Hm? Balder blinked in confusion, half expecting that Alavin was teasing him, but the voice and tone didn’t quite match.
The little white turtle seemed to be growing more amused by the second, finding Balder’s plump figure to be quite the comical sight. “Is your whole family like this, or did you put in the effort to achieve such a layered appearance?”
Ha! Balder stared at the small white turtle in surprise. “Can it talk?”
Alavin shrugged. “When I summoned the Kings of Old, they gave it to me as a gift.”
Clearing its throat, the little turtle spoke authoritatively, “Young lad, mind your tone. Chubby one, step outside. We have important matters to discuss—very important.”
“Me? Go outside?” Balder pointed toward the door, still shocked. Was it a talking Magi-Monster? Could it be a sacred beast? Alavin was becoming more impressive by the moment, with the protection of a royal effigy and now a sacred beast!
“I'll have a chat with it first,” Alavin said, equally curious about the little creature.
Balder reluctantly exited the room, looking back three times with each step before gently closing the door behind him.
The turtle was no bigger than a fist, resembling an exquisitely carved ivory, smooth and lustrous figurine. It stretched its tiny limbs to relieve the stiffness from being confined for five days and nights. “Those ancient ones are quite pleased with you. Strike while the iron is hot and talk to them—get this chain off me. Let’s deal with matters as they come, solve problems that arise, and please, let’s not keep using such brute methods to restrain me, alright?”
“You’ve been living inside the Royal Mausoleum for a thousand years?” Alavin was still skeptical.
“I was young and naive, lured into a cave, and then chained for centuries. Centuries, can you grasp that? How many centuries does one have in a lifetime, and I've just wasted them in a daze.” The turtle held up its head, shaking it sorrowfully, almost shedding tears. It meandered around, bobbing its head. “But let’s leave the past behind. I am generous and forgiving, and I’ll consider guarding their tomb my duty. But what’s the situation now? The Royal Mausoleum is gone, they have departed, and it should be time to let me go, yet here I am, chained to your neck. Let’s be reasonable, shall we?”
Despite its youthful appearance, the turtle spoke with the wisdom of the ages.
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