This translucent badge was different from the other talent and skill badges; it wasn’t hexagonal but circular, and it was divided equally into several parts.
Generally speaking, it was divided into four sectors, but they weren’t directly connected in the middle, leaving a small circular blank space.
Counting them up, there were five areas in total.
Three of the sectors were already filled with color: azure, emerald green, and pinkish-purple.
Sento blinked.
He focused his mind on the badge and clicked it a few times, but there was no reaction.
The description still showed that the talent was unawakened.
In that case, he could only judge from its appearance.
If he guessed correctly, filling the remaining sector and the blank circular part in the middle with color should allow his talent to awaken.
‘Three different colors…
I wonder what they all mean.’
As this thought flashed through Sento’s mind, his gaze happened to focus on the blue area of the badge.
The next moment, a scene surfaced in his mind—it was the image of him discussing moving to the Camp Office with Ai and planning their itinerary.
‘Ha, what’s this?
A recap of previous events?’
Complaining inwardly, Sento thought for a moment and shifted his gaze to the emerald green sector.
The image that appeared this time was a clip of him and Ai having dinner together.
Trying the same method with the pinkish-purple sector, what was displayed wasn’t a single clip but more like a montage of highlights, all of which were scenes of Ai flattering and praising him in a soft, gentle voice.
‘Blue represents planning, green represents food, pink represents charm…
something like that?’
Since there were only three small clips, Sento didn’t dare guarantee his guess was absolutely correct; it was just a rough inference based on this.
With so little information, it was impossible to deduce anything more useful.
Sento withdrew his attention and picked up the newspaper on the table to flip through it.
Sento had originally thought this place would be like many classic “Infinite Stream” novels, where newspapers recorded a wealth of world background or key information.
For example, if a Supply Storage Center had been established somewhere in this Great Bear Island region, and after seeing this information, Sento would change his subsequent plans, give up on going to some Camp Office, head straight for the storage center, and then feast and live comfortably there for 100 days.
Unfortunately, however, there was no key information at all in these newspapers.
They were just boring local news, like someone winning a Winter Fishing Competition, or a bear that had delayed its hibernation running around in the forest recently.
But at least it could be used to pass the time.
Sento flipped through the newspaper boredly.
It wasn’t until the frying pan started gurgling and bubbling that he looked up.
Placing the boiling hot water along with the frying pan on the table, intending to wait for it to cool down before drinking, Sento sat back down.
Seeing Sento sit back on the sofa, Ai, who had been squinting, closed her eyes again.
Sleeping in a place like this, she really couldn’t sleep soundly.
Ai even suspected she hadn’t fallen asleep at all just now, but had only dozed off in a half-awake state.
But even that was enough; at least it ensured she would have the energy to travel tomorrow morning.
In the middle of the night, Sento added firewood twice, maintaining the temperature in the stove.
After dozing off for another while in a daze, Ai checked the time.
What?
You’re asking how Ai checked the time?
She clearly didn’t have a watch or a phone on her.
Naturally, it was because she was a bit smarter than Sento; she thought of using the Survival Countdown in the panel to calculate her rest time.
Estimating roughly that she had been lying down for over three, nearly four hours, Ai felt it was time to get up.
She rolled her body a few times.
The sound of friction between her clothes and the bedding reached Sento’s ears.
He put down the newspaper in his hand and lifted his eyelids to look forward.
Under the reflection of the firelight, Ai’s face looked very red.
She waved at Sento with slightly sleepy eyes.
“Sento-kun, I’m awake.
Is the timing right?”
Just as mentioned before, Sento hadn’t thought of using the countdown to calculate time at all, so he said hesitantly, “I don’t know how long you’ve slept, but it shouldn’t be too long.
Why don’t you rest a bit more?”
Ai shook her head.
“No, I’ve rested enough.
It’s time for you to take your turn, Sento-kun.”
Sento didn’t refuse anymore; after all, he was indeed a bit sleepy.
He stood up decisively and walked to the bedside wearing his Parka, while Ai had also just rolled off the bed.
Because he was a bit sleepy, combined with having read boring and repetitive newspapers for a long time, Sento’s head was a bit foggy.
He took off his Parka and, under Ai’s slightly surprised gaze, draped the coat over her and even tightened it slightly.
Blinking her large eyes, Ai was a tiny bit dazed.
Sento’s previous behavior hadn’t seemed this bold.
How come after just a few hours, his actions were suddenly so intimate?
Fortunately, Ai wasn’t the type to act on impulse.
She didn’t get angry because of Sento’s overly intimate gesture but instead observed calmly.
She soon noticed that Sento was a bit bleary-eyed and guessed his situation.
So, Ai smilingly grabbed Sento’s wrist and pulled him toward the bed.
“Sento-kun, I feel like you’re about to fall asleep standing up.
Hurry up and go to sleep.”
Jolted by her voice, Sento realized what he had just done.
He scratched his cheek a bit sheepishly, then sat on the bed, took off his shoes, and crawled in.
It must be said, as expected of an anime beauty, even though she had walked in the snow for several hours and been smoked by the fire for several hours, the smell of aged animal fat in the bed Ai had slept in had basically disappeared, replaced by a faint lemon fragrance.
Smelling this slight lemon scent made Sento feel a bit more awake.
Ai had the same feeling.
The Parka Sento had worn for several hours actually had a faint cedar fragrance.
Even when she put the coat on, a vision of Sento embracing her from behind suddenly flashed in Ai’s mind.
Quickly shaking her head vigorously, Ai pinched her cheek.
Although she did like reading shoujo manga and had some longing for romance—which was even written into that Heart of Tempering talent—she wasn’t boy-crazy to this extent, was she?
She had almost been unable to control herself just now and nearly pulled up the coat collar to sniff it a few times.
‘Sento…
couldn’t possibly have some succubus blood, could he?’ This thought flashed through Ai’s mind.
Of course, Ai didn’t know that this was simply Sento’s Invisible Affinity talent taking effect.