After we finished our meal, we all left together. It felt like we had been a group from the start. Primien, acting like an NPC from a game, seemed to think receiving the sleeping bag obligated her to escort me. She even caught a pickpocket trying to steal from me. As we walked, we stopped in front of a shabby wooden building.0

“Could you just leave now?”0

“Alright. I’ll just say I found this sleeping bag on my way here,” Primien replied.1

"Allen, you wait outside too."0

"Yes, sir!" Allen responded eagerly.0

Primien left, and I made sure Allen stayed outside. I knocked on the door and stepped inside. The place smelled like an old, dusty bookstore. The creaky wooden structure seemed to barely hold together.0

"May I inquire if anyone is present?" I called out, feeling slightly out of place using such formal language in this dilapidated setting. However, the owner of this place deserved the utmost respect, and I could set aside my usual Personality Trait for that.0

"Hem, who is it?" wheezed a raspy, phlegm-filled voice from above. It seemed there was a second floor I hadn't noticed. Each step on the wooden stairs made the whole building shake. Soon, an old man with a strong presence descended. Despite his age, he left a powerful impression.1

“I’m here to request the creation of a staff.”0

“A staff?” the old man asked, putting on a pair of glasses he grabbed from a nearby table and peering at me. “Ah, Deculein. It’s you.”0

I nodded in silence.0

“As I mentioned before... Hmm? You've changed quite a bit, haven't you? No, it’s more than that... has your soul changed? You must have gone through something significant. The resonance of your heart and blood is much purer than before, even your speech has changed.” the old man said, raising his eyebrows, and the wrinkles on his face followed suit.13

My heart skipped...0