Annan watched the strangely tender scene: a charred figure nestled against three skeletons.
To an outsider, it might have looked like a cruel desecration of the dead... but Girl only wanted to be with her family.
"Are their souls still there?" Annan asked softly.
"What awakened was only the instinct left in their bodies."
"Can't we bring their souls back?"
"Even the God of Death has gone silent. No one can bring souls back from the Abyss." The Skeleton King looked down at Annan. "You want her to protect you?"
"Didn't you say Oddities don't attack each other unless provoked? I want her to protect me on the way to Strange Tales City."
"See? This is what makes you different from everyone else."
"You've praised me too many times already," Annan said modestly. He looked at the Burnt Girl, who had raised her head toward them. "It's our turn to step in."
"Mr. Leonafa cast a permanent revival spell on your family. They can move around for a few hours each day."
Until the last of their instincts fade, Annan thought.
The Burnt Girl stared at him through blackened eye sockets. Then she suddenly returned to the Wooden Cottage. Before long, she dragged out the young noble, tortured beyond recognition, and dropped him in front of Annan.
"For me?" Annan asked. He had no use for the young noble, so he turned to the Skeleton King. "Shall I hand him over to you?"
"I'm still... useful..." the young noble murmured weakly.
"All right. Who are you?"
"Marco..."
"Have you ever done a good deed in your life?"
"..."
Annan looked back at the Skeleton King. "You can make a specimen out of him."
An Undead, an Oddity, and a human—none of them pitied him. The Skeleton King simply stuffed the