NOVEL WEB Chapter 122 – Huge Responsibility
After making sure that Rakiasha’s figure could no longer be seen, Nymnienna acted as if Ann and her group never existed and walked after Rakiasha.
And when both figures could no longer be seen…
“Birdiee! Birdieee! Birdieee!!”
Ann broke free of Allen’s embrace as Allen loosened his grip on Ann. Ann immediately shouted and started chasing after the disappearing figures.
“Ann, wait!” Laura desperately chased after her.
Allen was dumbfounded since the person in his embrace had been obedient until just now, but she was now running rampant like a mad person. He immediately went after Ann as well.
But a figure flashed right at that time, and before long, the figure appeared right in front of Ann, halting her frantic steps.
“Halt. State your purpose of doing this. Are you planning on killing us all this whole time?”
Mila’s pair of eyes were looking at her with a very chilling look, and she was even holding her sword against Ann. Had Ann moved a bit more, she’d be wounded.
“Miles! Stop it!” Fremont yelled at Mila the moment he felt the temperature around Allen dropped significantly in such a short time.
Ann was very surprised, not by Mila’s sudden actions, but due to Mila’s words, especially her last sentence.
Though her words were harsh, it actually helped Ann to snap out of it quickly and regain her ability to think.
Right, she didn’t even know why, but when Birdie was kidnapped like that, add the unexpected action by the Imparie tribe, her mental state was hit with a huge damage and in her brain seemingly fogging, she could only run frantically to chase after Birdie.
Things weren’t supposed to go like this! Birdie!!
She calmly wondered.
Is this because of the bond between me and Birdie? Is it because I am afraid something bad will befall Birdie? Or is it because I simply don’t want Birdie to go with someone else since she’s chosen me and she’s been with me all this time? Is it because I know that Birdie is most likely our last hope in our situation? And if Birdie were to be gone, it’s not guaranteed that we can come up with another good way to solve the problem with my body containing double souls…
“What excuses are you going to come up with? You’ve been silent for too long,” Mila said, but she also sheathed back her sword since Ann had stopped and she knew that it’d be troublesome if she kept holding it against Ann.
“...Sorry.”
“What?!”
What came out of Ann’s mouth was unexpected to Mila. She was prepared to rebut any excuse Ann came up with, but she didn’t expect her to admit and apologize.
Due to it, Mila became dumbfounded as well.
Yes, just as they were dumbfounded, suddenly…
“Nooooo! The honorable Mythical Bird of Ascendance!! What are you doing? You’re not appreciating her honorable thoughts!! And you call yourself the Imparie tribe that’s been intertwined with the honorable bird for so long?! This is blasphemy! I won’t let you!”
…Great, just when the others thought that they managed to calm Ann down, now it’s Elder Matthias’ turn to storm forward with a power they don’t know from where. Moreover, he stormed with such a high speed they were unable to react in time.
Right before the elder could step away from the round ground they were standing at, Nymnienna’s figure suddenly flashed in front of the elder, causing Elder Matthias to stop in a hurry and stumble backwards instead.
“Spare this old man! You almost frightened me to death!” Elder Matthias protested to Nymnienna.
Everyone stared in horror looking at the protesting elder and the cold female knight of the Imparie tribe that only looked at the elder with an unreadable expression.
She couldn’t be slaughtering this frail elder man without even batting her eye, could she?
Ann could only watch tensely.
“Apologies for our rudeness for failing to provide you with accommodation. Please enjoy your time staying in our accommodation while waiting for Rakhiasha-sama to come to a conclusion with what to do with the Mythical Bird of Ascendance.”
Surprisingly, Nymnienna acted as if she hadn’t heard anything–no, she acted as if the elder didn’t even exist.
“How dare you come up with a decision for the Venerable Bird, dismissing her will?!” Elder Matthias was practically fuming at this point.
Yet, again, his words fell to a deaf ear, unknown if it’s for the best or worst.
“Allow my fellow comrades to escort you.”
As soon as Nymnienna finished her words, several other Imparie tribe members dressed in dark warrior-like clothes suddenly appeared near them and wordlessly walked to ‘lead’ Ann and the others away.
Prince Kiehl, Allen, Fremont, and Miles’ expressions quickly shifted as they came to an understanding.
More than leading, it’s more like they’re being held captive by these dark warriors!
Before they could even do anything, Nymnienna disappeared once more and the dark figures didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk, as they exerted pressure for the group to be obedient..
Allen, Prince Kiehl, Fremont, and Miles looked at one another and they seemed to have come to the same conclusion even without talking it out loud: They needed to be obedient for now, and think about a way out later.
So, they were led to the accommodation that was prepared for them… the cave.
At the entrance of the cave, Ann shook her head and thought that they must have only passed through this area.
There is no way they’d talk about enjoying our time in their prepared accommodation only for it to be a cave, right?
But all hopes were erased the moment they were led to a section in a cave that seemed like a room. It didn’t look like a prison, but it didn’t also look like a good room to entertain their guests…
“Uhm… Excuse me, this seems more like a cave than a lodging?” Laura summoned her courage to ask.
“The Imparie tribe has lived hand-in-hand with nature, so rest assured that it won’t be bad inside this cave. Unfortunately, we don’t have any facility such as an inn and there is no guest room in any house, and those with spare rooms aren’t unwilling to lend their rooms for strangers, especially outsiders,” One of the knights suddenly spoke in a feminine yet cold voice.
“Uhm…”
“Please, come in,” The other dark warrior emphasized the word ‘please’, so they obediently entered the huge room that could fit all of them comfortably.
Then…
“We’re applying this magical barrier to ensure your safety from inside out,” One of the dark warriors said as they seemingly applied something in front of the group’s ‘room’ before they disappeared without a trace at a very quick speed.
Mila stood up and quickly approached the place that they applied the barrier to–the entrance to their room, only to find herself being blocked by an invisible wall.
“So… we’re locked here?” Laura asked as she said while rolling her eyes, “So much for the flowery talk and the fake hospitality. Might as well say that we’re imprisoned.”
“Great, I have been held captive in a dungeon for two times already ever since I transmigrated here, and it hasn’t even been 365 days yet… My future looks so bright, huh? Hahahaha…,” Ann seemed to have taken quite a huge emotional damage.
“Twice in the span of less than a year? Wow, you’re so lucky, Ann, pfft,” Laura felt oddly comforted by the fact that Ann had it worse than her.
“Please! But yeah, I’m wondering if I will really get a door prize if it happens once more before one year…”
“Pfft, what kind of doorprize are you thinking about?” Laura asked with a laugh.
“Door prize? Why would you want a door as a prize? And why would you get a prize for getting locked up three times in less than a year?” Mila cut into the duo bestie’s heartwarming yet odd conversation that managed to loosen up the tense atmosphere from earlier, as she asked in pure confusion.
“Uhm, it’s just a metaphor. It simply means a prize that’s awarded to someone, usually randomly, and it’s just a metaphor that if something happens too often to you that’s out of ordinary, maybe you’re in a show and you will get a prize after a few times… But yeah, there’s no door as a prize,” Ann explained.
“Then why is it called a door prize if there is no door as a prize?” Mila asked in a serious face without a hint of a smile–heck, she didn’t even bat an eye.
“...”
Right, why is it called a doorprize when it’s not a door that’s made as a prize?
Ann and Laura silently looked at each other with hopes that the other party knew the reason behind it, but after looking at their expression, they immediately knew that none of them knew why, so they could only be silent awkwardly.
“Anyway, what’s our plan after this?” Left with no other choice, Ann decided to shift the topic.
“Are we going to stay here without doing anything?” Laura was her #1 accomplice.
They casually shifted the topic, not expecting anyone to have an idea on what to do when suddenly…
“Girl, can you contact your master through the contractual bond you have and have her escape and free us here?” Elder Matthias suddenly asked.
Taken aback, Ann only nodded while silently talking in her heart.
I don’t think Birdie can go to the extent of freeing us here, she isn’t that strong!
But it’s worth trying to contact her… I mean, there’s no way it can be real, right?
Although this world is magical, things such as extrasensory perception, right?
As Ann talked to herself, she also tried to call out to Birdie.
‘Birdie? Birdie?’
Anyway, this might be a fantasy world, but the setting isn’t in a world where extrasensory perception exists, so without any magic and just this bullsh–
‘Chirp chirp chirp!’
HOLY SHEET?! IT’S REAL?!
Ann reflexively opened her eyes with a look of amazement. Back then, she clearly heard Birdie’s voice. She wasn’t hallucinating, was she?
“Did you get through?” Elder Matthias asked with a face that seemed to say, ‘See? I told you so.’
“Uhm, let me try again,” Ann quickly closed her eyes and focused on trying to contact Birdie once more.
Birdie? Is that really you?
Chirp! Chirp chirp chiiirppp!!
Uh… Can you somehow help me understand what you’re saying?
Chirp chirp!
Ann opened her eyes again and sighed as she said, “Yeah… It doesn’t seem to be working as we have a very big problem here: language barrier. Sorry, I don’t understand what chirp chirp is supposed to mean and how is it any different from chirp chirp chiiirppp.”
Everyone was dumbfounded, especially when Ann tried to mimic Birdie’s tone..
Elder Matthias stared daggers at her as he solemnly said, “Mind’s words know no language barrier. Try harder, girl.”
“Uh..,” Ann wasn’t sure what to do.
“The fate of our lives rests on your shoulders,” Elder Matthias said with a very serious expression.
“...”
Can you please not pressure me further? Such a huge responsibility is only making it harder… It doesn’t help at all!
What the heck should I do in this situation?
Someone, please help me! I’m waiting for the right answer choice here!
