"I need to sleep here." the Phoenix reluctantly said.
"..." Asher frowned. This Phoenix is messing with him. But, if it was just switching rooms, he could just relent.
"Alright."
"Oh," Madesol was surprised to find he wasn't bothered by it.
"I'll look for another room." Asher stood up.
"...!"
Asher wondered why this woman wanted to sleep here. He even made a mess in the bathroom.
Ahh, he should clean it first.
"Ihh..." Madesol was about to say something but was disgusted by what was in the bathroom so she waited and sat on the edge of the bed.
Asher didn't take that much time. Although he reeks of sweat, he planned to just take a bath in another room.
As he was about to leave, Madesol spoke up.
"Wait, I think we're not on the same page."
"Hm?" Asher stopped in his tracks and turned.
"Ah..."
"I'm tired. If you have something to clear up, say it in the morning."
Asher was about to leave when-
"I was hoping...!" with great reluctance, Madesol fessed up with a stammer, "W-we should sleep together?"
"..."
"..."
Did he hear it correctly?
Hmmm, must be a hallucination. So, Asher continued climbing up the stairs.
"Ah! You're still going!? Are you going to ignore me!?"
"Ignore you? Did you say something?"
"You-!!" Madesol clenched her fists in anger. This man was messing with her!
But she couldn't handle being alone right now.
"Stay here! Asher!"
"...?" Asher turned to her with a frown, "I said I'm tired right now. If you keep messing with me, don't blame me for not being able to bear with your attitude!"
"I'm not messing with you!" Madesol huffed.
"..."
Calming herself down, Madesol held her left arm in as she was embarrassed to say it. However, they wouldn't get anywhere if she beat around the bushes.
"I can't sleep... alone."
Glancing at the mortal, Madesol found that he was looking at her with doubt.
Can't sleep alone? Are you a child? Aren't you a sixteen-thousand-year-old Divine Being traveling alone in the cosmos? Besides that, weren't you alone before we encountered each other again?
She already knew all the questions in his head. That's why she was very reluctant. Even she was doubting herself.
"I don't like that it's dark," she explained herself, "It reminds me of the Great Void."
She didn't say it but it was clear that she found some sense of security when she was with Asher.
Asher scratched his head. He just remembered her cries from last time.
-Everything you do to me, it hurts!-
"Are you not more uncomfortable being close to me?" Asher went straight to the point.
"Ah... yeah, that's true." Madesol nodded, "But I know that you wouldn't do anything to me as long as I don't annoy you."
Asher was taken aback.
She's talking common sense!
"I see." Asher smiled, "But I don't want to be near you." he then left.
"A-... Asher!" Madesol stomped and chased after him, "I'm serious! If I can't sleep, you'll have to carry me tomorrow!"
"I'll just use a rope to drag you."
Madesol felt like crying.
"I hate you! I hope you die!"
"Alright! Good night!"
"You're having fun, aren't you!?"
"Yeah, but I'm tired. Stop following me."
"Asher!" Madesol fell on her knees and let out tears, "Please--! I don't want to be alone!"
She then cried and sobbed, not following Asher anymore.
After sobbing for a while, an irritated voice entered her ear.
"What's with you? That's why I said you act like a child."
"Eh...?" Madesol looked up to see Asher in front of her.
"Are you truly a Divine Being?" Asher then walked back to their original room.
Sniffing her snot back, Madesol followed him. She felt a brief sense of relief but she couldn't really be happy as she did not enjoy being with this man.
However, it was undeniable that if something happens, he is there to keep her safe. They both need each other. That alone gives her a sense of safety.
"I am! I've reached Divinity for more than three thousand years now!"
"But why do you act like a child?"
"Hmph..." Madesol was frowning as she wiped her snot and tears away, "... I'm just not used to being in this state. Also, you don't understand how terrifying that being in the Great Void is."
She gave the only reasonable explanation.
Mentioning that being brought the memory of those terrifying gazes from the sky. Because of this, Asher couldn't blame her for being that terrified after meeting that existence as he already fainted just by being gazed down.
"I didn't know that Divine Being needed sleep," he changed the topic.
"Not all Divine Beings are the same. We, what you may call mystical beasts, freely absorb Divine Energy through sleep."
"You absorb energy by sleeping?" Asher didn't ask what 'Divine Energy' is. It seemed to be too far away from him.
"Of course!" Madesol puffed her chest out, "That's the power of having Nascent Energy as bright as a star! The power of a mystical beast! We just have to totally relax our body and we'll significantly improve our strength. Deep sleep is the most relaxed state of the spirit."
They were back to the high-ranking servant's room so Asher went back to the bathroom to clean himself.
After a while, he continued his questions.
"Then, you probably sleep a lot."
So, that's why she's this desperate to sleep as well. Asher thought about how relaxed her face would be when she was sleeping. However, he also noticed that she moves around a lot when asleep.
"A lot, yeah," Madesol's voice then turned quieter, "But I don't want to rely on sleep alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmph... nothing for you to know." she went under the blanket, no longer entertaining any questions.
Staring at her, Asher thought about something.
"Wait, if you sleep, aren't you just giving more Divine Energy for the Celestial?"
"If I don't sleep... I'll lose contact with the High Heaven."
She then continued, "You can do anything, but disrespect the High Heaven" before she fell asleep.
Right now, Asher is too tired to think anymore. He could do nothing but trust Madesol. Thus, he got into the bed as well.
Although they were in the same bed, they were much farther this time. This was a king-sized bed, after all, so there was a lot more distance between them. Usually, they are closer only separated by the campfire. That is why they don't have a problem with it. Well, at least for now.
Soon, Asher fell asleep as well.
...
It was almost noon when Asher woke up and felt heavy.
I really pushed myself last night, didn't I?
When he opened his eyes, Asher found out that he was wrong. It was not because of fatigue that he felt heavy.
Maybe there was always a campfire between them that this hadn't happen before. Recalling back then, this Phoenix does move a lot in her sleep.
It's also bad that he just woke up.
A certain tree came up in Asher's head.
There is a kind of tree in Solvarya that is reliant on sunlight. Thus, whenever dusk arrived, its vigor would disappear. It would bend limply and hide under the sea of trees. However, once dawn returns, this tree would stand upright, taller than all the surrounding trees to get as much sunlight as possible.
Whenever lumberjacks try to cut this tree, it protects itself by becoming tougher, taller, and stiffer, making any axe useless.
However, it has its limits. That's why it is a popular type of wood. Lumberjack will hit it with a hammer instead multiple times to agitate it, making it a firmer type of wood. Once it reaches its peak state, it will release-
Wait, why am I thinking about that tree again?
Asher shook his head and pushed this woman aside. Next time, he would sleep on the floor. No, no, he would make her sleep on the floor.
As he attempted to push her, however, he noticed that her arms and legs were somehow locked around his limbs.
Tsk, I'm at the end of my patience!
"Wake up and move!"
"... Wah!"
.
.
.
Madesol sulked as she sat beside the table. Misfortune after misfortune was happening to her.
It was the first time she slept, in a literal sense, with a man or anyone for that matter. She wasn't aware of her sleeping behaviors...
They are currently in another room that has a kitchen.
Good thing that with the use of Soul Skills, some ingredients are preserved. It's a shame that after this, they wouldn't be able to eat like this again. That is why Asher cooked as much as he could.
Later, they ate in silence.
"Let me just get some things done and we'll set off."
Asher was the first to break the silence as he reminded her.
Coming back to her senses, Madesol asked, "Where will we go? What even is the plan?"
Right, that's the most pressing question.
"The priority is for me to get stronger. In that way, I'll be able to provide you with enough World Energy for you to turn the 'table' in one go. Is that correct?"
Madesol nodded as that would be the obvious goal they have. However, being reminded of the situation gave her a squeezing anxiety.
"The fastest way to improve my strength is through inheritances."
Asher then explained the existence of Legacy Sanctums.
"Inheritances of Transcendent?" Madesol's face paled, "Are there any better methods? That would take us centuries."
Her next works took all the confidence Asher had.
"I don't think I can fulfill the oath at that point."
Asher's face turned solemn.
"What do you mean?"