Chapter 476: A brief visit
"MASTER!"
Before either Zombie, Cranberry, or Carambola left the carriage, the small, half-plant centipede charged inside and jump straight at the blue undead, coiling itself around his neck - only halfway since it was too short to completely wrap around - and cried out in an overjoyed voice.
"Master, you're finally back! I'm making the adjustment to our contract - I refuse to leave your side from now on!"
The green centipede declared sounding deeply moved, nuzzling his head segment against Zombie's neck.
"Now, now, George. It's alright. I agree on that condition. Come."
The blue undead smiled softly and gently caressed the bushy moss-like carapace of his subject, offering his left hand to him.
"Hmph...! You better not forget it!"
George gasped pitifully and jumped at the offered hand before hurriedly coiling himself around Zombie's wrist, perfectly imitating some sort of unusual bracelet.
"...I never seen George act so emotional before, he was always the most level-headed one form what I could see..."
Wide-eyed Cranberry gasped in shock, staring at the half-plant centipede, nuzzling himself against Zombie's hand even while posing as the bracelet.
"He is a cute little cuddle bug, but he is good at pretending he doesn't care."
The blue undead shrugged his shoulders while gently caressing the moss-like carapace with his right hand and getting out of the carriage - right in front of the Pride's mansion where the last one of his subject was awaiting him.
"(Master. It's good to finally see you back with us.)"
Baron, the red dragon the size of a jet plane from Zombie's original world, lowered his head and greeted his master using telepathy.
"Khahahaha! You really like to act high and mighty, don't you? Good boy."
"(!!!)"
The blue undead burst out into a fit of laughter and rubbed Baron's head with both hands, causing the tip of Baron's tail to show up from behind his impressive body because it started wagging despite clear attempts on the dragon's part to keep up the pretense of seriousness.
"(I missed you, master.)"
Baron sent out a message and closed his eyes and leaned in, enjoying the sensation of the cold hand on his scales.
"...?"
"..."
Zombie noticed another creature poking its head past the red dragon but since it was very hesitant to show up, he ignored it for the moment and focused on Baron.
"I've heard that you helped out Cranberry even though Kopia told you to not interfere."
"(Ah...! That's because... I.. I...!)"
Even though there was no reproach in Zombie's voice, the red dragon flinched and cowered, hanging his head down in guilt.
"Skwee! (Hey, you, blue thing!) Skwee! (Don't be mean to Baron!)"
Once that happened, a griffin around the size of a farm horse jumped out from behind the dragon and spread her wings to make herself look bigger and more threatening.
|Oh-ho...! That would be her, wouldn't it?|
Zombie smirked and asked internally, looking at the griffin screeching at him angrily.
|She looks different than during the first playthrough, but that's mainly because she never experienced the effects of your beast master skill, but that's definitely our Blueberry.|
The sealed being responded while sounding as if she couldn't help smiling while looking at the female griffin with brown feathers covering her torso and white feathers on her wings.
"(Pesky pigeon, why are you shouting at my master?)"
"Skwee?! (Wha-aaaaaah?!)"
Before Blueberry could do anything else - since it actually looked like she was gearing up to attack the blue undead, Baron scoffed at her, unfolded his massive wing, and folded it back together with the much smaller griffin, pressing her - screeching in shock - against his scaly torso.
"Skwee! (Stupid Baron!) Skwee! (I'm protecting you from the mean guy!) Skwee! (Let me go!)"
Blueberry screeched and tried to free herself but Baron was holding her down securely - not to mention that he seemed to be very much used to this kind of behavior - and since nothing she screeched seemed working at him - she started lightly pecking at his side, demanding to be released.
The next moment Zombie felt someone brushing past him and saw that red-haired Cranberry walk up in front of the griffin's had - because only Blueberry's head and hind legs were sticking out from under Baron's wing - and put her hands on her sides, very much annoyed.
"Blueberry! What's with that rude behavior?! This is Zombie - he is my husband, so that means he is your dad, so you better straighten up your act or I will ask Baron to not play with you for a whole day!"
The red-haired girl declared, scolding the griffin.
"Skweee?! (Whaaaat?!) Skwee...! (Mommy, you can't be serious, that's not fair!) Skwee, skwee! (That blue guy was mean to Baron, you said that daddy is a nice person!)"
Blueberry fidgetted and screeched at her, arguing back.
"..."
"(...)"
The blue undead and the red dragon looked at two the two arguing and then glanced at each other.
"What's the story with that young lady you call a pigeon?"
Zombie smirked and asked, softly nudging Baron's nose with his elbow.
"(Your red girl found her once during training - apparently that pigeon became her second familiar.)"
Baron explained using the directed telepathic message so that only Zombie would hear his thoughts.
"What about the pigeon part...?"
Zombie leaned in and whispered, following the conspicuous tone of their conversation.
"(What about it? She's a pigeon so I call her a pigeon. Annoying, bothersome, and will not leave me alone unless there are some crumbs to stuff her beak with.)"
The red dragon scoffed, shaking his head - but when he glanced back at the griffin stuffed under his wing, his eyes were full smiling.
"Alright. I have some preparations to be done, so we can't really stay here all day. I bet that you have some trick to make that pigeon of yours calm down - it sounds like things are getting quite heated there..."
Zombie pointed out motioning that the increasingly agitated girl and griffin shouting at each other.
"(...I do, actually, master... you calm down yours, I calm down mine.)"
Baron nodded and moved his head back towards his wing.
"SKWEE! (YOU CAN'T JUST BRING SOME UNDEAD HOME AND SAY THAT HE IS MY FATHER, MOMMY!)"
"What are you talking about - I TOLD YOU ABOUT HIM FROM THE VERY START!"
Blueberry was screeching at Cranberry and Cranberry was shouting back at her, but at the next moment.
*mlem*
*munyu*
The red dragon's split tongue brushed against feathers on top of Blueberry's head while the blue undead raised his hand and poked Cranberry's cheek.
"...skwee...? (...eh...?)"
"...?!"
The griffin let out a tiny screech and lowered her head in embarrassment while her red-haired human mother got wide-eyed as the blue undead touched her face and guided her to look at him.
"Blueberry is very cute, still, we do have Mary to worry about, remember?"
Zombie said and pointed at the mansion.
"We need to prepare."