Chapter 71
“Chuut?”
What do you mean, you’re sure?
Share it with the rest of us!
I tugged at König’s sleeve, tilting my head, but he only patted my back.
Then he told the coachman he’d go put out the wildfire and ordered him to guard the carriage.
“The slope is steep, Your Grace—it’s dangerous…” The old coachman fretted, but his master was no ordinary man.
He was one of those lunatic dragonkin.
Blessed with nothing but a blindingly beautiful face and insane physical ability.
Before the coachman could even reach out, they were already halfway up the mountainside.
“Chuuuuu—!”
Save this squirrel…!
The world spun and whirled as I clung for dear life.
***
“Chuut-chut!”
How long has it been since I’ve been on a mountain?
Put me down, put me down!
At my fussing, König finally set me free from his pocket.
I gingerly stepped onto the ground, ready to savor the mountain air—
Zap.
“Chuuhh.”
Ow, that stung.
The moment my paw touched the rocky slope, something like static shot through my whole body.
But it wasn’t from friction.
‘That’s… mana.’
The realization hit, and suddenly the secret conversation between the Kreutz siblings made sense.
König and Eloise had sensed it too—mana.
Those with strong mana, like them, reacted especially sharply to it.
Eloise once mentioned mana’s “aggressive nature.”
When it ran rampant, it ignored even its wielder’s will.
And inconveniently enough, it seemed even a so-called “speck–less of mana” like me wasn’t immune.
Proof? The way my tail had been twitching ever since I set paws on this mountainside.
There was only one reason for mana to be seeping out of a secluded place like this.
Somewhere in this mountain, a crystal was buried.
“Cherry, are you in danger?”
Eloise noticed my trembling first and reached toward me.
My heart’s pounding, but I’m not dizzy.
At least it wasn’t a sign I’d transform back into a human.
“Chuut.”
I’m fine—for now!
I climbed onto her hand and shook my head.
“Good. If you feel unwell, tell me anytime. I’ll knock König flat and hide you if I must.”
Th-that’s a bit much, isn’t it?
As expected of the Black Dragon Duke’s daughter—her expressions were always on the extreme side.
I gave an awkward smile and hopped carefully onto a nearby rock.
Zap. Zap.
Every step prickled, like stepping on sun-warmed stone humming with mana.
So… it’s strong enough to feel, but not strong enough to harm me at this distance?
Naturally, the crystal had to be buried deeper below.
It’d be best to see it with my own eyes, if possible—
“Chuuut…”
I was muttering to myself when—
[Who goes there, caw?!]
Caw! Caw—!
A pair of crows shrieked overhead, circling noisily.
[Get out of our treasure hoard! Out, out!]
…Treasure hoard?
***
I squinted up at the pair of crows, my mind racing.
Crows like shiny things.
Crystals are shiny.
This mountain has crystals.
Which means—
‘Their treasure is probably the crystal.’
My eyes lit up. Perfect. I’d use them to track it down.
Convincing crows? Child’s play.
After all, I used to be the big boss of Bear Mountain.
Of course I knew what crows liked.
“Chuut.”
Pardon me a moment.
I scrambled up König like a tree.
“Ugh. Cherry, what are you—”
Ignoring his flustered protest, I rummaged in his clothes. His ears even turned red.
But I didn’t stop until I found what I wanted:
A cufflink.
“Chut-chut!”
Shiny, shiny!
The suit had been hastily bought in Gelände, so the craftsmanship was shoddy. But that didn’t matter.
Crows didn’t care about human price tags.
All that mattered was sparkle.
And these cubic cufflinks gleamed plenty.
Still…
They said the best accessory was the face.
And König’s face made even cheap trinkets look like priceless treasures.
Snip.
I gnawed the cuff free with my teeth—earning a dry chuckle from above.
“Thieving squirrel.”
König frowned, but instead of scolding me, he pulled off the other cufflink and handed it over.
“I knew you hoarded acorns, but I didn’t know you had this kind of hobby too.”
“Chuut?!”
It’s not a hobby!
Wait—you knew I stored acorns?
My tail twitched nervously.
“Once we’re back at the castle, I’ll buy you a whole pile.”
…Well, I couldn’t say no to that.
“Chut!”
I nodded eagerly—when a clink sounded from behind me.
And before me appeared—
“Cherry, Cherry, you should’ve said sooner if you had such a taste.”
Ruby earrings and a diamond-studded brooch, offered by Eloise.
Uh, no, sis… those are real.
I quickly shook my head, backing away.
“Not to your liking?”
She pouted, but I couldn’t possibly accept such things.
These were bargaining chips for crows, nothing more.
After a tug-of-war, I finally settled for a handful of fake gems from the trim of her skirt.
Now everything was ready.
***
Caw! Caw!
The crows flapped wildly, ecstatic at the heap of fake gems piled on a leaf.
[So many shinies! Rich, rich!]
[We’ll show you the shiny cave! Follow, follow!]
They flew off, beckoning us along.
“Chuut!”
I pointed after them, while König and Eloise just stared at me.
“…You just talked to crows, didn’t you?”
“As expected, our Cherry is a born merchant to lead a trade caravan with me one day.”
Both impressed—but for different reasons.
I scratched my nose sheepishly and tugged König’s pant leg.
No time to waste.
The crows led us to the mountain’s summit.
Jagged peaks pressed shoulder to shoulder, and from one jutted a tongue-like cliff.
[This way, this way!]
They landed on the edge, cawing.
I crept closer—then froze.
The tall pines below looked like dots.
The swaying forest seemed like a gaping maw, ready to swallow me whole.
Dizzy, I instinctively stepped back.
[Jump down here.]
The crow pointed its wing at the cliff.
Are they insane?!
I knew winged creatures weren’t normal, but this was madness.
And then—
Before I could dodge, one crow hooked my shoulder in its claws and yanked me into the air.
In that instant, as its grip slipped—
König!
His name flashed in my mind before even a scream.
“Cherry…!”
König lunged, arms wrapping around me.
But even a Black Dragon Duke couldn’t defy gravity.
“Chuuuuu—!”
Save the squirrel…!
Unlock soon!~