"The flowers are in these barrels."
Luciel pointed toward the twelve wooden barrels lined up on the table, though even he didn't know which one held them.
"Can… can I open them?"
Liyue asked cautiously, her lips parting as she quickly explained, "I just want to find the flower with wings. I won't touch anything else."
"Go ahead." Luciel waved his hand casually.
With his current strength, what tricks could a girl possibly pull? Besides, from what he'd seen, this white-haired girl was nothing more than a child pretending to act like an adult.
"Thank you," Liyue said politely.
"Take your time. I won't help you."
Luciel patted her shoulder gently. "I need to move the rest of the supplies inside."
If he left it all to Mino, the rabbit-eared girl would be working until midnight.
When Mino saw him returning with the beasts, her expression froze at the mountain of goods they carried.
"Luciel… did you move all of Bloodbeard's stuff?" she asked weakly.
"Not everything."
Luciel thought back to the massive stockpile of dried meat in Bloodbeard's storage and shook his head. "I only took less than a tenth."
"Less than a tenth?" Mino touched her chin with a finger, her face brightening. "Even so, it's still plenty! Enough for us to live comfortably for a long time."
"..."
Liyue, while shifting through the barrels, overheard their conversation. Her lips twitched as she muttered in her heart: A tenth, and they think it's not much? They really are a family. They've hauled away all of Bloodbeard's essentials without even realizing it.
Luciel and Mino worked together, cutting the spider silk from the beasts' backs and piling the cocoons of dried meat in one corner of the hall.
A roll of cloth went into another corner.
Miscellaneous goods were stacked neatly elsewhere.
The last corner was reserved for the firepit.
By the end, the hall was so full that only the space around the table remained for walking.
"This house is too small," Luciel muttered, frowning as he eyed the crowded hall. He was already planning to build a separate warehouse.
"It's not too small—it's perfect like this," Mino said happily, her eyes sparkling like a little miser's.
To her, a hall filled to the brim with supplies was the very picture of happiness.
---
Clatter!
The sound of something hitting the floor broke their conversation.
"What happened?"
Luciel turned just in time to see Liyue staring blankly at a barrel, her hands frozen midair as the lid clattered on the ground.
"D… dead… Angel Wings…"
Her body trembled. She turned toward Luciel, her silver-white eyes clouded with despair.
"Angel Wings?" Luciel stepped closer and frowned as he peered into the barrel. "That's the flower's name?"
Inside were wilted blossoms. Their drooping petals, shaped like delicate wings, made the name obvious.
He studied the flowers carefully, then looked back at the girl's devastated expression. His voice softened. "Liyue, why do you need this flower so badly?"
Her head lowered, her voice hoarse. "Angel Wings produce a single drop of dew every ten days. It's called Angel's Tears. A precious medicine… it can cure many illnesses."
"A panacea?" Luciel frowned. "Do you really believe such a thing exists?"
"It's true! I've heard it from many people!"
Her voice cracked. When she raised her head, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She looked so pitiful, struggling not to cry.
"So… you want it to cure the red markings on your face?" Luciel asked gently.
"Not cure completely, but… at least stop the spread of the virtual ghost infection."
Her trembling fingers clawed at the crimson lines on her cheek.
She didn't even know if the miracle medicine was real. But she had to try—because what if it was?
Her nails dug into her skin as she whispered through clenched teeth, "I don't have much time. Half a year from now… I'll turn into a monster."
From her investigations, she'd learned Bloodbeard had obtained an Angel Wings seed a year ago. He must have either planted it or kept it stored. If she could just get her hands on the flower or its seeds, maybe she and her companions still had a chance.
But reality was cruel—it gave people hope, only to crush them with despair.
"Don't give up so easily. Half a year is still time," Luciel said firmly, taking her wrist. "And this flower… isn't beyond saving."
"It's impossible," Liyue whispered weakly, shaking her head. The Angel Wings before her had already reached their end.
"Who says so?"
Luciel smiled faintly. He reached into the barrel and brushed his fingers over the withered petals.
A familiar chime rang in his mind.
Ding! A domesticable plant has been detected. Do you want to domesticate it?
"Tame," Luciel commanded silently.
Ding! Level 1 Lifeform detected: Angel Wings. Taming…
Ding! Taming successful. 10 points consumed.
Luciel's brows rose slightly. He hadn't expected Angel Wings to register as a level-one lifeform.
Ding! Inherit Angel Wings' talent: Angel Tears?
"Inherit."
Ding! Angel Tears talent adapting… improving… inheritance complete.
Meanwhile, Liyue, lost in her grief, noticed none of this.
"I've never heard of Angel Wings being revived after withering," she said bitterly.
"You've never heard of it—that doesn't mean it's impossible."
Luciel thrust the barrel into her arms.
"Huh?" Liyue instinctively hugged it.
And then—
Her eyes widened.
The withered blossoms inside were glowing softly, their white petals unfurling like wings, blooming anew.
"This… this is really Angel Wings?! How… how is this possible?"
Tears welled up as she blinked rapidly, afraid it was just an illusion.
"Nothing is impossible," Luciel said calmly.
"You… you saved it."
Her silver eyes sparkled with sudden hope as she looked at him with almost divine reverence.
"Tell me, then—what exactly is the virtual ghost infection?"
Luciel had wondered that all along. Now, standing before the girl's burning gaze, his curiosity only deepened.