Chapter 18: News
In the morning, a letter from the capital reached Marissa's office. It was from Count Evesys, requesting the return of Rebecca and her companions to Evesys House. Marissa promptly called her new knights to discuss the situation.
"Rebecca, I've received a letter from Evesys House asking for your return, and they want your friends to accompany you. What do you think? Oh, and where's Nana?"
"Are you going to hand us over?" Cecile asked, concerned. "Nana's at home. I think she caught a cold. Does she have to come?"
It wasn't really a cold. Nana was utterly exhausted after Hiro's relentless play the entire night. She was so sensitive now that even walking made her moan. Hiro felt a bit guilty, but he was done with her using him as a fantasy tool for Alex.
"Not at all," Marissa reassured. "I've already registered you as my knights. I have no intention of handing you over to your house. I just wanted to clarify—none of you plan to return to House Evesys or the Kingdom of Latvin, correct?"
"Absolutely not," Rebecca said firmly. "Count Evesys wanted to kill us to take our symbiotes. I would like Kingdom Litmus to protect us."
"That's despicable," Marissa said with disgust. "Here in Litmus, stealing symbiotes is a crime of the highest order." She began writing a reply. "Well then, let's refuse them."
As Marissa wrote, Hiro slithered out from Rebecca and curled around Marissa's neck, curious about the letter. Marissa glanced at him briefly and returned to her writing before pointing to a nearby box. "Clarissa and Maroon defeated several pangolins and collected their scales. Could you turn them into ores?"
Without hesitation, Hiro extended his tentacles from Rebecca, opened the box himself, and absorbed the scales. After processing them, he handed 80% of the raw ore back to Marissa, keeping a portion for himself. He had plans to forge a sword for Cecile later.
"Come on, Hiro..." Rebecca complained, thinking Hiro was being rude. Marissa, however, just smiled.
"I wonder if a wild symbiote will ever come to me," Marissa mused. "It seems nice to have a lifelong partner, doesn't it? I didn't even know wild symbiotes existed."