The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | BotW Novelisation

Chapter XII

Chapter 12: Memory: Zelda's Resentment

After heaps of rest, food and healing, Tech and Link were ready to get up and go. While they had to go to Zora's Domain, they were going to explore Tabantha and Hebra first.

Tech was finishing his breakfast when Link asked a really random question.

"Do you have a belly button?"

"What?" Tech asked.

"Do you have a—" Link began to ask again.

"No, I heard what you said, but why?" Tech asked.

"I just wondered," Link said.

"Well, in that case, yes, I do," Tech said, lifting his tunic to show Link, along with the many scars he had suffered.

"Cool! I just didn't think you'd have one since you were hatched," Link said.

That comment almost made Tech drop his meal.

"You think I was hatched," Tech asked, making sure he didn't hear things.

"Well, yeah," Link said.

"What—no!" Tech cried, feeling faint.

"No?" Link asked.

"No! I was created in a...a big test tube!" Tech said. "It recreates the environment of the womb with the anatomical fluid, the umbilical cord and enough room for the fetus to grow."

"Oh...but I thought women have eggs inside of them," Link said, puzzled.

"Yes...but...the egg becomes the baby!" Tech said.

"Oh..." Link said.

"Sometimes I wonder how in Hyrule you made it through life," Tech said.

"I don't know," Link said.

"I know," Tech said.

"What do you know?" Link asked.

"I know you don't know," Tech said.

"Don't know what?" Link asked.

"Ugh," Tech said, banging his head on the table. "Never mind."

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"All in all, I think Hyrule is quite peaceful," Tech said as they rode their horses, following the path. 

"Peaceful?! Have you seen the monsters running around?!" Link asked.

"Yes, but Link...just stop for a minute," Tech said, pulling the reins of his horse to stop. "Listen...what do you hear?"

"I don't know, what are we listening for?" Link asked, stopping.

"Do you hear monsters?" Tech asked.

"No..." Link said. "I hear birds and the trees swaying in the wind...and creatures making their noises."

"Hyrule is not on the brink of annihilation anymore," Tech said.

"Calamity Ganon could break free any minute!" Link said.

"And when he does...if he does...then Hyrule will be on the brink of annihilation, but right now, it's not. The people have adapted to the monster-ridden world and the environment has recovered from the fires that burned it," Tech said.

"The people live in fear," Link said.

"It still doesn't change the fact," Tech said.

Link yanked the reins to get going. "What was the Calamity like?"