The Fish Training Ring did not fit around the White Mouse's paws or head, so Shade held the mouse in one hand and used its long, thin tail as a rope to tie the ring on. As the relic took effect, the dim-witted mouse gradually stopped struggling, because clever Wisdom was taking the high ground in its mind.
It raised its head to look at Shade. Shade met the tiny black mouse's gaze and could clearly sense the emergence of intelligence from the trembling fur atop its head and the "expression" in its eyes.
A moment later, the White Mouse spoke:
"Oh, you **, damn you, are you trying to ** me? I curse you, **, you *****,."
Its voice was not loud. Judging by its tone, it was an adult male mouse. In heavily accented Kartherian Language, it cursed Shade, who was holding it, using words that Shade could not even fully translate:
That Owl I encountered in Middlesburg last time also seemed quite skilled at swearing in Kartherian Language.
He thought this as he slightly tightened his right hand. The mouse squeaked and no longer cursed aloud. Compared to the Owl Shade had encountered in Middlesburg, this mouse from the Lower District was truly quite rude.
"Do you hate me that much?"
He asked with a smile. The mouse in his hand answered indignantly:
"The cat smell on you—I can smell it through a door. It stinks even worse than Old John's athlete's foot!"
"John" was a very common name, so this "Old John" was certainly not the miserly pawnshop owner from Tobesk.
"Cat smell?"
Shade looked himself over and realized the mouse meant Mia:
"You're very afraid of cats?"
"Are you not afraid of beasts that eat people?"
The White Mouse retorted. The ring tied to its