MTFBMP Chapter 27

Thud!

 

The sound was followed by another, and then another. The white powder flying from behind was probably a bag of flour.

 

The noise quickly stopped. I glanced up and saw it was indeed Rhodon, standing with his arms crossed. The corners of his mouth were tilted up, but his eyes were warning.

 

The crew, who had been laughing and chatting, fell silent at the sound of his voice. The smiling face was still there, but he was clearly watching the figure behind me.

 

Rhodon was not speaking to me, but to the sailors in front of him.

 

It wasn’t out of respect for Dion, it was a warning not to give information away to outsiders.

 

‘He can’t be trusted,’ I thought.

 

But I didn’t let on that I’d noticed.

 

“But you’re not wearing a hook on your wrist yet, Chef.”

 

“Heh. The first day, you froze at the sight of a scar on my face, and it’s no fun when the kid’s already settled in!”

 

He finishes with a chuckle, his voice jovial again. The mood of the surrounding sailors returned to its usual state.

 

“I’m teaching you because you don’t know the world yet.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

There was no need to deliberately offend Rhodon.

 

“With such recklessness, I think you and my master would be a good match, not to mention the fact that you’re both heirs!”

 

He called Dion ‘Master,’ as if to show off. 

 

While he’s quick to give away the information that they’re docking on a pirate island, he doesn’t hide his opinion of Dion.

 

I had a vague idea of the hierarchy on this ship.

 

“Boss, don’t scare him too much, after all, he’s a special guest of the master!”

 

“Yes, sir. I’m holding too much baggage! Those of you who want more, stop stalling and come quickly!”

 

Someone’s words, thrown in to lighten the mood, quickly changed the subject. People crowded in front of me, hoping to get one last bite of bread.

 

‘Boss.’ 

 

Perhaps there was another faction in this group, one centered around Rhodon.

 

A year later, when he arrived in the seaside town, his name was Yellow. That meant his power was not so great as to be unstoppable.

 

There was no guarantee that it would be the same now. He might have gotten stronger in a year, but the opposite was also possible. 

 

An accident could happen that would leave him with a massive scar, a disability that would literally force him to give up his wrists, and reduce his ability to fight.

 

He’s not going to set fire to the ship he’s on right away. But if he were to take collective action, his position would change.

 

‘I’ve got to quickly get their names to appear above their heads.’

 

We need to sort out whose friend and whose foe.

 

Even though I was in a hurry, I couldn’t stop thinking.

 

Distribution and service don’t make a name for themselves in a day. If there’s no other way, the last thing I need to do…

 

“So, how did the kid get on this ship?”

 

I glared at the sailor who asked in a flippant tone.

 

“Many things, I suppose.”

 

“I heard you had a treasure map. Anything else?”

 

‘Treasure maps’ was a pirate’s choice of words.

 

This time, the sailor blatantly scanned me up and down. Again, this was not a new reaction. 

 

More importantly, it made me decide.

 

“Hmm. There’s one more,” I said.

 

“Ooh. What’s that?”

 

I was going to save this one for last, but I thought I’d try it on a whim.

 

“If the chef lets me, I’ll show you.”

 

I asked for Rhodon’s permission, following the protocol I’d learned earlier.

 

It must have worked. Rhodon chuckled and said, “Well, go for it.”

 

✨ 

 

Suddenly, my stomach rumbled.

 

Even the other caged creatures shivered with anxiety and began to make noises.

 

The beast slowly opened its closed eyes and looked up at the ceiling of its cell. Through the dark wood grain of the ceiling, the beast’s eyes darted back and forth across the deck.

 

‘Hmph.’

 

It grunted. He’d chained himself up here, unable to roam free, and now he had the human glittering above him all to himself.

 

He lifted his wounded wing and looked up. The wound had begun to heal since the human had left. 

 

New feathers were growing on the wing that had rotted away, deprived of its original healing power.

 

‘I thought it would never heal until I went on a rampage.’

I don’t know what was done to the stake, but it was the work of someone who knew the divine beast well. 

 

The same was done to the cage, and I felt a strong resistance whenever I went near it.

 

Even so, it was a restraint that I could have easily torn off with my strength at any other time. 

 

Not only was I helpless against such things, but my strength was constantly being taken away.

 

I thought that if I finally broke free, I would forget my human form and become a mere animal, sinking with this ship and dying.

 

‘Such a thing, so easily plucked by mere mortal hands.’ 

 

He couldn’t feel the rage he had felt when he was a beast, and all his nerves were focused on one thing.

 

An unknowing human would have been too frightened to even try to open the door.

 

The beast closed its eyes for a moment and concentrated. Slowly, its body began to glow, starting with its wings, and soon it began to transform.

 

It was worth the effort to stay in its animal form. Now it was not difficult to switch between animal and human form.

 

“I don’t think you realize how shiny you are yet.”

 

Before I knew it, I wanted to take hold of it, to grab it with one of the beast’s giant forepaws and keep it by my side so it wouldn’t go anywhere.

 

It was an unfamiliar sensation, but it wasn’t awkward. It felt like a feeling that had always belonged to me.

 

“How can I keep it by my side?” I asked myself.

 

I couldn’t think of an answer. My head ached with frustration.

 

“This ship is too small for this body.”

 

I needed to escape, and the human would let me.

 

Slowly, I flapped my wings once, impatiently.

 

Flap—

 

The subterranean air swirled and made a loud noise. Not perfect, but I could fold and unfold my wings without difficulty.

 

At this rate, I should be able to take flight any minute now.

 

A quick glance at the wings revealed a haphazardly healed wound. The cloth wrapped around his body had accumulated quite a bit of energy, and it still gave off a warm glow.

 

A warmth. I had never felt anything like it, no matter what I touched or saw.

 

And there was one more thing that was helping his body heal.

 

“You’re sparkling.”

 

When I laid the shiny human on the ground, I picked up a strand of hair that had fallen to the floor. It was only a few strands, but the beast gathered them up and held them tightly, not wanting to lose them.

 

“I want it.”

 

It wanted more. Wished it could own everything.

 

The beast buried its nose in its hair and breathed deeply.

 

Its mouth was watered with an instinctive greed that was almost like an appetite.

 

It was only a few strands, but its presence was unmistakable. Unlike my wings, which were yellow like the flames of a torch, the human was transparent and white, like moonlight seeping through the trees.

 

I could pick out the color of a human amongst a sea of feathers. I hoped that human could recognize it too.

 

“Would she be happy if we showed her better wings?”

 

The animals all agreed that she would.

 

Now the wings were no longer ugly, they were functional. 

 

The current mortal had never seen my full wings, and if she saw them, perhaps she would stop averting her gaze and look at them.

 

“You said you were going to tame me, but you neglected me.”

 

It seemed I needed to retrain her on that quality.

 

Still, it felt good, though, a clear sense of connection despite the distance.

 

It had only been a few days, but I could tell we were getting closer.

 

“Only one more step ahead, I suppose.”

 

The day I could bind it more firmly in my grasp.

 

The beast clenched the hand that held its long silver hair into a tight fist.

 

“I thought you said we needed a method.”

 

Perhaps it was time for a new method, and if so…,

 

“For now, we’ll just watch and wait.”

 

As he spoke, all the rats that had been scurrying about the ship rose their heads.