That's right, a Sai, a bamboo sword used primarily for kendo training. Around the same time I was taking archery (Eastern style), I also took a course in edged weapons and took the opportunity to buy some equipment to practice at home, hence the Sai and the arrows.
They probably didn't take the arrows because they were for Eastern bows, which are longer than the Western bows shown in movies. Besides, the chances of anyone having a longbow at home would be slim (except for us; we have four that my father made from recycled materials, I think I've mentioned that before).
I breathed a sigh of relief seeing the two, and then a voice came from behind me.
"Seriously, you're happy with this?"
"Of course, even if it doesn't look like it, a Sai is still a sword, a weapon. The point is knowing how to use it; you remember how much it hurts, don't you?"
She put her hand on her head remembering a time when we were younger (3 years ago), and she was playing with my Sai, she got careless and ended up hitting her own head, she wepted for almost 2 minutes.
"Okay, that might help a little, but not as much as the arrows."
She said, a little more excitedly. One important thing to mention: my dad actually made some good-quality bows, but the arrows, not so much.
I was about to leave and go back upstairs when I thought of my secret compartment. What man doesn't have a secret closet to store things he doesn't want others to see?
Thinking about it, I went back to my closet and slightly moved my shoes near the door, revealing a small but spacious compartment. Inside were some of the things I consider most important.
Nothing too out of the ordinary: school diplomas, some medals I won (not for participation, okay, they were ones I actually won... Only a couple were for participation), some drawings my cousins gave me when they were still little and cute, and the books that were my goal.
Five books, to be precise. 2 were about medicinal herbs, another was about first aid treatments, another was an atlas of military history and tactics around the world and the last one was something I was sure my sister will laugh at as soon as she sees it.
"Hmm, so that's where you kept those books? No wonder I couldn't find them when I looked."
She said seriously. Which was a bit strange since she was in fairy form; it seemed like the green tracking magic was easier to use that way. But her serious expression instantly fell as soon as she saw the last book.
"Aaahhhh, seriously, you bought this, hahahahahahah hahahahah"
Tsc knew she was going to do that; the last book was a compendium of Wiccan manuals. Essentially a modern grimoire.
Yeah, I'm a man interested in Wicca, big deal!!! Maybe a little unusual, yes, but it's not enough to make me laugh like she is, right?!
While I waited for her to stop teasing me, which must have taken about three semi-uninterrupted minutes of teasing and laughter. I started to feel a pang in my stomach, almost as strong as the "slap" Mari had given me earlier.
But that pang soon turned into a burning, aching pain that spread throughout my body almost as it had when I'd gotten up.
"Hey, hey, are you okay, Nando?"
The pain was so intense that I ended up doubling over and breathing erratically, both to endure the pain and to avoid looking at my sister. I didn't want to risk acting like in the movies and as soon as I saw someone, trying to jump on their neck.
"Sort of, ha ha, honestly? I'm starving."
And the status agreed with me.
[HP: 2/15
MP: 20/20
Condition: Starving (autophagic)]
"Oh, it's true, you just woke up and haven't eaten anything. Wait a minute... Here."
She said, handing me a small bag of crackers that was less than half full.
"There weren't many left anywhere we went, be it the ice cream shop or the houses."
As soon as the smell of the crackers reached my nose, I felt an unbelievable urge to vomit. Before she could take two steps toward me, I jumped back, slamming into the opposite wall.
"Don't come near me with that!!!"
She seemed quite surprised by my reaction, and I wasn't far behind. Soon after, she seemed to understand my reaction.
"Oh, of course. You're a kind of vampire now, you only eat blood, right?"
With some difficulty, I managed to calm myself down.
"I have no idea. So far, the only thing I've 'eaten' is goblin blood. I don't know if I can still eat normal things, but I'm sure I can't eat that, definitely not."
She took the package from the front and put it back in the item box.
She paused for a moment and seemed to consider what we should do now. Fortunately, the pain I was feeling wasn't increasing, but it persisted like waves, almost matching the rhythm of my heart.
To minimize things, I tried to calm myself by squatting against the wall, breathing slowly, and keeping my eyes closed.
A little later, Mari made a face like the kind you make when making a decision and came toward me.
"I don't know if this will help, but we don't have many options right now."
She said, taking something else out of the item box and handing it to me. This time, I didn't react as strongly as I had with the crackers; in fact, I felt a wave of desire wash over me. But my rational side managed to win the fight, seeing what she'd put in my hand.
...Was she kidding me?
"Are you kidding me?"
I couldn't help but ask out loud.
"Worse than not, do you have any better ideas?"
She said, looking a little disgusted at what she'd given me.
And what was it?
A rat.
A huge rat, the size of a 2.5-liter plastic bottle, but still a rat.
"We found it just before we got home. I discovered that the monsters' magical cores can serve as nutrients for ordinary animals and plants that have been altered."
"I wanted to see if altered animals could also serve as nutrients, and we intended to give it to Snitch, but since you seem to be almost going crazy with hunger... It's worth a try, right?"
....You can only joke with my face.