NOVEL WEB Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: The Flock
Chapter 109: The Flock
A flock of small birds appears like a single gigantic creature. This enormous being rises high above the hideout with a viscous movement. This familiar place now seems like the nest of some incomprehensible monster. When the flock ascends to a certain height, it suddenly swoops down towards us like sliding down a slide. In no time, it passes over our heads and swarms the monstrous bird all at once. It looks as if a gigantic creature is attacking the monster bird to devour it.
The monstrous bird hesitates for a moment. However, it eventually decides to stay suspended in midair. It generates a stronger wind than ever to counter the flock of small birds. The birds’ trajectory is momentarily disrupted by the raging wind. But they don’t slow down at all. If anything, they seem to move even faster, utilizing the wind. In no time, the monstrous bird is engulfed by the flock. It flies around violently, struggling to shake off the birds. Yet, it can’t dislodge the flock at all. The monster bird’s movements become increasingly desperate, as if it’s being suffocated by the sticky giant creature. Its altitude drops rapidly.
“What’s happening…?”
“Are the birds swarming it and… eating it?”
“Gyaoo! Gugyaa!!”
“They’re plucking its feathers too.”
“Looks painful…”
The monstrous bird quickly becomes tattered. It can no longer maintain its flight and, losing its balance, falls towards the hideout, flailing.
“In the end… are we saved?”
“Those were the small birds that always play with Kuro, right?”
“Gyao, gugyaa!”
“Since it fell towards the hideout, should we check it out?”
Elizabeth runs down the cliff and soon finds the monstrous bird writhing on the ground, swarmed by many birds. We could easily defeat it now, but it doesn’t seem necessary. The monstrous bird weakly struggles to move its body, but after a while, its neck bends awkwardly, and it collapses to the ground, lifeless. The small birds continue to fly around, as if checking the situation, but one by one, they eventually fly away.
“It looks like its neck was bitten off.”
“All its feathers are plucked, and it’s bleeding everywhere. It must have suffered a lot.”
The monstrous bird, which we couldn’t touch earlier, is now dead in a pitiful state. It attacked us on its own and died on its own. We were just flustered and panicking, but now it feels strangely surreal.
“We couldn’t do anything, but… we survived.”
“Bonus, are you alright?”
“Yeah, somehow… it hurts, but I’m okay. How about everyone else?”
“Mil hurt her leg! I’ll take her to the lake to cool it down!”
“Zamza, you’re exaggerating! I’m fine! I can walk by myself!”
“Ahahaha… I thought we’d die this time. Right, Kohaku?”
“Nyaa!”
“Gugyaa!”
Zamza carries the struggling Mil in his arms and runs to the lake. From the look on Mil’s face, it doesn’t seem like her leg is broken. In fact, she seems a bit happy. A few of the small birds that attacked the monstrous bird earlier are now perched on Kuro’s shoulder. It’s a familiar sight, but after witnessing the encounter with the monstrous bird, it feels a bit worrying. The yellow-green bird that Kuro is raising is also perched on Kuro’s head. Maybe this bird called for help… but I can’t be sure.
“The monstrous bird must be a Kidanakemo, but these small birds must be the same kind…”
“Did they protect us, or is this their territory…”
“That wind was definitely magic.”
“Yeah, since the small birds weren’t affected by it, maybe they use it to fly too.”
Shiro and Gisella say this as they take down Elizabeth’s luggage. Despite the violent wind, the luggage and fish are intact. When I peek into the basket of fish, I see the octopus is still moving. My body hurts, but I’m hungry.
“Maybe… it just wanted to eat the fish?”
“Ahahaha, maybe so…”
“No way…”
Shiro says this while lowering the fish, and Gisella jokingly suggests that possibility. Indeed, it’s hard to deny. Since we don’t know the monstrous bird’s objective, we can’t rule out that possibility.
The fish sure looks delicious…
Well, if nothing else, I’ve learned not to let my guard down around the Hell’s Cauldron. Just like the little birds in the hideout, even after living here for so long, there’s still so much I don’t know.
“Phew… that was tough.”
“Bonus, shall we go to the lake too?”
“Yeah, I’m all messy.”
“Gyao, gugyao?”
“Ah… what should we do with this bird?”
Kuro tilts her head at me inquiringly in front of the dead bird. Half of its feathers have fallen off from being pecked all over, and it’s covered in wounds. Its neck is nearly severed. However, the remaining feathers and beak seem like they could be quite useful. Besides, I feel like eating fried chicken.
“I’ll dismantle it after we go to the lake. I like chicken, you know.”
“… I wonder if it tastes good?”
As Gisella said that, the little birds that were swarming Kuro all hid in her hair at once. At first glance, it looks like she’s decorating her hair with colorful feathers. Well, if they weren’t moving restlessly…
“Kyau~”
“Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I won’t eat you guys~”
“Well, shall we head to the lake?”
Kuro seems ticklish, shrinking her neck and wriggling her body in an odd way. It’s still hard to believe that these small, beautiful birds managed to so easily defeat that monstrous bird that we couldn’t handle even with everyone’s efforts.
“Heave-ho—”
“Wait… hold on. I can walk, really!”
“You’re injured.”
“Then, I’ll carry Kuro!”
“Gya-gyau!”
Shiro suddenly picks me up in a princess carry. I bet she’s been plotting this ever since seeing Zamza and Mil… Treating a miserable middle-aged man like a maiden… What if it awakens something in me?
Kuro is joyfully riding on Gisella’s shoulders.
When we arrived at the lake, Zamza and Mil were half-submerged, chatting happily. Mil seemed to have completely relaxed, clinging to Zamza while washing her body thoroughly. Mil smirked at me as Shiro carried me… This girl…
“Zamza, support Mil more firmly, she seems to be having a hard time.”
“Hm? Got it.”
“I-I’m fine!”
I somehow escape from Shiro’s sweet restraint and relax as I let my body float in the water. The coolness of the lake water feels pleasant against my heated body. The pain also seems to lessen a bit.
“Phew… I’m tired.”
“Bonus, you need to rest well until the expedition. But… I want to go to Savoia… I think the wheels are coming along nicely~”
“Gyau~ gugyaugyau~!”
“Meee~”
“Whoa!”
While unloading fish from Elizabeth, Gisella tells me to rest. Kuro seems to agree. Honestly, going to Savoia tomorrow might be tough… As soon as Gisella finishes unloading the fish, Elizabeth rushes into the water. She must have really hated the fish… With her large body, she creates big waves just by moving. As I dazedly almost get swept away, I end up back in Shiro’s arms, for some reason with Kuro as well.
“I’ll take care of Bonus, so everyone else can go to Savoia.”
“Gugya~”
“Well… that’s not a bad idea. Thanks to today’s trip to the village, I’ve got a good idea of what to do… Sometimes it’s nice to relax like we used to, just the three of us.”
“Nfufufu~”
“Kyau~!”
“Whoa—”
Shiro lifts me and Kuro together, unusually childlike in her excitement. Even though we’re together every day…
Gisella and Mil smile wryly, and Zamza tilts his head in confusion.
“—Ahh! The octopus is escaping!”
“Pink! Don’t shoot off here!”
“Sigh… Should we just cook here? As for you… it’s too much trouble right now, so go back for now.”
With that, Mil grabs the octopus and throws it into a wooden bucket. It looks like they’re going to cook the fish here. Since I’m too sore to move around, it’s perfect timing. Besides, I’m hungry.
Mil is moving a bit gingerly, favoring one leg, but Zamza is helping, so it should be fine.
“—That looks delicious.”
“Bonus… it’s raw, you know?”
“This time, I’ll make sure to grill it properly…”
“I’ll bring the grill!”
Mille and I are preparing the fish, with Zamza helping out.
Shiro is gathering firewood and starting a fire.
Gisella seems to be getting the net ready.
Kuro is playing with the octopus, while Pink glares at her from atop Kohaku.
By the way, we cut up half of the fish we prepared and offered it to the small birds.
I think it’s only a small part of the flock we saw earlier, but many little birds are gathering around.
I hope they eat without hesitation.
In a way, we owe our lives to these small birds this time.
Seeing them hop cautiously on the rocks and peck at the fish is adorable.
The fierce image of them tearing into that giant monster bird must have been just their attack mode, not how they usually eat.
“Mil-chan, I brought it!”
“Thanks, Sella-chan.”
Just as the fire is ready, Gisella brings over the net, an iron pot, some salt, flour, vegetables, and bread.
Zamza sprinkles salt on the fish and lays them on the net.
Mil starts heating oil in the iron pot.
The fish that seem to have a strong smell will probably be deep-fried.
“Can I roast the potatoes?”
“Sure. But save half for frying…and let’s toast some bread too.”
Shiro puts her favorite potatoes in the campfire and tends to them to prevent burning.
Mil also reheats the bread she baked early this morning on the grill.
The bread is a bit hard as is, but it becomes just right when soaked with oil from the freshly fried fish.
We often eat the fish we catch at the lake this way.
Soon, a delicious smell mixed with smoke spreads around.
Recently, we’ve been eating a lot of lake fish, but we still look forward to sea fish.
Just hearing the sound of fat dripping from the fish makes me hungry.
“Huh…who…?”
“Oh, it came out.”
“Kyau~!”
“Whoa…what is that creature?”
“Nii~…”