'Rose, what are you up to?' Ace narrowed his gaze and mentally asked Dame Wasp while giving her access to his senses to have proper conversation while driving.
The possibility of the missing loot belonging to the trio of curse users he had killed being in the tree trunk they were hiding in was next to nothing. If that were the case, Dame Wasp would have sensed it after they had killed the old lady curse master and informed him before he went to test the array formation. Dame Wasp wasn't incompetent nor one to lie to him. He tilted his head slightly, curiosity mingling with skepticism. 'Rose, what's going on?'
'Master,' Dame Wasp replied, her tone steady, 'even if it's slim, there is a real possibility that their missing loot is in that tree.' She wasn't lying. Based on the data she had, there were some chances the loot was hidden in that tree. That much was true. But that wasn't the real reason she wanted Ace to revisit the winery.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, then added with soft conviction, 'But the real reason I want you to revisit the winery later is because I don't want this experience solidifying your opinion about the 'World of Curses'—and stopping you from ever taking on another curse exorcism request. I don't want you to hide from life anymore.' Her voice lowered slightly, almost imploring. 'I want you to live your life to the fullest, like the rest of the teenagers. In all the time I've been with you, the happiest I've ever seen you was at that charity fair with your friends. I want you to feel that kind of happiness every day. Please, don't worry about threats from either worlds. We, your toy summons, will stop anything that comes your way.'
Ace frowned, processing her words, but said nothing. Dame Wasp truly hoped her master would stop viewing both the mortal and curse worlds through the lens of someone scarred by bullying. She wanted him to start seeing them for what they truly were.
If the "World of Curses" was as bad as Ace had assumed, would it have been possible for his forefathers to build this beautiful country and its remarkable constitution? Would mortals have progressed to the current modern era? Dame Wasp thought, they reflect her quiet determination.
She wasn't denying that evil existed in both worlds. What she was saying was that there was also more than enough good in both worlds to outweigh their evils.
As Ace's first Toy Summon, Dame Wasp knew him better than anyone. She had guessed how deeply the first curse exorcism request going wrong had affected him. From that moment, she knew her master would want nothing to do with such requests again.
Given his cautious nature, he might never travel to a known area unless it was absolutely necessary. The thought gnawed at her. It added to her guilt for failing him during the mission. Even though they had escaped the ambush unscathed, the weight of it clung to her. She couldn't forgive herself, and the guilt was eating away at her. Finally, she decided to speak openly about it.
Dame Wasp's voice softened, but her tone carried conviction. She didn't just want to protect her master—she wanted the best for him. Hiding in the shadows, lying in wait for monsters, was not how she envisioned him spending the rest of his life.
Yes, becoming stronger would help, but it wasn't the entire solution. The stronger one became, the stronger the enemies they attracted. It was a never-ending cycle—a universal truth: For every force, there is an equal and opposite force.
The best way to enjoy this world, she believed, was to live it while one could, doing what they loved. Dame Wasp sighed lightly, her wings fluttering in her toy space. She knew Ace's heart was in the right place, but his past had derailed him. As his Toy Summon, she saw it as her duty to guide him back to the right course.
Ace, however, had no idea about the complicated thoughts running through his Toy Summons' mind. But he did know one thing: they would never harm him. Therefore, with a small smile, he said, 'Rose, you know me too well. Even better than I know myself. I've taken your advice into consideration. I can't promise you an immediate change, but I can promise you this—if someday I feel like I no longer need to hide, I won't hesitate to step out, just as you want me to.'
Dame Wasp was right about him. After the incident at the winery, he had already decided to stop taking curse exorcism requests, no matter how tempting the rewards might be. This time, he had been lucky, but next time, he might not be. Listening to Dame Wasp, Ace couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't just want him to live his life—she wanted him to live it like a hero. Like she and Emi had in their respective fictional universes.
He exhaled slowly. He'd been afraid this day would come. It had come sooner than he'd expected.
Even though Dame Wasp and Emi knew they weren't the real Dame Wasp and Emi, their individuality was deeply tied to the character profiles of the fictional personas they were designed after. It wasn't surprising, he always dreaded, that sooner or later they would clash with his way of doing things. They preferred he approach problems the way their fictional counterparts would—with boldness and heroism.
'I can respect that,' Dame Wasp said, her tone calm but insistent. Her eyes glinted with determination. 'But what about the curse exorcism requests? Are you planning on ignore them?' To her, it was her master's duty as a curse master to protect and help those who couldn't help themselves—just like how Emi and she had used their powers to aid the common people in their fictional stories.
Ace's brow furrowed. 'How about this,' he said after a moment of thought. 'If there's ever a curse exorcism request in or near our town, I'll take it. I'll do my duty as a curse master for the mortals.' His tone softened, and he glanced at the track ahead him meaningfully.