บท 59: Treasure Hunt
The rainbow was disappearing fast so Zero teleported faster. Truen decided that it was impossible to stop the boy now. He'd never seen Zero look so determined about something to the point of being obstinate. However, there it was – the look of unadulterated concentration.
Who knew that Zero had such a stubborn streak in him?
After two more minutes, the rainbow completely disappeared from sight in front of them. Strangely enough, they'd passed where the rainbow ended and Zero decided to retrace his steps. By now, the rainbow was very faint. It disappeared rapidly much to Zero's dismay.
At first, the elf thought that the brunet would be disheartened. However, Zero didn't give up. Instead he looked up and told Truen that the treasure was somewhere nearby.
"Mii, did you see where the rainbow ended?"
There was silence but after a while, Truen's communicator made a small noise. He checked his inbox and was amazed by Mii's quick response. While Zero was travelling at an impossible speed, the small guardian angel of sorts was able to record the distance travelled on a very generic map, calculating with shocking accuracy about where the rainbow might have ended. For Mii to be able to complete complicated calculations within seconds, she must be a genius. However, Zero didn't seem privy to this and thanked Mii as if the strawcherry angel had done simple like picking up an item he'd dropped.
With an indicator on the map, Truen acted as Zero's guide. They'd covered a fair distance so getting to the marked location on the map might take them half a day on foot.
After hearing that, Zero told Truen to guide them while he teleported them over using shorter distances so that they wouldn't miss it. Unsurprisingly, they reached the location in less than ten minutes. Zero was eager to start the treasure hunt but Truen was confused as to what would be considered a treasure by Zero. Helplessly, he nodded his head and followed Zero's lead.
They searched from tree tops and in some small caves for the treasure but returned empty-handed. Truen went to the extent of diving into the river but the area was simply too big for two people to comb for unknown treasures!
Truen was getting tired but Zero remained undeterred. By now, it was approaching evening and the elf guardian proposed gathering food before the sun sets. Zero agreed and they went foraging for fruits.
Just when Truen thought things couldn't be crazier, Zero exclaimed in excitement that he'd found the treasure. The small boy had his head stuck in a bush and his butt stuck out while he yelled for Truen. Zero's legs didn't quite touch the ground and the elf briefly wondered what the boy did to end up in such an awkward position within the two seconds that he averted his eyes.
"Truen I found it!" Zero yelled once more, squirming in the bush and kicking his legs up in the air trying to free himself to no avail.
"Truen? Some help?"
The elf chuckled. His young charge was simply too incredible. One moment he was teleporting them over thousands of kilometers, the next moment he was stuck in a bush with his butt sticking out.
"Yes, Zero. Just give me a moment, my arms are full. How did you get stuck in the bush?"
Zero stopped flailing and didn't answer immediately. While Truen set the gathered edible mushrooms, leaves and roots on a nearby rock, he heard Zero mumble.
"I saw a fluffy tiger-rabbit and wanted to pat it. It ran away after pushing me into the bush.
At this, the elf couldn't help but laugh aloud as he casually snapped a precious photo. Then, he carefully reached for Zero's waist and hoisted the boy out of the bush. Zero was clutching onto something huge and heavy, making it challenging for Truen to free the brunet.
After ten minutes of struggling, the elf succeeded. His first reaction at the sight of the 'treasure' was to raise a brow.
"Zero, what are you holding?"
Zero beamed. "This is the treasure!"
Truen frowned. "But it's not a leaf with the same shade as Gaia's hair."
The brunet laughed at that. "No silly, it's not. It's even better!"
The elf didn't know what he was looking at. The oval object was solid and shiny. It looked like a rock. It was huge and heavy but the elf knew that no rocks were this smooth. The object was a lovely pale blue and was half the size of Zero. The young boy's arms couldn't circle it fully so Zero was constantly shifting it for a better grip. The elf had a hunch about what that 'treasure' was but he wasn't sure. Regardless, he didn't think it was a good idea for Zero to keep it.
"No! I'll take good care of it, I promise!"
Unable to convince his ward, Truen could only compromise and told Zero that he should keep it in the lamp or in his storage. It was impractical to carry it around while they travelled in the forest. Zero was a little clumsy by nature and holding the 'treasure' while they travelled wasn't advisable. Zero took Truen's advice and stored it in the lamp, eager to play with the 'treasure' later.
Truen made a small fire and told Zero to wash up while he made some root soup. Zero whooped with joy and stripped in record time before jumping into the freezing river. Truen massaged his temples. He'd have to report this to the gods to ask for advice. That 'treasure' could very well be a danger beyond his capabilities to handle.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
Destiny_Aitsuji
Destiny_Aitsuji Lately, I received feedback that the pace is too slow and Zero is too cutesy. I just want to let everyone know that it will take a while for Zero to grow up. Meanwhile, I hope you will continue to enjoy this journey with me watching over Zero's growth.
A child grows up fast and time won't unwind back. Once a childhood is ruined, there is no second chance.
#nochildhood
#nolover
#nolife
#foreveraloneclub
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