Chapter 138
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Nightingale-Like Voice
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"Shwoong, swung! Swungswungswung!"
The black bedsheet spun round and round.
Probably asking if I'd finished all my checks by now.
"Caw."
I gave a light nod, and Swungswung quickly burrowed into my embrace.
"Shwaaang!"
Then he licked my face clean with his tongue—must be fascinated by my evolved form.
Wait a minute, don't you not even have a tongue?
"Swungswung."
Swungswung acted like it was no big deal.
Fair enough.
What did it matter anyway?
Swungswung licked my face clean.
The little guy seemed to like me so much... but no excessive slurping!
"Swung..."
Swungswung tucked himself neatly into my chest.
I could feel him wriggling around inside.
He usually lived in my shadow, so maybe this felt like a home remodel to him.
Is that why he was so thrilled?
"Hmm... your size is pretty decent now... fits just right..."
Black Wolf stared at me blankly, mumbling to herself.
Her expression was indescribably peculiar, giving me a slightly uneasy feeling.
No way this girl...
Was she thinking of eating me?
Yeah, definitely.
She was licking around her mouth—clearly deciding I'd grown big enough now.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Just look at that tail wagging.
But I wasn't going down without a fight.
"Here, take this!"
Black Wolf handed me a small, round object.
I extended my talon, hoping it might be a gem, but disappointingly, it wasn't.
Processed food, maybe?
It had a faint honey scent—definitely something sweet.
"They gave it to you. While you were evolving, those nymphs who'd been captured came by to say thanks."
"Caw?"
The captured ones?
Hmm, the nymphs, right?
"They shoved a bunch at me, saying thanks. I tried a bit, and it's pretty good. Something about Jade Hive? That's where they're from."
Jade Hive?
Sounds like a name straight out of a wuxia novel.
"They handed these over and left. Turns out they'd been stuck for so long they couldn't do their jobs. That's why they rushed off."
Dedicated workers, huh?
I really wanted to see what real nymphs looked like, but oh well.
"Um... and they said something about the forest's blessing... uh..."
"The forest's blessing will be with you, nyang! So in a way, it's like a fairy's blessing, nyang!"
Fairy's blessing!
Did the nymphs buff me or something?
"Of course, it won't have any real effect, nyang. Just makes the air feel a bit fresher?"
"Caw."
Sounds like a half-baked effect they slapped on.
I tucked away the candy Black Wolf had given me.
Of course, I didn't forget to share a few with Red Cape and Black Wolf.
"Yes...! If I give this to that girl... maybe she'll get away from those weird jellies, nyang...!"
Red Cape's eyes sparkled.
She was plotting to change Gretel's tastes this time.
But that didn't seem easy.
And even if she did, Red Cape might end up suffering for it.
Wouldn't Gretel just keep demanding her to make more from now on?
Like sending her to fetch whole beehives.
Red Cape, oblivious to that, grinned slyly while meowing to herself.
"Oh, and take this too. Almost forgot."
Black Wolf hung a familiar item on my beak.
It was none other than one of her tail hairs.
There was even a red one as a bonus.
"Ahem, I wasn't planning to give more... but somehow..."
Truth was, I didn't have the authority to summon Black Wolf freely.
Just once.
Because of our deal, I could borrow her power once.
Though she'd granted extra chances each time I called, claiming "this is the last."
This time too.
And not just any tail hair—she'd picked the prettiest one.
Others might not notice, but as a fellow shadow dweller, I could tell the difference.
"Thanks."
"Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I did it for you... ahem."
Black Wolf wagged her tail gently.
Shwaaa.
A soft rain began to fall.
Not called by absent Dabih and Vega, but summoned willingly by the nymphs.
The rain infused life back into the ruined earth and purified what Dabih and Vega had tainted.
This mission was complete.
I'd successfully evolved into a powerful species and defeated Dabih and Vega.
A few things to ponder, but nothing to worry about.
I had my wisdom pouch: Moona.
Time to chat with him and decide our next move.
"Nice weather."
"Yeah. That mood from earlier... huh?"
Black Wolf made a dazed sound.
"Shwoooong?"
Swungswung poked his head out too.
...What's with everyone?
"What's wrong?"
"Y-you, why are you talking...!"
What? It's not like this is the first or second time I've spoken. Why the fuss now?
Sure, my voice was a bit different, but I could talk reasonably well.
"No, your voice! It's not like before!"
"Huh?"
My voice was different from before?
"Really?"
"Wh-what!"
Black Wolf leaped straight up.
"No, this isn't the time. Come here!"
"Wh-why? Calm down!"
I tried to resist, but drained from the battle with Snow White, I was easily subdued.
I'd regained my nightingale-like voice.
Of course, I couldn't fully speak human language yet.
I could manage short sentences in a decent voice, but anything longer brought back that horrific croak without fail.
Still, this was a huge leap forward.
Being able to communicate clearly, even briefly, opened up endless possibilities.
"Caw caw."
That said, I wouldn't express every language in human speech.
Human words made communication easy, but they had drawbacks.
My enemies could understand them too.
But cawing like this?
Only Swungswung or Moona could make sense of it.
Even if someone got used to it, a first-time listener would be baffled.
So it could double as a code.
Black Wolf and Red Cape had returned to their posts right before I could check on them.
Red Cape eyed me like she planned to use me to break some seal, and Black Wolf looked scheming too.
But what exactly? No clue.
If I had to guess, yeah, probably trying to eat me.
Wonder if I should use the new tail hair I got.
"Kyaaak! Amazing!"
"Incredible!"
The birds who'd heard of our victory hopped around in joy.
They said they'd known before I even spoke.
The downpour over the whole forest had stopped, replaced by gentle rain.
"Incredible...! Little Wind and his companions are the forest's benefactors—no exaggeration!"
Saroka flapped her wings excitedly.
"And facing that witch directly! I can feel the curse on me weakening because of it."
The unbreakable curse now had a crack, thanks to me striking Snow White's magic head-on.
She said breaking it and returning to her original form wasn't just a dream anymore. I hoped Saroka regained her true appearance soon.
Since I missed the nymphs, at least let me see the harpy.
"Rewards...! Yes, rewards! Marriage to the princess is a given... and from the warehouse..."
"Q-Queen? If Your Majesty insists..."
The mockingbird and magpie chattered as they went to fetch rewards for me.
Not just defeating Dabih and Vega, but damaging the queen's archenemy Snow White meant the rewards were getting upgraded.
No jokes like marrying the mockingbird—they'd bring something actually useful.
Honestly, this evolution alone gave me power I was still struggling to adapt to. More on top?
No burden at all.
"Caw caw."
I'm a greedy crow; I'd take whatever they offered.
"Hmm, you've definitely grown bigger."
I was poking at plump Moona's rear in the reception room while waiting.
"Hehe, nice, nyang. Heard something good, nyang."
A familiar catlike voice rang out.
Not some fake like Chacha—a real cat, Cheshire.
This guy had been lounging here, scratching his belly?
"Not the love story I expected, but still good news, nyang."
Cheshire's tail swayed slowly.
Cheshire and I had a sort of contract.
Info on Dabih and Vega in exchange for Lion Heart King details.
Though it shifted midway to just taking them down.
Since it turned out unrelated to the love story Cheshire wanted.
Still, he looked thrilled.
"I'm feeling generous, so I'll spill the info, nyang."
His catlike slit pupils gleamed.
A normal guy might think he was just happy, but this was Cheshire, rumor-monger extraordinaire.
And didn't he just say he'd heard something good?
I'd reported to the bird queen, but Cheshire wasn't there.
Moona hadn't joined, so the report was brief.
Meaning Cheshire likely witnessed the Dabih and Vega subjugation himself.
Given his abilities, not hard.
Hardly constrained by space, right?
"Actually, I could even help take down the Lion Heart King, nyang. Nyahaha!"
And him being this pleased...
Me landing a hit on Snow White the Witch had worked out hugely in Cheshire's favor.