Chapter 41
*Ravens Are So Smart They Can Even Talk*
I ran towards the source of the screams. I thought I heard the quacking of ducks mixed in, and when I arrived, I found myself by a pond in the middle of the forest. I slowed to a stop. There were no zombies in sight.
It wasn’t exactly peaceful, though. The pond was in a state of chaos. Several ducks and ravens were tangled together in a brawl. Perhaps I had mistaken the bird sounds for human screams.
Just as I was about to turn back, I heard another scream.
“Help! Help!”
It was a clear, young man’s voice. It was strange that it came from the midst of the birds, but perhaps the victim was trapped in the pond?
But there was one problem.
“I can’t swim…”
The screams were coming from the middle of the pond. If I could stretch my body like dough, I could reach him, but I was a solid doll. I didn’t have a boomerang function, so even if I ripped off my arm and threw it, it wouldn’t come back.
“Help! Is anyone there? Baba! Felix! Castor! Oh, I’m dying!”
The frantic cries continued. He was calling for people from the magic library, so he must have been an acquaintance of Miss Baba.
“What should I do! I want to help him!”
Was I made of buoyant material? I had never tested it. If I tried now, I might sink to the bottom of the pond and become a relic.
I paced back and forth, taking off and putting on my shoes repeatedly. I looked around, but there were only tall trees. Would it be too late if I chopped down a tree and made a raft? How did you even make a raft?
“Help! I’m dying!”
Hearing another scream, an idea struck me. Did I even need a raft?
I approached the tallest tree, apologized to it sincerely, and then pulled it out of the ground.
Crack! With a strange ripping sound, the tree came loose. The surrounding trees shook as well. Their roots must have been intertwined. Feeling the ground tremble, I raised the tree high.
It was larger and heavier than I expected. I was holding it by the base, and as soon as I pulled it out, the leafy crown crashed down, scattering leaves like fireworks.
I swung the tree towards the pond and shouted,
“I’ll give you this tree, climb onto it!”
The massive tree flew across the water with a whoosh. Like a ladle in a stew pot. Waves, unusual for a pond, rippled outwards. The ravens and ducks, which had been fighting, scattered.
“Oh no! They can’t all fall in the water!”
I hurriedly pulled the tree back out of the water. It fell behind me, almost hitting my shoulder.
I heard the flapping of wings, followed by a strange cracking sound. Something had broken.
This was a bad omen… I seemed to be sensing bad omens a lot lately. I could probably open a fortune-telling business.
Thump! The tree I had swung crashed down, crushing the surrounding trees. Something flew off from the impact and landed in the pond with a splash.
“What was that? A branch?”
The birds took flight and fled. The pond became quiet. The ducks had escaped, and all but one raven had disappeared.
The raven, perched on a floating branch, spread its wings. It was huge, almost the size of an eagle.
“Hello! The person who was screaming for help, are you still alive?”
I called out anxiously, but there was no response. Only the raven flapped its wings in the distance.
Had he been hit by the tree and sunk? I had no choice but to go into the water and rescue him. And if I found an unconscious bird, I would rescue it too.
Just as I was about to take off my shoes again, my premonition of disaster materialized. I couldn’t take off my shoes. More precisely, the act of grabbing and removing my shoes was impossible.
“…The thing that flew off earlier…”
I stared blankly at the pond. The large raven was flying towards me, holding something that looked like a stick in its talons.
“I thought I was going to die!”
It was a clear voice. The raven flew towards me and landed at my feet. It shook its wet wings and preened its feathers with its beak. Then it tilted its head from side to side like a clockwork toy before opening its beak again.
“Are you a young lady?”
“Uh, uh… a talking raven…”
“Hmm. I should be the one saying that. A talking doll is stranger than a talking raven.”
The raven bent its leg and pushed the stick towards me. I silently picked it up.
“…The young master is going to be angry.”
“You saved me, right? I almost died after being hit by a tree. But I managed to climb onto the arm you threw.”
The raven rubbed its body against my leg gratefully.
“Thank you, thank you. I almost died before even seeing my friend, after being invited all this way.”
I couldn’t hear anything else. Only the stick, or rather, the “arm” in my hand, registered in my mind.
“The tree must have been very heavy for you. Your arm even came off.”
“Yes… Do you think it can be reattached?”
I tried to reattach the detached arm, but to no avail. All I heard was the clicking sound of the sharp edges hitting each other.
I had wanted to be praised, but I had only added another reason to be scolded.
“I’m doomed. The young master is going to be furious. What should I do?”
I continued trying to reattach the arm while sighing. It was no use. He should have made me modular.
“Ahem, hey doll.”
The raven called out to me. I scratched my head with my detached arm and replied,
“Yes?”
“I want to grant you a wish in return for saving me.”
“A wish?”
The raven flapped its wings.
“Timing is everything when it comes to self-introductions. But sometimes, it’s best to skip them. We don’t need such formalities between us, do we?”
“I’m Estella.”
I offered my detached arm to the raven, as if offering a handshake. The raven pushed it away with its wingtip and took a step back.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have been eaten by those zombified ducks. Phew, that was close. I’m sure I would have been quite tasty, with my plump physique.”
I looked the raven over. I wasn’t sure about its physique, but its black feathers were glossy and beautiful. It would be perfect to pluck a few feathers and make them into quill pens for the young master. It was quite large too.
“Uh, miss? Your expression is a bit menacing. It doesn’t suit your pretty face.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t realize. Don’t worry, I was only thinking about plucking your feathers to make quill pens for the young master.”
“…”
The conversation eventually returned to my “wish.” The raven urged me to make a wish. It was just a large bird, could it even grant my wish?
It wouldn’t hurt to try. I should make a specific wish.
“I want to become a human princess, formally propose to Count Lupin Zepetto, get married, enjoy a happy marriage for about three years, have five children, boys and girls, and live happily ever after. And if possible, I’d like all my limbs attached.”
“…That’s a bit complicated.”
The raven tilted its head back and forth, then preened its feathers with its beak.
“Hmm, this is difficult. Too many wishes.”
“It’s all one wish.”
“That’s not how it works. That’s cheating! I have a limited amount of magic. And we ravens are shrewd businessmen… Forget it. I don’t think we can come to an agreement.”
The raven sighed. It blinked its eyes tiredly.
“Don’t you have a simpler wish? Something with potential side effects. Those are fun to watch, so I might grant them.”
“You’re mean.”
“It’s just a hobby. People these days are so boring, always insisting on conditions.”
“Then reattach my arm. So I don’t get scolded by the young master.”
The raven took flight and then suddenly puffed up its body, becoming as large as a dragon. Its gentle, sweet voice resonated through my body.
“I shall grant your wi…”
It hesitated, its black wings, which had been about to envelop me, fluttering. Then it shrunk back to its original size.
“This wish is also problematic.”
“You’re just a con artist, aren’t you?”
“No! I swear on my honor, I’m not a con artist. Your situation is complicated. Your master’s magic is strongly interfering. If I try to reattach your arm, you might die.”
He sounded like a con artist. I glared at him. The raven looked at me with innocent eyes and shook its head.
“I can give you some feathers. About five. You can make quill pens with them. I can’t reattach your arm. I can’t kill my benefactor. I have a conscience.”
“Fine.”
“Then I’ll give you the feathers, and I should go find my friend.”
“Ah!”
Come to think of it, wasn’t the raven looking for Miss Baba?
“Let’s go together! You’re going back to the magic library, right?”
I might get scolded less if I brought a guest back.
“Hmm? Well, if you don’t mind. But my wings are hurting, so can I sit on your head?”
“Huh?”
“It looks smooth and pretty, like a cozy bird’s nest.”
“Hmm… okay. But grant me one wish.”
“It’s difficult to reincarnate you as a princess, have you marry a Count, have five children, and live happily ever after.”
“Forget about that, just listen to my relationship problems.”
“That I can do!”
Having reached a compromise, we decided to return together.
“What should I do to impress the person I like?”
“Dress up in something sparkly and give them something sparkly! Sparkles are important.”
“Okay.”
I held my detached arm in my remaining hand, placed the raven on my head, and walked back the way I came. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I didn’t know that the young master was coming to find me.
“Estella!”