Chapter 520: A Terrifying Familiar (Trilogy)
Chapter 520: A Terrifying Familiar (Trilogy)
"Ganggang."
"Ganggang."
At that moment, Steel Sparrow chirped twice.
"Ya Ya."
"Ya Ya."
Fangy, who had been listening, was taken aback and started translating.
"Do you want me to help you find your Beastmaster?" Qiao Sang looked at the familiar with an odd expression.
No wonder it handed over a Good Person Card right away; it was looking for her help.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded.
"That's easy." Qiao Sang picked up her mobile phone and prepared to contact Yuna.
Bonded familiars all wore ID Bracelets. Since this familiar was here, it must belong to one of the guests. The best course of action was to have the host verify it.
"Ganggang!"
Seeing the human's actions, Steel Sparrow realized what she was about to do and panicked. It flew over and snatched the mobile phone with its wing.
"Xunxun!"
Before Qiao Sang could question it, Treasure Seeker appeared and quickly retrieved the mobile phone, warning with a chirp that it shouldn't be mishandled, or it might break!
Suddenly, its gaze fell on Steel Sparrow, and it gave it a serious look.
At the same time, Steel Sparrow squinted its eyes and scrutinized Treasure Seeker.
Both felt a sense of familiarity.
After a two-second mutual inspection,
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker's expression changed to "So it's you!"
Steel Sparrow also recognized Treasure Seeker and, without a word, turned and flew away.
Despite its quick reaction, the gap in strength between a Basic Familiar and an Advanced Familiar was too great. Steel Sparrow had only flown a couple of meters when a black shadow wrapped around its claws, pulling it back.
"Ganggang!"
Steel Sparrow turned its head and swept its wing downward, a sharp, tangible light slicing at the shadow.
The light seemed to leave a faint scratch on the shadow, but it quickly vanished.
Steel Sparrow was dragged back to Qiao Sang.
It looked down at the unharmed shadow on its claws, then at Treasure Seeker, and finally at the human in front of it, its mind working quickly.
"Ganggang..."
Then, Steel Sparrow chirped weakly to Qiao Sang, indicating it was all a misunderstanding.
"Xunxun!"
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker pointed urgently at Fangy's claws, where the ID Bracelet was, to its Beastmaster.
It wasn't a misunderstanding; it had seen this guy sneak into the room in the middle of the night to steal Big Brother Yabao's bracelet!
"Ya Ya!"
What?! Steal its bracelet?
Fangy bared her teeth.
Qiao Sang was taken aback, remembering that Treasure Seeker had mentioned this before.
"Was it that night in Sector 13?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker nodded firmly.
It was definitely this guy; it hadn't made a mistake!
Qiao Sang frowned, her gaze on Steel Sparrow becoming more cautious.
The guests at this banquet all had some background; it was unlikely one of them would have their familiar steal an ID Bracelet... Qiao Sang's eyes fell on Steel Sparrow's claws, and she was surprised.
It wasn't wearing an ID Bracelet?
Undocumented?
Forgot to wear it?
Was there something wrong with its Beastmaster's identity? Had it infiltrated the banquet to cause trouble?
Wait, Yuna said a wild beast companion had broken in. Could it be this one?
Various thoughts raced through Qiao Sang's mind.
"Ganggang!"
"Ganggang!"
Steel Sparrow, sensing the human's suspicious gaze, used its wings to gesture and explain the situation.
Treasure Seeker's expression gradually shifted from "I'll see how you explain this" to "Oh, it's like that."
"Xunxun..."
Finally, it covered its mouth, its eyes glistening with tears, looking like it was saying, "You poor thing."
"Ganggang..."
Steel Sparrow sighed, indicating that was the whole story.
"Ya Fangy"
Fangy looked at Steel Sparrow with sympathy.
Hey, am I the only one who doesn't understand?... Qiao Sang, noticing the changes in Fangy and Treasure Seeker's expressions, couldn't help but speak up:
"Can someone translate for me?"
"Xunxun!"
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker started translating.
After hearing the story, Qiao Sang's expression was odd as she looked at Steel Sparrow and asked:
"Did you say your Beastmaster came from Sector 27 to the Third District but accidentally left you behind, and you chased after them all the way from Sector 27 on your own?"
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded.
"You don't have an ID Bracelet, so you weren't allowed to enter the Middle Ten Districts and the Upper Ten Districts, and had to use other people's ID Bracelets along the way?" Qiao Sang asked again.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded once more.
"What about your own ID Bracelet?" Qiao Sang asked with a smile. "Don't tell me you accidentally lost it."
A Beastmaster would accidentally leave their familiar behind?
That was simply absurd.
Qiao Sang didn't believe it for a second.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow shook its head; it didn't have an ID Bracelet.
"Xunxun."
Treasure Seeker translated.
Qiao Sang stared at Steel Sparrow, noting the sincerity in its eyes. It didn't seem to be lying.
"Why don't you have an ID Bracelet?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow explained with a sigh.
Its Beastmaster wasn't a real Beastmaster, so it didn't have an ID Bracelet.
What did it mean that its Beastmaster wasn't a real Beastmaster? With Treasure Seeker's translation, Qiao Sang was momentarily confused, his mind struggling to process the information.
Suddenly, Qiao Sang remembered something from his astronomy class on Blue Star:
"Some wild beast companions are also gentle and, over time, can form peaceful relationships with ordinary people. These people, who aren't true Beastmasters but can get their familiars to help them with tasks, are called Pseudo-Beastmasters."
Qiao Sang's eyes widened in realization. "Your Beastmaster is a Pseudo-Beastmaster?"
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded happily, glad that the human finally understood.
That made sense. No wonder its Beastmaster had accidentally left it behind. Pseudo-Beastmasters weren't true Beastmasters and didn't have the Beastmaster Codex to summon their familiars or sense their locations. Qiao Sang's expression softened.
"Even so, stealing someone else's ID Bracelet isn't a good thing."
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded obediently, indicating it understood.
"Ganggang."
Then, it looked at Qiao Sang and called out again.
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker looked at its Beastmaster, and Synchronization translated.
You're a good person~
Qiao Sang: "…"
Here we go again. He knew what was coming next—another request for help in finding its Beastmaster. Qiao Sang took his mobile phone back from Treasure Seeker's claws and said:
"I'll call the police. They should be able to help you find your Beastmaster."
"Ganggang!"
"Ganggang!"
Hearing this, Steel Sparrow flapped its wings anxiously, indicating it didn't want the police involved.
This time, Qiao Sang understood without needing Treasure Seeker's translation, based on Steel Sparrow's reactions and expressions.
"Why?" Qiao Sang asked, putting down his mobile phone in confusion.
"Ganggang…"
Steel Sparrow suddenly felt a bit regretful. It thought the human in front of it was a good person, but perhaps not very smart.
"Ganggang."
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow started to explain with gestures.
It had stolen someone else's ID Bracelet to get from Sector 27 to here. If the police were called, it would be arrested.
Qiao Sang's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Steel Sparrow.
"But they would also help you find your Beastmaster, wouldn't they? You only came here to find your Beastmaster. If he explains the situation to the police and takes responsibility, they should let you go."
"Ganggang…"
Steel Sparrow's mouth twitched, as if it wanted to laugh but held back. It showed a hesitant expression.
Then, Steel Sparrow seemed to have an idea and reached back with its wing, plucking a feather from its back without hesitation.
"Ganggang."
Despite the pain, Steel Sparrow didn't seem to feel it, grinning as it handed the feather over.
Qiao Sang was taken aback by Steel Sparrow's actions. "What are you doing?"
“Xunxun……”
Treasure Seeker translated while clenching its paws in front of its mouth, mimicking a pained expression as if the feather had been plucked from its own body.
“You said to sell this feather for money, not to call the police?” Qiao Sang was momentarily stunned by the translation.
“Ganggang.”
Steel Sparrow nodded.
Good heavens, the intricacies of human relationships have been mastered by a familiar... Qiao Sang was shocked and couldn’t find the words to speak for a moment.
“Ganggang!”
Seeing the human in front of it remain silent, Steel Sparrow thought the human was dissatisfied with the offer. It stretched out its wing and plucked another feather from its body, then offered it.
Qiao Sang: “!!!”
“Ganggang!”
Steel Sparrow gritted its teeth and continued plucking.
“Stop it!” Qiao Sang quickly intervened. “You’ll end up bald!”
“Ganggang.”
Steel Sparrow obediently lowered its wing and placed the plucked feathers in front of Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang: “...”
This familiar is really tough on itself... Qiao Sang looked down at the feathers, feeling both helpless and impressed.
Although she didn’t know the familiar’s name yet, it wasn’t hard to guess that it was a Steel-type familiar based on its appearance and the hardness of its feathers.
It was normal for regular bird familiars to shed feathers, but Steel-type bird familiars typically had very sturdy feathers. They wouldn’t fall out easily, even under attack.
Yet, this familiar had plucked several feathers without flinching...
Its determination was truly remarkable...
I wonder what its name is... Qiao Sang didn’t take the feathers and said:
“I’m still a student and don’t have much free time. If you have a photo of your Beastmaster or know where they are, I might be able to help you.”
“Ganggang!”
Steel Sparrow’s eyes lit up at this. It pointed its wing toward Sforvo Manor.
Seeing Steel Sparrow’s gesture, Qiao Sang guessed without waiting for Treasure Seeker’s translation:
“Are you saying your Beastmaster is inside?”
“Ganggang!”
Steel Sparrow nodded vigorously.
Qiao Sang was speechless:
“You were inside this whole time. Since you know your Beastmaster is here, why don’t you just go find them?”
“Ganggang……”
Steel Sparrow looked helpless. The place was too big, and there were many areas with traps. It couldn’t move freely.
“Xunxun……”
Treasure Seeker, seeming to empathize, translated with a helpless expression.
You seem to move around pretty well, even using the bathroom... Qiao Sang muttered, then asked:
“What’s your Beastmaster’s name?”
...
“Ashley.” A black female servant in a black maid uniform, eating her meal, praised: “Your cooking is really delicious.”
The maid named Ashley had chestnut-colored curly hair, a gentle demeanor, and a few fine lines around her eyes, making her look to be in her thirties.
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” she smiled.
“You’re so capable, no wonder you made it from Sector 27 to here,” the black servant remarked.
“That’s not because of her cooking,” the white male servant said, sipping his soup. “She saved Mr. Creel back in Sector 27, which is why she was brought here.”
“Oh, my goodness, I didn’t know that,” the black servant looked at Ashley, surprised. “Mr. Creel is a C-Class Beastmaster, how could he need saving? And you’re not a Beastmaster either.”
The white male servant said, “Does it matter if she’s a Beastmaster? As long as she can make familiars obey, that’s what counts.”
He looked at the chestnut-haired woman across from him. “Isn’t that right, Ashley?”
Ashley smiled but didn’t respond.
The black servant, seeing Ashley didn’t deny it, sighed:
“So you’re a Pseudo-Beastmaster. It’s a shame you don’t have a Beastmaster Codex, otherwise, I’m sure you’d be just as good as any Beastmaster.”
Ashley said softly:
“It was just a coincidence. I can’t compare to real Beastmasters.”
“Good to know,” the white male servant replied.
The atmosphere at the table became tense.
The black servant, sensing the tension, quickly ate a few more bites and stood up.
“I’ll check if they need help at the banquet.”
She hurriedly left the room.
After the black servant left, the white male servant dropped his facade, his face turning cold.
Ashley put down her fork and said calmly:
“Buck, I don’t remember doing anything to provoke you.”
Buck snorted: “I just don’t like you.”
Ashley asked, puzzled: “Why don’t you like me?”
“You know what you did,” Buck said coldly.
Ashley sighed:
“Is it because I made Chirp Bird scare Miss Philis, and then I pretended to pass by and chased Chirp Bird away?”
Buck stared at her, saying nothing.
Ashley continued:
"Others might not understand, but you should, Buck. You and I both come from the Lower Ten Districts. I didn't hurt Miss Philis; I just want to live a good life here and make the best of it."
Buck was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I saw it."
Ashley was confused, "What did you see?"
"The wild Chirp Bird", Buck said in a grave voice. "You injected the fruit it usually eats with poison, then pretended to be a hero and saved it."
Hearing this, Ashley paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, her body shaking with mirth:
"Ha ha ha, don't tell me you're sympathizing with a wild beast companion."
Buck glanced at Ashley and said, "I just can't stand the way you're becoming a so-called Pseudo-Beastmaster. I'm starting to suspect that the danger Mr. Creel faced was also arranged by you."
Ashley's smile faded:
"You're giving me too much credit. I'm just an ordinary person. Mr. Creel is a noble Beastmaster. What could I possibly do to him?"
At that moment, the door opened, and the black maid who had left earlier appeared at the doorway:
"Ashley, Mr. Creel is looking for you."
...
In the opulent room.
"Miss Qiao, this is the Ashley you were looking for", the butler, Creel, said respectfully.
Qiao Sang sized up the chestnut-haired woman before her and turned to say, "You can leave now. I need to speak to her alone."
Creel bowed and quietly closed the door behind him.
"Miss, is there something you need?" Ashley asked respectfully.
"It's not me who needs you", Qiao Sang said, then looked towards the curtains, "Aren't you going to come out?"
A purple head slowly emerged from the curtains, its expression a mix of anticipation and unease.
Ashley followed the direction and was taken aback for a moment before breaking into a bright smile, "Why are you here?"
"Ganggang!"
"Ganggang!"
Steel Sparrow, recognizing Ashley, flew over excitedly, tears streaming down its face.
It hadn't cried when so many of its feathers were plucked, but now it was crying... Qiao Sang felt a strange emotion stir within her.
Ashley hugged Steel Sparrow and asked tentatively, "Miss, what's your relationship with Steel Sparrow?"
It's Steel Sparrow... Qiao Sang smiled, "Nothing much, just a chance encounter. I helped out since I'm a good person."
"Ganggang!"
Hearing this, Steel Sparrow stopped crying and turned to give a thumbs-up with its wings, certifying Qiao Sang as a good person.
Qiao Sang almost burst out laughing.
Ashley's eyes flickered, and she said, "Miss, thank you for bringing Steel Sparrow here."
Qiao Sang waved her hand, "No need to thank me. It came all the way from Sector 27 on its own; I just brought it in from the door."
"Thank you anyway, Miss", Ashley said respectfully.
Qiao Sang couldn't stand the formality and said, "I'll be leaving now. You two can catch up."
"Ganggang!" Steel Sparrow waved its wings happily in farewell.
...
Qiao Sang carried Fangy out of the estate.
Steel Sparrow... it sounds familiar... Qiao Sang thought for a moment.
She quickly recalled a post on the forum where a netizen recommended Steel Sparrow, only to be contradicted by another.
Steel Sparrow is indeed good, smart, and determined. It reacts quickly even when controlled by a Treasure Seeker's Shadow Control.
There's no issue with it pretending to be well-behaved to trick a bond. With my Brain Domain at 39%, Steel Sparrow, being just a Basic Familiar, shouldn't be able to escape or forcibly break the bond... but if Steel Sparrow refuses to train after bonding, that could be a problem... Qiao Sang put her hand in her pocket, intending to check the price of Steel Sparrow on her mobile phone.
Suddenly, she froze.
This... Qiao Sang took out the object from her pocket and held it up.
Under the moonlight, the hard, purple feathers glowed—these were Steel Sparrow's feathers.
When did it put them in my pocket without me noticing... Qiao Sang stared at the purple feathers in her hand, surprised.
Then, she thought of something and pulled out her mobile phone to search.
I remember Steel Sparrow saying its feathers could be sold, but I wonder how much each one is worth...
Qiao Sang walked while looking down at her phone.
The search results quickly appeared:
【500 Union Coins per feather】
500 Union Coins, that's not a lot... Qiao Sang looked at the feathers in her hand and counted them—there were seven in total.
It didn't pluck seven in front of me...
As this thought crossed her mind, she remembered Steel Sparrow's situation.
Its Beastmaster is just an ordinary person with limited ways to earn money. Now, with the added responsibility of taking care of Steel Sparrow, this money would be even more needed... With this in mind, Qiao Sang turned around and headed back.
She followed her memory through the garden, down the corridor, and around the corner, where she saw a figure she had recently encountered in the shadows.
Just as Qiao Sang was about to greet her, she heard the figure speaking:
"You're looking for the Steel Sparrow I have here."
"I absolutely didn't get it wrong."
"This is Fesworth Manor."
"Right, I want to confirm again, the bounty for Steel Sparrow is 200,000, right?"
Qiao Sang: "???"
Qiao Sang's mind buzzed, and she froze.
What's going on?
Isn't she the Beastmaster of Steel Sparrow?!
Shock and confusion surged within her, but then she suddenly understood something.
When Steel Sparrow said its Beastmaster accidentally left it in Sector 27, that was from its perspective. But what if Ashley never intended to bring it along in the first place?
That's right, the Upper Ten Districts don't allow wild beast companions from the Middle Ten Districts and Lower Ten Districts to enter.
Ashley doesn't have a Beastmaster Codex, so she isn't officially Steel Sparrow's Beastmaster.
In the public eye, Steel Sparrow is still a wild beast companion and can't stay in the Upper Ten Districts.
So, from the beginning, Ashley never prepared to bring Steel Sparrow over.
Does Steel Sparrow know all this... A wave of indescribable sadness washed over Qiao Sang.
How innocent Steel Sparrow is, traveling a thousand miles to find its Beastmaster, only to discover that the other party sold it... Just as Qiao Sang was feeling this, she suddenly sensed a gaze from behind. She turned her head in confusion, looking around the corner, and met a pair of red eyes.
Steel Sparrow grinned, placing its wings in front of its mouth and making a "shh" gesture.
Qiao Sang: "!!!"
Qiao Sang's pupils dilated, and a wave of shock washed over her. Her mind was filled with one word: "Damn."
When did it get there?
Did it hear Ashley's conversation?
If it did, why is it grinning like that?
Shouldn't it be in pain and despair, crying?
That expression in this context is terrifying!
On the other side, Ashley hung up the phone, hummed a tune, and disappeared with a pleasant mood.
Seeing this, Steel Sparrow flapped its wings and prepared to fly in the opposite direction.
"Wait!"
Qiao Sang whispered, chasing after it.
"Ganggang?"
Steel Sparrow turned, looking puzzled.
Qiao Sang, with a complex expression, asked, "Did you hear everything just now?"
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow made a gesture with its wings, indicating a little bit.
"Aren't you upset?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow paused, then grinned and called out, indicating it was upset but it didn't matter. It had known she wasn't a good person for a long time.
Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment. "Fangy, translate."
"Ya Fangy"
Fangy, with a dazed expression, began translating.
Qiao Sang fell silent again, then asked after a few seconds, "Since you knew she wasn't a good person, why did you still come to find her?"
"Ganggang."
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow pointed with its wing at a man passing by the window.
Qiao Sang turned to look and recognized the butler who had brought her to Ashley.
"Ya Fangy"
"Ya Ya!"
Fangy, with an angry expression, continued translating.
Qiao Sang processed the translation and asked, "Ashley lied to you, saying this person was coming to capture you, so you drove him away. But the truth is, Ashley used you to get to the Upper Ten Districts, and because of that, your home was destroyed and your elders were injured?"
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow nodded.
"Did you come here to expose her and make her return to Sector 27?" Qiao Sang asked again.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow flapped its wings.
The elders said the best punishment is to make all her efforts go to waste.
Qiao Sang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Ganggang?"
Steel Sparrow didn't answer immediately but stared at Qiao Sang, asking if it was because it saw the feather.
With Fangy's translation, Qiao Sang nodded silently.
"Ganggang."
Steel Sparrow grinned, answering the previous question.
Because you're a good person.
"Xunxun..." Treasure Seeker appeared and translated appropriately.
What a terrifying familiar... Qiao Sang looked at Steel Sparrow, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Although she received the Good Person Card again, this time it felt completely different!
Originally, she thought it was because of the bathroom connection that it found her.
But now, she realized it must have seen some good in her somewhere and that's why it came to her.
When did it start watching her? Many thoughts raced through Qiao Sang's mind.
(End of Chapter)
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