Episode 115
“Beeeep…”
‘…It’s so… loud.’
I dug my claws into Cesar’s shoulder, clinging on tightly so I wouldn’t be blown away by the strong wind.
Bright blue flames, as if to incinerate everything, engulfed the rampaging monsters. The intense blue filled my vision, and the monsters, baring their fangs, thrashed about as if making their last stand.
But they soon turned to ash and scattered in the wind, consumed by the flames.
“Beep.”
‘Amazing. The monsters are turning to ash and disappearing.’
I was amazed not only by the wide range of his magic but also by the flames that precisely targeted only the monsters.
I was about to chirp at him, impressed, when I noticed Cesar’s pale face.
“Chirp!”
‘Cesar, you look sick!’
“Ah… I pushed myself too hard.”
Cesar coughed, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
When Cesar went to exterminate monsters before, he had been accompanied by knights. And even when he used magic, it wasn’t on this scale.
“You seem worried.”
Seeing me staring at him, he smiled reassuringly.
But he didn’t look okay at all. He clearly looked like he had overexerted himself.
“Beep…”
‘Of course I’m worried. I came all this way because I was worried about you…’
His finger poked my beak.
“Sorry, I pushed myself a little because I was worried you might do something reckless again, like luring the monsters here as bait.”
I was angry at him for saying such a thing while casually poking my beak.
Why didn’t he rely on me? Why was he always the one saving me from danger? I wanted to be helpful, too.
“Beep!”
I puffed up my feathers and flapped my wings furiously. He leaned against a tree and replied,
“You seem angry.”
“Chirp!”
‘Of course, I’m angry! Wouldn’t you be?’
“You were the one who recklessly lured the monsters here, knowing your life might be in danger.”
He had brought up a sore point.
I calmed down and checked on Cesar’s condition. He leaned his head against me, his silver hair brushing against my puffed-up feathers.
“You don’t have to say anything; I can see that I’m right. We both acted recklessly, not trusting each other.”
His voice was weak. His fingertips trembled slightly.
“I’m out of mana. I pushed myself too hard because the Empress used the tranquilizer on more monsters than I anticipated… But it seems like I’ve eliminated most of them.”
As he said, the monsters I had led here were consumed by the blue flames and turned to ash, one after another.
“Beep.”
‘Yes. It seems like you got most of them. So let’s go back now, Cesar.’
The Second Prince had been captured by the Crown Prince, and the rampaging monsters seemed to have been dealt with, but I still felt uneasy. I had a feeling we had to leave this place and get Cesar to safety immediately.
But Cesar, seemingly exhausted, closed his eyes, oblivious to my anxiety.
I anxiously climbed down from his shoulder and tugged on his sleeve with my beak.
“Chirp!”
‘Let’s go! Cesar!’
“Lily, can’t you let me rest for a bit?”
‘Chirp!’
‘No! I have a bad feeling.’
Seeing him still unmoving, I looked at the jewel I was holding. He said it would take me to safety if I broke it.
Giving up on trying to make him move, I was about to crush the jewel.
But just then, I heard a scream from below.
“Ugh! Where are the knights?! Save me!”
That arrogant, haughty tone reminded me of someone. I looked down and saw a familiar face running frantically.
I remembered those murky, swamp-like eyes glaring at me. It was the Second Prince.
‘Why is the Second Prince here? He was tied up!’
Something must have gone wrong, even though the Crown Prince seemed to have handled things well. I saw a bloodstained sword in his right hand.
I imagined the worst-case scenario, unlikely as it was. Had the Second Prince stabbed the Crown Prince…?
But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be so pale, his face clearly etched with fear.
—Food. Hungry…
The voice coming from somewhere made my head feathers stand on end.
It wasn’t a human voice. It was the sound of a monster.
An ominous energy, far more menacing than before, made my legs tremble.
‘What, what is that? They said they eliminated all the monsters. Were there any left that I didn’t lure here?’
“Someone help me! I’m going to be… the Emperor…!”
His desperate cries for help, ringing in my ears, were suddenly cut short. He was thrown back, as if hit by something.
The Second Prince lay limp on the ground, seemingly unconscious. And then, amidst the chaos caused by the rampaging monsters, a monster, repeatedly saying it was hungry, appeared.
Red scales, like those of a lizard, vertically slit pupils, menacing horns, and flames flickering on its tail.
‘A dragon…?’
I naturally thought of a dragon, looking at its smooth, undamaged scales despite the commotion.
But its murky eyes and ferocious aura resembled a monster’s, not a dragon’s.
‘Is it a monster mimicking a dragon’s appearance? I’ve never heard of such a monster. What did the Empress unleash?’
I gulped.
Cesar was out of mana and couldn’t eliminate the monster. And seeing the Second Prince escape like that, I couldn’t be certain of the Crown Prince’s safety either.
There was no one to help me. I was wondering if I should just break the jewel and escape when my eyes met the monster’s.
It snorted, seemingly excited, and spoke,
—Food… Two high-quality meals.
The monster lunged at us without hesitation.
Cesar quickly chanted a spell, and a barrier appeared. But both he and I knew that it wouldn’t last long.
The enraged monster relentlessly attacked the barrier, looking for an opening.
“Beep!”
‘Let’s escape while we can!’
I was about to crush the jewel when Cesar said something unexpected,
“Lily, don’t break the jewel.”
“Beep!”
‘What are you talking about?!’
“If we leave this monster here, the people of the Empire will be in danger. And even though the nobles have evacuated, if this hungry monster goes after them, it will cause chaos.”
I didn’t understand what he was saying. He was almost out of mana, barely maintaining the barrier, so why wasn’t he leaving?
“I’ll send you to safety, Lily.”
I hated his smile, looking at me like that, even though he knew he had reached his limit.
“I’ll be back safely, so don’t worry.”
He was lying. He was always lying to me, hiding important things, and even now, in this reckless moment, he was trying to reassure me with a lie.
Crack. The barrier shattered, and I heard him chanting a teleportation spell.
‘Cesar, you don’t understand anything.’
He didn’t understand my feelings, reassuring me with such words, always saying he was fine and taking all the risks himself, even when I offered to help.
But didn’t he tell me not to sacrifice myself? That throwing myself into danger for others wasn’t good?
So this was unfair. Why was he trying to sacrifice himself? Who would want that?
Don’t be ridiculous.
“Beep!”
I stomped on his lips as he chanted the spell, preventing him from sending me away. That bad, stubborn mouth.
Then, I proudly raised my tail feathers and flew forward.
‘Hmph! I can handle a monster like this! Does he think I’m incapable?’
I had been cautious before because of the sheer number of monsters. But this was just one, albeit a powerful one.
‘If I can’t even handle this, I’m not a divine bird! I’m a useless bird!’
I snorted and focused my mind. And I made a desperate plea. To lend me the strength to protect this foolish man.
If I let this monster go, the man I loved, my trusted friend, and this Empire, where the people I cherished lived, would be in danger.
—Do you truly desire this? Even if it means your true nature being exposed and your freedom taken away?
A voice, like the embodiment of my worries, echoed in my mind. The Tower Master had asked the same question.
‘I don’t care if my identity is exposed. Let them try to take my freedom. My place is here. So I’ll overcome anything, no matter who tries to take me away.’
I didn’t want to retreat any further. I had already decided that my place was here, so where else could I go?
And now, I had precious people who wanted me to stay.
—That is your answer.
“Beep?”
‘Huh? Wasn’t that just my inner thoughts?’
It was too clear and distinct to be just my thoughts.
As I blinked in confusion, a pink bird, identical to me, appeared.
—I’ve been waiting for that answer. I’ll gladly help you wield this power.
Just as it spoke, the hazy sky cleared, and a bright light, at an incredible speed, began to bind the monster.