Chapter 7. The Angry Niffler
Over the following week, Duncan's life suddenly became leisurely.
Each day, apart from going into the secret realm to trigger quests and accumulate virtual coins, he accompanied Tina on strolls and listened to her recount amusing episodes from the past.
What interested Duncan most were the not-for-children, blush-inducing little stories about Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Unfortunately, Tina diverted to other topics every time, refusing to tangle with Duncan on that point, which left him a little regretful.
Newt was not idle either.
He spent a great deal of time writing letters to friends all over the world, asking for relevant leads.
Alas, only a handful had replied so far, and their letters were mere small talk with no useful information.
As the sun set, Tina was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
She waved her wand, directing the kitchen knives to sway and the bowls and plates to fly.
Duncan, meanwhile, lay on the soft sofa at the side of the sitting room, teasing a little Niffler in his hands with great interest.
"Pro, are you ready?"
Duncan held a gleaming silver Sickle between two fingers, waggling it up and down as he spoke.
Pro's round eyes were locked tightly on the space between Duncan's fingers.
Its little head moved slowly along with them, an expression of barely contained impatience on its face.
"Over there!"
Duncan raised his hand high and gave a mighty swing.
Just as the Sickle was about to be thrown, he curled his finger, pulling it back in time.
But Pro did not notice.
It turned into a streak of black lightning and, in the blink of an eye, dropped from Duncan's palm onto the sofa.
Then, pressing its back to the edge like riding a slide, it whooshed down to the floor and, paws working, dashed toward the place where Duncan's hand had just swung.
Only when it arrived did it spin in place a few times without finding the beloved Sickle it had set its heart on.
Pro grew anxious at once.
With its head pressed to the floor, it crept about, sniffing here and there, and from time to time thrust a sharp claw into the gaps between the floorboards to scratch about, trying to fish out the Sickle that had mysteriously vanished.
Looking at Pro's cute yet comical antics, Duncan bared his white teeth and could not help but burst into laughter.
Hearing the sound, Pro's claw, which had been working hard in the crack, suddenly froze.
It realised Duncan had made a fool of it.
Pro pretended nothing had happened, casually withdrew its claw and gave a vague wave in the air.
It leaned back to sit on the floor, letting its gaze roam around as if to act like nothing had happened at all—just playing here, not cheated by Duncan.
But after sitting cross-legged for a moment, the more it thought about it, the more wronged it felt, and its black eyes glared fiercely at Duncan.
"Pro, you should rise up.
Otherwise that detestable Duncan will definitely tease you again in the future.
You ought to teach him a lesson!"
Pro silently encouraged itself in its heart, imagining thrashing Duncan, then suddenly sprang up and, with a loud cry, charged at Duncan.
"Wretched Duncan, go and die!"
The sharp shout reached Duncan's ears.
He was taken aback and, seeing the tiny fellow rushing at him with such ferocity, hurriedly said with a smile, "Pro, don't get worked up.
The Sickle is right here!"
The golden sunlight fell upon the surface of the Sickle in Duncan's hand, reflecting into Pro's eyes.
Its moving limbs slowed at once; even its breathing turned rapid, and in its vision only that glittering thing remained.
But the next second, Pro raised a forepaw and lightly scratched its own cheek to sober up, then ran at Duncan in a rage.
"You can't hope to placate me with that.
I've already made up my mind—today we must have a brutal duel!"
"Oh, really?"
Duncan looked at the newly hard-edged Pro, cocked an eyebrow, and unhurriedly rummaged in his pocket.
He fished out a round Galleon and flicked it lightly, tossing it into the air.
"What did you just say?"
Pro's eyes went wide at once, and its attitude changed in a heartbeat.
It scampered toward Duncan to flatter him, saying, "Duncan, you misheard.
I didn't say anything just now."
"Is that so?"
Duncan smiled at the Niffler struggling up his trouser leg and, in a teasing tone, said, "I seem to have heard a Niffler declaring it wanted a big fight with me.
Was that you, Pro?"
"How could that be, Duncan!"
Pro strove to climb higher.
"We're the best of friends.
How could I do something like that?
You must believe me!"
"Oh?
Is that so?"
Duncan shook his head and sighed, slipping the Galleon back into his pocket.
"What a pity.
I thought you'd grown brave and was going to give this Galleon as your reward.
But since it wasn't you, forget it…"
Pro's eyelids blinked slowly, as if it had not reacted yet, and it froze on Duncan's trouser leg as though under a Full Body-Bind Curse.
More than ten seconds later, Pro slowly came back to itself and cried out in frustration, "Duncan, duel!
Today one of us must die!"
Pro scuttled up onto Duncan's leg and swung its claws for all it was worth, scratching at his clothes and leaving white marks all over them.
Just then Newt came out of the secret realm.
Passing through the sitting room, he happened to see Pro bravely attacking and could not help asking, "Are you bullying Pro again?"
Hearing this, Pro acted as if it had found a saviour, quickly turned its head to look at Newt with hopeful eyes, and let out a cry, wanting Newt to give Duncan a good scolding.
"No, I'm playing with Pro," Duncan said with a smile, since Newt could not understand the Niffler's language anyway.
"That's good.
You have to get along with them to become their true partner," Newt reminded him, and headed toward the kitchen.
Pro watched Newt leave and let out a despondent sigh, lowering its head to stare at the floor as though it had lost faith in life.
"Angry?"
Duncan bent down to look at Pro and asked.
Pro did not answer.
Sitting on Duncan's thigh, it turned its body, avoiding Duncan's gaze.
"All right, I went too far.
I apologise."
Duncan put the coins he had prepared in front of Pro.
"Will you forgive me?"
Pro's little paw reached out on reflex, but as soon as it touched them it darted back.
It was as if to say, "You think you can buy me off with that?
Dream on!"
"Don't be like that."
Duncan stacked another Sickle in front of Pro.
"One more?"
Pro glanced askance and, as if afraid Duncan would go back on his word, quickly scooped its paw forward and, with effort, stuffed all three coins into the pouch on its belly.
"This time I'll let it slide.
If there's a next time—hmph, hmph!"
Pro issued a warning.
"Understood, understood!"
Duncan replied with a smile, and lines of text floated before his eyes.
[Optional quest completed.
The bored Pro has become fulfilled again after playing with you.]
[Quest reward: Virtual Coins ×30]
[Virtual Coins on hand: 1010]
Duncan let out a satisfied breath.
After so many days of effort, he could finally draw the lottery!
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