The Taxidermied Bird <Side: Francis Wing?>
Do you remember? Those days when we soared through the skies.
Martyr Moon - Day 27 (Morning)
The grand mansion nestled within the territory. Past morning and into lunchtime, I found myself in the office of the lord's wife, Anidia Serendipity.
Normally, at this hour, I'd be drafting patrol reports for the lord or soaring through the skies above the territory, hunting for any suspicious elements... But here in the office, alone with her, I was preparing letters and other items to pass along, waiting for someone.
Someone very important.
"Francis. Speaking of which, isn't that little cat girl supposed to come today? She's a bit late."
"Yes, Lady Anidia... It seems the heightened inspections over that incident held her up with all sorts of checks."
"Maybe I should've given them a heads-up. 'Let the cat beastkin with the big backpack through without checking.'"
"No, we can't do that. After an incident like that... Making exceptions would surely stir up talk."
"True~ Those sly old foxes... They're dying to sink their teeth into me or my husband."
The reason we'd ramped up these obsessive inspections and tightened access controls? It stemmed from the recent disappearance cases.
Vicious kidnappings targeting only those in the back alleys. The incidents, which left no traces behind, had been resolved thanks to Myrit Ledias and the other adventurers. The missing people had all returned. But there were too many oddities.
The kidnapped victims had no idea who took them. Even though they were found in an underground black market dealing in slaves, the place was empty when discovered. At least, we knew people had been there—but just like the disappearances, they vanished without a trace.
"If I had my way, I'd chase them down and nail the culprits... But the lord ordered us to halt the investigation."
"The lord must feel the same. But he probably didn't want to provoke the retainers or disrupt the territory's peace, so he wrapped it up with the rescues."
"I know that... Ugh! It's so frustrating. And that's not even the real problem! Elizabeth and Myrit are doing a divorce duel!? Are they insane? Those two! I thought their marriage was as solid as ours."
As always, Lady Anidia puffed out her cheeks in anger. She'd been shocked by the divorce duel between Elizabeth Pendragon and Myrit—her former comrades-in-arms.
Rumor had it that Heri Tetrahedron, the guild master and their mutual colleague, was stepping in to mediate. But no news yet.
--Knock knock knock...!
--Creak~
"Swift, precise, and discreet~ Descartes Post Office's top employee! Thank you so much for using our regular mail service today~"
As I chatted with Lady Anidia, a few knocks sounded, the door swung open, and in strode a cat beastkin with a hefty backpack.
"My, my little kitty doesn't know manners? You knock and wait for an invitation before entering. And then you introduce yourself as top employee—aren't you embarrassed?"
Lady Anidia teased the brazen mail carrier, but Victoria fired right back without missing a beat.
"Ah, sorry~ The checkpoint suddenly decided to inspect mail I hadn't even declared. Got me a bit pissed~ Guess my patience for knocking and waiting ran out there too~"
"What tiny patience. How low must it be to not even wait that long and pull this stunt..."
"Anyway, Victoria... Anything to deliver?"
I intervened to defuse the brewing storm, turning the topic to the cat mail carrier—my old comrade, Victoria.
Her stiffly raised tail drooped at my words, and her glaring eyes softened.
Victoria Laguna. Our relationship as gray cat beastkin... wasn't friendly. If anything, she unilaterally despised me.
Because I was... the self-proclaimed traitor of the tribe...
"Ah, Francesca. You're here."
"Call me Francis... Lots of eyes around."
"Tough. Traitor bitch...! You gonna deny the name the chieftain gave you too?!"
But the calm lasted only a moment. As soon as I spoke, she reignited, baring teeth and claws in hostility.
If this weren't the lord's mansion with Lady Anidia here, those claws would've pierced my throat.
The sins I'd committed... the fate I'd shouldered... were that grave.
I couldn't tell her the full story because of the contract I couldn't disclose, leaving our tangled relationship as murky as ever.
"Enough fighting. Descartes Post Office's top employee and Laguna tribe's second-best warrior, Victoria? Could you honor the contract your tribe made properly? This constant bickering wears me out~"
"Grr...! Shut up! We didn't ask to be saved! And you made that contract on your own! Why's the whole tribe bound to your deal?!"
"Cool it, stray cat. Hurry up and deliver first. We're not as free as you."
"I'm not free either! I've got 13 more deliveries today!"
The hostile air dissipated at Lady Anidia's word. I stayed silent during their spat, speaking only when needed.
Grumbling, Victoria slammed a thin sheet of paper from her backpack onto the desk.
Lady Anidia ignored it, eyeing the paper as Victoria spoke up again.
"You know about the revolution in the Empire recently?"
"Somewhat. The old power structure collapsed, and shrine maidens worshiping the divine beast took the reins? What's that got to do with this intel?"
"Nothing. Just that sorting rumors in the chaos took effort. Pay extra for the trouble. Enough to cover the tribe's debt from your contract?"
"Skip it. Explain in detail. Empire internals aren't my concern. A spirit got pregnant? What's this?"
Lady Anidia had long been investigating fairies. Even before my contract, she'd obsessively gathered info, collecting fairy-related items.
Why? Details were vague, but it tied to her long-lost younger brother and fairies.
To find him, she scraped every scrap of fairy info—which sparked the contract with me and the tribe...
The paper Victoria handed over bore just one line: Spirit Pregnancy.
No idea the link between fairies and spirits, but Lady Anidia must sense something—hence tasking Victoria.
"Literal. Spirit of smoke. Famous in the Empire—some brave guy knocked her up. Don't know who; she's heavily guarded."
"Hm... Good work, but spirit pregnancy's not very nutritious info. Nothing else?"
"That's it. Hey, Francesca? You've been staring blankly. Spit it out if you want something. Traitor."
As the intel talk wrapped, Victoria glared, prodding me to join.
"Nothing from me. Here... Pass this to the tribe. Pays off the debt..."
I handed her a pouch jingling with gold coins.
But Victoria...
--Smack...!!
"Shut up! Close your mouth! Whose fault is the debt, whose collar is this! You mocking me!? If you cared about family at all... Don't give me this shit!!"
She swatted the pouch away furiously, storming toward me and yelling.
I took her rage silently. Couldn't speak. Could only meet her eyes.
No arguing, no shouting. I was the traitor who'd urged the tribe to don collars.
"Stray cat, ease up. Our Francis sacrificed so much for your tribe, scrimping her own pay to save this—and you toss it on the floor?"
"Quiet! Our Francis? Don't spew nonsense. You dragged our tribe, who roamed deserts commanding the world, into human society as laborers! Top warrior? Means nothing now... Nothing!"
"Victoria..."
"Don't make that pitiful victim face! Francesca...! You're a perpetrator too. Why torment us with that contract... us who lived free and happy..."
Victoria trailed off. Head down, she packed her things to leave. Naturally, she left the money.
As she turned and exited, only stifled sobs trailed her.
--Creak... Thud...!
"...Francis. You really have it rough. How'd you ever tame a cat like that?"
"Won in combat, established hierarchy... That's all. But with hierarchy meaningless now, Victoria and I are back to square one."
"Yeah... Money aside, she won't deliver that letter?"
Lady Anidia patted my shoulder worriedly, glancing at the door.
Today's spat was fiercer than usual. She always ended in rage, but today she vented tears.
First time seeing that... Might've preferred her just storming off angry.
But seeing her cry—her who'd never shed a tear before—unsettled me too.
And the letter for the chieftain via her... Couldn't ask in her state.
"It's fine... Just a check-in letter. Better this way. If they knew I sent it, the tribe would've rioted."
"Sigh... Makes me feel bad. Hang in there a bit longer. Once I find my brother... I'll void the tribe's contract and yours."
Lady Anidia twirled her dark brown hair, sighing. She had her own burdens, and the office mood plummeted.
"Then I'll head out on regular patrol. Lady Anidia, as the lord said last time, please refrain from drinking on duty."
"Ah, yeah... Got it. Good luck. Silly worry, I know, but be careful at night. Disappearances over or not, the mastermind's still free."
Nothing more to do here. I folded the letter into my pocket, geared up lightly for patrol, and prepared to leave.
Before going, I relayed the lord's no-drinking reminder, donned my hood, and opened the office window.
"Understood, Lady Anidia... See you tomorrow."
Feet on the sill, I unfurled my folded emerald wings and dove headfirst.
--Whoosh...!!
Whoosh...!
No crash—the momentum carried me up as I spread my wings wide, soaring into the sky.
"Victoria... already gone?"
No sign of her earlier shadow. Her swift feet must've taken her beyond the territory.
Sigh... Chest feels tight. Victoria? Or... these breasts growing again?
Old as I am, still growing... Penalty for slacking workouts?
After patrol, tighten the binding bandages more. Riding the wind, I flapped toward my patrol zone.
"What should I do...?"
Hmm♥ Pathetic no matter how many times I see it. That's me back then.
The distant past me, viewed through the mirror. Indecisive, drowning in worries, always wearing a gloomy face.
Hehe♥ She'll soon realize how great it is to rub her cock diligently, spurt cum everywhere, and devote herself to the Goddess♥ Inferior Francis♥
--Spluuuurt♥♥♥
Ooooh♥ Just thinking of the Goddess makes my cock throb♥ Ah, Blair's hogging her now♥ Wonder when it's my turn♥
I ejaculated loudly, splattering the mirror with cum, and glanced toward the ecstatic moans.
The sky dyed red. Even the sun belongs to the Goddess now♥ The seas are seas of semen, the land grows only trees brimming with her demonic power.
Guess I'll do my regular patrol♥ To enslave those foolish, inferior humans still resisting the Goddess's blessing♥
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