Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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-Why... why are you looking at me like that?
Is she seriously asking because she doesn't know?
I stared at Silpi with cold, dead serious eyes.
Yeah, time to accept it.
The Spirit King Silpi in my memories is completely gone.
At least until a few thousand years from now.
'Ah, still gotta take a photo though.'
It was a bit shocking, but no doubt the girl in front of me was young Silpi.
Huh? Our Yaongi's actually a roaaar tiger?
My post quickly blew up in the gallery.
For starters, it was a past photo of super popular Silpi. Plus, the revelation that the creature I'd been hanging with wasn't a cat but a tiger.
But gallery master, you okay?
A few seemed shocked about Silpi kidnapping us, but it didn't blow up into a big issue. Good.
-What've you been doing staring into space?
'Yep, only I can see the gallery.'
I'd figured as much, but now it's confirmed.
"Sha."
'Just sightseeing a bit.'
-Really? So, impressions?
"Sha."
'Trash.'
-How rude! I worked hard on it!
This is her idea of "decorated"?
I snapped a photo and posted again right away.
That's "decorated"? Not just cleaned?
Yeah, how could they not laugh?
Calling a completely empty place "home"? And she "worked hard" on it? With nothing there!
'And... wasn't this supposed to be a no-spirits zone?'
Lots of thoughts swirling, but top of the list: why was Silpi here?
According to History Restoration Maniac, this was the boundary where spirits refrained from altering the environment—a neutral rest zone.
So I'd assumed no spirits would be here.
'But nope.'
That assumption shattered by the Silpi right in front of me.
Guess it's just restricted from environmental changes, not outright entry forbidden.
"Sha."
'So why's a wind spirit in a cave like this?'
Even so, a wind spirit in a stuffy closed-off cave still didn't make sense.
Wind spirits usually hung out in open, breezy natural spots.
Even in animal form, they mostly took bird shapes to better grasp the winds.
-That? I wanted a house!
"Myaang?"
"Sha?"
'A house?'
-Yeah! Us wind spirits don't really have a "home." We just drift wherever the mood or wind takes us, wandering endlessly.
Wooosh.
-But I hated that. Why always follow the wind? Why not just settle somewhere?
Hold up.
Almost got swept into the mood, but—Silpi, a beast, could understand us!
She gets our words and can talk back like this.
'Man, a real conversation after so long.'
No more guesswork with this un-tiger-like cat.
Now adult Silpi would swoop in to save the day.
-But the senior spirits didn't ignore me—they even helped me find this house!
"Sha."
'So how long have you been staying here?'
-Me? Lemme see... 20 years this year? Yeah, about that!
Whoa, 20 years in this cave?
How long had I been here again?
'Hm?'
Wait a sec.
If so, why hadn't I seen Silpi while living here?
No way she stayed cooped up the whole time.
She must go for walks or outings.
But unless there's a back exit deeper in—which I hadn't checked—this cave only has the one entrance where me and the tiger lived.
'No way...'
Swish swish.
"Shaaa."
'Hey, Silpi.'
-Yeah? What's up, snake buddy!
"Sha. Shaaaa."
'During your time here, how'd you go outside?'
I asked seriously, and Silpi tilted her head like she couldn't comprehend.
-Go outside? Why leave when I have a house?
"Sha?"
'What?'
What did I just hear...?
-Exactly! This is my house. No need to leave.
Is this really a wind spirit?
How can the embodiment of wind think like that?
"Sha."
'So you've never gone outside in all this time?'
-Yep!
Haa...
Speechless.
What's with this spirit casually going "Yep!" all bright-eyed?
20 years in a cave. Never once stepped out?
"Sha."
'This won't do.'
-What won't?
"Sha."
'Let's go out.'
-Ehhh...
Ugh, that reluctant face looking down at me.
But I'm dead serious.
If I don't drag her out, something bad might happen.
Or maybe it already has.
"Shaaa."
'Hey, kitty.'
"Myaang?"
"Sha. Shaaa."
'Help me out.'
Did it get through?
The tiger tensed up and nodded.
Good. Let's move.
-Wait! Why, why do we have to go out?!
"Sha. Shaaaa. Sha."
'You're a wind spirit. Ever seen wind stay in one spot?'
-Aaaah! No! I don't wanna go out!
Don't do this to me.
I gave her a pitiful look, then slithered up her leg, coiled around her neck, and rested my head on her crown.
-Kyaa?! W-what?! Suddenly climbing all over me!
"Sha."
'Depart.'
Squeeze.
-Guh?! T-this is blackmail, right? I'm being blackmailed!
"Sha."
'Depart.'
-This is unfair! I showed you my decorated house, used my power to protect you so you wouldn't hurt, and you choke my neck to force me outside!
None of this would've happened if you hadn't kidnapped us.
I held back that retort, tightened my grip, and said it again.
"Sha."
'Depart.'
-Snake buddy, you're a bad guy! Tiger girl! Stop your friend!
"Haak!!"
-Why is no one on my side!
Because you kidnapped us.
I tensed again, headbutted her crown.
Too risky? Yeah, if Silpi got mad and dropped the mana shield, we'd both die quick.
'But I know.'
How kind Silpi really is.
Her image took a hit here, but core nature doesn't vanish.
Look—even now, despite our antics, she hasn't withdrawn the wind protecting us.
-Uwaaaah. I don't wanna go out!
"Shaaa."
'Hurry up and depart.'
"Myaang!"
-F-fine! Stop choking! And you, stop tugging my hair with your teeth!
The tiger pulling her floor-length hair with teeth, me choking her neck to push forward.
Man, if gallery folks—especially Silpi fans—saw this...
'Instant execution.'
But no post from me, no one knows.
So I'm bold.
-Ughhh. R-real... Just a bit more and we're outside...
Almost there.
One last push! Fight!
Stumble.
"Sha?"
"Myeong?"
What? We were doing fine, why stop?
Then it happened.
A change came over Silpi, who'd been walking fine till now.
R-r-r-rumble.
-F-friends? Dunno why, but my body's shaking bad now that we're heading out? I-is this okay?
Silpi trembling like an earthquake.
Feeling it full force on her head, I checked her condition with a grave look.
Eh, about what I expected.
20 years in a sunless cave—makes sense.
"Sha."
'Depart.'
-R-real... ly going out? I-is it... o-okay?
Stuttering now.
But can't stop here. Even if tough, we gotta reach outside for it to mean anything.
"Shaaa."
'You can do it. I believe in you!'
-W-when did you even... s-see me to b-believe?!
But seeing her struggle step by step toward outside, I smiled.
Hikikomori wind spirit. First outing in over 20 years.