Chapter 110
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Witch's Curse
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A magpie with an injured leg.
When you think of a bird with a hurt leg, swallows might come to mind.
But magpies can get injured too, right?
【Magpie】
A bird belonging to the crow family, possessing remarkably high intelligence.
It has a habit of flocking together and, thanks to its superior intellect, can drive away birds of prey larger than itself. A formidable bird.
…Wait, magpies are part of the crow family?
Does that make us kin?
Anyway, this is new information to me.
【Skills】
「Wing Beat LV2」
「Beak Peck LV2」
「Queen's Blessing LV1」
【Traits】
「Glorious Soar」
「Wings of Black and White」
「Queen of Birds」
The moment I saw its skills and traits, my eyes widened.
Wing Beat and Beak Peck were whatever, but that Queen's Blessing skill really caught my attention.
And the traits were even more impressive.
None of those three were something a low-level bird like this should have.
I couldn't tell exactly what they did, but just the names alone screamed they were no joke.
And I'd been feeling this nagging sense of familiarity from the start.
Didn't she look a lot like Moona, no matter how I sliced it?
I stared hard at Moona.
【Kiwi LV10】
A nocturnal bird with fully degenerated wings.
It moves quickly using well-developed leg muscles and finds food with its excellent sense of smell.
【Skills】
「Mimicry LV10」
【Traits】
「High-Speed Thinking」
「Gourmet」
「Sage」
Didn't she share a ton of similarities with Moona?
The base bird species, level 10, those improbable traits dangling off her...
And that unnecessarily pleasant voice.
There was definitely something alike about them.
"Oh dear, are you disappointed by my appearance?"
"Caw."
I shook my head.
I was surprised, sure, but not disappointed.
…Honestly, I had hoped for a harpy, but I wasn't the type of jerk crow to say that to her face.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Saroka, known as the Queen of this forest and master of black and white wings."
"Caw, caw."
"A pleasure. I am Moona, seeker of truth. The wise bird with black feathers is called Little Breeze, and the lovely girl beside him is named Rebecca."
You're the only one who calls me Little Breeze, you know?
"Moona, Rebecca, and Little Breeze. What wonderful, resonant names."
"If Little Breeze bothers you, you may call him Raven."
"Raven! Hmm, both are fine names."
The magpie rose, limping on one leg.
"Kyaaak! My queen! Don't push yourself!"
"Rest! Rest!"
The parrots who'd been waiting quietly nearby went into a frenzy.
"Lord Turka, Lord Karen. No need for such worry. I am the queen of this forest, after all."
"Kyaaak…."
The magpie spoke in a gentle, benevolent tone.
Even the parrots had such cool names?
I wonder if she'll call me Lord Raven.
"I'm delighted to meet you. You can't imagine how happy I was to hear you were coming here."
Come to think of it, she knew we were coming ahead of time?
Did other birds fly ahead to inform her?
Or did she have some other way to get the news?
"I heard you'd come to help us birds. To lend your strength against Dabih and Vega, yes?"
Beating them? Not sure about that far.
Our goal was just to uncover their story.
Of course, denying it in this situation would be pointless.
And we couldn't very well demand info without offering anything in return.
"And bringing such precious food to boot… Ah, this isn't the time for that. I've lost my manners with guests here. Shall I prepare a modest banquet?"
A banquet, huh.
I'd let all the fish go, so my stomach was rumbling. Perfect timing.
"Excellent. A queen's banquet alone should grant beneficial effects just from partaking."
Moona whispered softly.
All the more reason not to refuse.
"Caw!"
I nodded.
Seems like a queen's mere feeding carries potent effects.
Sages and forest queens alike.
That's what makes them cheat traits.
"Shwoooong."
Come to think of it, there's another queen around?
"Swung?"
I stared at Swungswung, but looks like he still couldn't do much.
The queen's banquet was the forest itself.
More bluntly, a pile of greens without a scrap of meat?
Even after I caught that capybara, no meat in sight.
I suspected they'd snuck it away to serve only greens, but once I tried it, the taste wasn't bad.
"Does it suit your palate?"
"Caw caw."
Mushrooms and vegetables.
I munched diligently on the fruits and seeds.
Maybe from all the recent meat, but the greens tasted good.
And as Moona said, just eating seemed to restore my condition.
That must be Saroka's Queen's Blessing skill at work.
"Then shall we get to the story? What has invaded this forest, and how I came to be in this form."
I listened while crunching seeds.
Like eating tough popcorn—pretty nice.
The magpie flapped one wing as she continued.
"It may sound vain coming from me, but I was once the epitome of a queen."
Saying it herself like that.
She's got thick skin.
But I won't point it out to her face.
"I wielded power over this vast forest and soared the skies freely on black and white wings. Though now a magpie, I was once a harpy."
"Caw!"
What? A real harpy?
No wonder those huge feathers were around.
If she's truly a harpy, it makes sense why the parrots serve her.
And how she has the Queen trait.
"Had I remained in that form, the forest's troubles would long be resolved. No—none would dare enter here with me around."
Her voice brimmed with anger.
The target was clear.
"Dabih and Vega. They were once insignificant weaklings. But the moment my form changed, they seized the chance to dominate this forest. Using their powers to summon rain, they persecute the winged ones."
Prime-condition Saroka could crush Dabih and Vega easily.
She said as much—no one would dare come here.
But now she's a tiny magpie, not a harpy.
"…My transformation and their boldness weren't coincidence. It was all planned from the start."
I could roughly grasp the forest's power structure.
Saroka, queen of the forest, and her followers.
Dabih and Vega, rising in her moment of weakness.
The two sides in stalemate.
I still didn't know the tragic love story angle, but this was my guess for now.
One key question remained.
Why had Saroka turned from harpy to magpie?
Moona provided the answer.
"A witch's curse, perhaps."
Witch's curse.
A staple in fairy tales.
Like the prince turned frog by a curse, restored by a princess's kiss.
"…Yes. I fell victim to a witch's curse. And that witch empowers Dabih and Vega to control this forest."
Once again, a witch was involved.
At this point, it'd feel off without one.
"Witch's curse…"
Moona repeated the words.
His eyes filled with melancholy, face deep in thought.
…
Hold on.
Moona and that magpie have so many similarities.
Pleasant voices, same level, extraordinary traits.
And look at those pensive eyes.
What if Moona's under a witch's curse too?
Explaining his pathetic kiwi form?
Meaning that plump kiwi's true form could be an S-rank bombshell beauty?
…
Think of the frog prince.
He returned to normal with a princess's kiss, right?
I wiped my beak lightly.
"Hmm… What might that imply?"
…Just in case.