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“Cheep…?”

“Um, what’s that?”

“A bird?”

It was a bird. A bird covered in blue feathers, except for its beak. At most, it was slightly larger than a pigeon. The blue bird looked around slowly, tilting its head curiously.

“Huh, what kind of bird is blue? It’s fascinating.”

Ronan cautiously picked up the bird. Apart from its blue feathers, its appearance was quite unusual.

If one were to liken it to an existing bird, it resembled a crow, but its feathers were incredibly lush.

“Cheep cheep…?”

“But why is this bird so lethargic? Can’t you fly?”

The bird remained docile on Ronan’s palm. Even when poked, it just slumped with no energy, showing no particular reaction. Aselle cleared his throat, lying down.

“Ronan, there’s something on the bird’s leg.”

“What?”

Ronan flipped the bird over. On its thin leg was a silver ring with an inscription. Upon closer inspection, there were words engraved on the surface of the ring.

“Kal…ibo…rr…o?”

Ronan slowly read the words aloud. If his memory served him right, it was the name of one of the top five smuggling organizations on the continent.

“Could those two have been smugglers from kaliborro? But they seemed too… stupid for that.”

Ronan had some knowledge of kaliborro’s notoriety. He had met a few fellow recruits in the disciplinary unit who were arrested for smuggling.

They had talked endlessly about the bizarre creatures they had encountered and captured, even losing sleep over it.

“In that case, this ring…”

He soon recalled the identity of the ring. Tamer Ring. It was a type of shackle created to subdue the ethereal creatures commonly referred to as fantasy species. It was said to disrupt the mana of fantasy species by binding them with specially treated metal.

“Tch.”

A sword was drawn from Ronan’s waist. Holding the blade over the ring, he struck it with force. The Tamer Ring split in half and fell to the ground.

“These scoundrels have nothing better to do than torment mute creatures.”

“Cheep?!”

The precise control of his strength meant that the bird didn’t have a scratch on its leg. The bird’s pupils dilated. The feathers that had been fluffy just a moment ago started to stiffen.

“W-why is this chick suddenly acting like this?”

-Cheep cheep…

The feathers weren’t just stiffening; they were transforming beyond the simple concept of becoming rigid. The bird buried its head beneath its chest, curling its body into a round shape.

Before long, as the feathers solidified completely, the bird had transformed into an unmistakable egg.

“…Is it dead?”

Ronan tapped the eggshell as if knocking on a door. It produced a sound akin to striking a full metal object, yet there was no response.

Right then, a deep male voice resonated in Ronan’s ears.

[Hello, are you there? Are you the one protecting Marpez?] “Hey, you surprised me there. Who’s this?”

[I apologize. I’m the original guardian of Marpez. I was searching for something that went missing yesterday.]

Upon closer listening, Ronan realized that the voice was not in his ears but echoing within his mind. It was an ancient magic he had experienced before. Only then did he notice a sophisticated magical rune drawn on the egg.

Judging by the context, it seemed to be a connection spell for preventing loss. Was the Tamer Ring preventing the magic from activating all this time? He leaned closer to the egg and spoke.

“Marpez… I don’t really know what that is, but if you’re talking about the blue bird, then yeah.”

“Blue bird! Yes! Oh, this is such a relief…! Could you tell me where you found it?”

“A pair of idiots were fleeing with it stuffed in a pouch.”

“What?!?”

The owner of the voice seemed greatly surprised and started asking various questions. Ronan explained the situation and how he had come to rescue the confused animal, trying to keep it as concise as possible.

[I thought they had just dropped it somewhere. I never imagined it could have been stolen…! I’m not sure how to express my gratitude for this.]

“Don’t worry about it. By the way, the bird suddenly turned into an egg, is that okay?”

“Oh, transforming into an egg is one of Marpez’ abilities. Normally, it runs around swiftly, but when tired or injured, it transforms into an egg to rest.”

The blue bird’s name was Marpez. Despite not appearing so, it was a type of fantasy creature known as a “dream bird,” capable of various talents beyond just transforming its feathers into an egg.

“So, why was it lost in the first place?”

“Well, I originally researched fantasy creatures at the Institute… I think I got robbed while spending time in a nearby village.”

Mar… whatever also transformed into the shape of an egg while sleeping. The incident likely happened around that time.

“I was about to report it to the Institute’s police department… I’m really relieved now.”

“Well, yeah. Anyway, how do we return this guy? We don’t have plans to head to the Institute anytime soon.”

“Of course, I’ll have to come and retrieve it myself. If you tell me the location, I’ll be there within two days.”

“Um… waiting for two days means we’ll have to keep wandering around. If you release Marpez, will it be able to find its way home?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Well, at least for now…”

This strange bird, fortunately, had a strong homing instinct. It was said that no matter where it was left on the continent, it would instinctively find its way back to its nest.

However, the catch was that once the bird transformed into an egg, it would usually take about three to four days to fully recover and hatch from the egg.

After a moment of contemplation, Ronan spoke up.

“Maybe if I sprinkle a potion, it will come out faster?”

“Yes? A potion? Well, you don’t really need to go through the trouble…”

“Really? There’s no need?”

“Well, Marpez’ feathers do have the ability to absorb beneficial substances. But you really don’t have to. I’ll just-”

Ronan had already taken out a potion bottle. It was the one he had used on Asellel in the early morning. He let a few drops of the potion fall onto the eggshell.

“Since it’s small, this should be enough. I just sprinkled it, so keep the cage door open.”

“Te-Teacher! Why would you…!”

“It’s not a big deal, and carrying it around for three days is a hassle.”

The notion that the potion was effective was true. The eggshell started cracking unexpectedly, and through the gaps, a deep red beak poked out.

He gently placed the transforming egg on the ground. In a matter of minutes, Marpez, or whatever it was called, had returned to its full bird form.

The feathers glistened with a luster that seemed much healthier than when it had been taken out of the pouch.

Ronan spoke.

“Go home now.”

-Cheep cheep?

The bird fixed its gaze on Ronan, blinking its clear eyes incessantly. How did it know it had improved? The urgent voice from earlier resonated in his mind once again.

[Incredible! Truly, how can I possibly express my gratitude…? No, wait, this isn’t right. Please, pluck one of its feathers. It won’t resist as it knows you saved it.]

“A feather?”

Though hesitating, Ronan did as instructed. Indeed, the bird didn’t resist. Instead, it even leaned its head to offer a particularly enticing part of its tail feathers.

The feathers radiated a mysterious shade of blue that seemed like no artist could replicate. Ronan tilted his head. Why was he being asked to pluck a feather?

Whoosh!

At that moment, a feather slipped from his hand. Like an arrow, it flew and seamlessly returned to the blue bird’s body, embedding itself back in its place. Ronan muttered in disbelief.

“…What kind of magic is this?”

[All dream birds have a characteristic of returning to their owners. If you happen to come to the Institute, please bring this feather with you. I really want to meet you and show my gratitude.]

“It’s alright. I don’t expect any reward for rescuing an animal.”

Ronan’s sincerity was genuine. While having money was always good, he didn’t feel the need to earn it through menial tasks.

“Don’t say that. A kind heart deserves to be rewarded. Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Professor Varen Panacir, researching fantasy creatures. Well… I’ll look forward to the day we meet…anciently…anticipating…goodbye…”

Suddenly, the voice was cut off. It seemed that the eggshell, engraved with the magic runes, had fully transformed back into feathers.

The bird remained still until Ronan reluctantly plucked one of its tail feathers.

-Cheep Cheep Cheep!

“Whoa?! Hey!”

The bird suddenly roared and leapt into the river. Ronan, who was about to take off, froze in place. An unbelievable sight was unfolding.

“Damn it, what is that?”

The bird was leaping across the water’s surface instead of flying. Ignoring the strong current, it ran swiftly before disappearing from sight in an instant. The two boys stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the direction where the bird had vanished.

“…I’ve seen everything after living for so long.”

“Yeah…”

“Anyway, what was that about being a professor?”

“Haa… I didn’t hear anything.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

They were about to turn away. Then something caught Ronan’s eye. There was a round object left where the bird had been sitting.

“What’s this now?”

Ronan picked it up. The pebble-sized lump was an oblong shape, somewhat like a small egg.

“An egg? Could it be that it laid this just now?”

Nothing else made sense. Indeed, the surface of the sphere emitted warmth, reminiscent of a freshly laid egg.

However, Ronan wasn’t entirely sure whether to call this thing an “egg.” As he examined it, Aselle spoke up.

“It looks kind of… weird.”

Ronan agreed with that assessment as well. To be honest, “weird” was a polite way to put it. If it hadn’t been a complete sphere, he might have mistaken it for dung and kicked it away.

The coarse surface resembled mud sticking to it, and the color was truly a matching brown.

“Damn, it’s not really dung, is it? Aselle, give it a taste.”

“Ew, no way.”

Thankfully, it didn’t smell. After debating whether to discard it for a while, Ronan ended up stuffing the sphere into his pocket. Whether it was dung or an egg, it was a byproduct of the fantasy creature. There might be a chance to sell it for a good price later.

“I wonder if the Marves merchants know about this.”

Ronan picked up his pickaxe again. The vibrant blue feathers that never stopped moving were stored in his backpack. Anyway, with the entrance exam coming up, he’d have to visit the Institute soon, so he planned to swing by the professor Varen or whatever at that time.

The boys spent four days traveling around the nearby villages and territories, selling their loot. Despite sorting through what to keep and what to discard, it took quite a while due to the substantial amount they had collected. With some money earned, Ronan purchased two strong mules.

“Relax your body! Hold the reins lightly! You don’t want to be treated like a fool who can’t even ride a horse, do you?”

“Wait a moment! It’s harder to balance than I thought… Ahh! Don’t whip me with the reins!”

Ronan took the opportunity to teach Aselle how to ride a horse. Luckily, Aselle learned quickly. Though Ronan would have preferred to buy actual horses, they were hard to come by in this area.

When they had about five sacks left, the boys moved on to Marvas, a bustling city. This colorful city, located in front of the Lauraime mountain pass, was a hub of commerce where markets were held every day without fail.

“Two gold coins.”

“What?! Look again, even I can see that it’s a sapphire.”

“Hmm… three coins. That’s the final offer.”

“Three coins it is then. You greedy raccoon. Let’s go, Aselle.”

“What?! Hey! What did you just say?!”

The remaining five sacks were filled with valuable items that they hadn’t managed to sell elsewhere. It took them a whole day to find a merchant willing to pay the proper price.

Fortunately, Carabel Summit was one such place that bought most of their remaining items at a fair price.

“Well… the items are in very good condition. The craftsmanship is delicate… How about twenty-two gold coins?”

The head of Summit, Duon Carabel, the same man with the necklace from earlier, offered a price that was over ten times the amount Ronan had been quoted earlier. Aselle looked astonished, and Ronan nodded nonchalantly. It was a fair market price.

“Sure. You’re a man with a conscience.”

“Hehe, a merchant’s life relies on reputation, after all.”

Duon purchased everything from weapons and potions to crafted goods without discrimination. His employees, looking like shop assistants, scurried back and forth between the counters and carts, unloading items. Duon handed over a neatly packaged sum of money.

Ronan liked that. Not only did Duon offer a proper price, but he also didn’t inquire about the origin of the items. If the opportunity arose, Ronan thought he would like to do business with him again in the future.

“Thank you for the trade. May luck fill your future.”

“Oh, by the way, could you take a look at this too?”

Ronan rummaged through his pocket, suddenly recalling the events of a few days ago. He pulled out the lumpy object he had stashed away since that day.

“Why are you taking manure out of your pocket?”

“It’s not manure. It’s something a bird laid and left. Should I call it cheap and gone?”

“A bird? This thing?”

Duon cautiously accepted the sphere. Wearing an eyeglass-like device, he carefully examined the object.

What Ronan thought would be a quick evaluation took nearly an hour. Duon looked up with a grin.

“This… is quite strange.”