Maybe I am a protagonist too?

"Shiny say okay!" Jade nodded with a wide grin across his lips, excited for a new adventure. Apparently, he was disappointed because we didn't involve him during the mercenaries' attack.

"Is that place far from here?"

"Hmm...the mole said yes," Ignis interpreted. "But it's far by a mole's standard, so who knows the real distance."

I looked ahead in contemplation, but then remembered that I wasn't on this journey alone. "Oh, right--we need to discuss it with the others first," I clasped my hands and stood up. "Let's bring the mole along--"

"Shiny!" Jade shook the mole and stared at me like a child in a pet shop for their first puppy.

It was rather weird to call a creature with dark gray fur 'shiny', but...whatever the kid wished, I guess. "Alright, let's bring Shiny along. You hold on to it, okay?"

"Okay!"