Everyone Pretend to Be Clueless Together
Very soon!
After only a few breaths, the sound of light footsteps and something heavy being dragged across the snowy ground outside the temple gate grew closer. Before Annie and the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey had been waiting and wondering for long, they both saw:
"Horse...!" Tibbers had returned. It was carrying the willowwood staff in one hand and dragging a monster with the other. Just before entering, it had hoisted the creature up and carried it into the meditation room beside the gate.
"..."
噗--!
Once inside, Tibbers said nothing. It simply slammed the thing in its hand onto the floor.
When it had gone out just now, it had spotted the creature at a glance. The thing had been perched on a branch of the bare, snow-covered tree in the temple courtyard, peering around. When it saw Tibbers emerge, it had even put on an act, as if it wanted to say something.
The problem was, with Tibbers' temperament, when would it ever have time to listen to someone ramble and dawdle?
So!
The bear... no, monkey master had wasted no time. It had thrust out the willowwood staff, making it instantly grow longer, and struck first, knocking the creature off its branch before it could fly away.
Then, after watching it cry out and hit the ground, Tibbers had promptly beaten it with a flurry of blows. It had even considerately broken both of its wings with a stomp, and only after it had beaten the creature to its satisfaction had it spared its life, calmly dragging it inside for its little master to inspect.
"Huh?"
|▽)
"What is that thing?"
(.)
At once, Annie cried out in surprise and went over to take a closer look.
She soon saw clearly that