The next day, Lightning follows me down the same corridor to Lamant's study, with Lobo giving us space. He stops to sniff something on the floor, even when there's nothing there, more often than is necessary.
[Only a few minutes.] Lightning is insistent. [Then you PROMISED.]
[Yes, yes.]
Only a few minutes. Well, I can stall. I'm a master of stalling. I need to stall long enough to hear something from Lamant about the amulet and this oath.
Grumpily, Lightning waddles along, her belly rounder. She's gotten bigger, it seems. Her pregnancy seems to be happening at an accelerated rate. A disturbing thought occurs to me: Maybe System has sped it up!
I voice my observations. [The cubs are growing faster, aren't they?]
[Then we should be focusing all our energy on them. Apart from the silly old tournament. And not wandering around the villa.]
