Chapter 72: Companion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Companion
At the Snake Queen's completely unexpected words, the audience fell silent.
Though, the "audience" was just the King of Birds and me.
“What… what did you say?”
The Human-faced Bird’s grotesque lips quivered.
His reaction was one of utter disbelief.
The Snake Queen, on the other hand, replied with an unfazed expression.
“I said he is mine.”
Poof.
As she spoke, she once again made a show of hugging me, giving me a subtle look.
Even a fool could tell.
The Snake Queen was acting.
I didn't know why, but it seemed she was trying to provoke the King of Birds.
That look in her eyes meant I was to play along.
“Geeeek…”
I put on the performance of a lifetime.
I let out an obnoxious cry, like a child whining to their parents.
Mommy, he hit me.
In truth, it was an act filled with so much genuine emotion that it was hard to even call it acting.
“Gekgegek…”
I acted as pitifully and obnoxiously as possible, pretending to feel the Snake Queen's touch.
Since she was a spirit body, there was no direct contact.
If one looked closely, it would just seem like I was rubbing my body against empty air.
But to achieve the Snake Queen's goal, this act was more than enough.
“How dare you… How dare you!”
The Human-faced Bird couldn't contain its rage.
I wondered if it was something to get this angry about, but I was relieved the Snake Queen's ploy was working so well.
“You beast! And you witch, how dare you!”
His reaction was a bit strange.
From the moment the Snake Queen called me hers, all the intimidating pressure he'd been exuding completely vanished.
Could it be that he had a one-sided crush on the Snake Queen? And the Snake Queen, not liking him, kept fighting him.
Nah, that couldn't be it.
Well, I did get a slight feeling that might be the case, but there must have been some other reason I didn't know about.
“Unforgivable… How dare you humiliate me?”
When I first saw his face, I felt an indescribable terror.
It was too alien and bizarre to be called human.
A monster from myth that I could never hope to face.
That was my first impression of him.
But what about now?
His face was even more grotesque than when I first saw it.
With only the Human-faced Bird's face sticking out of the Cockatrice's corpse, this form was far more disgusting.
But I wasn't afraid.
He was just a being who got angry and jealous like anyone else.
He was a weaker being than I had thought.
“Why are you so angry, O King of Birds?”
Squeeze.
The Snake Queen's internal energy pouches pressed against my head.
She might be an intangible spirit body, but I could feel how full of internal energy they were.
“If anything, I should be the one holding you accountable for touching my companion.”
The Snake Queen delivered the final blow.
Her companion, she says.
Seeing her face subtly contort right after saying that, I guessed her real body's fingers were being furiously attacked by Swish-Swish.
“Companion?” the King of Birds asked again, his expression one of shock.
“Y-you… you witch…”
The Human-faced Bird stuttered so badly it was almost pathetic.
“You've truly gone mad… To take such a green youngster…”
“What does age matter?”
“With that detestable face… that false form…” the King of Birds mumbled.
He was trying to tell me something while insulting the Snake Queen.
Probably something about her age and her polymorph ability.
As if I'd fall for that.
“Gekgegek.”
The Snake Queen is the best.
I snuggled deeper into the Queen's internal energy pouches.
“You like this that much, do you?”
…Hey, you told me to act. This is acting, just acting.
“…O Snake Queen. The you I once knew is gone without a trace… You've changed so much…”
The King of Birds glared at the Snake Queen with venomous eyes.
“And you haven't changed one bit.” The Snake Queen smiled gently as she looked down at me.
“Khuhuhu…”
The moment the Human-faced Bird let out a vile laugh.
Fshuk!
A feather as sharp as an awl shot out from the Cockatrice's corpse.
Its destination was, of course, my head.
I was in a position where I couldn't move.
But I wasn't worried at all.
“How pathetic.”
Clang!
The moment the Snake Queen focused her eyes, the incoming feather turned to stone and fell to the ground.
“Gaechalgoatal. I suppose that's the limit of your power.”
Gaechalgoatal?
Gaechalgo.
Gae-chal…
…Quetzalcoatl?
The Human-faced Bird's true identity was Quetzalcoatl?
That made sense. I did find it hard to believe a mere Human-faced Bird could be on the same level as my Queen.
“Stop paying attention to my companion and leave.”
“This is my territory… You're the one who should be leaving… If you go, that creature will be…”
The Snake Queen scoffed.
“If your main body could move, you would have done so already. Do you think I don't know you?”
The Snake Queen, resolving even my last lingering fear.
I wondered if it was okay for the master of the Gaegaek Faith to be like this, but I was starting to take a great interest in the Snake Queen Faith.
“I've won this time. No more talk. Return to that hideous body of yours.”
Flash!
One of the Snake Queen's eyes glowed once more.
K-k-k-k-k-crack!
Before the King of Birds could say anything, the Human-faced Bird's face and the Cockatrice's body turned to stone.
The Cockatrice was a monstrous bird that originally used the power of petrification. It was only natural for it to have some resistance.
But as if that wasn't a problem at all, the Snake Queen petrified it with the power of her spirit body alone.
I realized anew just how much she had held back when we first met.
Crumble.
The Cockatrice's corpse crumbled into dust.
The trace of the Human-faced Bird also vanished.
This meant only one thing.
[Your level has increased.]
I had finally defeated him.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
…
A huge number of level-up messages arrived.
It was the reward for defeating the Cockatrice.
I was worried it would be counted as the Snake Queen's kill, but thankfully, it seemed I was getting credit for the takedown.
Crackle.
My petrified body became perfectly fine, and my HP and MP were fully restored.
Ssssp… Hoooo…
I almost died.
So this is what it felt like to have a healthy body.
My level had skyrocketed, making my body bigger than before, and my mind somehow felt clearer.
“Is your body all healed?”
“Gekgegek!”
Thanks to you.
The Snake Queen looked at me.
That is, with a slightly colder expression than before.
“Gekgegek…?”
“Didn't I specifically tell you to find a trace of him?”
I knew instinctively.
Oh, she's about to scold me.
“Geeeeng…”
I cautiously watched the Snake Queen's expression.
“If I hadn't intervened, what do you think would have happened?”
Well, I would've been killed by the Human-faced Bird.
“Gekek.”
“And you acted like that, knowing full well what would happen?”
Time to act as pitiful as possible.
“Do you think that body of yours belongs to you?”
If I quickly show her my injuries, she might take pity on me and let it slide. Oh, right. They all healed when I leveled up.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The Snake Queen's punishment awaited me.
Still, I did accomplish something, so she probably won't do anything too severe. Maybe just a little petrification experience?
But the words that came from the Snake Queen's mouth were quite different from what I expected.
“…Well done.”
The Snake Queen praised me, a slight smile playing on her lips.
If the Snake Queen had a status window, she would've just received a message that my faith in her had increased dramatically.
“Gekgegegek!”
“I wanted to scold you, but you brought back results beyond my expectations, so I have nothing to say.”
The Snake Queen reached out to pat my head.
Since she was a spirit body, she couldn't actually touch me, but I decided to enjoy the gesture anyway.
“Gekek.”
“You took care of the Gogadurisu and even managed to damage the King of Birds.”
That unstable-looking Human-faced Bird I just saw. It seemed that just getting rid of it was enough to deal a blow to his main body.
The Snake Queen gave a benevolent smile.
“Did you see the look on his face? I feel like a hundred years of indigestion have just cleared up.”
Don't people usually say ten years? The Queen's age must be… No, I shouldn't think such blasphemous thoughts.
I shook my head vigorously to erase any controversy about the Snake Queen's age.
She stared at me for a moment, then spoke as if she'd just remembered something she'd forgotten.
“Oh, right. There was the reward I promised you.”
“Gek!”
The elixir!
“Your contribution was great, so I should give you a reward greater than what I promised.”
More elixirs!
“Uhuhut. You can look forward to it.”
…It is elixirs, right?
“Ah, as for the Gogadurisu's inner core, don't eat it right away. Bring it to me.”
My eyes went wide as I stared at the Snake Queen's spirit body.
But I'm the one who earned that!
“…What's with that sullen look? I'm only saying this because there's a way to absorb its inner core more effectively.”
Beaming.
I knew I could trust you.
“Hmm… It seems it's about time for me to return.” The Snake Queen's spirit body began to fade.
“This may be his territory, but he won't be able to harm you for the time being.”
The ever-reliable Snake Queen, taking care of the aftermath too.
“Still, it's not good to stay here for long. Every being in this jungle will have noticed you because of that battle. Well, I don't know how many would dare to touch someone with the Snake Queen's mark on them, but still.”
A lizard vouched for by the Snake Queen.
That's me.
Unless they had a death wish, no one would attack me.
With even his minion, the Cockatrice, dead, who would dare attack me?
Of course, he might have other minions, so just as she said, it wouldn't be good to linger.
“I will return now. I have things to discuss with my daughter, and I must prepare your reward.”
I wonder what kind of precious elixirs she's preparing.
“Ah, the princess is also diligently preparing a gift for you, so you can look forward to that as well.”
Swish-Swish is? Is Swish-Swish also preparing an elixir for me?
“Uhuhut. Well then, I'll be heading back first. Finish what you need to do and return.”
With those final words, the Snake Queen's spirit body vanished.
What I need to do, huh?
First, I should probably take care of those humans.
“Gekgegek…”
With the dignified cry of a Gomodo, I slowly walked forward.