An Unexpected Stowaway
Today's experiment ended in complete failure. Wondering if I hadn't made it angry enough, I tried giving and snatching away the acorns a few more times, but all I got for my trouble was a few more slaps from its pebble-sized paws.
I was quite bewildered, as I had been reasonably confident in my hypothesis. I couldn't see any other common thread between the two. Besides, since I had spent less than five minutes in the same space as the crow, there wasn't much to compare with the horse.
Sighing, I stared back at the squirrel glaring at me. Then, I changed my approach. While my time with the crow had been brief, it also hadn't really done much of anything.
"Then it should be easy to replicate."
I pulled out another acorn. Today, this little guy was going to receive a grand reward.
In the end, I failed to transform into the squirrel by the time I returned to the Seventh Prince's Palace. Though I did manage to fly back in the form of the crow.
Unfortunately, the squirrel was far more scatterbrained than either the crow or the horse. I did manage to stroke its head when it climbed onto my shoulder, but while I was busy testing whether stroking its head would trigger the transformation, the creature vanished with three acorns.
It was a squirrel of far fewer ambitions than I had anticipated.
With the maid's dinner delivery time fast approaching, I had no choice but to sling my bag back on and fly away. Since its home was bound to be nearby anyway, I overturned the bucket I had intended to use as a trap and scattered the wild berries as a token of appreciation for its hard work.
Promising myself a next time, I left the forest without looking back. Though the bag felt strangely heavy—despite the fact that it should have been lighter than when I arrived—I brushed it off, assuming I was just more disappointed by the failure than I realized.
Knock, knock.
"Y-Your Highness, I have brought your dinner."
"Come in."
Having tossed my bag near the desk and reverted to my human form, I fortunately managed to let the maid in right on time. Today's dinner duty fell to Anna. Despite having prepared the Seventh Prince's meals several times already, Anna still tripped over her words every single time she knocked.
Following my instructions to keep dinner simple, the chef had sent up only three dishes: onion soup, a salad, and smoked duck. Anna set the dishes on the desk with deft, practiced movements.
As Anna finished her preparations, I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned my tired body back into the chair. The reason for today's failure was likely because I hadn't prepared a cage to keep the animal contained. Resolving to prepare an enclosure alongside the traps next time, I suddenly noticed something strange.
Why isn't Anna leaving?
Normally, she would ask for my leave and exit once she was done, but Anna had been dead silent for a while now. Sensing something amiss, I opened my eyes just as Anna spoke.
"S-So cute...!"
It was entirely different from the words I had expected to hear.
"What?"
Unless she had developed a death wish, there was no way she would utter such an irreverent word to the Seventh Prince, so I frowned and asked again.
Despite my uncharacteristically dumbfounded question, her gaze was entirely captivated by something near my feet. I turned my head to follow her eyes. And there, sitting on the floor...
"Squeak?"
A very familiar face was staring back at me with utter impudence, gently wagging its fluffy, striped tail.
Only then did I remember the strangely heavy bag. The source of that nagging sense of deja vu, which I had brushed aside in my haste, was this very creature. The squirrel looked up at me with its cheeks puffed to their limits, having clearly hoarded every single acorn and hazelnut inside the bag. Right, so you are an ambitious squirrel after all?
"Ah! Y-Y-Your Highness, th-there is a forest nearby, so it must have wandered in by mistake. I-I will chase it out immediately!"
Seeing me glare at the squirrel, Anna must have misunderstood my intentions. She nervously watched my reaction and stammered out a defense for the creature. Her voice trembled so violently it was obvious she feared I might be contemplating how to skin the poor thing alive. She then hurriedly reached out toward the squirrel, which was standing on its hind legs.
"Kyaah!"
Unfortunately, based on my experience, that tiny creature was far from docile. In the blink of an eye, the squirrel dodged Anna's hands and began darting all over the place.
"W-Wait! Hold on a second!"
Anna spun in circles, completely overwhelmed by the lightning-fast movements of the squirrel looping around her.
"Argh! Stop it!"
Possessing a reckless personality that completely contradicted its adorable black eyes, the squirrel scrambled up Anna's body and slapped itself squarely onto her face. Anna looked on the verge of tears.
"How do you even work in the kitchen when you can't even catch a single rodent?"
Sighing, I reached out and grabbed the little pest clinging to Anna's face.
"I-I am terribly sorry, Your Highness."
Embarrassed that she had stepped forward so confidently only to end up screaming, Anna hung her head in shame.
Now, what should I do with this thing? I had no idea if it would even find its way back to the forest if I just threw it outside. It would be a miracle if it didn't get eaten by a stray cat on the way.
While I was lost in thought, the creature—completely immobilized in my grip with only its head poking out—began to squeak and protest, clearly displeased with its current posture.
"Ah."
It happened in a flash. Before I could even react, the squirrel bit down hard on my hand. Taking advantage of my loosened grip, it slipped free and scurried up the bookshelf.
Seeing this, I realized squirrels were sturdier creatures than I thought. It could probably fend off a stray cat with those teeth alone. It would likely survive just fine even if I threw it out.
"Heavens! Your Highness! Y-You're bleeding!"
Startled by Anna's gasp, I looked down at my hand. Blood was indeed welling up and dripping from a fairly deep bite wound.
"I will!!! I will go fetch some medicine right away!!"
I was about to tell her it was nothing and not to make a fuss, but before I could even open my mouth, Anna bolted out of the room in a state of sheer panic.
Well, from her perspective, witnessing an imperial royal get injured right before her eyes was enough to make her faint. Especially since she was indirectly involved in the incident.
Accepting the situation, I looked up at the culprit behind all this chaos. Perched on the very top shelf of the bookcase, the cute little thing was grooming its head with its paws when our eyes met.
"Why don't you come down now?"
At my words, the squirrel merely flared its nostrils a few times. Then, turning its back to me, it began spitting out the nuts stored in its cheek pouches, stuffing them into the gaps between the books.
If only I could climb up there, I'd grab it and throw it out immediately.
The moment that fleeting thought crossed my mind...
"Ha... unbelievable."
Absurdly, the very sensation I had been waiting for all afternoon washed over my entire body. A familiar warmth began to envelop me from head to toe.
And when I opened my eyes again... I had shrunk into a palm-sized squirrel. Looking down at my tiny paws, a hollow laugh escaped me. It wasn't anything as complex as a feeling of betrayal. So, in other words, all I had to do was touch its neck?
"Squeak?! Squeak-squeak! Squeeeak!!"
I chuckled softly at the sight of the squirrel, which looked ready to faint after witnessing a human transform into a squirrel right before its eyes. My body felt incredibly light as I scaled the bookshelf.
A few minor things changed after that day. First, Anna seemed to have developed a shred of respect for me. Returning in a frantic rush with the first-aid kit, she was astonished to find that I had not only caught the squirrel but also completely tamed it. 'As expected of his gaze...' she had muttered under her breath. I heard it, but I didn't let on. Well, if she found me intimidating, that was fine by me.
I also began visiting the forest more frequently. I secured animals I could transform into—at most three a day, at least none. Since there might be a limit to the number of forms I could hold, I focused primarily on animals with useful abilities.
Through this, I discovered several characteristics of my ability:
First, animals indeed possess a strong affinity for me. As shown by Anna's encounter, the wild animals of this world are not naturally friendly or welcoming to humans. Yet, perhaps due to the influence of my ability, they didn't show much wariness when I first approached them, nor did they reject my touch. This was of immense help when it came to stroking the scruff of their necks.
Second, however, the higher an animal's intelligence, the harder it is to touch its neck solely through that initial affinity.
Third, while I previously only knew how to transform by wishing for a specific action—which would trigger the corresponding animal form—I can actually transform simply by thinking of the animal I want to become. Back when I only had two forms, thinking I wanted to fly or I want to run would automatically turn me into the most suitable creature. But as my repertoire of animals grew, I realized I could transform just by willing myself to become a specific animal. For example, like this:
'I want to turn into a weasel.'
When I opened my eyes, I had become a long-bodied weasel with sleek, glossy fur.
"Squeak?! Squeak-squeak-squeak!!!"
And the squirrel, which had been riding on my back, began to shriek in sheer terror.
This was another one of those minor changes. The squirrel had started following me wherever I went.
Ever since that day, even though I sometimes transformed back into a human or briefly turned into other creatures, the squirrel seemed firmly convinced that I was fundamentally one of its own kind. Perhaps finding me fascinating, it absolutely refused to return to its burrow in the forest.
The very next day, I had taken the squirrel back to the forest and set it down near where I first found it, but the moment I turned to leave, it trailed right behind me. I tried dodging it, hiding from it, but the creature was relentlessly stubborn. After several skirmishes, I finally admitted defeat. After all, how could I win against a creature that knocked itself unconscious by slamming its head into a tree while trying to chase me as I flew into the sky as a crow?
Thanks to that, it had completely attached itself to me. On days I went to the forest, it would climb onto my back while I was in crow form, and we would stroll through the woods together.
"Squeak!! Squeak-squeak!"
Though it still threw tantrums and slapped me whenever I suddenly changed into a different animal.
Today, I had to leave the forest without any significant gains. I felt like I had already obtained all the necessary abilities from smaller animals. As I mentioned before, if there was a limit to the number of species I could mimic, it would be wiser to secure medium or large-sized animals. Perhaps I should head to the medium-sized beast territory starting tomorrow.
Slipping out of the forest in the guise of a crow, I scanned my surroundings before flying through my bedroom window. The room was just as quiet as it had been when I left a few hours ago. Thanks to the servants who followed my orders to let absolutely no one in to the letter, I was able to spend a few hours in the forest every day.
Looks like no one came by this time either.
Relieved, I unbuckled the bag I had been carrying. Perhaps because of the past few days spent flying and running through the forest, fatigue was slowly creeping in. To rest, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. I should catch a quick nap.
—"I told you to call the Seventh Prince right now!!!?"
Though my plans were completely ruined by a shrill, hysterical voice.
Hearing the sound of a knight—who had been repeatedly apologizing and stating he couldn't open the door on the Seventh Prince's orders—being violently shoved aside, I had no choice but to sigh and stand up.
Picturing the chaotic scene outside, I flung the door open. The gaze of a red-haired young man, who was currently gripping a knight by the throat, snapped toward me.
It was my godforsaken younger brother with crimson hair and crimson eyes—the Eighth Prince.