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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Finding the Skeleton (4)
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Sage, hearing Rose's voice, slowly turned her head in that direction and, with an expressionless face, asked in return.
"It seems you don't know how to have a conversation?"
"What? Why wouldn't I know how to have a conversation?"
At that, Rose flared up, placing both hands on her hips as she stood up.
"I didn't speak to you, nor did I ask you anything, yet you answered me. That's why I asked. It seems you don't know the basics of conversation."
Sage didn't back down from Rose, staring intently and speaking clearly.
"It's because you're saying something weird!"
"Why is it weird?"
"You said 'our baby' disappeared. That's weird, isn't it? Is that normal?"
"Ex calls me 'Mommy' and Camel calls me 'Daddy.' So I call Ex 'baby' and play along. Is that weird?"
"That's the weirdest part! Why does it call you two that?"
"Ex grew up without parents at an age when it desperately craved affection. Is it so strange to just play along with a child like that? Camel, don't you agree?"
Sage turned her head towards me and spoke. Stunned by the fierce exchange, I glanced at Rose, who seemed utterly furious, and replied.
"I don't think that's what's important right now."
"Then what *is* important?"
At that, Rose flared up again. Seeing her, I let out a deep sigh and continued.
"The professor's nephew is missing, you said. We need to find the child first. Sage, have you told Professor Dian?"
"Not yet."
I pretended to ask Sage, giving her a sidelong glance without Rose noticing. Sage, understanding my meaning, replied with an expressionless face.
"I'll start searching first. You go find Professor Dian."
"Understood."
After sending Sage off first, I quietly whispered to Rose.
"Rose. The situation's a bit delicate right now, so let's talk later."
"But—"
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry... It wasn't a situation to be so sensitive about..."
*She knows, at least.*
I almost replied that, but I managed to hold it in with difficulty. I patted Rose's shoulder with my palm, told her it was alright, and then began to walk.
Towards the source of the tracking magic I'd embedded in Tweetie.
****
The day I first brought Tweetie home, I embedded tracking magic in him for several reasons, the biggest of which was possessiveness.
*This bird is mine now.*
To catch Tweetie again if he, now my possession, ever escaped.
And to find Tweetie again if anyone ever stole him, my possession.
"How dare they touch my possessions?"
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. That skeleton bastard not only stole my orb, but also my future mount.
This was the first time in my life. For me, someone with strong possessive tendencies, to be robbed. And twice in a row, no less.
"I'll separate your bones, joint by joint."
Following the tracking magic, I gnashed my teeth and vowed as I cut through the northern forest of Adenia.
It didn't matter now whether that skeleton bastard was my enemy or not.
He had touched my things and mocked me.
So, even if I were to have a conversation with him—who I didn't think was an enemy—that time would have to be *after* he paid the full price for touching my things.
How long had I walked, thinking that?
The aura of the tracking magic was palpable nearby, and a shabby log cabin began to appear in my sight.
*Creak.*
I opened the door to the house and entered.
I had naturally expected it to be dark, but the magical lights, perhaps newly installed, made the inside of the house surprisingly bright.
Aside from the magical lights, the scene was incredibly shabby.
An old desk, a worn-out sofa, a dried-up wooden ceiling.
And then.
"Chirp? Chirp!"
*Whir, whir.*
Tweetie, energetically spinning a fancy hamster wheel inside a large birdcage.
I immediately checked Tweetie's condition.
"He's gained a lot of weight..."
I had been worried internally, but...
Contrary to my worries, Tweetie's condition was not just good, but he even looked happy.
Just what in the world had he been stuffing himself with? Looking at his plump, swollen cheeks and the cheese stains caked all over his beak, I felt like an idiot for worrying.
"By the way..."
Then, seeing something, I clutched my throbbing head and spoke.
"Senior Randel, why are you like that?"
It was absurd. I had sent him to retrieve my stolen property, only to find the person in question with shackles on his ankles, tearing jerky for Tweetie.
"...It just happened."
Did he at least have the decency to be embarrassed? Randel avoided my gaze, then lowered his head deeply.
"Hah, where's that skeleton bastard?"
As I approached Randel to unfasten the shackles on him and asked, Randel raised his head and replied.
"Up."
"Hello there?"
Simultaneously, a voice suddenly came from above me.
I looked up. Hanging from a ceiling beam, the skeleton greeted me while throwing a dagger.
*Thwack!*
I reflexively recoiled. The dagger the skeleton threw plunged deep into the floor with a chilling sound.
*Thud.*
While I dodged the dagger, the skeleton landed in front of Randel and spoke to me.
"Our junior needs to do some reflecting."
"Reflecting?"
"Because of our junior, other people... no, a bird and a person are now captured by me."
The skeleton grinned, pressing a dagger to Randel's throat.
"You'd better move that hand."
Seeing that, I drew up my mana and glared at the skeleton as if to kill him.
Ready to strike him down the moment that bastard moved his hand... no, the bone holding the dagger, even a little.
"Understood."
However, contrary to my expectation, the skeleton shrugged, then backed away from Randel.
"You don't understand what's going on right now, do you?"
What was so amusing to him? The skeleton clattered the bones around its mouth incessantly as it asked me.
"You have a very curious expression."
"..."
"You've come to retrieve the orb and the bluebird that are now mine, haven't you?"
As I stared at him without answering, the skeleton held up two daggers, one in each hand, and proposed to me.
"Let's do this. If you subdue me, I'll give you my orb and bluebird."
"Hey, they were originally mine."
"Then what about that pretty-faced fellow?"
As I scowled and flared up, the skeleton gestured towards Randel with its head and asked me again.
"That one's a bit..."
"Calling me 'that one' is a little hurtful, junior..."
I had just answered honestly, but...
Turning my head at the voice coming from an unexpected direction, I saw Randel, who indeed looked genuinely hurt.
*No, why are you getting sulky here?*
"What if I can't subdue you?"
"That's highly likely... Hmm... What should we do?"
As I asked with a cold voice, the skeleton put a bony hand to its jaw, pondering, then soon snapped a finger bone.
"Let's do this. I'll take one of the things you possess."
"What do I possess?"
"Your wife."
"What kind of nonsense is that now?"
Flabbergasted by the absurd statement, I flared up and shouted. The skeleton chuckled slyly, its bones clattering.
"Don't play innocent. Isn't that bluebird the child you and your wife bore? You hypocrite."
"You crazy skeleton. Are you saying I'm a bird?"
"You're a 'chick,' alright. A philandering chick who messes with innocent women day in and day out."
"When did I ever!"
I flared up at his utterly illogical way of speaking and was about to lunge at the skeleton when—
"I've seen at least four women myself... I wonder what Daphne would react like if she found out about this."
My body stiffened abruptly at the skeleton's words.
Was that sight amusing to him?
The skeleton laughed wickedly and continued.
"Haha, it seems our junior is indeed afraid of Daphne. Looking at how his face suddenly turned pale."
"...You know my master?"
I was clearly angry, and remained angry, yet—
Perhaps because I heard my master's name after such a long time, polite speech reflexively slipped from my lips.
"Of course, I do. We've known each other for a very long time. What's more, I even know that our junior secretly ran away, abandoning Daphne. Heh heh."
"Does that mean, perhaps..."
"Yes. Daphne is desperately searching for our junior."
"Ah."
Hearing the skeleton's words, my thoughts froze.
In my mind, only one sentence echoed, ringing alarm bells incessantly.
*I'm screwed.*
"Now, look at this."
As I stood there, the skeleton pulled out a communication orb from within its robe, shook it at me, and chuckled unpleasantly again.
"What do you think will happen if I pour mana into this?"
"..."
"You have an expression that understands better than anyone. Good. Then let's do this. If you manage to defeat me..."
The skeleton's next words were never spoken.
Because.
*Crack!*
My eyes had rolled back from the alarm bells ringing in my head, and I had swung my fist first.
*Thud.*
"Uh..."
Had he not expected me to do this?
The skeleton, with only its skull fallen to the floor, chuckled awkwardly and said.
"Junior, I've been hit in the bone, so could you perhaps reattach my skull to my body?"