Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Downpour Downpour Downpour
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Downpour Downpour Downpour
It sounds just like the title of a song.
"Shweeeek!"
Swungswung, you must be sensing something too, huh?
Looks like you're tensed up because a bunch of cute but tough opponents might show up.
Hearing the word "nymph" brings to mind round, adorable little critters, but you can't assume that's all there is to it.
For starters, nymphs are the fairies from Greek and Roman mythology.
Even setting aside whether these nymphs are sinister monsters or cute fairies, plenty of problems crop up.
Because it means beings from mythology—not fairy tales—exist in this world.
Of course, you can't draw a clear line between fairy tales and myths.
Sometimes fairy tales are spun from characters in myths.
There might even be a fairy tale featuring a nymph I've never heard of.
Still, it's worth keeping in mind.
Especially since it's Greek and Roman mythology.
Hydras or Nemean Lions could pop up out of nowhere.
...It's even possible the Cowardly Lion we're up against this time turns out to be the Nemean Lion.
It'd be great if a swarm of cute, chattering nymphs appeared, but I need to ditch that hopeful thinking.
Just picture monsters bearing the name "nymph."
Or maybe spirits akin to the ghost bride.
"Yeah, nymphs would explain that weird phenomenon to some degree. Of course, ordinary nymphs couldn't mimic weather patterns, so there has to be more to it."
As expected, not your run-of-the-mill foes this time either.
Well, to challenge an Afterglow Crow, they'd need to be way beyond ordinary.
"Hmm, Little Wind. What's with that stance? Spreading your legs a bit and dropping your hips... it kinda looks like..."
"Caw caw."
Got caught mid-pose in my battle-ready stance.
"It does look a touch valiant, but don't lose sight of our objective. Taking down Dabih and Vega isn't the goal."
"...Caw."
Moona's got a point.
We've scrapped so much lately that force of habit had me thinking of brute-forcing this too, but there's no real need to tangle with them.
Our aim is their tragic love story.
And encountering the Cheshire Cat to collect it.
We could pull it off without ever laying eyes on Dabih and Vega.
"Still, if that striped cat's intrigued, it won't be a walk in the park. Just being nearby could drag us in."
Gretel chimed in.
"And more than anything, it bugs me that Dabih and Vega are exploiting birds. They might try their tricks on you, Crow—and from what I've heard of their powers, it'd hit you hard."
All sorts of birds cower before their abilities, bending to Dabih and Vega's whims.
If I go snooping around in that mess?
They'd peg me as a hefty newcomer and snatch me up.
"But with Moona along, I feel better. I can't go, but if Moona's there, you won't even need me."
"Caw caw."
I don't think that's right.
I know Gretel overhypes that plump little butt.
Moona's wisdom is genuinely useful, sure.
But he's no great shakes in a fight.
Handy when he puzzles out a counter now and then, but no direct backup.
"One peck from Moona's beak, and the downpour stops cold."
Gretel's usually spot-on, except when it comes to Moona or food.
No way even a sage could pull that off.
Even archmages struggle with it, right?
Moona's no archmage—what could he do?
"......Caw."
Whenever I think like that, he usually turns out to be one.
I stared hard at Moona.
As I stared at Moona, he stared right back at me.
His tiny eyes put me at ease.
Yeah, no way that's an archmage.
Sage is already a stretch.
We got a few more tidbits from Gretel and Red Cape.
Red Cape shared on the Cheshire Cat.
"She might like fish, nyang!"
Gretel relayed bird gossip.
"Oh, and the birds' feathers were shedding a bit. You should watch out."
With that extra intel, we geared up to go.
I'd kill to flop around and chill, but the Cheshire Cat might swing by in the meantime.
"Crow...! All this time... we've owed you so much!"
"We'll remember you!"
Cherry and Kiki teared up as they saw us off.
Hey, no need to make it such a big deal.
"Waaah... Don't be sad without us!"
"Caw, caw."
Yeah, you two take care.
Finally, ditching the baggage.
"Crow?"
Are they reading my mind now? Cherry and Kiki shot me puzzled looks.
"...Um, we prepared a gift before you head out!"
A gift?
Any gift's welcome.
Even if I can't use it, I can trade it with humans.
Sure, reselling a gift feels a tad off, but I'm a crow now.
Means I can shrug off stuff that'd guilt-trip a human.
"Caw!"
Come on, hand it over.
They shyly proffered something cloth-like.
I snatched it up with my beak anyway.
But... this feels awfully familiar.
"Mine's white, and Kiki's apricot...!"
"Caaaaw!"
No, I told you I don't collect these!
......But just in case, I'll hang onto 'em.
"Caw!"
I beat my wings furiously, soaring through the sky.
Swungswung and Moona clung tight to my shoulders.
One latched on with his beak, the other hugged with stubby arms.
...Hey Swungswung, you don't really need to grip like that, do you?
"Swung?"
Swungswung flashed an innocent look.
I eyed him for a moment.
What exactly is Swungswung? The thought crossed my mind.
I know she's the pitiful girl swept up in Skarnass's tragedy.
But calling her just some ordinary kid with a rough past doesn't cut it—she's special somehow.
The quest window always labels her "girl," she instantly transmuted the Tin Woodman's Love item, and...
Above all, she keeps evolving alongside me.
Moona's had the same ride but's still your basic kiwi bird.
Swungswung, though? She vaulted straight to Shadow Lace Queen.
I can't tell if Moona just doesn't evolve or if Swungswung's the outlier, but something's definitely up with her.
"...Swung?"
Tch, it's high time she evolved into a silver-haired, red-eyed gothic lolita beauty.
"Shwoooooo?"
Swungswung yanked my feathers with her tiny arms, like she knew I was thinking something weird.
"Hm?"
Now I turned to Moona.
If Swungswung evolves too quick, Moona's problem is not evolving at all.
Why's he stuck like this despite the Sage title?
Truth is, Moona's true nature nags at me most.
Even my eyes can't appraise him—like with Resurrection—and the Sage trait itself is fishy.
Maybe Moona's hiding more from me than Dorothy is. That's the vibe.
A kiwi bird with that deep, resonant voice? No way he's ordinary.
...Silly to dwell on it this late.
Lost in those thoughts, it hit me: I'm no different.
No matter how you slice it, I'm not your average crow.
I outpace Swungswung in evolutions, and my antics aren't crow-like at all.
Yet Swungswung and Moona never bat an eye.
...Life's full of little secrets, so no point me prying.
Once I evolve enough to chat properly with them, I'd love to spill my tale.
Where I came from. Why I'm grinding like this.
And trade for whatever they're holding back.
"Caw caw."
What'll my next evolution look like?
Each time, that massive crow in my mind's eye.
That's gotta be the Night Crow—the Night Raven.
I've been Little Night Crow before, so I'm probably on that track.
Dusk and afterglow.
Evolution names alone scream "Night" as the endgame.
Raises all sorts of questions, though.
Night Feather skill. The plain word "Night."
Ties right into Eternal Night, doesn't it?
Night Feather's a technique you can only unleash when Eternal Night falls.
So here I am, packing that skill, hunting down Hosts of the Eternal Night and trying to stop it.
Looks kinda contradictory on the surface.
Me landing in this world. Dorothy chucking me here.
Feels like I'm dancing to some unknown puppet master's tune—a nagging itch.
I want to uncover what it is, but nothing I can do about it now.
Right now? Lock in on the goal ahead.
Gather clues bit by bit to track Dorothy.
Shwaaaaa.
Flying along the riverbank, I spotted rain dumping in a perfect circle.
"Hm. A squall."
Squall.
The phenomenon Gretel mentioned.
And spotting it means we're nearly at the destination.