Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Pigeon
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【Th... This... how long are we doing this....】
Spirit King Elpi's voice was growing fainter as time passed.
What had started as something resembling speech was now closer to 'coo-coo-coo,' devolving from Spirit King to neighborhood pigeon levels.
"Haa."
Mikurebi let out a long sigh, utterly devoid of sincerity.
Flutter.
As if that were the signal, Elpi's body twitched.
Then, carefully adjusting its posture...
It tilted at an angle so its beak wouldn't touch the ground, and finally slammed its crown precisely into the dirt.
It was a highly practiced pose of submission.
"Rude."
Chop.
Mikurebi's slippery fin flicked slightly.
It picked up the tree branch it had neatly set aside on a nearby tree, gripping it in its fin like a sword.
Seemingly pleased with the feel, Mikurebi twirled the branch this way and that.
"Hmm...."
【.........】
Soon, Mikurebi began thrusting practice at the air with the tip of the branch.
Choiit— choiit—
Its form—swinging and stabbing with the branch—was impressively fluid.
'Hm.'
Under the moonlight, in the mansion's front yard, it wasn't the movement of a swordsman practicing swordsmanship...
More like a carp swaying in a pond, forcibly claiming it was swordplay.
Even so, just watching that made Spirit King Elpi tremble like a pigeon.
【I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry....】
Elpi's voice, called the Wind Spirit King, grew ever more servile.
Its beak was deeply buried in the dirt, its tiny legs huddled and shaking like a nervous bird, and its wings were completely flat against its back.
And around it.
Whoosh—
The flow of wind wobbled and twisted according to Spirit King Elpi's mental state.
"You've subdued Elpi, huh... As expected, beyond my hopes, Adel."
[I didn't bully it though.]
"What! Let's say that's the case."
I glanced down at Mikurebi.
【Y-yes... Yes? Should I lower it more...?】
It still had the branch slung over its shoulder like a sword, nodding its head in self-satisfaction, pretending to glow, pretending to be cool.
A fish at 200% self-satisfaction.
【Kuh....】
In contrast, Elpi...
Was stripped of all its Spirit King majesty, looking like a pigeon that had its bread crumb snatched by some auntie in the neighborhood park.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Elpi ]
Favorability: 【Villain】
Status: 【Positive(0%)】 , 【Negative(80%)】
□□□□□□□□□□ (0/100)
Faction: 『Wind』
Info:
[Plotting to sneak away.]
Psychology:
「Why… why am I submitting to those things....」
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
Well, I hadn't done anything special, but its favorability toward me hit 【Villain】 and negative at 80.
I felt wronged.
All I'd done was slightly open the abyss and summon a fish called Mikurebi.
Clearly, this whole tragedy started with Mikurebi.
And...
Flick!
"What."
【Hmph—!】
Elpi rocketed up to the tree branch with pigeon-agile speed.
It clung to the branch, sweating profusely, wearing a strangely satisfied expression as it looked down at me and Mikurebi.
【You guys are gonna regret this!】
Flutter, flutter!
Every feather stood on end, its wings slicing the air as it pointed at me and Mikurebi.
【I-I'm super tight with the other spirits!? They'll make sure you never set foot on the ground again!!】
[What the hell is it saying?]
"Insufficient training... My mistake, human."
For once, Mikurebi admitted its own fault first.
It was so shocking... I nearly shed tears of emotion.
Well, actually, it was tears from the mad gusts whipped up by the rampaging pigeon.
【H-how dare you be rude to the Wind Spirit King! I'll call all my friends!?】
"Don't do anything foolish, pigeon."
Chop.
Mikurebi casually placed its slippery fin on its hip.
Trying to look like a cultured fish, apparently.
"This body is none other than the great dragon pursuing peaceful education."
【D-dragon? How are you a dragon! You ugly fish!】
"Wha—what—!"
Holy crap.
That pigeon had touched Mikurebi's reverse scale.
"Come down here right now, pigeon. I'll tear off your limbs and fry 'em up."
【Y-you think I'd come down—!?】
The two bickered childishly, flapping their mouths to inflict fatal wounds.
Bird versus fish war.
A dogfight with zero dignity, obvious to anyone.
【Ever heard of the Heavenly Spirit King? I'll tell him everything!】
"Th-the Heavenly Spirit King...?"
【Y-yeah! You're done for now!】
"What's that? Bird feed?"
【Y-you—!】
Elpi got so excited it clutched its own nape and flopped onto the branch.
Then again...
Flick!
【How do you not know the Heavenly Spirit King!】
[What's that?]
"Looks tasty."
【You ignorant fools! The Heavenly Spirit King rules the heavens and—】
Elpi started blabbering like mad.
Spirit hierarchy this, heavens that, wind this, Spirit Kings live in huge mansions, nonsense like that, plus how the down on its feathers feels amazing...
Even rumors from who-knows-where piled on.
I dug in my ear for a bit.
Even digging didn't quiet the noise.
【There are rumors it vanished without a trace! But you think I can't find it!?】
[Yeah.]
"Indeed."
【...Argh—!】
Flutter!
Elpi spread its wings, posing to soar into the sky any second.
But...
Sluuurp—
The sound of something dragging on the ground.
Mikurebi and I froze mid-motion and slowly turned our heads.
【.......】
The splashing stopped.
The jet-black shadow dripped in globs, and the lizard building a nest with gathered branches halted.
【?】
It glanced at me and Mikurebi, then resumed meticulously trimming branches as if nothing happened.
【Hea-Heavenly Spirit King—!?】
Elpi, turning late, caught sight of Bahamut—its wings snapped shut, eyes rolled back.
【───#@%^!!】
Flutter-flutter!
Screeching wildly, Elpi soon foamed at the mouth and weakly sliced the air, falling from the tree.
***
"I'll go prepare lunch then~"
Kaden waved breezily and turned toward the mansion.
I turned the opposite way, toward the lake where the group was.
And naturally...
Various creatures trailed behind me, tails in a line.
【....】
Splash, splish.
Bahamut dragged the branches it had gathered.
Every time its paws touched ground, jet-black shadow oozed between toes with a 'splash.'
"Hmph."
Chop, chop—
Beside it, Mikurebi still wielding its branch, performing a solo sword dance.
Mimicking sword poses with its slippery fin.
"Perfect."
No matter how you looked, it was posing coolly...
But fish limitations? Every move looked soggy.
And finally—
【Hee... hee... hehe......?】
Pigeon.
No, Elpi, demoted from Spirit King to pigeon.
A collar I'd put on it earlier dangled from its neck, wings flapping like a scared chicken.
【....】
【Eek...!】
Whenever Bahamut even slightly raised its head...
Elpi immediately jammed its beak into the dirt and groveled.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Elpi ]
Favorability: 【Villain...?】
Status: 【Positive(0%)】 , 【Negative(60%)】
□□□□□□□□□□ (0/100)
Faction: 『Wind』
Info:
[Suspecting its own eyes are faulty.]
Psychology:
「Th-the real Heavenly Spirit King? For real? But… why with that human....」
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
Oh.
Negative dropped 20% already.
The pigeon that was raging 'I'll get you!' and 'You ignorant fools!' moments ago now trailed Bahamut like a collared pup.
【Um... Heavenly Spirit King......?】
Elpi cautiously folded and unfolded its wingtips beside Bahamut, pleading in a voice begging forgiveness.
Bahamut halted dragging its nest—splash, splash—and slowly turned its head.
Elpi, robbed of all Spirit King aura, cringed its neck like a pigeon.
【...I am no longer a king.】
One sentence.
Leaving just those short words, Bahamut dragged its nest forward—splash, splash—as if nothing happened.
Elpi whined, trying to speak to Bahamut...
【B-but—】
"......"
【I won't say a word....】
No reply from Bahamut—back to beak in dirt.
And...
"Hey, Top Seat. Where've you been?"
[Walkies.]
"I see! But... what's with the bird?"
[Picked it up.]
Seroth, somehow charred black again.
Grinning through his soot-black face, nodding.
"Oh yeah, where's Guide? He was with you earlier."
[Making lunch.]
"Ooh... Guess I should go too."
Eyes lighting with interest.
Lapia, standing afar, bulged her eyes.
"Hey! Where you going!"
"Third Place. Sparring's no good on an empty stomach—fills the belly, clears the mind."
I could guess why Seroth was charred again.
The spirits neatly seated behind Lapia.
Probably the ones who barbecued him.
"...Tch."
Lapia wanted to retort but had nothing.
Not wrong, after all... So she stuck to Seroth's side.
"Top Seat wanna come?"
I turned at Seroth's words.
"NyaAAAAH—!"
"........."
"Neru, yelling like a dog changes nothing."
"I'm a caaaat—!!"
Neru and Rev were still sparring with Delfin.
Nothing for me to do.
Watching wouldn't change a thing anyway.
I looked back at Seroth and silently nodded.
"Alright, let's go!"
Seroth set off energetically.
That deep forest lunch must be exciting.
"But Top Seat."
[?]
"Top Seat, what food do you like? Seems like you only eat cafeteria slop or canned stuff."
Favorite food, huh.
Never really thought about it.
'Hm.'
I fiddled absentmindedly with the leash in my hand.
Wrapped it round my finger, unwound—repeat.
Tug.
The line yanked, dragging collar-tethered Elpi right to my feet.
【...Wh-what're you looking at......?】
Elpi met my eyes.
Moments ago all puffed up, now every feather quivered.
【...Eat me and you'll get bird flu.】
I shook my head at the mad pigeon's nonsense, gesturing 'nothing.'
Only then did Elpi creak its stiff neck around, wiping away droplets—sweat? tears?—trickling down with its wingtip, oh so carefully.