Of All
Things, I Became a Crow: Chapter #112
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
*3rd person POV
Karmeut and Miel looked at Rainelle. The human figure was
familiar to their eyes, but the large wings on her back were unfamiliar.
As if the wings of the giant bird earlier were shrunk, there was a complex and beautiful golden
pattern on the inside of the wings that were large enough to slightly touch the
floor.
Rainelle, who folded it
gently and sipped the tea brought by the servant, smiled. The innocent smile
seemed to say nothing had changed, so the two men relaxed slightly.
"Aren’t these wings cool? I don’t have this before!
This way I can fly even when I'm human!"
Rainelle, who said that so excitedly, then muttered an
“Oops,” and scratched her cheek.
"I'm sorry. The explanation comes first, but I was
too excited."
"---No... it’s alright, Rainelle-nim."
After barely answering, Miel looked Karmeut's way. The
Emperor still had his eyes fixed on Rainelle’s wings. As if she felt the gaze,
Rainelle spread her wings and waved them slightly.
As the golden and pink eyes fixed on her, she coughed
briefly and said,
"Um... I don't know if you'll believe it, but I'll
tell you what I've been through. Not
only Karmeut, but Marquis Albion also has been a great help."
Karmeut's eyes turned to
Miel at the words. As the latter trembled at the rather fierce gaze, Rainelle
hastily added an explanation,
"Don't be so angry that he helped me without you
knowing it, Karmeut."
"...Helping you without me knowing?"
"I just asked him to lend me the power of his
contract spirit. So that I can fly high."
Hearing those words, Karmeut let out a grunt of
disapproval.
Karmeut thought: ‘Surely,
if she had said that, he would have helped her even without telling me. Because
wanting to fly high wasn't a particularly strange request. Rainelle is a crow
by nature, so she may have a desire to fly high.’
The Emperor let out a long
sigh after a while, then he stared at his mate. Feeling his gaze, the crow
blinked slowly and opened her mouth carefully,
"So-"
*knock, knock, knock-*
Karmeut and Miel's expressions crumpled at the
exquisitely interrupting knocks.
"Your Majesty, Marquis Namuel and Myrdin-nim have
come to visit."
"...Let them in."
Karmeut was annoyed for a moment, but he was not
surprised at all, as he had expected that they would come.
The door opened and Namuel, Myrdin, and the crow sitting
on Myrdin's shoulders came in.
"Rainelle-nim! What happened?! What was that---!"
Namuel's green eyes were sparkling with excitement. The eyes of the wizard, who was in front
of unknown knowledge, seemed like a burden, and so Rainelle leaned back.
"Heh heh, I know you're excited, but calm down.
Rainelle-nim was surprised."
"...Oh, my... I'm sorry, Rainelle-nim."
At the words, the crow shook her head. The next moment,
the old crow flew over to Rainelle, who then offered a seat to him at the table
with a smile, as if telling him that it was okay.
The old crow sat down on the table and looked up at her
purple eyes. After staring at her for a long time, he looked as if he could not
believe what was in front of him, then the old crow spread his wings and bowed
his head to her.
The crow's attitude, which seemed like a formal greeting,
was enough to attract everyone's attention. At the behavior of the old crow,
Rainelle was bewildered,
"---Hempel-nim…?"
The old crow changed into his human form. Then he laughed
and shook his head.
"The formality is not necessary, Rainelle-nim, the
great one who had met the deity. You’re our Queen now."
As the old crow bowed deeply while saying that, everyone,
including Rainelle, was surprised.
"Me, the Queen?"
"You know the reason best, Rainelle-nim."
Hempel smiled kindly as he said that, and Rainelle became
quiet for a moment. Then she turned her head to look at the humans who looked
at her.
"...Haa, I
think it would be better to talk about it right away because I think it’ll be
troublesome if the explanation is delayed."
She adjusted her seat on the sofa.
"As Myrdin-nim
advised, I flew high. To meet the Black Bird."
"---Are you referring to the mythical Black
Bird?"
"Yes, I do. There was no guarantee that we would
meet, but I flew high anyway. If we didn't meet, it would just be me flying
high and then coming down."
Rainelle, who shrugged her shoulders as if nothing big
had happened, looked at the Emperor for a moment.
---She opened her mouth, avoiding the man’s gaze that
seemed he have a lot to say.
"It might sound silly, but I do meet the Black Bird.
And I was given power. That's why
I was able to look like that."
After her brief speech, Namuel pushed up his glasses.
Then, with a hint of impatience, he asked a question,
"Are you seriously referring to the Black Bird
recorded in mythology? The bird that appeared with the wolf who gave the seed
to the Wolfric Imperial Family."
"Yes, that's right."
"Then... you've met a divine being."
Rainelle nodded her head. Seeing that, Namuel looked like
he was unable to breathe. Myrdin chuckled and said,
"This, if there was a priest in this place, I think
that person would foam in the mouth. Heh heh heh!"
Would they really? Well, the Black Bird may not be a
deity worshiped by the priests, but isn't it an animal that serves as an
assistant to God? The fact that she met with a divine being was enough to be
worthy of supporting and serving.
"Rainelle."
It was a cold voice that prevented the two wizards from trying
to ask more questions of excitement.
The Emperor's face, calling Rainelle with his eyes
flashing fiercely, looked as if he was holding back many things.
"Why did you eat the fireball?"
Rainelle shrank her shoulders slightly at his angry
attitude. She then answered while her eyes were darting everywhere,
"...Well, I was afraid that if I bounced it off or
blocked it, it would splatter around. Then someone else could get hurt. Of
course, it doesn't mean it's bad for my body! It was rather delicious…"
"...The taste, you mean?"
"Yes. It was delicious. Like fruit."
"I see. The fireball tasted like that. Of course,
fireballs may be erratic in terms of power, but considering the relatively
simple casting method, high speed, and the power of fire itself, it is the
fastest magic that can be achieved. Oh,
is that what it is? Did you feel something different because it's softening by
refining the mana...? It's similar to but different from the fire that the fire
spirits created. Rainelle-nim, can you take the spirit's fire?"
"...Uhm? I don’t know. I haven't tried it,
so..."
"...Marquis Namuel."
The wizard immediately clamped his mouth at Karmeut’s
action of calling his name briefly as if to warn the excited Namuel.
"...I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
"I have something to talk to Rainelle, so everyone
can get out."
They moved quickly at the cold order. It would be tiring
to be seen as a hindrance to the superior.
"Heh heh, don't be too angry, Your Majesty.
Rainelle-nim had a reason too."
Only, Myrdin left these words before stepping out of the
room with Hampel, who had returned to the form of a crow. The door closed, and
a short silence fell between them.
"...Rainelle."
"...are you mad, Karmeut?"
“I think it would be a lie if I said I’m not mad.”
Rainelle shrank at the remark. Karmeut clenched and
opened his fists as if trying to suppress the emotions that swelled up within him.
Looking at her, he spoke again,
"From now on, don't eat magic, ever again."
"But it was fine-"
"It’s not okay!"
Rainelle's eyes widened at his sudden outburst. Karmeut,
unable to hold back his emotions, jumped up from his seat and paced around.
"No one has strong internal organs! If you make a
mistake, you can be baked from the inside! Do you know how surprised I was when
I found out that you were that big bird and ate a fireball?!!"
As he said so, the Emperor’s fingertips trembled. No, it
wasn't just his fingertips.
"I said I'd protect you. I said you didn't need
power---!! I told you it was okay if you don't have the power!! If something
happened to you, then you don't need that kind of power---!!"
Rainelle hugged Kamut. He paused for a moment as she
suddenly hugged her. In response to his reaction, Rainelle gently patted his
back.
"I'm sorry for worrying you."
The crow whispered while embracing the wolf with her
large, black wings wide open.
"But I’ve also said it before. What if I’m just
being protected and then get in danger with only myself to count on?"
"Something like that-"
"We can’t tell. Of course, I'll try not to be in
danger. But there are unexpected times. Well, there are times when one has to
ask for help, but there can also be times when someone is on their own."
Karmeut’s body, which had been trembling, slowly calmed
down with the hand that patted his back.
"And like I said before, I want to be with you, be
your partner. So I want power. And I'm back with it. For you."
Hearing Rainelle's whispering voice, Karmeut circled his
arms and hugged her.
"...don't do that next time."
"Okay."
"When I realized that the big bird that suddenly
appeared was you, I really, really---!!"
Seeing his speechlessness, Rainelle gathered her wings a
little more and hugged Karmeut softly. At her actions, he buried his face in
her shoulder and took a long breath.
‘--Rainelle's
black wings smelled of sunlight.’
***
"How was the Black Bird? The first corpse-eating
bird that became the Wolf's eyes."
After calming down a bit, Karmeut asked a question about
the Black Bird. His eyes didn’t twinkle like the wizards, but there was
curiosity there.
"Um... it was kind."
"Kind?"
"Yeah. It was kind, sweet, caring, and gentle."
As she said so, Rainelle waved her wings slightly. She
then scratched her cheek as she smiled shyly.
"I was more like whining for power, but the Black
Bird was… listening carefully. Like a mother?"
"...Really?"
Rainelle said "Yeah," while nodding her head.
Then she pointed at her face.
Karmeut blinked his eyes for a moment at her closing-in
face. He then smirked and bent his eyes.
"You want a kiss?"
"Wha-, no!!"
Rainelle, who was blushing, shook her head while closing
her eyes tightly. Then she said in a bright voice,
"Karmeut, I'm not weak anymore. You saw it earlier, right? I’m
even able to swallow magic. Of course, I’m not as strong as a dragon.
But..."
A white, thin hand grabbed Karmeut’s hand.
"I’m no longer a burden. I have no social power and
no money, but at least I have the strength to protect myself. So, Karmeut, I
have a favor."
"What is it, Rainelle?"
"Don't try to solve everything alone. If you do...
I'll be sad."
Karmeut went quiet at those words. Seeing that, Rainelle
continued to speak,
"Of course, there may not be much I can do. ---But,
at least, I can listen. And maybe there is something I can do to help with the
power I have."
"Rainelle, I-"
"-I'm going to be your partner. Isn't that right? If
so, trust me more. ...Of course, I'm not sure I've been that reliable until
now."
Karmeut looked at Rainelle.
...Maybe it was because she had met the Black Bird, a
mythical animal that served as an assistant to God? She was different from
before.
Karmeut felt a little uneasy. He moved one of his hands
and brushed her fine black hair. Rainelle reflexively gave a happy expression
and she rubbed her head in the palm of his hand as usual.
"---Rainelle, living in the Imperial Palace, and
dealing with nobles may not be as easy as you think."
"I will study hard."
"It's a place where people whisper sweet words on
the outside and think of stabbing others with a dagger behind their back. As
there are so many people, it's easy for words to leak out."
Karmeut, the Emperor, looked at his mate seriously.
"It may be difficult to learn human’s way of life.
---Is that okay? You said that humans are difficult to understand, didn’t
you?"
“But my partner is a human, right? A human being with the
highest position at that.”
Rainelle smiled as she said “So there's nothing I can’t
do”, which caused Karmeut to smile with a sigh.
"Really..."
‘I
can't beat you, Rainelle.’
With that in mind, Karmeut pulled her into his arms.
Everything was familiar except for the large black wings,
so he took a long deep breath and calmed his tumultuous heart.
‘Yeah.
Since she met the deity... something must have changed. Her way of thinking has
changed to be closer to humans... It's
probably because of that, right?’
‘It
is certainly fortunate. Living in the Imperial Palace with crow's way of
thinking would make it hard in many ways.’
‘But...
Even though it’s like that…’
Feeling a bit of worry along with regret, Karmeut
tightened his arms.
‘Please,
let this anxiety end.’
***
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