Episode 93
I glanced at my left wing. It didn’t seem like I could fly properly in this condition.
‘Ugh… what should I do?’
The throbbing pain made me wince. I needed to heal it, but I was wary of being watched.
Just then, the wolf spoke.
—Found information.
“Chirp?”
‘What information?’
—You are here.
“Beep?”
‘Yes, I’m here.’
—Must go outside.
“Beep.”
‘You’re saying you’ll take me outside?’
The wolf nodded as if confirming.
“Bee…p…”
‘But my wing is like this. And there might be guards around.’
The wolf slipped out of the bars. I waited, wondering what it was doing, and it returned and reported,
—Guards, three or four outside. Inside, no guards.
“Chirp!”
‘Oh my, it brought back information!’
I was suddenly grateful for the spirit’s presence. I could heal my wing if there were no guards inside.
The spell Prea cast to prevent me from leaving the Marquisate was a problem, though.
‘Still, it’s better than staying in here.’
I had to escape this prison-like place. Since Sylvia’s spirit had found me, perhaps Cesar would come here as well.
Even if he didn’t, the spirit could tell Sylvia and Cesar where I was and what happened, and they could dispel the spell and help me escape.
I took out the mana stone I had hidden and absorbed it. I felt some strength returning to my wing, but the pain intensified.
‘Let’s try healing myself like I did with the Crown Prince.’
Although the power didn’t respond strongly to my own needs, I had to somehow heal myself and return. To where the people waiting for me were.
I made a wish, and a faint light emanated from the tip of my left wing, covering the wound. I gently flapped my wing, watching the shimmering light.
‘Thank goodness. I can move it.’
—Shift change. Will use this opportunity.
To escape during the shift change, I had to find a hiding place first.
“Chirp.”
‘Before that, I need to find a place to hide outside.’
—Why? Going to Female Master.
“Beep.”
‘The person who kidnapped me cast a spell on me that prevents me from leaving the Marquisate.’
They would surely come looking for me as soon as I disappeared. I needed to find a place to hide from them.
The wolf circled around me.
—Why must you be confined?
“Chirp?”
‘Anyone listening would think I’m always trapped.’
—Must not be hurt. Precious.
The wolf whimpered and rubbed its face against me.
Come to think of it, spirits were unusually fond of me. They would grant my requests even though I wasn’t their summoner.
I gently nuzzled the wolf’s face, and its tail wagged like a puppy’s. A gentle breeze, instead of a soft touch, tickled my feathers.
The wolf ran around, looking for a hiding place for me. It soon returned and said,
—Found suitable place.
“Beep?”
‘Really?’
—Will escape and lead them away.
“Chirp.”
‘Alright. I’ll follow you.’
My wing was healed, so I could follow it without any problem.
But the wolf suddenly drooped its ears and whimpered.
—Difficult to maintain for long. Female Master, still inexperienced.
The longer a spirit was summoned, the greater the burden on the summoner. So the fact that it couldn’t maintain its form for long meant Sylvia was running out of mana.
Sylvia usually only summoned low-ranking spirits. Since Prea had acted earlier than in the original story, Sylvia wasn’t experienced enough in handling spirits yet.
Her inexperience meant she had pushed herself to summon a spirit beyond her current abilities.
‘She overexerted herself to summon a spirit for me.’
I felt a pang of guilt, thinking how Sylvia-like that was. I felt like I had burdened her.
I spoke with determination,
“Beep. Chirp.”
‘Then there’s no time to waste. Guide me back to Sylvia. And tell her where I’ll be waiting.’
—Understood.
“Chirp?”
‘When is the shift change?’
—Soon.
I quickly used my sharp beak and claws to open the locked birdcage door.
I had been behaving myself, not healing my wing or trying to open the cage door, worried I was being watched, but opening a simple latch was a piece of cake.
‘Hee hee, time to escape!’
As if I would be intimidated by a mere threat.
Even if I was caught after escaping, I would just run away again. I had no intention of quietly accepting my fate.
—Shift change now. Here’s the key.
I skillfully caught the key, floating over on the wind, with my beak.
“Beep!”
‘Alright! Let’s go!’
I inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The door creaked open.
I hurriedly stepped out and looked at the dark prison hallway. I whispered,
“Beep.”
‘When do you think the guards will come?’
—Coming down the stairs.
“Chirp?”
‘Already?’
—Collision, unavoidable.
As it said, there was nowhere to hide in the basement prison.
‘There’s not even a place to hide this tiny body.’
Being able to hide anywhere was one of the biggest advantages of being a bird.
As I anxiously waited, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. The dim prison was gradually illuminated as they approached. I would be discovered at this rate.
Just as I was wondering if I should just resort to a headbutt, the wolf beside me growled and said,
—Leave it to me.
And the light illuminating the prison disappeared. I heard confused voices from the stairs, carried by the wind.
“What was that sudden gust of wind?”
“The lights are out. Doesn’t anyone have a match?”
Since a bird’s vision was excellent even in the dark, I confidently hopped towards the stairs. And I saw the knights stumbling around in the darkness.
“Ouch! Don’t push!”
“Th-the wind… ugh!”
‘Oh, what chaos.’
I watched them nonchalantly and hopped up the stairs.
The spirit’s wind was gentle, so I had no problem moving through it. I just had to follow the wolf and wait for Sylvia.
“Beeeep.”
‘So long, roasted bird ending.’
I hopped on the fallen knights. It would only leave small, cute bird footprints.
‘This is a good thing. A good thing.’
Just then, someone grabbed me.
“Beep?”
‘What?’
“I thought it was a bug crawling around, but it’s a bird…?”
I quickly looked around. The knights were still disoriented from the wind and colliding with each other on the stairs.
I pecked his hand hard before he could come to his senses and shout that a bird had escaped. He yelled in pain and let go of me.
‘I bit him really hard.’
I had deliberately pinched a bit of his skin and bit down. It must have stung.
I landed on the knight’s face and placed my little feet on his mouth.
“Mmph!”
‘Now he can’t talk.’
I considered knocking him unconscious, but then I saw his sparse hair fluttering weakly. So even the romance fantasy world had balding.
His eyes widened in terror as he felt my gaze on his hair.
Seeing that, I called the wolf and gestured towards his head. The wolf, momentarily confused, replied,
—Hair. Pluck?
I nodded, and the wind ruffled his hair. He desperately tried to protect it.
“Ugh!”
—Human, pitiful.
His hair flew away in the wind, despite his struggles. The knight’s eyes became unfocused. I carefully removed my feet and caught a strand of gray hair with my beak.
‘A trophy of victory.’
Having silenced the only witness, I hurriedly tried to follow the wolf.
But the wolf’s form began to dissipate.
“Beep?”
‘Is Sylvia out of mana already? That’s not good. I just committed a serious crime!’
Contrary to my worries, the wolf smiled and said,
—Leaving the rest to scary man.
‘Scary man?’
I looked ahead, still holding the knight’s hair in my beak. I saw a faint light and heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
I should have been anxious, but my heart strangely fluttered.
As the figure came into view, I dropped the hair from my beak and chirped happily,
“Beep!”
‘Cesar, you’re late!’
As I hopped towards Cesar, he bent down to meet my gaze.
“Ha. You really are…”
“Chirp?”
‘Did I do something wrong?’
He carefully extended his hand, and I hopped onto it. I chirped softly, smiling, and his gaze fell on my wing.
I also looked at my wing. I had healed the wound, but the missing feathers and the bloodstains hadn’t disappeared.
“…Your wing is injured.”
“Beep?”
‘Injured? No. It’s completely healed!’
I flapped my wings vigorously. But his expression had already hardened.
“Who did this to you?”
“…Beep.”
‘…C-calm down. Your eyes are turning scary.’
I saw his purple eyes gleaming menacingly. I shuddered, even though his anger wasn’t directed at me.
“Who?!”
I flinched and raised my tail feathers at the sudden shout. The fallen knights had regained consciousness.
“Beep, beep.”
‘Uh oh, Cesar, the knights are waking up…’
“This is annoying. But I can’t kill them.”
A chilling killing intent filled the air, making my body stiffen.
‘I should be more worried about the knights than Cesar.’
Cesar, enraged, looked even more terrifying than described in the original novel. I quietly perched on his shoulder, not wanting to disturb him.
It seemed best to stay quiet until we returned to the mansion. Cesar was furious.