NOVEL WEB EP.67
*Rustle.*
The Snake Queen moved a few steps away.
“Hmm… This is quite the unexpected situation, and I’m rather flustered.”
I felt equally bewildered.
It was unexpected for me as well.
No, how did it come to this conclusion?
Why am I facing the Snake Queen…?
Of course, it’s true that I briefly had my inner power pocket in mind, but that’s on a whole different level.
What should I say—should I call it the primal instinct of living beings?
It was merely an instinctual reaction to observe something large.
“They say there’s a saying, ‘heroic beauty,’ so perhaps it’s not so strange…”
The Snake Queen gawked at me with a vague look in her eyes.
How on earth should I explain this?
I had a hunch that I wouldn’t need to clarify, and that this strange situation might actually turn out to be beneficial for me.
Yet at the same time, I felt a sense of ominous twisting.
Somehow, I felt I would end up being wrapped in spider silk if I encountered the spiders.
Or perhaps I would evolve into a headbutting dinosaur if all my scales fell off.
“Geh geh geh…”
Ah.
No matter how you look at it, I had intended to connect with her daughter—would she really act as I feared?
She must just be saying that.
She’ll surely realize that her words were a misunderstanding.
“If a deficit were to occur, it could become quite troublesome.”
What do you mean, Snake Queen?
A deficit?
Why are you talking as though you’d give birth to a child?
The Snake Queen subtly drew closer to me.
The movement was certainly slow.
However, evasion was impossible.
My body was trembling.
Is this what a mouse feels before a snake?
It was like the feeling I had when Nephila Jurassica caught hold of my tail.
The Snake Queen, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped in place.
“…Wait a moment.”
Right.
This doesn’t make any sense.
You noticed something was amiss, didn’t you?
But let’s not live too wildly, given that you’re half human.
“Isn’t it said you’re not even three months old?”
Wait, how do you know that?
“Are you saying you’re younger than my daughter?”
In lizard years, that’s probably accurate.
Combining my past life age would make me older, but this body is indeed a young lizard that hasn’t even lived three months yet. Though no one knew that fact.
“Age isn’t crucial, but… this is too young. Sigh, it looks like I can’t help but wait.”
In this regard, you’re oddly rational.
…No, why are you waiting?
Isn’t there an option to just give up or let me go?
“Let’s postpone the engagement.”
“Geh geh!”
In fact, saying it would be postponed feels more like an indefinite delay, doesn’t it?
So there’s no need to worry, then.
I’ll think about it when Shik Shik becomes the Snake Queen.
“Now, we’ve finished discussing everything.”
*Rustle.*
The Snake Queen’s tail wrapped around me once again.
She just said we were done talking.
What does this mean?
“We have things to discuss alone, so follow me.”
Alone?
What does that ambiguous statement mean?
…And it’s not like I have a choice in following, either.
She’s just dragging me along.
The Snake Queen took me back to the spacious clearing I had first seen.
Currently, Shik Shik is in a room with a mirror.
There are just the Snake Queen and me.
*Gulp.*
What on earth is she bringing me here for?
“Are you ready?”
I tightly shut my eyes.
But you said I was too young!
You said you’d wait!
EP.67
Could it be that Shik Shik will grow up before I do…?
Barbaric.
No, barbarian.
This snake is savage.
*Swish…*
I barely opened my eyes at the suspicious sound.
What came into view was an enormous inner power pocket.
[The Snake Queen is gazing at you.]
So this is the basilisk’s petrification pocket.
The Snake Queen had returned to her original form and was staring at me.
*Grrr…*
[The Snake Queen is testing you.]
The lecture from my Mother-in-Law about her attributes was beginning.
*
What day is it today?
Another grueling day had passed.
“Keeek…”
Aunt was sprawled out in a similar state.
My Mother-in-Law’s destructive rays had truly insane power.
It seemed she controlled it to some extent, but every time I was hit, my senses would fade.
As I lay there with my tongue out, a familiar sound reached my ears.
“Piyahk!”
The Ball Python was diligently slithering over.
At the end of her tail was a bucket.
According to the Snake Queen, it’s a magical iron vessel.
But where’s the magic in that? It just looks like a tin bucket to me.
Still, given that it was an old object, it showed no signs of rust, so maybe it qualifies as magical?
Whatever it was didn’t matter.
The fact that the Ball Python was coming towards me meant today’s training was over.
“Piyak!”
Shik Shik, making a chick-like sound, presented me with the bucket.
The bucket was filled with cold water.
Shik Shik set the bucket down and stared at me intently.
It seemed she hoped I would quickly drink the water she brought.
How cute.
Just watching her healed my heart.
It felt like seeing Tooth and Pus.
To me, who had endured my Mother-in-Law’s rough treatment, Shik Shik was a precious presence.
“Piyak!”
Alright, alright.
I buried my head in the bucket. No, in the iron vessel and drank.
*Glug, glug.*
I felt like I should be sipping water with my tongue one at a time, but that’s for lizards. Just plunging my head in and gulping was no problem at all.
“…Princess, is there no water for your mother?”
At some point, the Snake Queen had transformed back into her human form and spoke with a hint of disappointment.
“Piyahak!”
[The Ball Python LV18 says there’s no water to offer to the thief.]
“What does that mean? How could a mother entertain such shameless thoughts?”
The Snake Queen, who was flustered around her daughter.
Python, do you know what humiliations I endured while you were away?
I was touched all over!
“Saah!”
Good job, my Shik Shik.
The Ball Python was dangling from the Snake Queen’s finger, having bitten it.
“…You will eventually understand your mother’s intentions.”
The Snake Queen murmured, looking down.
I hope she doesn’t understand those intentions for a long time.
Please don’t corrupt our innocent Shik Shik.
Let me have some time to enjoy my cute ones.
I replenished my lost stamina by eating the meat prepared by the Snake Queen.
“Legged snake. I believe you’re sufficiently prepared now.”
Prepared.
That was only natural.
【Aunt LV15】
HP: 1203/1270
MP: 370/470
【Status】
「Mark of the Snake Queen」
I had leveled up to a remarkable level 15.
In truth, most of this level came from the effects of consumption.
I simply consumed the food provided by the Snake Queen, and my level skyrocketed.
The mark of the Snake Queen is a bit bothersome because it doesn’t disappear, but since it’s not necessarily a bad condition, I decided not to worry about it.
On the other hand, isn’t it like a blessing from the Snake Queen?
In my heart, I’d love to stick by the Snake Queen and live my whole life beside her, but I feel like that would eventually lead to my level being reset in some way.
I had also trained against the Great Cockatrice with the Snake Queen and focused on improving my basic physical abilities. Now, everything was ready.
Having eaten enough, it was time to pay the bill.
“Gek!”
With a confident croak, I nodded my head.
“Heh, you’re overflowing with confidence. Well, having received teachings from the Snake Queen, that’s understandable.”
No matter how strong the Cockatrice might be, it wouldn’t stand a chance against the Snake Queen.
I had already endured her destructive rays multiple times.
The Cockatrice didn’t scare me at all.
“Now I can call you my disciple!”
“Gek…”
I glanced over cautiously.
Of course, I wanted that too.
Being a disciple of the Snake Queen.
What a wonderful title that would be.
“…What’s with that expression?”
But I already had a master.
“Could it be that you already have a master?”
There’s someone who resembles the Queen named Baek Yeon-Young.
“…What a greedy little lizard you are. To take away even the place of a master.”
The Snake Queen said with a somber tone.
I felt a bit guilty saying that.
“Other firsts must…”
I didn’t feel guilty at all.
This person.
No, this snake still hadn’t grasped the situation.
“Piyahk!”
The Ball Python gnawed at the Queen’s finger.
After that slightly chaotic meal time, I took sufficient rest.
Now, it was truly time to go.
I couldn’t take the Ball Python with me.
In the region ruled by the Snake Queen, perhaps, but the moment we entered another territory, she would become bird food.
“Hyek…”
Once the Python descended from the Snake Queen’s finger, she rubbed against me wildly.
To be honest, I had thought about escaping after just stealing something to eat, but I couldn’t do that with this little one. I owed the Snake Queen too much.
“My goal is to collect evidence.”
The mission itself wasn’t difficult, so let’s solve it quickly and return.
“Remember this. Never engage the foe.”
“Gek!”
“You may have a chance of winning, but still, it’s too dangerous. I don’t want to make my daughter a widow.”
…Are you really worried about me?
“If you focus only on escaping, Kokatriss won’t pursue you. After identifying his traces or location, quickly return to the Temple.”
Those were words I had heard repeatedly.
Locating the Cockatrice.
That was the task the Snake Queen had entrusted to me.
“Gek!”
I let out a reliable sound.
Surely nothing will go wrong?
“Indeed. Truly dependable.”
I patted Shik Shik’s head as she rubbed against me.
She was definitely a snake, but why did it feel like I was petting a puppy?
Now, the farewells were over.
No prolonged goodbyes.
A good lizard proves themselves through action.
“Legged snake. If you complete your mission successfully, there will be a great reward.”
A reward?
You mean you’ll give me more than just showing me magical items?
If you give out so generously, will there be anything left for you?
Maybe they’ll give me elixirs or something.
I looked at her with expectant eyes.
“Heh, you can look forward to it.”
… You really will give me elixirs, right?
A mysterious chill ran down my spine.