Of All Things, I Became a Crow

*Karmeut’s POV*

Wolfric Iveld Karmeut, the crown prince of the Wolfric Empire, who began a strange cohabitation with a crow, was healing from his wounds, but he could not return so hastily.

-He was attacked by Luwellin and fled to the forest, so there was a high possibility that he was treated as missing or dead in the Imperial Palace. The crown prince, whose ability hadn't manifested, would have been an insignificant existence.

In addition, Luwellin was ambitious, so he'd probably have finished his work before attacking him, so that if he (Karmeut) die or disappear at any time, he (Luwellin) could take his (Karmeut) place.

"Damn it, why--?!!"

Why haven't I been able to awaken my ability?! I desperately took and listened to all the classes, including cesarean studies, and tried my best to learn them! But, should I be subjected to this kind of thing just because I don't have the ability?

Karmeut clenched his teeth.

How the hell am I supposed to get through this hurdle?

Repeating this unanswered question, he punched the trunk of a tree.

"Caww-"

When he heard the low, heavy, and rough cry, Karmeut lifted his head.

He saw black, smooth, and glossy feathers along with brilliantly shining eyes.

"Rainelle."

Seeing the crow perched on a nearby stone as if answering his call, he felt an indescribable feeling.

Its gaze was unfamiliar. It wasn't the gaze of calculation, not the gaze of hoping for something, nor it was the gaze of somehow trying to cling on him. If the owner of this gaze was not an animal but a human, he would have suspected that this might also be acting.

However, Karmeut extended out his hand to Rainelle.

The crow, whose eyes were violet-colored, had helped him over and over again without wishing for anything.

Rainelle tilted its head. Seeing the crow flapping its wings, Karmeut reached out slowly, hiding his nervousness.

With a tap, Karmeut's finger touched the tip of its black beak. Rainelle blinked, but didn't fly away.

He reached out a little more and stroked its head.

The thick feathers were smooth, to the point where he wanted to stroke it again and again.

Perhaps in a good mood, Rainelle closed its eyes gently and rubbed its head on Karmeut's hand.

As if fooling around, Rainelle spread its wings as if it would fly, then it circled around his head, and finally disappeared through the forest. Karmeut laughed

"...Smart fellow."

If Karmeutt had still stayed in the Imperial Palace, he would have been reluctant, thinking that the crow was a bird symbolizing death, plague, and misfortune, without knowing how pretty and shiny their feathers are, and how clever and smart they are.

With the sound of flapping wings, something fell from above. Having caught it reflexively, he realized that it was a fruit that he had never seen before.

Its shape resembled an apple, but with half the size. Crystals that shine like sapphire surrounded the fruit like a shell.

"What's this?"

It was an unfamiliar fruit. The fruit was beautifully sparkling that it made him doubtful of whether it was a fruit or not.

The crow, who tilted its head while letting out a small cry, was very cute, but Karmeut couldn't help but worry.

So far, Rainelle hadn't given him anything poisonous or inedible. Even when he said, "It's the first time I've seen this," it would peck the fruit as if telling him to watch carefully and copy it.

However, it didn't peck at the fruit that it had brought this time. It didn't even show a demonstration by bringing two of it and eating one first.

Above all, this is the first time he had seen the real thing, but---, no way---

"Is this really that fruit...?"

Karmeut clenched his fist. If this was the fruit that he knew of, it would be a rare fruit that even emperors couldn't be guaranteed to obtain.

And, it was also the only means for him to overcome his current desperate situation. However, knowing the efficacy and side effects of this fruit, he couldn't help but hesitate.

Hearing a low cry, Karmeut raised his head and looked at Rainelle.

Violet-colored clear eyes were looking back at him. They belonged to a strangely clever and sticky crow that drove away orcs and brought herbs along with food for him.

If he had been without Rainelle for the past week, Karmeut would have collapsed.

Perhaps it was incomprehensible to anyone else, and even to himself before he was attacked.

However, he now knew that even if it was an animal that can't speak, it brought him so much comfort by not leaving his side.

"Rainelle."

He heard a caw as if it was answering. A smile broke out on his face, and Karmeut opened his mouth as if he was talking to himself.

"If I die, live freely."

And without hesitation, he put the fruit into his mouth.

*Rainelle’s POV

I squinted as I saw his body emitted light.

To be honest, it was a coincidence that I found that fruit.

No, should I call it luck? Originally, that fruit wasn't terribly difficult to find, but it was an item that was obtainable only once per play.

Crobanlock.

It was a fruit with a tremendous ability to 'awaken' a character.

The awakening was different for each target character. Some characters became stronger in an instant. Some others develop abilities that had not yet blossomed.

Why am I talking like this?

How did I find out about that fruit when I didn't even know who that man was?

I remember that while I’m wandering, I'm surprised when it came to my mind that the jewel-like fruit had an immense effect.

In addition, the game route changes depending on which character that fruit was given to, so there was no way I can't remember! That important fruit!

When I remembered crobanlock, I realized again that I'm--- No, my life was such a gutter.

You punk! You're such a god!

You put me in an otome game that I hadn't played for three years?! My memory of the title and the contents is fuzzy!

Are you messing with me?! Are you screwing with me?! Huh?!!

The luckiest thing out of all the misfortunes was that I was able to discover the identity of that wonderfully handsome man.

Wolfric Iveld Karmeut. The crown prince of the Wolfric Empire. I remembered that he was one of the characters that could be captured in the game.

Anyway, he was a character that suited my taste and his background was unique, so he was a memorable character in many ways.

'It was said that the blood of wolves flows through the veins of the imperial family.'

Unlike the usual fantasy background story, which usually started from mercenaries or slaves, in this world, there was a setting that wolves were the ancestors of the royal family.

What was it? I think it was the divine wolf that appeared when the world was created.

Anyway, Wolfric Family has a special ability: they can turn into wolves.

The Karmeut character was already an emperor when I played the game. I didn't expect to come to the time when he is still the crown prince.

When he was attacked, his ability hadn't manifested, so he suffered a lot, but I knew that he somehow became the emperor.

I wanted to give him the chance to awaken his power.

If I give Karmeut a crobanlock in the original game, there will be a blast of pheromone--

Then, even if all kinds of women stick to him, they will be ignored and he would whisper love towards the player's character, which was so cool.

I guessed that he might have emitted pheromones because he had no ability to give something more although he was an emperor.

As the group of lights gradually became stronger, I felt a sense of pressure.

This aura was no joke. My whole body was telling me to fly away immediately.

In the distance, I could hear birds flying off in surprise. There was also the rustling of small animals as they ran away. But I didn't run away and just sat on a branch, not taking my eyes off Karmeut.

Although crobanlock is a key item to determine the game route, it will be a big problem if you use it when the favorable feelings are below a certain level.

Will it go straight to bad ending? As a fruit with a tremendous effect that could awaken someone, the side effects were also no joke.

If you can't embrace the power of the fruit, you'll die.

It’s a simple yet enormous side effect.

If you give it to someone who has more than a certain level of favorability, the character will remember the player even in the midst of pain, endured it, and will awaken. Otherwise, the character will die and the player will be arrested for murder.

It was a double-edged sword that could overturn the keyboard and drove the bus directly to a bad ending.

What's even more exciting about the game was that you couldn't see the favorability number with your eyes.

I remember that the difficulty was high as I had to judge whether I was in safety line or not to some extent by looking at the character's lines (or words).

So, I endured for a year, finished capturing all the target characters, and completed the game with trembling hands.

Seriously, I thought that I'm going to puke from nervousness. I’m so anxious. If things go according to the original story, Karmeut will complete his awakening safely, but there’s a variable called me now.

Will he awaken, or will he die?

I prayed for a successful awakening, and didn't take my eyes off Karmeut.

It would be a loss if this incredibly handsome human that I met for the first time in this world died.

*Karmeut’s POV

There was a vague sound of tearing. It was the sound of his skin tearing, but Karmeut couldn't fully pay attention to it. When he swallowed the crobanlock, his whole body was filled with so much heat. It was as if he had swallowed the sun. It was to the point where he wondered if he was going to explode like this.

"Ugh..."

He clenched his teeth, trying hard to control the explosive energy that felt as if it was trying to rip him apart.

Endure it. I have to endure it. I… I did not try hard to die like this.

I have to survive. Those knights who pledged their loyalty to me had sacrificed their lives!

I didn't live to die like this, to wretchedly be defeated by my brother just because he had awakened his powers!

With a heart that was supported by evil, Karmeut began to control the pain and the energy that was about to burst out of his body.

The thought 'I can't die like this' became his driving force.

*Rainelle’s POV

Half a day had passed since Karmeut was engulfed in light.

In the meantime, my feeling of wanting to run away wasn't weakening. It got stronger and stronger instead.

If I’m in a human body, not a crow's body, I would have cried in tears. It’s no joke.

I felt like I was going to die even though I didn't feel like anything's going to attack me, nor there was any threatening growl.

My heart was beating like crazy and my body was shaking, but still- I clenched my beak and held my ground.

Karmeut is my only rope.

So, I have to wait and see it for myself.

Whether he is going to awaken, or die.

If he dies, I'll have to think of another way to survive.

'If I die, live freely.'

...You're making me laugh! Live freely? Of course, if you die, I have no choice but to be free! I have to find my way to live!

Rather than saying that, just succeed in your awakening!

For some reason, tears came out while I watched the process of his awakening. The light was intense, but it was not at the level where I couldn't see anything at all.

"---!!"

Oh, no! Why are there gnolls¹?! Why did these creatures come here when he's in the middle of awakening---?!!

Other animals just run away, but why are they coming here instead? Why?!!

Is it because they're monsters?

I turned to look at Karmeut.

The awakening was probably not over, because the light hadn't fade yet and no movement can be felt from there.

---If left as it is, perhaps he would be attacked by these gnolls during his awakening.

Should I leave him alone and run away?

It was a reflexive thought.

Karmeut was the luck that I had caught after becoming a crow, but he was a target character. He was literally a character.

In my circumstance, the time I've spent with him so far would be a waste, but I don't think that I can risk my life just because it's a waste. I'm just a crow with no powers.

Thinking that way, I spread my wings to get away, but strangely, my body didn’t move.

Uh, uuh! Aagh! Okay! Even when I was a human, I chose a high-risk job!

What else was my mind bringing up now?

We got close. And that handsome guy smiled at me.

I was so happy when he gave me food.

And I tried so hard to get Karmeut's favorability.

If I go away now, I'll be a fool, right?

Oh, yeah! I'm a crow that can fly, so all I have to do is to annoy those guys while dodging them! It's not that I don't have intelligence, so I should be able to dodge!

Thinking like that, my body felt lighter.

Enough to say that the me who wasn’t able to move before was all bullshit.

Ugh. What did I say? My life is a gutter! Running into gnolls now?!

Ok, let's annoy them!

I took a deep breath.

Haha- okay, bring it on! At least I have hold out until the end of his awakening!

I can run away after checking if he successfully awakens or if he dies!

***

Notes:

1 Gnolls: A usually evil and hyena-like humanoid creature found in various fantasy literatures and video games^↩