The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons

Book 2: Chapter 51

Alice stirred her tea and dropped in a cube of sugar before taking a sip out of the steaming cup. She sighed as she stood up and walked out of her office, holding her cup and a stack of papers. The party had finally ended, but she still had to take care of some paperwork that Henry had saved up for her. Tafel didnt mind waiting and had been hanging out with the skeletons.

A strange ripping sound drew Alices attention, and she followed the noise to one of the storage rooms in the adventurers guild. Mr. Skelly was tearing large swaths of cloth into smaller pieces while other skeletons were stitching them onto large, rectangular cloth pieces.

Sewing skeletons, Alice said and shook her head before taking a sip of her tea. Mr. Skelly raised his head and smiled at the guild master before handing off the cloth in his hand to an old lady, whom Alice recognized as the towns oldest seamstress. What are you making?

Flags, Mr. Skelly said. Did you need anything, guild master? Your hair is awfully lustrous today. Youll have to tell me the secret to keeping it so healthy.

Alice snorted. Dont try to flatter me, you hairless being. She frowned at the grinning skull with a golden halo depicted on the flags by the skeletons. What are you making flags for? Are you planning on sailing?

Sailing? No, Mr. Skelly said. Were here to plant them. See? He pointed outside the window, causing the guild master to follow his finger with her gaze. A large flag was waving in the wind above the tallest building in Anfang.

Alice tilted her head before taking another sip of tea. Why?

You dont know what planting a flag means? Mr. Skelly asked while blinking.

We dont have any flag-planting customs here, Alice said.

Oh, Mr. Skelly said and rubbed his chin. Well, it means

Tell me the truth, Alice said and kicked his shin, causing a crack to appear on the skeletons bones. I always feel like youre lying when you rub your chin like that.

Mr. Skelly cackled. Alright, the truth then, he said. In our continent, you identify someones territory by their flag.

Alice waited for more, but Mr. Skelly kept his mouth shut. She knit her brow as the skeletons words sunk in. So what youre saying is Anfang is your territory? Her eyes narrowed at the grinning skeleton.

Precisely, Mr. Skelly said with a nod. Youre an awfully smart individual; wont you reconsider joining us?

Alice smacked Mr. Skellys head with her shield. His skull detached from his neck and rolled across the room just as Tafel appeared beside Alice. The demon blinked at the rolling skull and glanced at Alice. Violent much? she asked, raising an eyebrow. I thought you said youd try to get along with them.

Mr. Skellys headless body nodded by bending at the chest. Right? Mr. Skelly asked. I was even extending an olive branch to her.

Tafel blinked at Mr. Skelly. You can speak without your head?

Of course, Mr. Skelly said. Skulls are a formality when youre dead. We dont have vocal cords. Regardless of whether or not our heads are attached, we shouldnt be able to speak anyways, right?

Tafel scratched her head. I never thought about it that way, she said. Her gaze shifted onto the flags on the ground. Flags of Damnedism? Really?

Itd be wrong not to spread the glory of our mistress since were already here, Mr. Skelly said as he retrieved his skull from the child by his side. The seamstress grandchild had chased after the skull when it started rolling.

Why are you claiming Anfang as your territory? Alice asked, placing her one hand on her hip while the other held her teacup. It belongs to me. She nodded. And the mayor, but he doesnt count.

Does it really belong to you? Mr. Skelly asked, twisting his skull back into place.

Yes! Im the guild master, Alice said. I was entrusted by the king to protect and maintain order in this place. Everyone knows the guild masters own their towns.

Well, Mr. Skelly said, drawing out the word. Then wheres your flag?

Alice glared at the skeleton. Like I said, she said through gritted teeth, we dont have flag-planting customs here.

Then just pretend you still own the territory, Mr. Skelly said with a nod. It shouldnt matter if I plant our flag here.

Pretend? I still do own Anfang! Alice shouted. Keep pushing your luck and Ill really destroy you!

Mr. Skelly gasped and clutched his chest. He lowered his head and glanced at Tafel through a sidelong gaze. He sighed and asked, Why, why is she so mean to us?

Dont act like an abandoned puppy! Alice said and smacked Mr. Skellys skull off for the second time. The seamstress grandchild tottered after it again.

Mr. Skelly made a sighing noise. Alice, he said. Have you ever considered that you might be a bad person?

Im the bad one!? Alice asked, her eye twitching. Youre the skeleton!

Yes, Im a skeleton, Mr. Skelly said. But that doesnt mean anything. Are skeletons inherently evil? If we abide by the laws and help people in need, are we still bad people? Theres no rule saying skeletons cant be good people, just like theres no rules saying living people cant be bad people. Im sure you met many unjust living beings throughout your life despite being so young.

Alice frowned. I

Look at what youve done, Mr. Skelly said. Instead of assessing the situation before acting, you immediately tried to kill me at the party. Youve shamed our religion and made it out to be evil despite the fact our believers contributed the most to the rebuilding of Anfang. You refuse to let us spread our culture, and, most importantly, youve knocked my head off twice now. If I was a living person, I wouldve died, you know?

If spreading your culture involves claiming my town as your territory, then Ill knock your head off as many times as it takes to get you to stop, Alice said and placed her empty teacup down. She snorted. Maybe Im a bad person. So what? If you dont like it, you can leave.

Mr. Skelly shrugged. Well, as long as you realize it, he said. He turned around and retrieved his skull from the child while muttering, Just what do I have to do to make her pity us?

Try adopting some baby gryphons, Tafel said.

Will that work? Mr. Skelly asked, turning his gaze onto Alice.

NYes, Alice said. She bit her lower lip and clenched her hands. The next time I see Stella. Oh boy.