Chapter 3.13 - Tuesday, July 19th, 8.49am

19th July, 8.49 a.m.

After waking up as I sit on the front yard before breakfast, a new friend which came out from a rabbit hole, comes close to me and jumps on my lap, enjoying my stroke on her body with her purring.

Until one of its kind showed up.

BOP. BOP. BOP.

With the back of her feet stomping my lap, it means she’s afraid of him.

“Why is this pink-coloured thing afraid of me…!?”

A man with white hair, red eyes, like an appearance of a white rabbit, stands next to me.

“Thing…? It’s a Fortune Rabbit.”

Saying that, I stroke the pink rabbit on her back, where she calms down and rests on my lap once again.

“What is that? A rabbit that brings good luck?”

“Yes.”

“…I need to borrow her for a while.”

BOP BOP BOP.

Hearing that, the rabbit stomps her foot on my feet again— and with a quick pace.

“No gambling.” I uttered.

“Don’t you want to be rich?”

“Money doesn’t matter here on this island.”

“Cheh, stingy.” He muttered. “Here, stupid rabbit. A carrot.”

CHOMP.

The pink rabbit then takes a bite— on his finger instead of the carrot.

“GYAHH…!!? SHE BIT ME…!!!”

While flinging his finger off from her mouth, he blows his injured finger while healing it with his magic.

“She understands what you are saying, you know.” I said to him.

“YOU SHOULD’VE SAID EARLIER…! SHE ALSO BIT ME YESTERDAY…!!!”

Does this mean you insulted her twice?

I decided to ignore his remark and cuddle this little ball of fur.

“Hehehe… that thick, white fur on your chest is so beautiful. You are so soft and cute and cuddly…! I’m going to die from fluffiness— Uuuuh…!”

“Why are you on the verge to cry all of the sudden!? Enough of that already!”

“…I-I’m really worried of Ruby…”

“Oh, come on. I thought we are going to search for her later.”

“I know… Hey, hold it.” I inadvertently stop him after realizing he had an apron on him. “Why are you wearing an apron? Don’t cook! Your cooking is terrible…!”

“Terrible…?” He murmured. “Okay, fine. How terrible is it?”

“I’ve tasted the worst porridge I ever had in my whole life.”

“OI, YOU STUPID BRAT.”

“Why are you getting angry all of the sudden!? There’s no point in asking if you don’t want to hear the truth!” I retorted.

“At least make it sound better!” He complained. “Give me some face here!”

“Okay, then.” I clear my throat. “Even plain water is better than the taste of your porridge.”

“YOU JUST GAVE AN DAMN EXPLANATION TO YOUR DAMNED REASON! IT’S NOT GIVING FACE AT ALL!”

“You must be mistaken.” I even gave him a ‘Hold it’ gesture. “When did I said I will give you face…?”

“Meanie…! Buwehh…!!!”

With a dramatic turn, he runs back into the house— while crying.

…Well, this is not my first time seeing a man cry anyways.

Dad cries whenever he watches a sad movie…

…I miss my parents.

I wonder why are they…?

As if she knows I’m sad, the rabbit on my lap rubs my hand with her head.

“…Thank you.” I said to her. “Too bad you can’t speak my tongue. It would be great if you could.”

Guess I should cook now… Restia’s about to wake up by now…

I then put her on the ground, letting her to return back to her hole, while I stand up and enter the house.

“Whoa!?”

The moment I close the front door, I find that man standing behind the door— which freaks me out.

“Are you standing there just to scare me…!?”

“No, of course not.” He told me along with a hand gesture saying ‘no’. “I’m just wondering if you are really half of the real you or something. Because the real you don’t really look like a ten-year-old kid to me.”

…It’s only me and him alone now.

It seems he has something to tell me without letting anyone else to know. Not Restia, not Fenrir’s daughter, not the rabbit.

“…What are you trying to say…?” I uttered.

“You know… that gigantic wolf and the pink rabbit.” He said. “Are you really just looking after their safety…?”

“…What about it?”

“Especially the little wolf.” He murmured. “If either the snake or the cat or that wolf brings any harm to your precious little Ruby…”

“Stop spinning around in circles. I don’t understand what you are trying to say.”

“Hmm… what is the correct term for that…?” He murmurs, then snaps his fingers, as if he got the answer.

“Ah… we call that… ‘hostages’, isn’t that right…?” He added.

…I see. He’s trying to get ‘my’ answer from me. Telling him wouldn’t affect ‘my’ plan… might as well let him know.

“…No, that’s not quite right.”

“Whoops, maybe I was wrong.” He said. “It should be… ‘chess piece’.”

“Still a wrong answer.” I replied.

“…?” He looks confused. “It’s not even a chess piece…?”

“Beyond than that.”

“Are you actually a good kid?” He asks.

“What makes you think that…?” I said. “I’m merely choosing the right way…”

“You even choose to say ‘right’ instead of ‘best’ huh…” That man, with his fingers placed under his chin, looks at me with curiosity. “Hmm… Because you know them well enough… that’s why you know how would things go just like how ‘you’ predicted it…?

“Who knows…?” I gave an arbitrary look. “I don’t know what ‘I’ am thinking.”

It’s true. I really don’t know what the real me thinks. He always told me a lot of things, but at the same time, he always leaves a lot of holes for me to fill in.

I’m not sure about ‘his’ plan exactly… All I know, is the cat, the snake, the snow leopards, even the wolves— their life and death, lies on ‘my’ hands, depending on how they are going to make their next move.

“So disgusting— ow.” That man murmured, while patting my head— which I swatted it away. “Playing both the fool and the mastermind… is something beyond madness. Don’t dive in too deep.”

He said the same thing just like my father.

“You tell that to ‘me’.” I told him, while rubbing my chin with a confused look. “…Are you really sure you are suffering from Amnesia?”

“Haha, maybe I’m beyond ‘your’ level if I’m not.”

“Yes, perhaps— except your cooking.”

“Oi.”

…………………………………………………

“Big brother…!!! I’m sorry I overslept…!”

Restia, while running down from the stairs and to the dining room with a rumbling sound, she immediately apologizes to me with a bow while stuffing the bread into her mouth.

“You know, who would apologize with a bread stuffed into their mouth?” The man next to me interjected. “I can’t see your sincerity.”

Hearing that, Restia runs and hides behind me.

“Big brother— he’s bullying me…!”

“Oi.” He glared at Restia.

“…Let’s go.” I said.

My cold reaction surprised Restia.

“…Big brother…? Are you really angry…?”

“No… I don’t have mood for that.” I said to her. “I only hope we could find Ruby as soon as possible…”

“N…”

Hearing that, Restia silently nods her head.

After gearing up, we ride on Fenrir’s daughter’s back, while bringing the Fortune Rabbit with us to boost our luck.

We made a mark to each route we searched, returning before lunch time.

Then after lunch, we head out once more.

The strange thing it, no matter how many times we cast detection magic— Fenrir’s daughter, Restia, or even that man is not able to sense Ruby’s mana at all.

Even with the Fortune Rabbit’s luck, we weren’t able to pick up any clues about Ruby.

Not even the cat and the snake are able to find her.

Where could she be…?

The more I think, the more my head gets messed up.

I don’t even know if Ruby could survive on her own… a week is probably the maximum time she could endure without food.

…………………………………………………

During dusk, we return before it reaches night time.

Our search bears no fruit.

There’s not a single hint of Ruby at all, despite we followed every possible animal track we could find.

“Little boy…!”

By the time we pass through the barrier on my house, the Snow Leopard Queen, with her leap, came running towards us, as if in a hurry.

“This is bad— it’s just like what you said, the cat really declares war against my lady!” She said.

It’s just like what I said…? Could she mean… ‘me’…?

One or two days… Crap. The worst thing had happened.

Suddenly, a flash, which catches my attention— where I find a huge lightning bolt striking at the centre of the forest—

“Eek…!”

Restia, seeing that huge lightning bolt— suddenly shrieks while covering her ears.

BROOOOM!!!!!!!!!!

—a huge thunderous sound roars.

“Ooo.” That man murmured. “Seems like the cat had the upper-hand.”

“Sigh… I hate it when ‘I’ was right.” I inadvertently uttered, while jumping down from Fenrir’s daughter’s back with Restia and that man, leaving the rabbit behind.

“Alright then… time to do what I was meant to do.” That man murmured, while looking at the Snow Leopard Queen with his hand extended at them.

“Huh…? What are you—”

“Forgive me— Cadere in altum somnum.” (Fall into deep sleep.)

He chants a sleeping spell on them.

“““““—grawr…?”””””

T-THUD!

With that, all thirteen of the Snow Leopards collapsed into sleep.

Did he overwrite thirteen of their mana in an instant…?

“W-W-What— What are you doing!?” I yelled at him.

“Sorry kid. The Snow Leopard Queen must stay out from this— her attitude towards the cat would cause a problem in their fight.”

“Am ‘I’ the one who told you that…?” I asked.

“Yup.”

“How long does it take for them to wake up…?”

“About two days.” He answered. “I guess I should bind them on their feet just like how you did to me…”

A magic circle then appears next to him, which then a large, thick metal chain peeking out from it.

Magic storage!?

With his magic, he controls the chain and tie them on their feet— a total of twenty-eight chains.

The Snow Leopard Queen had extra chains on her.

“Are you really, really, sure you had amnesia…?”

“Well, it just naturally came to me.” He told me, then, he points at Restia and Fenrir’s daughter. “Anyways, little girl and the wolf— stay here.”

“HUH…?”

“E-Eek…!?”

…and is returned with a horrifying glare from Restia, where he shrieks while looking at me.

“What can I do if my cute little sis doesn’t want to listen…?”

“Come on— ‘you’ are the one who told me that…!” He complained.

“Ngh…! I’m going!”

With that, Restia bear-hugs me— till the point I can’t even peel her off from my body.

“Aren’t you scared of death?! We are going to where those two are!” He said to Restia.

Restia, while ignoring him— bury her face on my chest, while trembling.

…She’s crying.

“…I promised not to leave you behind.”

With my hand brushing over her head repeatingly, I stroke her gently while cradling her.

“…N.”

“…Just do whatever you want.” He said angrily. “Be careful, brat. I’m not obliged to watch over her— Cadere—” (Fall—)

“Silentium!” (Silence!)

“—in altum somnum.” (—into deep sleep.)

He tries to sneak-cast a sleeping spell on Restia and the wolf— but is countered by Restia’s silence instead to stop him from chanting.

“ "

From lip-sync, it seems he’s trying to say ‘I was wrong please give me back my voice’. But looks like Restia decided to ignore him.

PAK!

He then snaps his finger— where a magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

It’s a magic-spell dispelling magic circle.

“Gah— damn it. Fine, you win.” He muttered. “However, you need to keep your mouth shut at all times, okay?”

“Humph…!”

Hearing that, Restia looks away with her arms folded.

“You need to promise me that, Restia.” I warned her. “If you can’t— I will leave you here.”

“I promise— Restia promise…!”

My warning frightens her so much that she had to act immediately.

After my seal activates— we hop on to Fenrir’s daughter’s back, while rushing towards the battle scene.