Discovery

"Haa. As long as you find calling me 'Master' affectionate, then I don't mind," I said, glancing at Kareena as she took a large bite directly into the steaks rather than using the skewer I had given her. She seemed to enjoy it, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed contentedly.

"...Anyway, Kareena, did you feel any pain or discomfort while you were asleep?" I asked, shifting the topic to something that still mildly worried me.

"Discomfort? Umm, no... I didn't feel anything while I was asleep. Why, Master?" She tilted her head slightly, her fluffy white hair falling to one side.

"I tried to ready some wind magic when I arrived near the place where the rabbits were, but it seemed that the wind mana was not continuously supplied like last time and I was only able to pull the small amount stored in your soul core. I was a little worried when that happened but on my way back after catching this rabbit, I realized that the wind mana was being replenished but it was very slow and the closer I got to you, the faster it was replenishing." I said as I bit into my skewer.

"However, maybe because you were asleep and weren't regulating the flow like last time, the replenishment was still slow even though I was right beside you, and it only finished replenishing about an hour after I arrived at the cave."

"Though, I didn't try to use the wind magic again since I was worried my guesses were wrong and there was a problem with our soul bond, even though I felt that you were fine through our connection. But thankfully, it seems like you're fine. So I'm going to try it again, do the things you did last time."

Lifting my left hand, I moved the wind mana around Kareena's soul core that was floating around my soul core in my body down my left arm, and a sizeable amount of wind mana exited the palms of my left hand.

"And now it seems that I can bring out about the same amount as last time when I'm right beside you and you're controlling the flow." I said as the wind around my palm shifted to the ball of wind mana.

With the wind weakly shifting the surroundings, which was still significantly stronger than what I in the afternoon, I continued. "Well, now we know that the amount of wind mana you could flow to me doesn't just depend on your consciousness, but the physical distance between us also affects it in the transfer."

Kareena's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly, setting her food aside and shifting closer, her small horns glinting in the firelight. "Then... do I need to follow you when you go hunting or foraging, master?"

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "No, I don't need to use magic to hunt animals or forage. So you can sleep and rest when you're tired." Kareena's expression dimmed as she heard that.

"However, I do want you to follow me sometimes when you're not too tired. That way, you can learn how to hunt and forage with me. It's not just about magic. You need to know how to survive and defend yourself."

Her eyes brightened immediately, and before I could react, she leaned in, pressing her hands against my chest and nearly knocking me over. The wind mana around my hand dispersed as her excitement poured through. "Yes, Master! I want to follow you- I mean, learn how to help you more," she added hastily, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized how eager she sounded.

Smiling as I felt the emotions Kareena was exuding, I moved my left hand, patting her head softly, my fingers running through her soft, fluffy hair. "Hmm, I'm sure you do, Kareena." I said, feeling amused.

Kareena leaned into my touch, her expression shifting to something calmer as she absorbed the warmth of the moment.

"Now, let's finish our meal." I said after a while, my hand rubbed on Kareena's hair for a few more moments before I pulled away.

Kareena nodded and took her food, Kareena then sat right beside me, her head tilted as she leaned her shoulder onto my arm.

Continuing our meal, I said. "Kareena, I've been thinking for a while and when I was unable to use wind magic since I was unaware of how it worked, I've decided to postpone our search for civilization and learn more about this soul bond and soul magic. What do you think, Kareena?"

[I should focus on learning about this whole magic system right now rather than later since it'll make killing things easier rather than using conventional methods. Though, teaching Kareena should be my main priority. I wanted her to get used to her current from more, but since her movements now are no different than the average human, and she's eager to follow me, I might as well just teach her now.]

I glanced at her, watching as she quickly ate the rest of her steaks, and she turned to me. "I don't mind living like this with you. I will follow you everywhere, master. So you don't need to worry about me." Kareena said after a while as her soul core radiated the familiar feeling again.

"Good, well if you want anything, just tell me. You want to call me 'Master', but that should only be in name, okay?" I said, finishing off the last of my portion.

"I know, master. But calling you 'Master'just feels right to me," she whispered, her voice soft and shy.

Setting everything aside, I turned to Kareena and sighed as Kareena's stunning form entered my sight. "Well, we can start tomorrow... only if you aren't too tired after tonight."

Kareena's eyes widened, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she realized the meaning behind my words. "M-Master…"

I leaned in a little closer, a teasing smile tugging at my lips. "I wasn't fully satisfied last night, Kareena. I hope we can continue tonight."

Kareena's blush deepened, her hands fidgeting as she shyly met my gaze. But I could feel her soul core shifting to pulse eagerness and a desire that mirrored my own.

Leaning further, I gave Kareena a peck on the lips and took her into a princess carry as Kareena wrapped her arms around my neck, her warm body pressing against my bare chest.

With her nestled in my arms, I carried her to our bed. The night deepened, and her soft moans filled the cave as we shared in the closeness and warmth of each other again.