353 A Guessing Game

Uncertain if they were friend or foe, Vy made the call for them to remain hidden and observe. They did not make any contact and the scouting party did not notice the group. They were in the outskirts of the cityscape, which had shorter buildings that dotted their surroundings. 

The Origami Dolls revealed themselves to the survivors in the night. This proved to them that they were moving in the right direction. Another letter was sent to them, which Vy promptly read. 

They were less than a day's travel away from the location of the device. 

"Judging from the fact that this letter was sent to us, I assume this mysterious entity is also tracking our whereabouts," Sorren commented with unease. 

Vy nodded, "For better or for worse, they have not caused us any trouble. That alone proves to be a good sign." 

As she continued to read the contents of the letter, Vy realised it contained instructions on how to remove the red bands using the mysterious device. She laughed as she read it. 

"What's so funny?" El asked out of curiosity. 

"Yeah Vy! Is there a joke in the letter or something?" Maribelle wondered. 

"Why would that letter have a joke in it, that doesn't make any sense!" Boss rebutted. 

Everyone's attention was on Vy. 

"Let's play a game," Vy declared with a grin. 

"A game?" Tizzie asked. 

Vy nodded as she explained. Whoever guessed the answer correctly, would get first pick for the next day's meals. Everyone's interest was piqued. 

"So, what's the question?" Boss asked. 

Tizzie nudged him, "Bean! You're always so eager when it comes to food!" 

Boss blushed as everyone else laughed at his embarrassment. 

"The way to remove the red bands requires a certain tool. A tool that has been kept at this location. The first person to guess what sort of tool it is, wins."

Everyone fell silent, thinking long and hard at what the answer could be. Just then, someone shot up their hand. It was Jos. 

"Yes Jos?"

Everyone turned their attention to him, eagerly waiting to hear the answer he had thought of.

"Is it a saw? You know, to cut it off?"

Vy laughed. 

"Jos are you crazy?! A saw would just cut someone's arm off!" Maribelle rebutted. 

Everyone erupted in laughter. 

"It's not a saw."

There was silence for sometime before another person attempted to answer. But with each answer being given, everyone seemed to lose hope little by little. They were running out of ideas. 

What sort of tool could it possibly be?

"Maybe it's a magical staff that we could wield to make our hands smaller so that the bands would come right off!"

"Oh oh! Or it could be a magical drink that we take and the red band would lose its effects!" 

But none of those was the correct answer. 

Ronni listened to everyone's answers in silence, thinking of all the possibilities it could be. Something that would have made Vyrena laugh when she read it. What old it possibly be?

"Maybe it's something so simple, it's ridiculous," he muttered to himself. 

The answer hit him like an ocean wave crashing onto the shoreline. But before he could even open his mouth, someone beat him to it. 

"I know! It's a pair of scissors!" Boss exclaimed. 

Vy lit up, "Yes! You got it."

Everyone had their mouth agape. The answer was so simple it was right beneath their noses but they did not get it. A pair of scissors was all it took?

"That's it? A pair of scissors?" El gasped in disbelief. 

Vy nodded before she continued, "Well technically, it is a pair of magic-powered scissors. There are also a few more steps required, apart from using the scissors to cut the red bands."

Some of them found it difficult to believe what Vy said was real. 

"Are you sure you read it right?"

"I can get Sorren to read it and he can tell you if it's true or not." Vy handed the letter over to Sorren who quickly read through the contents. 

When he was done, he placed down the letter and nodded. 

"So what Vy said is true?" Maribelle asked to clarify again. 

Sorren nodded. 

They came all this way for a pair of magical scissors. 

"Well it better be a really amazing pair of scissors. We came a long way just to use it!" Tizzie remarked. 

"But what if the letter is lying to us? What if it's actually something else instead?" Jos said. 

Some of the others supported his statement. 

"Well, I guess we will only know for certain when we get there," Vy replied. She turned to Boss and continued, "Well, your reward is going to have to wait at least another day. We need confirmation to see if the letter is true."

"Wait what? Not tomorrow? Awww I was really looking forward to it…" Boss sighed. 

Tizzie could not help but laugh as Boss pouted over his disappointment in the situation. The other children joined in the laughter too. Their Boss might be older than most of them, but he was still a huge child when it came to food. 

"What… what's so funny?" Boss asked in confusion. 

"Your… your expression, it's too cute!" Tizzie explained as she squeezed his cheeks as she continued to laugh. 

The adults joined in the laughter too, causing Boss's face to turn beet red. 

"Tizzie, you're embarrassing me!" He whispered to her as he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. 

Tizzie could not help herself as she continued to tease him, "Embarrassing you? But you look so adorable when you're angry Beanie~"

Calling him by his nickname sent everyone into another round of laughter. Boss wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and hide in it. But seeing Tizzie laugh like this was a rare sight. 

The embarrassment he felt soon dissipated as he joined in their laughter.