Chapter 127 – Echoes (III)

Chapter 127

Echoes (III)

“How’d you do that?!” There it was, the question that had no answer.

Well, it had an answer, just not a good one.

The young woman’s eyes shone like stars as she crouched down to meet Light’s, though the latter just ignored her and continued hiding behind me. Other kids tensed up and shuffled forward, and, yes, when I say forward, I mean in front of me. Xi Zhao took my front, Dai Xiu my left, they somehow convinced Wan Lan to take my right, and Long Tao…

Well, he was barely holding it together, to be honest.

As was I.

There was something so comical about this weird not-quite-Mexican standoff that I wanted to both cry and laugh all at once.

“You… have rather strange kids, friend,” the old man commented, holding back laughter as well.

Strange? Yeah. That’s one word for it. Know what’s another?

Insane.

They’re just batshit insane.

“I’ve been frail often, so they worry,” I quickly came up with an excuse. “I apologize for the youngest; she is no good with strangers, I’m afraid. Scares easily.”

“Like a kitten?” the young girl asked.

“Master, make her go away. She’s more annoying than mosquitos.”

“…” Well, kids never do have a filter, do they? Especially when you need them to have one.

It sort of reminds me of an old story that my grandma loved telling people and the one that made my mom mad every single time. Supposedly, when I was four, my mom had some arrangements with friends to go out, but she wasn’t feeling it that day, so she told them that I’d gotten sick and that she had to take care of me.

Flash forward a couple of days later, I’m out with her shopping, and she runs into those exact friends. They ask me whether I’ve recovered, and I out my mom and expose that she was lying.

… Aah, to be a dumb kind.

“That’s rude, Light; apologize at once.”

“… I am very sorry,” she listened, though the apology was as insincere as they come, to be honest.

“He he, no need to apologize,” the young woman said. “I am annoying like a mosquito. Especially when I become curious.”

“If you don’t mind, friend,” the old man spoke up. “You can come with us and stay at our camp, and let your kids gain some experience. It won’t be a beautiful inn, but we have a spare Spirit Tent for you and the kids to stay in.”