"Click..."
"You're finally back. I was starving to death!" Hearing the lock turn, Fors immediately turned toward the door, muttering as she tried to roll herself off the sofa. But just as she was about to succeed, her eyes suddenly widened and she shouted:
"Who are you?"
"It's me! Don't tell me you don't even recognize me anymore?" Xio casually placed the Gluttony Marionette on the shoe cabinet by the entrance. Looking at Fors, who had suddenly gone on guard, she actually looked slightly pleased with herself. Fors, however, stared wide-eyed and said:
"What did you do to Xio? She's not this tall! Uh... weird?"
Fors seemed to have suddenly noticed something. She stepped forward a few paces, then scratched her head and said:
"That's strange. I actually thought you'd gotten taller just now! Forget it, that's not important. Why are you back so late today?"
"..." Xio glared at Fors indignantly, took a deep breath, and only then said:
"I ran into Mr. Panredax on the way, so I handed in the previous assignment while I was at it..."
"Then you accidentally got scratched by that arrow and awakened Decoy powers? And your Decoy power makes you look taller? So that arrow really is the kind of arrow from Diamond is Unbreakable that can awaken Decoys?" Fors truly deserved to be a novelist who had written mystery scenes. In an instant, she filled in the entire sequence of events. Xio nodded slightly and said:
"More or less. But Mr. Panredax taught me how to use the arrow. He said increasing the number of Decoy Users was part of his advancement ritual."
"Then let me try it too! I want a Decoy that can help me work!" Fors was immediately interested. Xio, however, grimaced, instantly throwing all the excuses she