Colin stood dumbfounded, staring at the cat ears atop Liamy’s head.
It wasn’t just because she had suddenly sprouted a pair of cat ears right after finishing her flute performance, but because Colin had, in that brief moment, actually reacted to Liamy like this!
This was absolutely not the demeanor of a Holy Knight! Nor was it something a team captain like him should be doing! Yet, he had done it instinctively!
Now, his mind was in utter chaos, and he didn’t know what to do. He could only gape, frozen in place, fixated on the cat ears on Liamy’s head, pretending he hadn’t snapped back to reality yet.
As for what Liamy and Lavinia were saying? That would have to wait until little Colin calmed down and could listen carefully.
On the other side, Liamy anxiously touched the cat ears on her head, trying to pull them off.
But as soon as she tugged hard, a sharp pain made her jump up, tears welling in her eyes!
Seeing this, Lavinia nearby was startled and blurted out, “Hey, hey, hey! If you really don’t like it, just say so! No need to hurt yourself over it!”
Hearing Lavinia’s concerned words, Liamy shot her a fierce glare. She should see who was actually responsible for her current state!
But Lavinia clearly didn’t realize her mistake and pointed behind Liamy, saying, “Look! You’ve got a cute little tail back there too!”
At that, Liamy immediately turned around. Her gaze quickly locked onto the swaying tail.
Staring at the fluffy black tail suddenly sprouting above her rear, Liamy felt like crying but couldn’t.
Was she going to be stuck like this forever?
Lavinia suddenly spoke with a hint of pride, “So? Do you like the flute I gave you? Are you satisfied with how you look now? Just look at you, all fluffy and adorable!”
Liamy just wanted to tear Lavinia’s mouth apart. Did she really look like she liked this? Hurry up and turn me back!
Liamy glared at Lavinia, who finally noticed that Liamy wasn’t exactly thrilled about her new appearance, so she toned down her antics.
Sevnie picked up the flute from the ground and handed it back to Liamy. Lavinia took this chance to offer a solution.
“If you really want to turn back, just play the flute again.”
Upon hearing this, Liamy quickly brought the flute to her lips and played.
Soon, the cat ears on her head and the tail behind her disappeared.
Seeing this, Colin finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Liamy gradually relaxed. She realized she’d been too startled earlier. After all, Lavinia wouldn’t really harm her—there was no need to worry so much.
With this in mind, Liamy apologized to Lavinia, who generously said she didn’t mind.
“So, what exactly is this flute?” Colin suddenly asked, trying to cover up his earlier daze.
Lavinia planted her hands on her hips again and explained proudly.
“This flute isn’t just any ordinary magic tool! It belonged to a wise sage from long ago! I heard that as long as you play it, you can transform into a beast! How cool is that?”
…
No one responded to Lavinia’s question, probably because everyone shared Liamy’s thoughts: That’s it?! You can only turn into a beast?! What use is that?
“Let’s not even talk about its… maybe useful functions. Since this is an item once used by a sage, how did you get it out? Shouldn’t you have needed approval from the higher-ups in the Elven Forest? Do you really have that kind of authority?”
After what felt like a long silence—though it was only Lavinia’s perception—Sevnie suddenly asked.
Listening to her, Liamy couldn’t help but wonder.
“Could it be that you stole it?!”
“No way! I’m not the kind of woman who steals! I’m a good woman!”
A good woman? Liamy scrutinized Lavinia carefully. Aside from her “decent” figure, she couldn’t see how the phrase “good woman” applied.
But Lavinia didn’t care about Liamy’s suspicious look and continued explaining.
“Of course I had permission! Not just permission—I have the management rights for this flute! I fought alongside the Hero once! And I actually took this flute back from the demon clan! They had no reason to refuse my request!”
“Besides, this isn’t even an important item. The sage left behind plenty of weird things. Like fish crackers that turn kittens into catgirls, bone cookies that turn puppies into pretty girls, and little wands that transform cockroaches into little girls! All those kinds of things are displayed in the Elven Forest Museum! After talking with the curator, I easily got this flute back since I was the one who reclaimed it in the first place!”
After hearing Lavinia’s explanation, Liamy wasn’t sure whether to criticize the sage for having such strange items or to mock Lavinia’s kin for using those items as museum exhibits.
All she could say was that today she gained a new understanding of Lavinia’s homeland: there must be quite a few people like Lavinia in the Elven Forest!
At this moment, Sevnie, now understanding the situation, pointed to the branch in her hand and asked if that had also been taken out with permission.
This time, Lavinia’s expression became a bit tense. She glanced to the side, her tone wavering as she said, “O-of course! Otherwise, how could I have stolen it? Haha…”
After an awkward laugh, Lavinia noticed the silence that returned. She looked around and saw Colin’s face had turned really dark, while Liamy stared at her like a criminal awaiting execution. As for Sevnie, her mind had shut down—she clearly hadn’t expected Lavinia’s answer.
After a moment, Liamy broke the silence first.
“So, what exactly is this seemingly ordinary branch?”
Lavinia was about to explain when Sevnie beat her to it.
“This isn’t an ordinary branch at all. It’s a branch from the World Tree! The legendary World Tree that’s existed since the beginning of creation! Do you realize how important it is? Stealing it means what? Why did you do this…”
“I, I…”
Lavinia looked a little wronged. She obviously understood what that meant, but she did it because she wanted to help everyone.
Seeing Lavinia’s pitiful look and sensing she wasn’t someone who’d act recklessly, Sevnie put aside her anger for the moment and let Lavinia explain her reasons.
“I, I… I took it out for Liamy’s sake!”
???
Liamy, who had been watching the scene with great interest, suddenly froze. How was this even about her?!