A small leafy buddy ran through the tall, leafy grass until it reached a path with a polished stone floor. The little one used his arms to climb onto the floor and nearly slipped but rose up anyway. It almost lost the ivory feather it held in its small leaf hands, but it was only a fright.

That leafy buddy was unique. Its shape wasn't like the others, resembling more like a human-like figure than the usual leaf shape. But it wasn't by chance because it was none other than... Mine! Well, it wasn't him, properly speaking, but an extension of his essence. That unique leafy buddy was similar to Agarath's puppets. 

Who could guess the prey would learn from their predator so effortlessly? Of course, Mine did the spell blindfolded, and, unlike Agarath, he couldn't stay awake while controlling the leafy buddy remotely.

Still, the leafy buddy was perfectly functioning and walking along the polished stone floor, almost close to a bush. Shiny leaves contrasted with his vibrant hue, but he blended well among the flower buds and leaves.

Voices, one stern and the other gentle, sounded near Mine. The unique leafy being jumped into the nearest bush and blended among the leaves, still able to see the road.

Two gargoyles passed by and continued on their way. Their talk was hard to listen to, but their intonations told it wasn't something concerning. Maybe they were talking about their day. Who knows? When they were far from Mine, he tilted his body outside the bush and scanned his surroundings. Nothing odd was found, but something useful was spotted: one of the statues Eden indicated on the map. The marble statue of a beautiful lady with flowing details pointed in a direction compatible with the earlier gargoyles' route. Without thinking much, Mine followed the direction the statue was pointing and arrived at the next statue, identical to the previous one. It pointed in another direction, and Mine, avoiding curious butterflies and nosy beetles, followed the path until reaching another statue.

At this point, Mine wondered how long he would follow the statues and whether this path was true. However, his doubts were soon resolved at the two statues ahead. Mine interrupted his walking and gasped when he examined the statues' details. They were the statues he saw the first time with Agarath! Also, the corridor was identical!

When Mine was about to place Zophiel's feather on one of the statues, the two gargoyles from earlier came. They were patrolling the corridor, each holding a spear and mumbling something. Mine quickly hid in a flower pot before their eyes laid on his leaf body.

The gargoyle on the right had a large scar on its face, and one of its wings seemed to have been torn off, and perhaps that was why it was patrolling on the ground and not in the air like other gargoyles of that type. The other gargoyle on the left had a peaceful appearance despite the large fangs showing. However, like the other, one of its wings was injured.

"Honestly, I wanted to go back to the castle. I don't understand how the Consort sent us to that guy," the scarred gargoyle grumbled, placing the spear aside.

"Don't be upset. The Consort sent us here for a reason," the friendly gargoyle smiled. "Besides, he just told us to stay in this garden and -------"

The last part Mine couldn't hear due to a lizard that almost swallowed him in the flower pot. Having to use a little bit of speed, Mine climbed the red, exuberant flower until he was practically visible but invisible to the eyes of the lizard and the gargoyles. 

Such a nuisance. Mine grumbled, paying attention to the gargoyles' conversation again.

"Agarath is furious... I've never seen that demon so upset like that," the scarred gargoyle scratched its head.

"The angel damaged him and his subordinate. It's no wonder he's so mad," the friendly gargoyle sighed. "The angel's bullet and Chronos' surprise attack weakened him too much, but he still insists on getting the boy."

"Pff... Holed up in the room as he is? He doesn't even have the strength to command the mansion's illusions! Imagine capturing the boy," the scarred gargoyle scoffed, sticking its spear in the grass. "Agarath only barks, but the way he is, he doesn't bite anymore."

What?! Mine gasped, unfortunately not feeling his skin crawl, but he could imagine his human body's hair standing at that fact. What does it mean? He leaned forward, confused and curious.

The friendly gargoyle smiled and looked at the statue. "The boy was smart to attack him, but that only angered him even more... by the way, does he already know about Eden?"

"The snake? Tsk, don't even think of saying that," the scarred gargoyle clicked its tongue. "Let Madame find out. He's crossing a dangerous line," it grumbled.

So he's hurt... Mine thought, feeling a little hope fill his cellulose heart.

"The Consort is still in the room, right?" The friendly gargoyle asked.

"Yes, things must be bad," the scarred gargoyle commented, glancing at the beginning of the corridor. "The Consort rarely appears anywhere but in the castle... I wonder what Agarath did to evoke his presence."

The reason Agarath suddenly disappeared with Eden's appearance must have been because of the Consort's arrival! Knowing a little about the demon's profile, he wouldn't leave his prey free and loose in the garden after cornering them. And that's more: not only did the keychain disappear, but also those sinister vines with flowers that dispersed pheromones. That crack was too abrupt, and if Eden had had support from the puppets - probably hidden on the large tea table - perhaps the demon's venture should have been a success.

From what he had heard from the gargoyles, the Consort was a secretive being. So, his presence, specifically in Agarath's room, certainly meant something bigger was happening. 

Dear Lord... if you're listening to my pleas... don't let my situation turn any worse than it already is... Also, Consort... Thank you for being here! Mine silently prayed. 

The Consort could be a good distraction so they could get into Agarath's room and escape through the mansion. Or, perhaps they would exorcize the demon with the help of the Consort? Mine had several ideas, but none fit into the scenario. After placing Zophiel's feather on the flower pot, Mine sighed, relieved. However, his attention turned to the gargoyles again, wielding their spears and staring at the poor professor.

Mine scrambled in the flower's bush and dodged a spear thrust that almost pierced his leaf body. Another thrust nearly turned him into a kebab, and, luckily, he managed to jump out of there and blend into a bush again. By another stroke of luck, the lizard came out of the flower and passed by the feet of the scarred gargoyle, who let out a muffled scream.

"I told you it was nothing," the friendly gargoyle chuckled softly, patting its friend's back.

"Hmpf! Who knew it would just be a gecko..." the scarred gargoyle mumbled, hiding his startle.

"Let's go back to our post, now without the gecko. Hahahaha!" The friendly gargoyle couldn't help but burst into laughter.

That was really close! Mine thought, feeling his poor cellulose heart beating fast. I have to go back to the people and tell them of the way... Agarath was probably too weakened to pay attention to our movements. Therefore, he ordered several gargoyles to carry out aerial and ground patrols. He pondered, running towards the next bush to hide.

As he made his way back, Mine noticed that the number of gargoyles flying increased. However, no puppet was activated or had any remaining mana, which could be positive for the group. Between quick detours and impressive performances of a simple leaf carried by the wind, Mine finally managed to reach the cave entrance. With his little leafy buddy legs, he jumped towards the group who were looking worriedly at his body.

The unique leafy buddy collapsed on the ground, and the human Mine finally shuddered.