Proud and Crazy Sealed Artifact

"Yes, Mr. Kaiming gave it to me."

Just as the subject came up, Xie Yu saw a long string of words pop out of his pocket.

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 (affection: 10) said fearfully:]

[You wouldn't want a powerful magister to take me away, would you? You definitely don't want to lose me!]

[Then don't reveal my existence! Whatever you do, don't tell him. It took me a lot of effort to make them overlook me.]

What's this guy babbling about...? Xie Yu frowned slightly.

Overlook you? Does that mean Fry and Yize overlooked this sealed artifact's existence?

Only then did Xie Yu remember that Fry had seemed interested in the sealed artifact at first, but after taking one look at it, he seemed never to have brought it up again. And after bringing Xie Yu to the inn, Fry hadn't reported everything that had happened in the cabin to Yize, either.

Xie Yu had noticed the latter, but he hadn't found it unreasonable at the time. After all, Mr. Yize was a magister in the divination domain and could divine what had just happened, so there was no need for Fry to report it.

But now it seemed Mr. Yize might have thought the task of "bringing Xie Yu over" was simple and evidently hadn't divined what had happened along the way.

And Fry had, as if by coincidence, failed to report it too!

[Seeing that you didn't respond, Sealed Artifact 3-0771 grew even more afraid (affection rose to 15):]

[Believe me, he'll definitely take me away. That guy called Fry misjudged me earlier. I'm not just an abnormal state of the mental domain-I'm an abnormal state of both the mental and fate domains!]

[I can substitute for more than a person's body and mind. I can also substitute for their fate! As long as you don't mention me, even if he's a magister, he won't be able to divine anything wrong with Kaiming, that old bastard, or you, and he'll keep overlooking me. If you mention me and he becomes aware of my existence, that effect will stop working. He'll realize something's wrong, and he'll definitely take me away.]

[You really want me, want to possess me, right? What you said about borrowing me for two days must have been a lie. You definitely don't want to lose me.]

This was the third time Xie Yu had come across the term "abnormal state."

During yesterday's major exam, the [Petulant Exam Paper] had mentioned it while explaining an answer. Xie Yu hadn't paid much attention then; after all, time had been short, and he had been caught up in the joy of copying answers. Even so, he could still recall it clearly now.

The ordinary powers of the various domains used by human mages were in the "normal state," such as the normal, tangible power of the mind and soul, ordinary flames, and so on... The powers contained in sealed artifacts, on the other hand, often displayed properties different from the normal powers known to human mages, and were therefore called "abnormal states." Human mages found abnormal-state powers difficult to imitate or reproduce using magic from the corresponding domain.

"Nice cane. I can see Kaiming likes you a lot. By the way, was there anything else?" Yize intended to end the conversation.

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 tried to influence your fate, but lost its nerve because you currently control its fate (affection rose to 20):]

[Could you at least spend one night with me first?]

The sealed artifact seemed to have shed its formerly cold protective shell and begun showing Xie Yu another side of itself.

"Nothing else. I just didn't expect you to know Mr. Kaiming."

Xie Yu found an excuse for having stood there in a daze. He hadn't expected Kaiming, a two-star mage, to be so well known.

"Didn't Fry tell you?"

Yize was a little puzzled, but didn't dwell on it. He explained himself:

"Kaiming, Fry, and I all enrolled at the Forest Magic Academy in Black Pine City in 1718, so we're old classmates. When I learned you were working as Kaiming's assistant, I even remarked on how wondrous fate was."

Mr. Fry probably forgot.

After leaving the terrace, Xie Yu took the cane and Sealed Artifact 3-0771 to an empty room Fry had arranged for him.

Only after Xie Yu entered the room and closed the door did Sealed Artifact 3-0771 finally breathe a sigh of relief.

[I knew it. You like me.]

[Feel free to chat with me. I can shield your fate and muddle the probing and perception of nearby mages. No need to thank me.]

It was probably partly responsible for the vagueness of Yize's divination earlier, too.

Normally, if a human spoke to him like that, Xie Yu would probably have avoided them like the plague.

The stink of pride verging on narcissism and a towering opinion of oneself was overpowering.

But this was a strategy, and strategies sometimes meant saying things he didn't mean and putting on expressions he didn't feel.

"I still don't know a thing about you, Fate-Substitution Talisman Doll," Xie Yu said with a smile.

[Don't you already know my name? Once you understand my name, you know me very well. A sealed artifact's name is extremely important information.]

[Heh heh, you're a little expert on sealed artifacts. How could you not understand me?]

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 smiled too, but its smile was fake. (Affection fell to 15)]

This guy starts showing off the moment it feels safe, and it actually dares to lower its affection.

From his earlier experience with the [Auditorium That Lacked a Father's Love], Xie Yu understood that kind words and treating objects well weren't enough to raise their affection. Some things simply had strange personalities.

It seemed that, as far as Sealed Artifact 3-0771 was concerned, appearing ignorant and weak both counted against him.

[I can do many things. You were lucky to get me from that old bastard.]

Sealed Artifact 3-0771 grew even smugger.

Xie Yu walked farther into the room, took it out of his pocket, and placed it on the [Elegant and Presentable Solid-Wood Bedside Cabinet (affection: 0)] beside the inn's bed.

Then he picked up the cane and glanced at it.

[The Loyal Solid-Wood Cane (affection: 0) was still immersed in grief and seemed to have lost all awareness of the outside world.]

"I intend to avenge Kaiming," Xie Yu said.

[The Loyal Solid-Wood Cane abruptly snapped out of it, as if it had heard something extraordinary. It looked at you, waiting for you to continue. (Affection rising rapidly...)]

"Taking someone's life, taking their fate, taking their mind and soul, erasing them, then taking their identity and living on-what a vicious and evil method."

Xie Yu spoke calmly.

[The Loyal Solid-Wood Cane (affection leaped to 80) looked at you as if looking at its savior:]

[You know all about it! You actually know the truth. I thought you were working with the fake Kaiming.]

Then you're a bit of an idiot, cane. What's wrong with your eyes?

How could I possibly be working with Wig Brown? Xie Yu more or less understood why the cane had been so despairing earlier. This poor-sighted cane had actually taken him for one of Wig Brown's underlings.

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 (affection: 15) interrupted guiltily:]

[Wait, does that revenge of yours include me? I'm just a sealed artifact...]

"What do you think?" Xie Yu raised an eyebrow.

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 (affection: 15) muttered:]

[If a murderer kills someone with a knife, are you going to take revenge on the knife? You're unreasonable.]

[Stop looking at me like that. Worst comes to worst... worst comes to worst, we can kill the old bastard together. (Affection rose to 25)]

Xie Yu was almost shocked. Was this sealed artifact really so fierce by nature?

It had betrayed Wig Brown even faster than the Bashful Cloak had "betrayed" Kaiming, which was even more outrageous.

"It sounds like you have a lot against Wig Brown." Xie Yu suppressed his surprise and spoke coldly.

He had a feeling that if he showed any surprise, its affection would definitely drop.

[Sealed Artifact 3-0771 (affection rose to 30) curled its lip and said disdainfully:]

[The old bastard happily used my power to start a new life, so why can't I start a new life too? Helping him once was already too much. Was I supposed to stick with him for life?]

[I heard everything. You're a very impressive magical genius, and you can pass the exams and go to a big city. I like big cities with lots of people! That's enough.]