JANUARY 21, 2017 ~ SILENTWOLFIE

TL: Urgh. Sorry for the late post. Ma.s.sive caffeine withdrawal with a huge headache throughout yesterday, so I had to sleep it off. I only have three chapters of TSTBGAM this time. I’ll be working on 1 TAS chapter from donations today, and probably part 2 of the JP series. After that, I will be going back to draw stuff.

Chapter 69 – Exposed

“Hmm, you didn’t go out to have an emotional date with the Elven forest today?!” Sue was really surprised when she saw Slane appearing at this time of the day. That would mean Fedrus did not managed to get anything done today…… How sad, his toy was misplaced.

“You looked like you’re disappointed…… Let me guess, is that d.a.m.ned wolf brat expecting me to play with him?!” Slane’s smile was strained with clenched teeth: “Sue, your bracelet is actually used to allow that b.a.s.t.a.r.d kid to track me?!”

“What do you think?!” Sue sighed and countered the angry duke’s question: “Could it be you actually think that I have a crush on you?!”

“……” Slane took a deep breath: “Fine! We should all calm down. I’m to ask you a few things.”

“You should be ashamed that you got angry with a little kid.” Sue did not hold back her snark abilities.

“……”

[Which part of you is a kid?! Where?!] Slane nearly spat blood out.

At this time, the merfolk team leader tried to placate them: “Sue, you should listen to what he wants to say.”

[Hmm, hmm, it’s not too gold to get him too mad, it would be bad if his b.u.t.tons are pushed one too many times. I’m fine with his anger, but I’m raising a kid now…..]

Sue really wanted to sigh, but she nodded reluctantly: “Very well, I’ll listen because you requested.”

Slane wanted to ask about the Tree of Life, but there was something else that he was troubled with. The Tree of Life’s revival was of a big issue, and the Mana Ripples were gentle but powerful. It was originally able to sire the Elven race with its mana, and obviously contested with the GPS magic on the little prince.

Basically, if Fedrus gave off a bright candle light as the GPS signal, then the Tree of Life would be something like a blazing fire. Since the Tree of Life completely covered the prince’s GPS signal, the duke was informed by her older queen sister that the signal was lost when the prince entered the forest.

In other words, he had to find his nephew with his own eyes……

“You want a Magical Beast to act as your tour guide so you can understand the forest?!” Sue was shocked at listening at Slane’s only request, looking at him like he had escaped from an asylum. “Are you too comfortable with your recent life that you need to find some exciting challenge?!”

The Magical Beasts who gave them face did not mean that their tempers turned nice. As predators, they were obviously carnivores and if they got hungry or wanted to try new flavors, snacking on a tasty and juicy bard was a possibility…… It was Sue who was friendly with them, and not with the others.

Sue was a friend, the others were food…… This was how simple the beasts’ thoughts were.

Slane resisted from trying to catch her and hit her b.u.t.t like he was disciplining a child……

“Is there no Magical Beasts who have a good temperament?! I just want to know the forest better and not how good in fighting they are.”

“The detailed map of the Magical Beast Forest, with the descriptions of the various Magical Beasts’ nests and other locations…… One copy for 100 gold!” Sue brought out a goatskin map as response.

The merfolk team leader sighed. They were forced to buy this item while the other races managed to avoid this……

“100 gold?! Why don’t you steal that instead!” Slane roared.

“You can choose not to buy it.” Sue nodded quickly and stuffed the map back to her bracelet, while she glared at the merfolk team leader who was about to speak. She had guessed that he was about to do some good deeds like lending their map to this bard……

The merfolk team leader smiled wryly. Just as the girl knew him well, he also understood her. She obviously warned him to not cut off her income……  He wanted to sigh and wondered how the little girl was raised to have such a personality.

[Is it really like I thought?! There’s some unspeakable sad story behind it all?!]

The merfolks had paid more attention to Sue more than they expected to. They were a peaceful race who looked upon others with a generous heart and patient att.i.tude to look at the things happening around them.

They had constantly felt that a child living in this forbidden forest that would scare the citizens in the continent, as something incredible. So no matter how bad or cruel she was, no matter how angry they got, they would always have excuses — ‘She’s just a kid.’ ‘She doesn’t know anything yet.’ ‘She did this to survive…..’

While the other races viewed her as the active devil of the forest, the merfolks still believe she was a loli who needed protection and love, in spite of the moments where they gritted their teeth and admitted that she was a criminal.

“…… Slane, that map is actually useful.” The merfolk team leader decided to stand on Sue’s side after thinking it true: “If you really want to know the forest, it can lead you to many places.”

Slane was scratching his hair out: “No! I need more than just a map, I need to know the tracks within the forest….. You got it?! The tracks! Not a scenery!”

“Tracks?!” Sue narrowed her eyes: “What exactly do you want to understand?!”

“Sue?!” The merfolk team leader also realized something was wrong.

“….” Slane calmed down and greatly realized he was too impatient.

[No, a child and a merfolk, they probably wouldn’t realize my true goal.]

“I’m sorry, I think I should discuss this later.” He wanted to find a perfect excuse to cover himself.

Once the bard was gone, Sue and the merfolk team leader looked at each other.

“”What are you thinking right now?!””