CH 74

Onesco catches the jewel I threw with both hands like a drop of life.

She alternates between staring at her hand and my face, blinking her eyes repeatedly and shaking her head, wondering if this is a dream.

Eventually, she managed to squeeze out a scratchy voice.

“Geez, you processed …… a gemstone, didn’t you?”

“Oh,” I replied shortly.

I’m not sure what to do, but I’m sure it’s a good idea.

And then, as if realizing the gravity of the situation, he looked up and said.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! You really processed a gemstone? It’s very difficult to process a gemstone! You’re supposed to be unemployed, how could you do that?”

“It’s true, I’m unemployed. I may not be as good at my day job, but I’m not bad, right?”

“Not as good as your real job? No way! It’s so neatly cut! You’re unemployed, what have you done to it?”

“Are you trying to belittle me or praise me, are you happy or not? Well, anyway, that should put you in the pattern.”

Onesco dropped her gaze as if she had been played.

She drew the sword from its scabbard and gingerly placed the blue gem in the hollow of the hilt.

As if attracted by a magnet, the jewel …… clicked!

…..gakiiiin!

It made an instantaneous impact on the hilt.

Instantly, the entire sword was enveloped in a faint blue light.

Onesco gasped, “That’s amazing ……!”

“If it was poorly processed, the jewel would not fit and would have to be flicked on. It’s like a sword welcoming the jewel. ……?”

Then she began to shake and shiver.

“I can’t believe ……!　I can’t believe I got my first gem so quickly. ……! I was prepared for it to take a year to get the jewel. ……! I didn’t think I’d be able to do it in less than a month of enrollment. ……! And even if you get the gemstone, I was prepared for it to take at least three years before I could find a student who could process it. ……! I had no idea that there were students who could process it in less than an hour. ……!”

Her voice was completely shaky.

She stared at me with eyes so moist they looked like water-marine jewels.

“Th- Than-!

This time, I interrupted her with my index finger.

“It’s a very important pact, isn’t it? If so, save it for someone more important. I processed the gems, but most of the credit goes to Tom. If it weren’t for Tom, I wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on it.”

Tom squealed happily, “Pyaa!” He leapt from the rock and landed beside Onesco, squealing happily.

“To- Tom!!!!!”

And Onesco hugged Tom.

Onesco pushes Tom down and buries her face in his stomach and grinds on him.

I stood up, stretched, and looked up at the sunlight through the trees.

“Well, let’s see what we can find.”

A muffled voice came from Onesco, who was still on his stomach, “Searching for what ……?”

“It’s a griffon bird nest. I was wondering if it was around here.”

I switch to ninja and start to climb the nearest tree.

Tom notices this and breaks free from Onesco’s hold, “Pyaa!” He follows suit.

“Tom was good at climbing trees, wasn’t he? Come with me, then.”

“Piao!”

An honor student’s voice came from the ground to discourage the two crunchy kids.

Leopin-kun! What are you doing up a tree?”

“I told you, we’re looking for a griffon bird’s nest.”

“Are you sure there is one? And what are you going to do with it?”

“Well, just watch.”

“Watch out! I don’t care if you fall in! Tom, come here!”

Tom and I ignored Onesco’s warning and climbed up the tree.

As we crossed the branch like tightrope walkers, we heard a scream. I heard a scream.

“Really, stop! You can’t fall down!”

I replied, balancing myself on the branch with an oops.

“You’re a worrywart too, you’re just like Monaka. When I was a kid, every time I climbed a tree, Monaka would fuss down there.”

“So you’ve been bothering Monaka for a long time! I knew you had been bothering Monaka for a long time, and it was only natural that Monaka was fussing over you! She was worried about you!”

“That means Onesco is worried about me, too.”

“Ba …… you idiot! No, of course not! I’m worried about Tom! I’m not worried about you. ……! I don’t care if an unemployed person like you falls to his death!”

I saw a shiny object in the bottom of a big tree. The bottom was covered with dead grass, and there were pieces of mirror and silver cutlery scattered around.

“I see it!” I twisted a branch and jumped to the tree.

“No! No! No way! Please don’t die!” I heard a dying voice from below.

“I’ve found the griffon bird’s nest!”

I reported from the top of the branch, peering down at my feet, and Onesco froze, looking up at me.

She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her chest.

“That gesture also looks somewhat like Monaka.”

“Yes, ……. It’s not that important. It’s not safe, come down here …….”

“That’s not how it works. This is where it all begins.”

“What the hell are you trying to do, Leopin? A griffon bird is a bird, right?The only thing in a bird’s nest is an egg, right? Why would you risk injury to go and get them? ……”

I answered as I rummaged through the nest in the pit.

“When I saw the gemstone in the crevice of the rock, I thought to myself, “Why would a gemstone be here?”

But it’s not like someone dropped it or something?”

I heard a voice at my feet, as if it had realized something.

“Could it have been …… dropped?”

“Yes. The gryphon bird has a habit of collecting shiny things. The reason why he attacked Onesco and tried to steal the gemstone was because he thought that maybe he was the original owner. And if he ‘dropped’ it, it means there’s a nest somewhere up there.”

My prediction was right on the money.

And if it was a griffon bird that dropped the gem, it must have been …….

“Whoa, there it is! We got the yellow gemstone and the red gemstone!”

“Eh-  Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?!”