NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23
Chapter: 23
“What -..”
Just as she was about to ask Lian’s question, confused and not understanding it, her vision spun wildly.
“What is this -… Aaaah!”
Her view began to change rapidly, one moment after another. Since she wasn’t affected by gravity, Julianna started flying around at breakneck speed.
As Julianna seemed to vanish from sight, Lian spoke up, sounding bright as if he had just wiped away years of grime.
“Phew, handled that without a hitch.”
The question “How are you fixing your geospatial coordinates?” was one of the surefire ways to exorcise a ghost, even better than any other exorcism method. In this gag world, casually tossing that question at a ghost could get you dragged straight to the police station; it’s that dangerous!
“Lian, what did you just do?”
“Oh, that ghost looked like a nasty spirit, so I just chucked it away.”
“Chucked it away?”
In a situation unlike anything Noah had ever encountered, his mind was filled with question marks. Soon, all those questions were overshadowed by a feeling of regret.
‘If I had taken that hand, could I have grown stronger?’
He nearly reached out for the hand that offered him power so easily, but he didn’t fully trust it. Every book he’d read before stumbling upon the white one said that easy power comes with a hefty price tag.
If Noah had turned down the power of his own volition, that might have been one thing, but having the opportunity snatched away by force made his desire for power surge.
‘…I should look for another book.’
Just as Noah stood up and reached for the bookcase…
Thump.
“Hyah?!”
Lian abruptly grabbed Noah’s hand.
“Noah, as I mentioned before, this place is off-limits by Mia’s orders. Plus, I’ve heard some things. There are lots of really dangerous books here, and just opening one could lead to your skin and bones being separated.”
“Uh, oh…”
Reacting to Lian’s words, fresh alarm filled Noah’s head.
“It seems like you came here looking for a safe spot because you faced some trouble… Let’s not hang around here. Come with me, let’s grab something sweet. It’ll cheer you up. If there’s something you want to vent about, I’ll lend an ear!”
Lian’s eyes sparkled as he laid out his plan enthusiastically, like a kid with a new toy.
“Ahh -! That’s what friends are for!”
In this gag world, friends are for pulling pranks together but ditch you if serious chats come up—Residents here can hardly sit through a boring story for five minutes!
Finally able to engage in a ‘friendship’ talk, Lian’s expression brightened more than ever.
“Uh, oh…”
Noah just stared at the hand gripping his, unable to make anything but silly sounds.
“Then let’s get out of here!”
And just like that, Lian pulled him along.
*
“Did you manage to eat properly?”
“…No.”
“Then let’s grab some food—”
Swoosh –
Before I could even finish my sentence, something flew at me like the wind and slapped onto my face!
“Master…! Where have you been!”
It was Jess’s voice. I reflexively tried to peel Jess off my face, but she was surprisingly clingy!
“Jess… I can’t breathe.”
“..!”
At that, Jess relaxed her grip. I heard a weird popping sound, and Jess flopped out of my hands.
“Ooh…”
Jess looked like she was about to burst into tears. An alarm went off in my head—I began to lift and lower Jess to calm her.
“Why’s our Jess about to cry? Are you hungry?”
Just then, tearfully, Jess spread her arms and said,
“Hug me…”
“Okay, okay!”
Without hesitation, I cradled my mumbling Jess. I gently patted her back like she was a koala, looking at Noah.
“Then let’s go, too.”
“…Yeah.”
We really should hurry; Noah’s face looked anything but happy! I carried Jess in my arms and headed straight for the kitchen.
“Did you eat anything, Jess?”
Jess mumbled and shook her head. It seemed like she had gone hungry because I was gone.
“You can’t do that—it’ll stunt your growth if you starve.”
“…!”
Jess’s eyes went wide with shock.
“I’ll make sure to eat well from now on!”
“Good, good.”
Fortunately, there were leftovers in the kitchen, so it seemed we could fix the meal by just heating it up. I’d already eaten before heading off to experiment, so I merely prepared food for Jess and Noah.
Originally, I planned to listen to Noah’s groaning while he munched on some snacks, but with Jess around, that looked tricky. Plus, it wouldn’t do to kick Jess out!
With no other choice, I decided to check the kitchen while they ate. The kitchen was looking neat—maybe Pia had cleaned it up.
Clatter, clatter.
As I listened to them munching away, I pulled out the last of the fruit and began chopping. I figured I’d prepare some snacks for the kids.
Once I sliced up the fruit into bite-sized pieces and filled a plate, I cleaned up while Jess and Noah wrapped up their meal.
“I’ll take care of the dishes.”
“I want to help!”
Jess lifted her bowl triumphantly, her tail wagging eagerly, but Noah shook his head and said,
“Jess, you’re still too small; it’s going to be tough for you.”
“…!!”
Jess’s face was a portrait of shock. The kitchen had been lowered to accommodate my height thanks to Mia, so it was comfy for Pia, Noah, and me, but for kids like Jess, who were half my height, it was nearly impossible.
Jess stared at the sink towering over her in disbelief and let her ears and tail droop.
I moved the plate brimming with fruit onto a tray and handed it to Jess, saying,
“We’ll handle the dishes; can you take this to the dining room instead? Everyone’s going to share it, so it’d be great if you called the others too.”
“…! Okay!”
Jess perked up, lifting her droopy ears and nodding. Carefully, she started stepping away with the tray.
“Noah, can you tag along with Jess? I’ll take care of the dishes.”
“But -…”
“It’s all good. I need to wash the knife and cutting board I used for the fruit anyway.”
“Thanks, that’d be awesome.”
The kids had learned some simple cooking while here, and because of that, Noah could manage some basic meals himself.
With the meat and fruit all gone, meal choices were limited, so I gladly agreed to Noah’s suggestion.
“Hee-hum, nee-hum.”
As Jess hummed happily, she wandered off, and Noah quickly skedaddled out of the kitchen.
“Alright -… now I need to check the food supplies.”
It’s crucial to check the inventory before it runs completely dry; that way, I can ask Mia to restock anything we’re short on. Just as I was heading for the freezer…
“You little rascal!”
“…!”
A rough bark echoed as a white book landed at my feet with a thud. The book flung open, and a ghostly woman emerged!
“Ah, it’s a ghost.”
“Eek…!”
The ghost trembled and clutched her fists. How did she come back? I had just used that terrifying exorcism spell!
“Hmm, so it doesn’t work on the first try? Geospatial -..”
“Aaaah! Stop it!”
Just as I was about to ask again how she was fixing her geospatial coordinates, the woman screamed and wildly flailed her arms at me.
Clank, clang –
Suddenly, objects in the kitchen began soaring into the air—classic poltergeist stuff that happens when a ghost gets all worked up.
“Huh? What’s happening?”
Seeing the floating objects, the ghost looked baffled before she scowled and swatted at me with her hands.
“Die!”
With that shout, everything floating started zooming directly at me!
Whisk! Whoosh!
Forks and other kitchen items began hurling towards me. I laughed, twisting my body with ease, dodging everything as if putting on a circus performance.
I didn’t stop just there; I even caught things that would shatter just by hitting the floor with my hands or mouth!
“What, what the heck is that?!”
The ghost’s anger morphed into sheer disbelief as everything suspended in the air began losing their levitation and dropping. I dashed and rhythmically snatched up delicate plates.
“Oh wow…”
Clap, clap.
The ghost, without even realizing it, started clapping as I beamed with pride. Don’t underestimate my comedy credentials!
“Phew… are you calm now?”
“…!”
The ghost, apparently regaining her senses, stared wide-eyed at me, causing a sigh to escape my lips. I opened the cabinet and out came piping hot tea.
Not just tea leaves or a cup, but the actual tea itself! I placed it in front of the ghost on the kitchen table and said,
“Come here and spill the beans. What’s all this longing about?”
“Uh…?”
“Got some regrets, is that it?”
“Y-yes.”
“Once you chat it all out, you might feel lighter. Go on, let it all out while sipping some tea.”
“No, I can’t drink t… okay.”
The ghost looked at the teacup with ‘Is this really necessary?’ etched all over her face. Naturally, the teacup stayed firmly in her grasp.
“Ow, it’s hot!”
“Let it cool down before you drink!”
The ghost’s expression changed to something utterly indescribable.