The sun hung high in the sky, reflecting brilliantly off the surface of the lake, which was now as calm as if the slaughter of a hundred piranhas had never occurred. Kurt watched as Isabel carefully tucked the last of the herbs into her basket, lining them with damp cloth and counting them down.
"Is that enough, Isabel?" Kurt asked, glancing over the harvest. "Not gonna lie, but I think we may have gone a bit overboard thanks to a pretty enthusiastic magic swordswoman."
"My deepest apologies." Ayako bowed with a polite smile.
Isabel wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek and nodded. "Yes, Master Rossana. We have more than enough. We can return to the capital anytime you like."
Kurt reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, reflecting that it was exactly 1:00 PM. He clicked the side button to lock it and felt a weight of curiosity leaning into his personal space.
