Chapter 152. Pro, the Niffler Who Volunteered
Outside the case, the sky was covered by a black eiderdown curtain, with only scattered stars giving off a glow.
But inside the case, the blazing sun still shone, and the crimson orb hanging high poured down warm sunlight without stint.
"That's about the size of it.
What do you all think?"
Duncan sat cross-legged on the grassland of the Erumpent area, ringed by a circle of magical beasts.
As he sunbathed, he told the beasts in detail about Olivia's younger sister.
"Olivia is a good person.
We ought to think of a way to help her!"
Hearing Duncan's question, Kray stopped preening his slightly messy feathers and raised his head.
His battle with Mori and Pro had gone on late into the night, and only when Duncan returned to the case did they reluctantly stop.
"I can help, I can help!" the unicorn foal, Gale, said, bounding on all four legs in excitement.
Pro, who had been sprawled very comfortably atop Gale's head, got a huge fright.
He nearly shot into the air again and became a flying Niffler.
Pro hastily grabbed at Gale's hair to steady himself, eyes full of panic — he was a bit afraid of flying now.
When Gale calmed down a little, Pro didn't dare stay put.
He slid down in a rush and plopped onto the soft grass.
After bouncing a few times, he steadied himself and clambered up onto the head of his loyal underling, Ari.
"Duncan, bring her into the case.
I can use my magic to heal her, like I healed Olivia.
She'll be back to health very quickly!" Gale said, his gem-like eyes brimming with impatience, as if he wanted to rush out at once to cast a healing spell for that girl and smooth away the pain she had suffered.
"No, child," the unicorn mother, Bonnie, said gently with lowered head.
"Our magic can only heal external wounds and help restore someone's strength.
But the injuries that child suffered were caused by potions.
Our magic will hardly help her, and might even cause some kind of unpredictable harm."
"Oh, all right..." Gale's brows drooped in dejection, and even his whole body slumped by a large degree.
"Gale, don't worry.
You'll have plenty of chances later.
These two get into fights from time to time.
Maybe they'll get hurt one day, and then we'll need you to treat them.
You're our personal doctor now!" Duncan said soothingly.
At that, Gale perked up again.
He proudly lifted his head high and stamped hard in reply: "Mm, I can definitely do it!"
"Who's fighting it?"
"And that thing is my match?"
"Duncan, are you insulting me?"
Kray and Mori spoke in unison.
Their tone, pitch, and timing were exactly the same — it sounded like a single beast was talking.
All the beasts, and Duncan as well, looked at them with baffled eyes.
Duncan chuckled.
"Didn't expect the two of you to have such tacit understanding!"
"Nonsense.
Who has tacit understanding with that thing?" Mori and Kray spoke in sync again.
Then they glared at each other and, still in sync, continued: "Why are you copying the way I talk?!"
Seeing the two beasts' eyes go wide as if they were about to start fighting again, Duncan reached out and smacked them both, none too gently.
"We're discussing serious business right now.
If you two want to fight, shove off early and far.
Don't force me to step in!"
"Hmph, I won't bother with it!"
"I won't bother with it either!"
Kray and Mori snorted at the same time, turned their heads aside, and strode away from each other with big steps.
Duncan shook his head helplessly and turned his gaze to the other magical beasts.
"How should we help them?
Do any of you have other good ideas?"
The two Erumpents and the Acromantulas exchanged glances and found only confusion in one another's eyes.
Especially the Acromantulas — they had thought Duncan had called them over for a banquet!
They had come running in high spirits, only to discover it was a small-group discussion!
Is this the sort of question our practically non-existent little brains can figure out?
And it was about how to help a human girl, no less!
Ordinary human girls, when they see us, if they don't faint dead away, it already means their mental fortitude is tough enough!
We Acromantulas only know how to eat; we really have no experience in matters of helping people!
"Oi, oi, everyone quiet down!" Pro suddenly piped up.
Standing on his hind legs, he straightened to his full height atop Ari's head.
His chest puffed up like a bullfrog's, for fear that Duncan and the other beasts wouldn't notice him.
"What is it, Pro?
Do you have a way?" Duncan asked curiously.
"Don't look down on Nifflers!" Under their gazes, Pro straightened up even more.
"Though I can't heal that girl's body, I can heal her heart, make her regain her joy, and forget her troubles!"
"Oh?
How are you going to do that?" Duncan's interest rose at once.
"I don't need to do anything!" Pro tossed his head with confidence.
"She'll be happy the moment she sees me!"
"Mm?" Question marks popped up over Kray's and Mori's heads at the same time, and then they rolled all over the ground, laughing like mad.
"What do you mean by that — don't you believe me?" Pro demanded loudly.
"We believe you, we believe you," Mori said, grinning and laughing between gasps for breath.
"That's right.
At the very least, you've already made us very happy right now!" Kray added with a smile, twisting the knife.
Pro waved his paws at them in anger, then rubbed his chest over and over to cool his temper.
With disdain he said, "You lot are too ugly — how could you possibly understand the charm of a very good-looking creature?"
"Right, right, everything you say is right!" Mori and Kray looked at him like he was an idiot and nodded again and again in agreement.
Duncan, however, found the idea workable.
Pro looked silly-cute; he really might be able to cheer that girl up.
So Duncan said, "Pro, since you're so confident, I'll leave this to you!"
"Ah?" Mori sprang up off the ground in shock.
"Duncan, you're not joking, are you?"
"Seems Duncan's gone mad.
Hurry up and turn him into a balloon and send him into the sky, or it'll be dangerous," Kray said, shaking his head.
Ever since Duncan had turned those frenzied magical beasts into balloons, this line had become a catchphrase among Kray and the rest.
When he finished, Kray and Mori waggled their heads and sauntered off.
"Aha, the discussion's over?
Brilliant!"
The Acromantulas, seeing this, had the same thought flash through their minds, and at once trotted away with jaunty steps.
Brothers, charge — time to eat!
"You're just jealous!" Pro stamped his paw and shouted at those beasts.
"Boss, can you really make that girl happy?"
Ari strained his eyes upward, trying to see Pro perched on his head.
"Of course!" Pro replied.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Boss is amazing!" Ari and Charlie said, eyes full of adoration.
"Heh-heh, keep it low-key, keep it low-key.
If I weren't outstanding, how could I be your boss?" Pro said, wriggling his body.
"Come on, I need to go rest now and build up my energy!
Duncan, call me when you need me!"
"Yes, Boss!" Ari and Charlie roared with gusto and strode off.
Mist the Sphinx, who had been squatting by Duncan's side the whole time, said anxiously, "Duncan, is it really all right to let him go?"
Duncan answered with a smile, "Don't worry.
Although Pro is usually very mischievous, at crucial moments he knows the gravity of things."
"That's good," Mist said, a little more at ease.
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