Chapter 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Contract
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jenny of the Chain Scythe.
Somehow, it sounds like a name that would pop out from around the fourth floor of a dungeon.
Is there a fairy tale with a character named Jenny?
Even if there is, I doubt she'd wield a chain scythe...
But why does it feel so familiar?
Eh, probably just my imagination.
Anyway, let's hear the rest of the story.
Just from the name, she seems like a powerhouse on par with Bertolt, so there's no harm in getting some info.
"Normally, she's a thoughtful and gentle woman, but she has one flaw: she's a witch discriminator who utterly despises witches."
Witch discriminator!
...
Isn't that obvious?
Thief discriminator.
Criminal discriminator, something like that.
So she's just a decent lady with a thoughtful and gentle personality.
Past me would've thought that, but now it's a little different.
Because I saw that Day Witch named Gretel.
Of course, that doesn't mean
there aren't two apprentices right in front of me aspiring to become witches like her.
"Fortunately, thanks to our quick actions, she hasn't noticed yet, but you never know, so it's best to stay cautious. Especially you, Lord Crow!"
They don't look particularly quick to me.
And why have they been telling me to be careful since earlier?
What does it mean that a witch discriminator would attack a bird like me on sight?
"Hmm... that's a valid point. We should avoid showing ourselves to others, but we need to be extra wary of that Jenny human in particular."
Muna seems to agree with them too.
"Kak?"
So why me?
I tilted my head, not getting it, and Kiki glanced at me nervously before continuing.
"Because you're a crow...?"
What kind of koan is that?
"Well... crows just give off strong familiar vibes, you know?"
"Kaak?"
Yeah, I guess?
I haven't seen that many witches, but they all eyed me like they wanted one.
And these two are subtly...
"Kaak!"
While I've been relaxing, they're picking up my feathers?
"Eek!"
Cherry drops the feather she'd been grabbing in shock.
"Sorry, sorry! Alchemy ingredients are so expensive... Please don't eat meee..."
She holds out the feathers she'd gathered earlier and trembles.
No need to go that far.
I'm not some man-eating crow.
And acting like that makes me look like a total villain crow.
"Shwooung..."
"Hm... one feather should be okay. No, we'll respect the Little Wind's opinion."
Why are you all looking at me like that?
"Kak."
Each feather is precious.
...Still, since it wasn't plucked from my body, I can spare a few.
I picked one up with my beak and handed it to Cherry and Kiki.
"H-Huh...? You're giving this to us?"
"One feather like this is worth several black crystals! No more wading into ponds for frogs!"
My feathers are worth that much?
"Kak?"
"Your feathers aren't common goods... Hm, they must've lived even more destitute than I realized."
Now that I look, their clothes are in rough shape too.
They put effort into mimicking witches, but it's frayed all over.
Even the conical hat's caved in at the top—not great quality.
Getting teary-eyed seeing them so thrilled over a few feathers.
"Kaak, kak, kak-kak."
As a life senior, I wanna give some advice.
I had tough times like theirs too.
From baby bird days before feathers even grew, how I struggled...
...
Wait, haven't they lived way longer than me?
"Shwoong."
I used Shwoong to wipe my eyes.
"Hehe... Just holding it feels good."
"I can finally research freely! Sniff... Catching frogs was hell."
Frog or cat fur.
And crow feathers seem like prime witch ingredients.
From what they say, they use 'em for alchemy-like stuff.
Since I'm no ordinary crow, my feathers must be extra valuable.
Makes me wonder if I'm really that special, but it also feels a bit iffy.
These are innocent, kind apprentice witches getting touched by it, but bad ones would react predictably.
Best case, keep me as a familiar. Worst, cage me and pluck daily.
Of course, I'd slip into shadows easy.
"Hehe..."
Cherry and Kiki gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
The kind that'd wag a tail if they had one.
"To show such kindness... I, Kiki, pledge my loyalty to you, Lord Crow!"
"M-Me too! I'll become a great witch so you can drop by anytime if you're homeless!"
Apprentice witches vowing to become great witches before a giant crow.
Looks a tad risky, but probably fine.
"The Little Wind gladly accepts your hearts as well. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I'll give you a simple mission: aid the Little Wind here and thwart the Night Witches' plans."
Muna spoke in a solemn tone, and the already sparkling apprentices' eyes lit up even more.
Not content with sturdy new connections, they've been instilled with a sense of mission to stop the Night Witches.
"Got it! On a witch's honor! We'll complete the mission!"
You're not witches yet?
"Uh... where do we start? Explosion? Gotta be explosion, right?"
I eyed Cherry.
Poke.
"Eek!"
What explosion? I'm no thug crow.
And you two probably couldn't anyway.
"First, intelligence gathering. And depending on circumstances, thieving... no, appropriately redistributing resources."
The real work'll be me, Muna, and Shwoong.
What Cherry and Kiki help with is stuff a crow like me can't do.
"Orders received! I, Kiki, future Day Witch, will complete it no matter what!"
"Me too! I'll help Sis and get the mission done somehow!"
Yeah, yeah.
That's a good look on you.
At first, I tensed up seeing two in gloomy clothes huddled together, but that was just paranoia.
Can't call 'em fully on our side yet, but trustworthy enough for now.
[Sub-quest completed.]
"Kak?"
Sudden blue window.
Sub-quest completed?
The quest that popped up the moment we met them: Reform the Apprentice Witches.
That's gotta be it.
No way, it's been less than ten minutes since I got it?
They're fully reformed already?
...What a half-assed job?
Well, thanks anyway...
Difficulty this low, no reward hype.
Maybe toss me a basic wing-flap skill or something.
[Your myth accumulates a story as reward.]
Myth.
Oh yeah, this existed.
When I got Ominous Aura and Holy Aura at the same time, I unlocked a myth too.
It said my myth had begun—what's that mean? Guess it's stacking stories like this.
Skarnas' Great Crow meets two witches.
Something like that; tales piling up.
But does stacking 'em do anything good?
No visible changes so far.
Staring at the status window like that, another blue window peeked out.
[Bestowed your grace upon two apprentice witches.]
What's this now?
Before I could panic at the unfamiliar text, shrill screams rang out.
"Ahh! My, my feather!"
"My black crystal!"
The feathers I'd just gifted them vanished in an instant.
It wasn't that they dropped or lost them.
To be precise, they seeped right into the backs of their hands.
As I pondered giving another, a new message arrived.
[Contract established.]
"Kaaaaak?"
What the heck?
I never made any contract?
Who decided this?
This is a scam!
[Contract parties: Raven (Party A), Cherry, Kiki]
I'm Party A?
Well, that tracks.
No, can't just accept it.
What even triggered the contract?
And what're the exact effects?
All I did was share feathers and ask for info.
...No way?
I turned to look at Cherry and Kiki again.
Cherry flailed around but raised one hand.
"My hand back's hot... Huh, unfamiliar tattoo...?"
A tattoo shaped like my feather was etched on the back of her hand.
Right where the feather vanished.
My crow brain spun fast.
It just said I bestowed grace on them.
What I did was give feathers.
So giving feathers counted as bestowing grace.
That works for Cherry—what about Kiki?
"Kaak, kak!"
No tattoo visible at a glance.
To prove my hypothesis, I need to check Kiki's too.
I flew around hunting for Kiki's tattoo, and she spoke softly.
"Um, over there..."
Yeah, tell me the spot quick.
"My... belly... feels a bit hot..."
Kiki spoke hesitantly, voice full of shame.
Belly?
Why there?
"A little... lower... Kyaa! L-Lord Crow! Where are you trying to go?!"
Just need to confirm!
I don't wanna do this either!
We tussled for a good while.
"Sniff... Hic... Now I can never get married..."
My cool-headed crow brain was right.
Kiki had a feather-shaped tattoo on her body too.
Won't say where, though.
"Shwoooo..."
Don't give me that look, Shwoong.
It was an accident.
I didn't tattoo 'em on purpose.
"Damn. Well, a wind of your caliber might pull that off."
Don't nod along!