"Ugh...!"
Zombie released Cranbie from his grasp and the powder-pink-haired elf fell on his butt while severe bleeding from his broken nose was staining his outfit.
"...Zombie...?"
Even with that, the elven young man gasped, looking up at the frozen blue undead knight and seeing the sorrow in his jet-black eyes.
"Zombie, is everything okay...?"
Cranbie asked timidly while holding both hands to his nose in an attempt to stop the loss of blood.
"..."
The blue undead knight twitched and slowly looked down at the elf by his feet.
"...Cranbie..."
Zombie muttered, sounding completely out of it.
Without making any other sounds, the blue undead knight reached down and touched the powder-pink-haired elf's face.
"...mend..."
*crack*
His body shone with vibrant violet light and the next moment he muttered the name of a skill he shouldn't have in his arsenal – but even so, the young elf felt the all too familiar sensation of the cartilages forcibly returning to their rightful place and his nose mended itself back into its original shape.
"...owww..."
Cranbie groaned in a quiet complaint – the only healing skill that didn't have anything to do with the holy element was just as painful as he remembered it even though the blue undead was the one using it...
...though, after careful consideration, the powder-pink-haired elf realized that the effect of the skill doesn't change depending on who is using it...
"Here, let's get you up..."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"...! Ah...! Yes...!"
At first, the powder-pink-haired elf didn't realize the blue undead was talking to him, as he wasn't used to Zombie being so helpful – and so he only flinched and nodded his head once the blue hands showed up in front of his face.
With how mend worked, all the blood that was spilled simply returned back to the wound as if it never left the target's body, so Cranbie's clothes were back to being spotless.
"...eh...? Wait...! Eh...?!"
Then, the young elf realized that Zombie was leading him away from his father only when the blue undead knight was leading him up the stairs of the mushroom-shaped outbuilding.
"Zombie, what about my father...?"
Cranbie asked nervously, honestly terrified of this silent Zombie that certainly didn't act like that before.
"..."
The blue undead knight looked at the powder-pink-haired elf before glancing back at the fallen unconscious purple-haired elf.
The next second Zombie's body shone with the vibrant violet light and he raised his hand, pointing it at Gooseberry.
"Mend."
*CRACK*
The blue undead knight called out and the old elf's body twisted and turned until it finally let out a loud noise and fell back down on the ground.
"...FUCKING HELL...!"
Gooseberry was back on his feet within the next heartbeat, although his shout suggested that getting healed with mend was far more painful than getting wounded.
"...you fucker now what is your plan?! Can we finally get to killing the fucking black-haired...!"
"Shut the fuck up or I will crack your skull open once more."
The purple-haired elf called out but was instantly silenced by the ice-cold voice of the blue undead knight.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Wha...? But – you are going there with my son, that means...!"
Gooseberry flinched and raised his hand, pointing at the place where his late wife was tirelessly searching for the method of dispelling the ancient blood curse without killing the curse bearer and failing despite all her work.
"The curse is gone and Lairs is still alive – fucking asshole – see, you moronic ass betrayed my trust because of fucking anxiety – if that isn't a pathetic suicide attempt, I don't know what is."
Zombie glared back at the flabbergasted keeper of the archives and shook his head in annoyance.
"Wh... wait.. what...? What do you mean the curse is gone?"
Gooseberry gasped, staring at the blue undead knight in utter shock.
"...idiot..."
Zombie frowned, gritting his teeth, and grabbed the doorknob...
*CRACK*
*THUMP*
...but instead of simply turning it and opening the door, he went ahead and ripped the door and the entire doorframe right out of the wall and threw it to the side.
"There was no other choice."
The first person who showed up in the created entrance, was the red-haired human girl, looking at the blue undead knight with a solemn expression.
"...there better not have been..."
"...!"
The best showcase of how furious Zombie was about George's fate was the way he addressed Cranberry.
It wasn't his usual – I know, I trust you – that the girl was used to hearing all the time during the first playthrough.
Instead, she met emotionless jet-black eyes and she certainly didn't enjoy the blue undead knight looking at her in such a way.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"...there really was not..."
Cranberry repeated, lowering her head.
"...during the next secret quest – if the choice will be between one of my subjects and someone else – I will personally kill that other living."
Zombie scoffed, letting go of Cranbie and walking towards the apologetic Cranberry.
"...I am not mad at you, stupid idiot, I am angry at the system... let's destroy this thing as soon as possible and be done with it...."
The blue undead knight leaned down and hugged the red-haired girl nuzzling his face against the top of her head.
"...haa..."
Cranberry breathed out in relief and returned the hug, going as far as climbing on her tiptoes and coiling her arms around Zombie's neck.
"I really like when you are honest with me – I think I already earned your trust so don't leave me out of the loop next time – what, did you expect me to try and lob Lairs's head off if I was faced with the choice of her life against George's?"
Zombie smirked lowering his head even more and murmured into the girl's ear.
"...honestly? Yes, I did..."
Cranberry nodded her head and admitted in a low voice.
"Khahaha! Well, you know me the best~"
The blue undead laughed, not even trying to hide the truth from the red-haired girl.
"You know that her death could make working with the other Dandelions more troublesome..."
Cranberry complained while pouting letting herself be picked up and carried outside.
"Lairs – show up already – your uncle backstabbing, head punching, piece of shit of an uncle still can't believe that the curse is gone!"
"...!"
Zombie has appeased thanks to the closeness of his red-haired girl and ended up turning back towards the building and shouting, once again not hiding his true feelings at all – which caused both Cranbie and Gooseberry to flinch.
"...fucking... sure..."
Lairs called out from the inside, not sounding too happy.
"What, are you telling me your hair all fell out or something and you are too ashamed to show up?"
Zombie smirked and giggled in disbelief.
"Oh, shut the fuck up!"
...which worked like a charm and caused the elven mage to finally show her face – and more importantly, hair.
"!!!"
Gooseberry straightened his back as his eyes widened in shock, once the elven woman showed up.
Lairs still the curtain of lush hair but instead of being black like the starless night, now they turned out to be deep green, not lush and intense like fresh grass or newly sprouted leaves, but rather of the much gentler, almost moss-like hue.
It was very reminiscent of the color of George's carapace.
"If you will tell me that you are grumpy because you don't actually like green, I am going to punch your face."
Zombie said, raising his free hand and clenching his palm into a fist.
"Wha...?! No! It's not about my new – erm – my original hair color!"
The elven woman declared stomping her foot in anger.
"I... I want to apologize for what happened to your subject... I'm sorry..."
She breathed out and ended up bowing towards the blue undead knight.
"Yeah. You better be."
Zombie scoffed, glaring down at the apologetic elf.
"Zombie! This is the time where you should say something uplifting – like – I would prefer to hear words of gratitude towards him rather than an apology – and forgive her"
Cranberry breathed out and scoffed at her husband.
"What? Fuck no – I am the one upset and I will be the one to decide whether I will forgive her or not."
But the blue undead wasn't going to be cooperative about that, and instead scoffed and turned right back around.
"Now – since we are already here, we can go and pass through the Gluttony' territory – if I remember correctly there is supposed to be a lake with an orange spirit somewhere around there... It's the next remnant, isn't it?"
To prove he was serious, he completely disregarded the green-haired elf still lowering her head and asked Cranberry sitting on his forearm.
"...haa... fine... sure. That's right. We can go check up on it, we just have to be careful – that one will be a little more tricky than the previous ones."
The red-haired girl gave up and nodded, before giving out a warning.
"We will manage."
"...!"
Zombie shrugged his shoulders before glaring at the purple-haired elf staring in disbelief at the green-haired elven mage whom he wanted to kill just a moment ago.
"What? Feeling really stupid already or should I give you some more time for the truth to sink in."
Zombie scoffed at Gooseberry before walking away.
"Just so you know - next time I will tell you to trust me - trust me or I might not be so nice like I was today."
He declared.
"Also - Lairs - you are returning to our fort on foot."
The blue undead decided, making the elven mage flinch and finally raise her head.
"Wait - what the fuck? Why?!"
She gasped in disbelief and asked.
"Because I will not forgive you otherwise."
Zombie shrugged his shoulders and declared.
