"Ah." Atomu blinked a couple of times, making a few noises. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you sound like the bad guy here."

"It's okay." Morio breathed out. "It's probably anything but that, or so I hope."

Atomu nodded, sighing. "If it attacks us again, though, Morio," he added. "We'll need to figure out a way to get rid of it for good." he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Hell yeah," he smirked, before treading towards the others.

"Oop! Ah!" Chyuuichi raised his voice, sliding around on the ice.

"Jyuzou, I think it was just a one-time-" Morio said, with his words cut off.

"Look closer." Jyuzou eyed Morio intensely.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Chyuuichi helped the annoyed Morian out of the water. He quickly dried himself out with a solid shake, flopping around in his big beige coat. He muttered something in Toric, glancing at Chyuuichi. He then waddled away, a bit cold. "Sorry," Chyuuichi repeated.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been sliding on the ice in the first place?," Atomu suggested, folding his arms.

"I didn't see him! Besides, who the hell just looks into some stupid holes in the lake in the middle of the day?" Chyuuichi raised his fist. "Don't ya have anything better to do?! Stupid Moratians."

"They weren't just looking." Jyuzou crouched. "When the lake freezes, fish come up from its deeper holes and rest near the ice. The Morians living here use that occasion to dig out these small holes with hammers." Jyuzou reached into the water, squinting his eyes, but didn't pull anything out. He sighed, standing up. "They have to get food one way or another."

"You know about animals too?" Atomu asked.

"Yeah," Jyuzou replied.

"I thought you were more of a flora guy."

"That's the whole point. I'm full of surprises." Jyuzou smirked, shaking off the water from his glove.

"Ooh." Chyuuichi smiled. "You're smart!"

"Late observation," Jyuzou added, pointing at him.

"Take. A. Compliment!" Morio smacked him three times.

"Okay, let's calm down with all that," Atomu muttered, a bit weakened and scared of their future quarrels. "We have to focus on finding shelter for the night."

"Why don't we just go across the lake and up the river into Magna?" Jyuzou asked.

"The further you go, the thinner the ice. I thought you'd know that." Morio said.

"Then why don't we go around?" signalled Chyuuichi, as Morio gave him a strange look.

"We'll lose another day to that, and we'd be late for the exam if we took a roundabout path," Atomu said, putting his hand on a bag he carried under his shoulder. "The lake will unfreeze during the night, right?" he looked at Morio. "We could take the boats then."

"Yep! Bruno told us that the skies are clear for the next few days, and I suppose we can ask around as well!" Morio raised his voice. "These two were nice, I'm sure the others here would let us in, eh?"

The three looked at him.

"Eh? Eh?" Morio stepped around.

"Think about it, Morio." Jyuzou put his hand on his nose. "If that moron over there-" he pointed to Chyuuichi, who waved in his direction. "-already pushed a Morian into the water, then the news will spread around like snow on the valleys."

"Oh." Morio stepped back.

You could say that a lot of what Jyuzou said was half-true. Yes, the Morians around the lake were very chatty, but were also prepared for the occasional fall or two while 'fishing'. Either way, it was still a good enough reason for the same Morian to point at the confused Mirillian while gossiping with others from their house.

"Why don't we just sleep outside?" Chyuuichi asked, fixing his scarf.

Atomu turned to him. "That's... wow."

"Hey, if we survived all that from last night, then surely, a team like us would be able to handle something like that."

"Again, calling us a team. Do you think-" Morio covered Jyuzou's mouth.

"Come on, I mean it!" Chyuuichi jumped up. "We can light a campfire, eat some food, talk about nice stories, sleep for a bit and then set out against a shining moon!"

"...and the night lights?" Morio asked.

"AND THE NIGHT LIGHTS!" Chyuuichi yelled out, fist-bumping Morio.

Jyuzou turned around, crossing his arms.

"Still, especially considering last night-" Atomu continued. "It might not be the wisest of ideas to sleep in the open."

"We can take turns in who's awake and who sleeps!" Morio said.

"Or even not sleep at all!" Chyuuichi pointed. "If yer that scared!"

Jyuzou wanted to say something, but Morio's mean glance led to him rolling his eyes.

"I'm not scared." Atomu looked to the side. "Concerned, that's a better word."

"C-concerned." Jyuzou struggled with the said word. "...and I thought I wouldn't witness anyone agreeing to the plans of someone like him." Jyuzou closed his eyes. "I guess a broken clock is right twice a day!"

Jyuzou's statement didn't consider the fact that Chyuuichi could not read a clock.

***

As soon as the sun started setting, the two actively looked out for a spot to rest for the few upcoming hours. They glanced around the snowdrifts, and nearby the houses, however, the very unwelcome stares of the Morians around quickly killed that idea. They settled on a rather neat copse, with a few bushes, not too far from the water and not too close to Lapida.

If you stepped out from between the crowns, you'd see the White Mountains, extending into the far distance of Shimori, split by uneven forests, hills and valleys. Some were covered in snow, and some remained a rock grey, sliding down. From atop, you could surely see the entirety of Magna, as well as the stretching peaks of Lot Thúrum, and finally, Mount Aria.

...and as Chyuuichi mentioned earlier, they started a fire. Despite earlier shenanigans, Jyuzou was very keen on making supper, so he silently took care of the fire, as the others observed. When the lights sparked, Jyuzou backed out, offering only the pot from his backpack, waiting for the others to start brewing.

"Wow! Where'd ya get that from?" Chyuuichi asked, reaching his hand out towards the pot, sitting on a snowy log.

"Mm!" Jyuzou put his hands on it. "I got it from my own home. It always belonged to me."

"Ooh! You gotta lend it to me someday!" Chyuuichi continued.

"Lend it?" Jyuzou raised an eyebrow. "Last time you borrowed Bullion seeds we ended up getting chased by some otherworldly monster!"

"Jyuzou..." Atomu muttered, raising his hand in defeat.

"Well!" Chyuuichi nodded. "But the Belfer team managed to win against the odds!"

"It's bullion!" Jyuzou yelled out. "We'll be needing Bullion seeds for our stew!"

"Belfer's a better name." Morio smiled, clearly trying to take a jab at Jyuzou, who felt like he lost his pride with each minute that passed.

Atomu simply closed his eyes in a forced peace, trying to disconnect from the others.

In turn, Chyuuichi seemed to quickly catch on.

"Ya! What's yer name, since it's either that I forgot, or ya haven't said a word."

Atomu sighed, opening one eye. "It's A-Atomu," he replied, hesitating for a moment.

"'Kay, then!" Chyuuichi clapped his hands together. "Atam, ya'll be the leader of our team!"

"What?!" Atomu looked mortified.

Jyuzou squinted his eyes. "You let this happen. Let's get on with the stew already-"

"It took me quite a while to decide if yer worthy of the title I bestowed upon myself in the first place, but yer the oldest here!" Chyuuichi continued. "I think."

"Wow. Chyuuichi said exactly what everyone's been thinking!" Morio pointed.

Atomu nervously played around with a strand of his hair. "I'm not no leader..."

Jyuzou made a strange noise. "I'm hungry..." he whispered.

"Then, was I wrong?" Chyuuichi asked. "How old are ya guys?" he turned to the Morians.

"We're both eleven, and he's nineteen!" Morio quickly added,

"Yep, then I was right on that one!" Chyuuichi put his hands on his waist. "I'm sixteen... or fifteen... I think!"

"You don't even know your age?" Jyuzou asked, before turning to Atomu. "...and did you just ignore that Chyuuichi used the wrong name?" he muttered.

"Morin!" Chyuuichi pointed.

"Hm?" Morio turned.

"Ya'll be the leader, then!"

Jyuzou growled, putting his hand near the pot. Maybe it was hunger and Chyuuichi combined that aggravated him.

"Really?" Morio asked, with a gleam in his eyes.

"Yep! Or, wait. How old are ya again?"

"You know what? Fine." Jyuzou stood up. "I'll go make the food myself since I'm dying from hunger and the rest of you seemed to be caught up with this idiot's words!" he yelled out.

"N-No one talked about food." Atomu blinked.

"I did!" Jyuzou smirked, sarcastically. "A brew won't brew without a stew! I don't need to be a part of his shenanigans!" he said, turning on his heel, and walking towards the other copses, repeating the same words. "A brew won't brew without a stew!"

Morio sighed. "Damn that Jyuzou."

"Kids, am I right, Atam?" he pushed him around with his elbow, and Atomu was uncomfortable.

***

The night settled in, and Jyuzou wandered around, with Morio looking back and making sure he was still there. As promised, he picked up some seeds and smashed them into the pot, but sometimes stopped, reading either book.

As for the other three, Chyuuichi entertained them, as his shadow was cast on a tree behind him.

"...and there I was, sitting in the middle of the biggest bar in Wendigo, squeezing between all the drunks!"

"Aren't you a bit too young to drink?" Atomu asked. "Not that I'd... reprimand you or anything."

"I wasn't drinking, just listening to stories, getting some Silver-"

"Stealing!" Morio pointed.

"It wasn't stealing, okay?" Chyuuichi explained, with a beam. "I was just borrowing some things. I even asked them if it was right beforehand, and they smiled! I don't know why they even got angry at me in the first place!"

Atomu covered his face.

"Then, the stories?" Morio asked, as his eyes shone, full of curiosity.

"Stories? STORIES! Right! They all mentioned this big man in town, riding on his black horse, covered with a white hat, and he outdrank all the other Paladians! As a Morian! He's kind of a legend there, ya know? He steps in when every man is fainted, and then proves to everyone that no matter how many beers he chugs down, he won't be stopped. No one knows his name, no one knows his face! Just his mouth and beer belly!"

"Have you seen him?" Morio inched closer.

Atomu opened his mouth a bit.

"No! But I'm sure he's out there, carrying the stench of this town by night!"

"I'd like to meet him one day!" Morio announced.

"You're eleven!" Atomu stated.

"I'll be old enough in the future, though!" The Morian added, and the Paladian sighed. "Mentioning Paladians, aren't you a Mirillian, Chyuuichi?" he pointed.

"Oh, oh! I'm a Mirillian, yes!" Chyuuichi said, touching his ears. "I think!"

"You think?" Atomu raised his eyebrows, snickering.

"Huh!" Morio stepped back. "Tell me about it!"

Atomu turned, a little surprised. "I thought you knew a bit more. You know, considering you recognized one in the Edge Silver Line."

"What's a Mirillian, like, huh?" Chyuuichi scratched his non-existent beard. "Huuuh..."

At the same time, Jyuzou came back with the black pot, filled with chopped-up ingredients, and placed it above the fire.

"They're-" Chyuuichi was interrupted.

"They're a race known for being the worst people out there." he fixed his glasses, sitting down and smirking. "They willingly separated themselves from the others because they didn't like the sun." he sat down, putting his hands on his knees. "Now they just sit in those stupid caves and mine, mine, mine, like all their other purpose was lost."

"Huh." Chyuuichi looked at Jyuzou, frowning. "That's not true, we're much more than that!" Chyuuichi beamed.