At the manor.
Ren settled all the moon rabbits in. Their efficiency was absurd; in no time they had the manor mostly restored—and they'd all changed into maid outfits.
Not gonna lie,
it looked the part.
Machiyoi took Kaguya to rest,
leaving Ren alone.
"It hasn't even been that long…"
"And the manor's already mostly fixed."
"If I'd known that—"
"I wouldn't have hired anyone."
He sat in the newly refurbished study, marveling at the shelves—lined with ancient volumes that shimmered faintly.
All of them had come from the Lunar Capital.
Eirin had collected a trove of old texts. Back in the mythic age, she'd wandered through many pantheons, gathering treasures—and books.
"Let's have a look…"
Ren muttered and began reading, one by one. A surge of knowledge flooded his head.
At the same time,
Traits began popping up—only to be drawn at once into [Purple • Mastery of All Arms].
He devoured the books all night, ravenous, without a wink of sleep—learning and absorbing.
He didn't stop once a Trait registered, either; he read carefully, and Eirin's annotations were especially enlightening.
At dawn, Machiyoi rose to make breakfast—only to find everything already prepared.
"Machiyoi-sama!"
A moon rabbit bowed.
Machiyoi glanced over, then spoke gently. "From now on, I'll handle Yu and Kaguya's three daily meals."
"As you command!"
No questions—the rabbits were obedient and sensible.
As for their origins, Machiyoi asked nothing.
In truth,
they owed their lives to Kaguya and Eirin. Kaguya was a rebel—else she wouldn't have been sent down.
And the moon rabbits… they had erred. In the Lunar Capital, that was unforgivable; by sentence, they would have been disposed of.
Kaguya and Eirin saved them—on the pretext of using them for trials.
Now?
They'd simply been sent below. A fresh start on the surface was a blessing.
The rabbits were content.
To them, the city lord and the princess were benefactors.
"Father?"
Kaguya woke to attendants helping her wash and dress—something she was used to.
When she reached the study to find Ren, he was sitting on the floor, threads of radiance coiling off him.
"Ah!"
Ren set a book on the desk and rubbed his brow. He looked tired, but his eyes burned. "Kaguya. You're here."
"Father, you'll hurt yourself. You still have an ordinary body—don't push to sudden death."
She hurried over in quick little steps, genuinely worried.
For all his frightening ability, his body was human. Lose yourself like that, and you could drop.
"I know."
"I just got carried away last night."
"But—"
"the gains were enormous."
He stood, weariness unable to smother his excitement.
[Orange • Mastery of All Arms: Lv 1 (Growth)]
That's right.
In a single night,
the former Purple had molted into Orange—even if the level had dropped from Lv 3 to Lv 1. Now he was sure:
after White, Green, Blue, and Purple came Gold and then Orange.
Beyond that?
He didn't know. For now, this was as far as his Trait quality had advanced.
"Father, rest a little. This humble one will help you recover," Kaguya said, not prying further as she raised a hand.
Eternity and the Instant—
she cast it over him, tuning his state.
Only—
the moment Ren felt his condition rebound, a terrifying pull yanked at his mind, as if it were being sucked away.
"—ngh!"
A muffled groan. His face went pale. One hand flew to his temple, and, unable to steady himself, he slumped back to the floor.
"Father!"
Kaguya cried out, rushing to him.
Ren sat up and gestured for her to stop. "I'm fine, Kaguya. It's just…"
Fine?
Fine—
except.
He stared, a little dazed, at a brand-new Trait that had just surfaced.
Over the years he'd learned his limits: anything he touched, studied, or grasped could yield a Trait—
but not another being's unique innate ability.
For instance,
Oba-san had once caught a rabbit yokai whose gift was fire control. Ren couldn't copy it—no Trait appeared.
"Father, you—" Kaguya's beautiful little face showed panic. She'd never seen this happen.
Ren only shook his head, saying nothing yet.
He was still reading the new entry.
[Prismatic • Gate of Myriad Worlds]
(End of Chapter)
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