The Secret of Frog (1)

Ribbit.

It's black rectangular pupils reflected my own. An intensity could be felt swelling within those eyes.

Ribbit.

This small amphibian creature with shiny blue skin, the belly was white. A slimy layer of mucous covered the skin, shimmering with a glossy shine. It's four skinny limbs placed close together like a sitting dog..

Ribbit.

Yes. Princess the Frog.

This is the creature I'm staring at.

Well.. it's not like I want to stare at this 'thing' but.. there's just some secret here I'm not getting.

===

Special Quest:

[HIGH DIFFICULTY] Find the princess' secret. 1000P

RULES: Nine, Prune and Liliath cannot find out about the specifics of the task. If found out, the quest will be terminated. Special quests cannot be removed and will be refreshed weekly. Special Quests completed before the week ends will only be refreshed the following week.

===

Get it? You see this lunacy?

I had Nine reset the frog's status to the original. One suspicious thing I noticed here is this [Dead Man Tells no Tales] title in its Title column— the one Nine replaced with 'his curse' before.

Has this got to do with some spirited-away event? Or maybe it has to do with the undead? No idea.

"What do you wish to seek, O' demon. Ribbit." The frog finally spoke.

"How about you? What do you wish to seek?"

It's squarish pupils dilated to a large oval. Yea.. it's like some pre-programed software or something. I heard Prune say that the key to 'activating' the frog was to repeat it's question back to itself.

"O' wandering demon, the wise one, it's been weeks since someone last asked me such a thoughtful question," It's eyes seem to glaze over..

What exactly happens after this again? It tries to profess its love to whoever asks this question right?

"That-so, a fool hiding amongst humans like yourself I will not receive aid from. Scram."

"Ah.."

Fuck what? This fuckiang frog?

"Princess is not feeling well today it seems," one of the kids which accompanied me said— one kid is an understatement, this frog had already built a rather big cult.. of sorts.

"Princess wants you to leave."

"Princess, please don't be too sad."

"Are you a demon?"

I think my eyes were twitching there.. might be.

Fuck. I can't initiate this special frog quest just because I'm a demon? Or is there something more to this I'm not getting? Maybe it's mad at me from before?

Hell. Whatever.

Maybe that's why this special quest is [HIGH DIFFICULTY]. That's the only explanation I could think of.

What should I do now.. it's like worth 1000 freaking points. I can't just abandon this quest right?

"Noel," I turned around to..

"It's Rin-neesan!!"

"Princess! It's Rin-neesan!!"

"Rin-neesan is here to see you!!"

Noisy kids..

Short grey hair that brushed her shoulders, eyes in a shade of cool grey with a slightly bluish tint. She wore a simple cloth tunic and dark green skirt on this sunny-wintery day.

No more of that complex maid uniform she always wears. We got her new clothes.

"What do you wish to seek, O' young one?"

What bullshit? So you're telling me this frog could sense that I'm a demon lord but not Rin? Fucking sexist frog.

"I came to see what Noel was doing. That's all," Rin replied with a smile.. we've already told her about this damned frog. So she wasn't too fazed about it. I think this isn't the first time she saw the frog but.. it's probably the first time they talked to each other.

"What do you wish to seek, O' young one?"

"Um.."

"Princess likes you."

"I think Princess wants to talk with you."

"Princess wants you to talk with him."

"Yeah.. weird huh?" I snorted with a short laugh.

Rin pressed her lips together and gave me a stare telling me how confused she was.

"What do you wish to seek, O' young one?"

'Trying saying back to it, 'What do you wish to seek Princess,' and see what happens?' I texted her via the messaging widget.

Rin, to put it: now a permanent party member of our group, did not have her own special quests. Which means that her knowing about the special quest wouldn't lead to termination.

Because of this, Rin knows about each of our week's special quests. That way, we at least had someone to help out without getting discovered. It's perfect for this predicament of mine.

"Um.. What do you wish to seek, Princess?" Rin asked.

"Wise one, it's been a few seconds since one has asked me this question. You have caught my heart.."

"Princess likes Rin-neesan!!"

"Princess likes you, RIn-neesan."

"Princess is happy!!"

Rin flinched.

What.. is this frog really some pre-programed alien? The kids too… being this frog's cheerleading squad.. that sounds funky. But it's the truth, right?!

'Sorry, bear with it for a bit. I want to know what happens.'

I need to know what'll happen.

"Alright?" Rin looked at me and the frog.

"O' wise one, do you wish to become one with thyself?"

"Okay. Nevermind, that's overstepping my boundaries here, Rin, let's go."

Fuck. I think I'll just stop. That's disgusting. I don't think it's worth 1000 points anymore just to get dragged around by this frog..

"N-Noel.. it's alright.. something like this doesn't faze me in the least."

"You sure?"

"Princess the frog, I will take up that wish of yours."

"Well said my Prince."

I wanted to puke blood by this point.

"""Wow!!""'

This 'frog' jumped off it's pedestal— the hole in the wood stump– and landed on Rin's shoulder. She didn't even flinch… does she have a heart of steel or something?

"My prince, there's a treasure out in the sea. We must seek."

I want to squash this frog. Try to imagine for a second, hearing that statement in a sexy deep guy's voice? It's shitty to hear. It's ear rape.

"Where is this treasure located? Princess?"

"Hey Rin.. are you seriously going to play along?"

"For your sake.. it doesn't matter."

"My prince, those words flatter me. I vow to declare my eternal love upon the treasure's discovery. Ribbit."

"Bullshit.."

The sexist frog then, with one of its forelimbs pointed in a direction out into the bush.

"The harbor. We must go."

I pulled up the map. Sure enough, the sexist frog was pointing south, the sea. Oh right, we've not explored the sea side of this fantasy world have we now?

"Noel, where is he trying to take me.." Rin sounded concerned.

"The harbor, it's on the map, I marked it."

"Is this where I need to go?"

"I guess?"

"Yes. Ribbit," shut up you sexist frog.

"We'll go together, I'll go tell Prune."

"Alright.." Rin followed behind me silently. Was it just me or was the frog showing me a sour face? I'm not trying to be rude here, but it looks just like April, Rin's step-sister we met at the Earl's mansion a week ago.