25 Thank you for your help, Grandpa!

"It is not in here... nor there... How strange. Where could it be? I already searched through all of my safe zones in the house..."

Kai was looking frantically through his belongings in every corner and part of the house. What was once a not so tidied place, with some faults on the placements of the things, became a chaotic battleground. It was every item for itself, fighting it out with their fellow inanimate friends over whatever free space there was in the house.

"I am reaping what I sow for not tidying the place up when I had the chance... Stupid Kai! Stupid Kai. Don't leave something for tomorrow if you can do it today."

*sniff* *sniff*

With a dejected look, Kai sulked about it. With careful steps and little tumbling, Kai could finally reach a chair and sit down.

"Pen must be getting bored outside waiting for me... but this is strange. Where would I even hide the keepsake if it's not on my treasured safe zones?"

[Wait... what if I use magic to search all the house for the keepsake? Wouldn't it be way faster and practical? And since the house is already a mess... it doesn't matter if I use 'that' magic to search. Oh my word, I am such a genius! I bet Pen would be proud of me hehe.]

Kai stood up and took out his magic wand from his body. With a wave of his hand holding the wand, and then pointing the wand up to the ceiling, Kai chanted.

"... Blanc Libra!"

A small white scale appeared in front of Kai. Like a whirlpool, small swirls of wind appeared on both sides of the scales, absorbing every item in the house into them. Living things were put on the right side, while the inanimate objects were put on the left side. After sucking everything into it, the white scales seemed to be having a stomachache on the left side, bending its body as if it couldn't hold any longer.

"... Are you crazy boy? Do you want me to die!? There are way too many things in your house! What is up with these ridiculous amount of books? What do you think a familiar is for? *cough* *cough* I am not your trash can!"

"I apologize grandpa. But I reaaaally needed to find something, and you were the first option that popped up in my head."

*Cough* *cough*

If Grandpa White Scales could cough up blood, there would be a sea of blood from how irrational the boy was.

"So it's not for dumping these things? Grandpa here was having a nice time with Pink Scales... Are you trying to... Damn it, you should have chanted the other magic..."

"... Oh right! I could have used the 'other' magic!"

[Don't 'Oh right me!' boy!]

"Anyways, Grandpa. I need to find my father's keepsake. Can you sort it and spew it out?"

Grandpa White Scales was shocked from what he just heard. If he could become more white, he would be reincarnation of the color white.

[I am not a vending machine boy! I am not a vending machine!]

*Cough* *cough*

"How does it look like?"

"It's in a wooden box with... the crest of my family. The item inside of it is a small ornamental puzzle lock which Aunty Alis said that inside of it contains an important gem. Can you do it Grandpa?"

"Hm... Give me a moment boy."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Is it done Grandpa?"

"..."

"Grandpa?"

"..."

Kai got closer to Grandpa White Scales and knocked his body to see if there was any reaction. Reacting to it, Grandpa giggled.

"... S-stop boy! It's making me giggle... haha... haha..."

"Grandpa, you are very sensitive."

"Sh-shut up boy! Don't tell anyone else about it. Anyways, I finished searching through your belongings. I would appreciate it that next time you don't call me for something like this."

"Hehe..."

"Well... I have bad and good news boy. There was nothing matching your description among your belongings."

"What!? Are you certain of this Grandpa!? It is impossible!"

"And the good news boy... is that there is something among your belongings in your body that matches your description. Although I didn't absorb it, the mana around it can give me more or less the details."

"What?"

Searching his own body in disbelief, Kai touched himself over and over until he finally stumbled upon the wooden box.

"No way... I had it all this time? How come I didn't know about it being with me? I don't remember carrying it around..."

*Cough* *cough*

[You literally called me over to this side for nothing... Oh my... Poor Pink Scales... I hope she hasn't left. I am coming back Pinky pinky...]

"Well... It's time for me to leave, boy. Here, these are all of your things. Good luck cleaning the place."

Without delaying any further, Grandpa White Scales spew out every item he had absorbed in himself, causing a huge shower of items raining down. After everything left his body, Grandpa White Scales proceeded to leave the place.

Kai was emerged from the sea of books and miscellaneous things Grandpa White Scales spewed out.

"Thank you for your help, Grandpa!"

Tidying himself up, Kai looked around. If before calling Grandpa it was already a chaotic battlefield, the place right now looked like the apocalypse.

"Welp, I'm cleaning the house another day. First, I'm going back to Pen!"

One step, two steps, three steps... Kai walked towards the entrance. The inanimate objects, on the other hand, wanted to cry tears...

[Why did you do that boss... what have we done to deserve going into a stinky grandpa...]

_____________________________

Leaving the house, Kai looked cheerful after having passed one of his great ordeals up to the date.

"Peeeeen! I finally found the keepsake! Let's resume today's adventure."

There was no reply to Kai. Searching around, Kai tried to find Pen but to no avail. It was as if Pen left the place without leaving a trace.

"Did... Pen leave?"