Chapter 94

*Rainelle’s POV

Aria teased me for being a sinful woman who’s popular with crows, but it was okay.

“If you keep doing that, I’m not going to deliver the letters! Mwahahahahaha—“

After this and another, I succeeded in getting a letter from Aria.

Good! Then I’ll deliver the letter to Namuel!

I turned back into a crow. Then I stretched my wings first for a warm-up.

Of course, Aria was looking for a chance to touch me, so I did my warm-up safely on the chandelier.

After meticulously cleaning my feathers, I swished through the open window and flew away. There’s a sound of disappointment behind me, but,

Let’s ignore it! Ignore it! I’ll get caught the moment I get swayed!

Karmeut also touches me affectionately, but the result is very different from him. My feathers are on the line here!

*Flap, flap, flap! —*

I was flapping my wings hard to fly to the palace when suddenly a black figure appeared in front of me.

Whoa!!

“Caw! Caw!! (What, what!!)”

I screamed in surprise and missed to catch the thrown envelope a few times before finally getting it. Therefore, I glared at the crow blocking my way while tightening my toenails that grabbed the envelope.

If I were still a human, it wouldn’t be easy to distinguish between animals that I only have seen a few times. No matter if the person is a zookeeper, it would be a hard thing to do unless the person takes time to observe and encounter the animal. There was even a saying about this in the ‘Little Prince1’.

‘It’s just one of the common foxes, but when tamed, it becomes the only fox in your eyes.2’ …was the analogy a bit strange?

Anyway, if I was human, it would the same as not knowing if this was the bird I met yesterday or if it was a new one I met today.

But was it because I possessed a crow? I could easily tell that this crow was a crow that had been chasing me.

Uuh, what should I say…

In human terms, this crow goes into the handsome group.

…Ha! That doesn’t mean Karmeut is ugly though! It’s still just a crow! If comparing them, then Karmeut is way more handsome!

I shook off my thoughts and looked at the crow. The crow was biting something in its beak.

Was it because I didn’t make any cawing anymore? The crow slowly approached me.

What the crow had in its beak was a piece of meat.

What? Why didn’t this crow eat it and flew all the way here?

I had no time to solve the question as the crow was pointing its head to one side. Then it flew slightly to the side where its head pointed at. It repeated that movement.

“-Caaw? (-You want me to follow you?)”

The crow nodded briefly. I hesitated for a moment at his behavior.

Um… I have a letter… I don’t know if I can go somewhere else…

But it was also true that I wondered where the crow would take me.

The real-life of a wild crow! Is it possible to experience it?!

It was too much to ask me to live in the wild, but I thought it wouldn’t be bad to experience it for a little.

Umm, but this letter is the problem…

“Caw! Caaw! (Wait! I’ll leave this behind!)”

I can leave it in Namuel’s room.

Thinking like that, I let out a cry. The crow blinked its eyes for a second. With a slight nod of the crow’s head, I flew quickly toward the Palace.

When I arrived at Namuel’s research room with Mui’s help, Namuel wasn’t there.

Should I say my job was finished? If Namuel was present, it would definitely take time to talk and do this and that. So I thought it was fortunate.

I put the letter down on the desk and left the room in a hurry.

“Caaw! (It’s done!)”

The crow, which had been following since earlier, waved the tip of its wings. Then it looked around. I could understand the crow’s reaction, so I cried out happily,

“Caaw? (There are a lot of shiny things, right?)”

The crow was startled at the words. After that, as if it said “I’m not interested in these things!”, he jerked his head away and started flying somewhere.

I rolled my eyes at the crow’s back. Then it stopped in place and turned back its head.

Seeing that gaze, I followed him quickly.

The life of a wild crow! Of course, it is not a mountain or forest, but I am also curious about crow’s life in a city!

How long did I fly after the crow? It lowered the altitude toward the plaza. Then it went into an alley and landed on a pile of firewood.

“Caaw. Caaw. (Here, eat this. It’s good.)”

The crow’s eyes were sparking when it put the meat in its beak in front of me.

I flinched for a moment at the look of anticipation

…If I don’t eat here, I think it’ll be very disappointed… And it might get angry—!!

I’ve experienced with my whole body how strong that male crow was, so I didn’t want to get beaten again.

Maybe it’s because it lived in the wild, but it has good wings! It’s enough to catch up with me, who could borrow the power of a spirit!

I looked down at the piece of meat.

I don’t think it’s spoiled… Wait a second. Crows eat corpses too, right? …Scavengers have a strong digestive system, so it would be okay if it’s only a little tasting… right?

I bit the piece of meat that looked like a piece of chicken with my beak and swallowed it.

I was a little worried, but fortunately, it didn’t taste bad.

“Caaw? Caaw? (What do you think? It’s good, right?) “

I remained silent for a moment as it proudly inflated its collar and asked that.

Of course, it’s a very good food by the standards of the wild, but… was it because I live in the Palace? Or was it because Karmeut had selected my food very well?

—Maybe both?

“Caw, caw, caaw. (Uh, yeah, it’s okay.)”

The crow didn’t seem to catch how I used ‘it’s okay’ instead of ‘it’s good’ as it raised its head as if it was really happy. Still showing its good mood, it came up to me and said with a small cry,

“Caaw caaw. Caaw. (There’s something more delicious over there. Come here.)”

“Caaw? Caw? (Something more delicious? What is it?)”

“Caaw caaw. (Come here and you’ll know.)”

I blinked at the crow’s act of urging me to come and see instead of answering the question, saying,

Something more delicious than meat? What’s that?

I don’t think it’s easy for a wild animal, or a city bird, to get meat… but there’s something more delicious than meat?

Feeling half puzzled and half curious, he followed the crow and spread my wings. A thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to think so.

No way it’s ‘that’, right? No way~

***

Why am I right?! Why?!!

“Caaw? Caaw? Caaw, caaw! (What do you think? Isn’t it cool? There aren’t that many places to get fresh larvae!)”

Saying so, the crow rummaged through a heap of something brown, like compost. When the crow stood back up, it held something that I didn’t know if it was soil or something else, but then a white, plump larva appeared through the dark brown pile.

And that appearance smashed my mentality well.

Ah ah ah ah ah!! A white, plump larva is in the dark brown pile! The color stands out even more because of the contrast! Oh, God!

The next scene made me want to faint. The crow stretched its beak very nonchalantly and picked up the plump larva. Then it swallowed the white larva, which wriggled as if to make me see clearly.

There was an illusion that I could hear a gulp. And it occurred to me that although I was a crow, my face would have turned blue anyway.

Huk! Bug! A bug! It swallowed a bug! It swallowed a bug and ate it! Right?! I saw you eating just now! Argh! Argh!

“—Caw? Caaw. Caaw, caaw (What’s wrong? These are fresh bugs. They are big and juicy, so they are savory and delicious.)”

Yeah? No. Absolutely not! Not at all! For you who are born as a real crow, it’s going to be a really delicious delicacy, but for me—?! No! The human soul in me refuses bugs! Even if the world allows crows to eat bugs, I don’t! I can’t put it in my mouth and swallow it! And with it wriggling like that–! Aghhh!!

I wanted to peck the crow as hard as I could while spitting out those words. —But I can’t as I saw what was in front of me.

There’s a wriggling bug! What size is that?! Is that to match the fantasy background?! How can a larva as big as a human’s palm move?! Ahhhhhhh!!!

The crow didn’t seem to understand why I was frozen. Rather, it tilted its head as if saying: “What’s wrong with this delicious thing?”

—Don’t tilt your head and just bury the larva! Bury it nicely!!

…did it understand from my eyes? The crow nodded. But then it came up to me with the bug.

Huh?

The crow murmured cries through its beak.

Are you telling me to eat it?

…I don’t (want to) know what the crow meant, but I don’t have any room left to think about the crow’s behavior. Because the larva, which was bitten between the crow’s beak, began to wriggle.

The white, plump larva’s mouth which was slightly black was rattling as its internal organs were visible on its body side.

The movement of the larva struggling with its short legs and mouth had a destructive power that could not be compared with the worms that were given by the servant before.

Was the crow annoyed by the bug’s wiggling behavior? It gave a little more strength to its beak. Then, the crow’s sharp, hard beak slightly dug into the larva’s body, and essence began to leak out of it little by little.

Hii, save me! This is hell! Arghh! Don’t come to me! Please! Put it away! Get rid of it! Get rid of it! Argh!! My eyes! My mentality!

The crow tilted its head again. Then it gulped down the larva in its beak.

“Caw? Caaw? Caw? (Was it too big? Do you want a smaller one? Or a big one?)”

While saying so, the crow turned around to search through the pile of compost again.

It’s my chance! It’s my chance to escape!

I even called Mui and escaped(?) at maximum speed.

“Caw? Caw?! (Huh? Where are you going?!)”

I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!

But I overlooked one thing as I was in a hurry. Crows that lived in the wild were so powerful that they can easily catch up with me, who borrowed the power of the spirit.

Damn it!

“Caaw? Caaw? Caaw, caaw. (What’s wrong with you? It’s hard to find larvae as delicious and big as that.)”

The crow hovered around me while talking like that. Then it puffed up its collar and said,

“Caaw. Caw, caaw. (It’s my favorite hunting ground. Of course, you can come as much as you want.)”

Are you crazy? I’m never going!!

Those words went up to my throat. But I barely, just barely, managed to suppress it in the end.

I don’t want to be attacked!

…But I don’t want to eat bugs even more!

I screamed like that from my heart, and…

“Caw! Caw! (No! I hate bugs the most!)”

The crow made a shocked face at my words. It was not that I don’t understand.

For crows, larvae were like juicy, tasty steaks.

But! My human soul rejects bugs! Even a bug with a hard shell will break and the essence will come out! I think my feathers will be all gone just thinking about it! And larvae whose skin gets torn and fluid flow when you apply a little strength to your beak?

When I thought of the larva, which was writhing with its white and chubby body, the speed of my wings naturally accelerated.

Please save this crow, no, this human who possesses a crow! I can never eat larvae with a sane mind!

***

“…? Rainelle, why are you coming back out of breath? Did something happen?”

Sa, safe!

Feeling like that, I gulped down the water in the water bowl after flying as fast as I could to the Palace. I drank as much water as I could. As the water went down my parched throat, it felt like I was going to live.

I could feel concerned eyes on me. Receiving such a gaze, I rubbed my beak on Karmeut’s finger, and then I turned into my human form.

“It’s not a big deal, but it was important to me.”

“What’s that?”

I tried to answer the question, but I couldn’t utter the words straight away at the image that came to my mind and staggered.

Ugh! Ugh—! Bugs have such terrifying power!

“Rainelle?!”

I waved my hand at Karmeut, who approached me in surprise. Even though I gestured that I was okay, the worry in my golden eyes didn’t dissipate. So I said to him while trembling inside,

“–I’ve seen a larva the size of a human’s palm got eaten. Ugh…”

Watching Karmeut’s frown, I tried to calm down by covering my mouth with one hand.

I haven’t seen anything! I didn’t see anything! C’mon, I didn’t see any larvae! Get out of my head! You little larvae!