Kastimund waves a hand carelessly.

"Oh, spare me the adulation for when I've properly earned it. I was bored."

"Well thank you anyway," says Ranelin.

".... You're welcome."

"...I think I'm going to get a room at this inn and go to sleep so we can get an early start tomorrow," says Riale, and he proceeds toward the inn he identified earlier.

Assorted spirits float after him.

He attempts to get a room at the inn. The innkeeper is suspicious of his unspecified imperial business. He is cheerful, polite, and firm. The innkeeper relents after he demonstrates the magic in his imperial seal a second time.

When he gets up to his room, he remarks, "Funny thing, I could actually have faked the imperial seal with the book and nobody'd be able to tell the difference."

"'But you didn't need to, you had one that wasn't counterfeit. Where'd you get it?'"

"The Emperor was my foster father and his secretary is a good friend of mine. I told her I was going to save the world, she asked what I needed, and I said the Emperor's swoop and an imperial seal."

Saerith glances at Kastimund with raised eyebrows.

Kastimund shakes his head, minutely.

Saerith nods.

"It turns out that our immortal emperor was actually just - tied to the lifespan of the world in some way," he adds, since Ranelin and Saerith won't have heard about this yet. "He died yesterday morning. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, everyone."

And he goes and curls up in bed.

"'Goodnight.' A sentiment I believe I'll echo."

"Um, may I...?"

"Ranelin's hugs are small in size but large in heart, and she has seen fit to bestow one to you."

"...Yes, of course," he says, turning back toward Ranelin and sitting up.

Saerith leads the blind fairy to Riale.

And Riale gets a tiny spirit's hug!

He manages to return the hug by carefully resting his hand against Ranelin's back. The hug and the spirit are both so tiny.

"Thank you," he murmurs.

"You're welcome. Good night, Riale."

"Goodnight."

He lets go and guides Ranelin away and tucks himself in and goes to sleep.

After a quick exit through the window and a quiet exchange of all known information between the assembled spirits, Ranelin announces, "I think I'll stay with Riale, if that's okay with you two."

"Of course not, you must sit on my shoulder until the end of time, for only I may say where you might go."