Dad is Back From a Deserted Island - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Father has returned from the Deserted Island
Chapter 7

Gold coins.
The first thing that caught my eye was a glittering heap of gold coins, stacked high in the morning sunlight.
Beside them lay a ruby the size of a fist, radiating brilliant luminescence, and next to that were emeralds and sapphires said to possess healing properties, along with diamonds that blazed with such dazzling brilliance they hurt to look at.
Even to Vivian’s untrained eye, these were treasures of immense value.
Jean picked up the largest of the gems and handed it to Vivian. It was nearly the size of half her face.
Seeing Vivian’s surprise at the gem’s weight, Jean laughed and began to tease her.
“All of this is ours now, Vivian. Your father can buy you as much chocolate as you want. So you don’t need to be stingy with it.”
“Wow, it’s so huge, Father!”
“Right? Isn’t it enormous?”
“Yes! It’s so beautiful! Where did you get something like this, Father?”
“I brought it back from the Deserted Island~”
“What’s a deserted island?”
“A deserted island is an island where there isn’t a single person.”
As Vivian tilted her head in confusion, Jean pretended to cry and pulled the child into his embrace.
“Woe is me, I was trapped there for a whole year and couldn’t come see my precious princess.”
Vivian’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Really, truly? There really wasn’t a single person there at all?”
Vivian’s expression quickly turned sorrowful.
Even with Ron, Mary, and Peter in the house, she had felt so lonely. Sometimes she’d been so frightened that she couldn’t even bring herself to enter her room.
Vivian whimpered and threw her arms tightly around her father’s neck.
Jean’s large hand patted Vivian’s back gently. Yet his mouth continued its playful teasing.
“Yes. I almost forgot how to speak. The only creatures on the island were monkeys and birds.”
“What’s a monkey?”
It was a name I’d never heard before.
In Vivian’s village, there were dogs, cats, horses, and sheep, but no monkeys. In fact, they weren’t common animals even in the Empire.
“Well, a monkey is an animal that looks similar to humans. Sheep and dogs walk on four legs, right? Monkeys can use their hands like we do. And also, the sound they make is—”
[Ooh-kee-kee!]
“Ooh-kee-kee?”
Now it was Jean’s turn to be surprised.
“Huh? That’s right! Vivian, how did you know?”
“Egg made that sound!”
“Egg? Where is there an egg inside?”
“This one!”
With a grunt, Vivian slipped down from Jean’s arms and rummaged through the treasure chest, producing a peculiarly round black gemstone. It was nearly as large as Vivian’s torso.
“This isn’t Egg—it’s just a round jewel, isn’t it?”
“Goodness! Father, aren’t you listening? I want out of here, let me out right now—it’s being incredibly loud!”
“Really? I don’t hear anything. Must be a fairy who only speaks to little children!”
Jean recalled how Vivian had insisted she had a fairy friend when she was four years old, and assumed the child had simply conjured up a new imaginary companion.
“Is that so? A fairy? Are you a fairy?”
Having already lost interest in the treasure chest, the child was now speaking to the black, round gemstone—Egg—and the sight was endearing, yet on the other hand—
‘Vivian, have you already forgotten that Father was trapped on the Deserted Island?’
Such a childish thought crossed his mind. Jean let out a hollow laugh.
‘Here I am, not even asking for her to acknowledge my suffering.’
Then he began carefully reorganizing the jewels Vivian had scattered throughout the chest.
[Nonsense about fairies. This body is far more noble than any fairy!]
“Then what are you?”
[I am, I am! This body is. Ugh! First, get me out of here, I said!]
Had Jean known that what Vivian held was not a gemstone but truly Egg, and that Egg was continuing to speak, he would not have let the matter pass so easily.
Unfortunately, only Vivian could hear Egg’s voice.
“How should I get you out?”
[Give me your strength!]
“Do your best!”
Vivian clenched her fists and cheered, but the response was less than satisfactory.
[Ugh! Stupid human! Not like that!]
Something inside Egg was fuming. Perhaps it was a fairy with a truly terrible temperament.
Vivian jumped to her feet, cradling Egg in her arms.
Her worry for Father, who had been lonely and trapped on the Deserted Island, had long since been pushed far into the distance.
It was beyond her control.
A talking Egg, no less.
Was there a single child who wouldn’t find this fascinating?
Vivian certainly wasn’t one of them.

* * *

“What’s your name?”
[I don’t have one.]
“You don’t have a name? Why?”
[Because no one ever gave me one.]
“Why?”
[I was on the Deserted Island… Ugh! Why, why, why! Stop asking already!]
“You’re just like Peter.”
[Did you just insult me?]
Egg was perceptive.
Vivian rolled her eyes and flopped onto the bed while cradling Egg in her arms. It seemed she would need a little more time to adjust to the soft mattress.
“Why can’t Father hear your voice? He doesn’t believe me.”
Vivian had already figured out that Jean was simply humoring her.
She stayed silent because she didn’t want to argue with her father, whom she hadn’t seen in so long, about whether he believed her or not.
Egg answered flatly.
[Your father doesn’t have the power. Do you think just anyone can hear my voice?]
“Then I have the power?”
[Yes. It’s strange though. You’re clearly just an ordinary human, so why do you have such power? …Anyway. Since you have the power to awaken me, you have to do it! Being trapped inside this egg is incredibly suffocating.]
“Well, yes. I imagine it must be. But I don’t know how to do it.”
As Egg’s voice turned pitiful, Vivian’s eyebrows drooped in sympathy.
The moment Egg sensed that Vivian might grant the request, its voice shifted to something more cunning.
[All you have to do is share your power with me. I know the method, so don’t worry. Just keep holding me like you are now. I can draw strength just from being by your side.]
“Really? That’s all? That’s easy! Okay. I’ll help you.”
[Really? No take-backs! Finally, I’m escaping this tedious egg! Good, little human. If you really do free me, I’ll specially grant you an ability. I swear it.]
“An ability? What kind of ability?”
[The power to communicate with animals.]
“What does communicate mean?”
[Stupid human.]
“I’m not stupid! I just… haven’t learned it yet!”
[Right. You’re a human who still has much to learn. Communication means that just as you and I exchange words, you’ll be able to understand what animals are saying. Of course, they’ll understand you too.]
“Oh, I see.”
Egg was actually taken aback by her lukewarm response.
[What? Why are you reacting like that! Do you have any idea how incredible this power is!]
“Being able to understand what grass a sheep wants to eat is an incredible power?”
For Vivian, who had grown up in a humble village, the ability to communicate with animals was useful for little more than that. Egg’s earlier boasting deflated entirely.
[What was I even saying to you… Never mind. Forget it. I was going to give you another ability too, but you won’t need it.]
Vivian shook her head vigorously.
“No! I need it. It’s always good to take whatever you can get.”
[Where did an underdeveloped human learn to think like that?]
“Well… if you don’t take what’s offered, they take away what you already have.”
[…How have you even survived? At your age, no less. Fine then. I’ll give you the ability to make plants grow well too.]
“Wow! So I can grow beans or carrots whenever and wherever I get hungry and eat them? That’s amazing!”
[Beans… carrots…]
Vivian bounced excitedly across the bed, but Egg’s reaction was one of utter exasperation.
Still, when Vivian pressed a kiss to Egg’s surface and embraced it, Egg didn’t seem to mind.
“Alright! I understand. I’ll hold you tight until you wake up!”
[Hmph, well. You’ll find it quite heavy to carry around—let’s see how well you manage!]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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