Ty is suddenly tackled as she dives into his arms, giving him a hug and stating, "I thought something bad had happened to you!"


    "Haha, definitely had a lot of stuff go on, so I do apologize for my dy ining back."


    "Did you really wait here all day and night for me?"


    "Nu no... I slept at the Inn Manor and came here as soon as day broke. They wouldn''t let mee out because," she stated in a mocking tone, "the olddy said, ''Little girls shouldn''t be out overnight, just because we have guards. There are always bad people doing bad things.'' But I can take care of myself."


    "Otherwise, I would have waited for you."


    "Aw th—"


    Cutting Ty off, "Because your dumbass would probably get lost and find yourself in another mess. So, I had to give up my sleep."


    Ty, a bit shocked, rubs the top of his head, stating, "Well, thanks. I will have to make it up to you for ruining your sleep."


    Nana nods with an excited look on her face, stating, "Yes, you will have to take me out to dinner a second time. Or is it a third time already?"


    "At this rate, I''m going to owe you an infinite amount, huh?"


    "Sounds fine to me," she states, with both her arms at her side, looking up towards the sky. "But we really should be getting back to Todd. The ceremony is starting soon, so we might be able to get some ideas of where to find the Cross-Link de."


    "About that, I actually found out where that is already," Ty states with a nk face.


    "Wh-what were you up to thest day?"


    "It''s a long story like I said, but she wanted me to watch the ceremony, so we should still attend, however."


    "''She?'' Who is this ''she''?" Nana asks, a bit shocked.


    "How did you run into a ''she'' while chasing a bandit? Was the bandit a she?" She was slightly pulling Ty''s pant leg, demanding answers as her cheeks were slightly flushed pink in curiosity.


    "Haha, no. Let''s go get Todd, and we can discuss it from there."


    "Ugh, fine. He''s probably still sleeping, though."


    "That does sound like him, I guess."


    Walking past the bridge, as people walked to and from, a crow perched on a pir about a mile away with a crimson eye watched Ty and Nana before flying off.


    As Ty and Nana had strolled towards the Inn Manor, the rustic charm of the rural kingdom had unfolded around them. The cobblestone streets, lined with traditional shops, had provided glimpses into the daily lives of the locals, blending subtly with the asional high-tech oddity. The contrast was captivating, seamlessly melding the past with the present.


    Above them, a giant train, a sleek symbol of technological progress, had whizzed past, drawing Ty''s eyes skyward. Their conversation had meandered, touching lightly on the sights and sounds around them—ament on a quirky gadget here, a sharedugh about an artisan''s creation there.


    As they had approached the Inn Manor, it stood nestledfortably in this eclectic setting. Its weing presence had been a fitting conclusion to their walk.


    An olddy had stood at the front, giving Nana a slight bow. "It is nice to meet you, youngdy. I see you found who you were looking for, is that right?" she asked gently.


    "Ye-yes, ma''am," Nana had responded with a slight bow, her voice tinged with nerves.


    Ty, observing them both awkwardly, had performed a slight bow himself, bringing his hands to his sides before leaning over slightly. "Nice to meet you as well?" he said, his tone questioning.


    "I assume you were watching over Lady Nanako while I was dealing with an... issue," Ty had continued, dragging out thest bit, hinting at not wanting to delve too deeply into what happened, especially not to the olddy.


    "Yes, it was expected that you and your group would being this route, so I was instructed to ensure your group makes a safe passage in. Pleasee in and get some lunch so you have a full stomach for tonight''s ceremony," the olddy had said kindly.


    "Thank you," Ty had noted as they both walked in past the wooden doors. Streams of blue ran across the walls, leading to bulbs of light and other gears that lit up.


    "Wow, this ce is a bit fancy, isn''t it," Ty had stated with a bit of shock, taking in the unique blend of technology and traditional decor.


    The olddy simply nodded, stating, "It''se a long way since I was a youngling. Most of this stuff is new from thest 40 years or so, thanks to a new smart generation of kids that managed to use the magic of some of their weapons for something other than fighting.


    They even managed to use rocks from the ground to make other marvels like the flying train."


    "That sure is impressive for a short time," Ty remarked.


    A knock came at the door, and Ty stood up, saying, "I will go ahead and get it."


    Upon opening the door, Ty found the beautiful woman he had encountered at the camp not long ago. He asked with a hint of skepticism, "Are you a hologram again, or are you really here?"


    The woman,ughing softly, walked in and stated, "It is indeed myself. I wanted toe and see the youngdy for myself."


    Nana, following behind Ty, stated bluntly, "You know I''m not actually royalty or from any noble house, right?"


    The next three hours passed as Ty detailed the events of his day, from catching the Thief and his connection with the Clovers to meeting the Demon King''s Daughter.


    After he finished recounting the events, Ty asked if there were any questions.


    Todd, putting hisrge hand up, stated, "So this voice you hear, it calls for you to act in a more violent way. I believe it. Back on Alexira, when I first met you as your skeletal self, you had an intense aura standing over the dead body of my boss."


    Nana nodded in confirmation, showing her red hand and scar, and said, "Yeah, I guess I should count myself lucky I wasn''t killed."


    Ty nodded in agreement, reflecting on his experiences. "I''m not sure what''s changed, but as I''ve grown stronger, I think I''ve been able to resist the urges it ces on me. However, when I was fighting Thunder p, it directly willed me into killing him."


    Nana interjected, "It probably would have been the smarter action. Now, someone in the world knows you are a skeleton."


    "Yeah, I was just focused on not giving the voice what it wanted," Ty admitted.


    He then pondered the implications of his unique situation. "Back in my world, media usually didn''t show many good oues of sharing a body with a voice that tells you to kill others. It even asked to borrow my body."


    Curious, Nana asked, "Also, you said the Demon King''s daughter drugged you with some medication? How did she even give it to you again?"


    "Oh, yeah. She, uh, gave it to me by surprise and shoved it down my skeletal mouth."


    "Ah, okay," Nana replied, digesting this new information.


    "Any ideas on what to do if it does take over my body? Even if for a bit, I can''t promise the damage it will do. As you both now know, just its influence fluctuates my power insanely," Ty pondered, concern evident in his tone.


    Todd, snapping his fingers, offered an insight. "Well, it seems like the creature inside of you, if you aren''t just secretly going insane, wants bloodlust. So, for whatever reason, something pushes you to this point, we should just focus on keeping your attention on the right enemy, I believe."


    "I agree," Ty conceded. "Let''s hope no more fighting urs, but I should really stop saying that because every time I do, something pops up."


    Moments passed before they both agreed, "You do have a knack for being around danger."But in the meantime, we can –


    A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and Ty stood up, stating, "I will go ahead and get it."


    Opening the door, Ty was surprised to find the beautiful woman he had encountered at the camp not too long ago. "Are you a hologram again, or are you really here?" he asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.


    The woman gave a softugh before walking in, stating, "It is indeed myself. I wanted toe and see the youngdy for myself."