare itself. The Konehl-Ghervil family rules have been finalized…”
****
In the real world.
Blood once again streamed from Callan’s nostrils.
Govet opened its eyes, its heart filled with despair.
“I knew I shouldn’t have bothered!”