That night.

As midnight approached, I carefully stretched every muscle in my body.

I’d realized that if I did this beforehand, I’d be much less sore the next day, no matter how much flying I did after turning into a crow.

• Rianne, you’re going to see Fiache later, right? What are you going to play today?
• I liked that game we played last time. You know, when you hid feathers all over the place and Miss Fiache had to find them.
• Treasure hunt! That was funny as hell. Gnome said the little human kept every single feather. Right, Gnome?
• (Nod.)

“Not tonight. There’s somewhere else I need to go.”

• Hm? Where?

“Sylph, about your scrying magic. How far away can you use it?” (TN: scrying: magically seeing or observing a distant place or person)

Each of the spirits could perform magic similar to a paper doll.

Sylph’s was by far the most efficient.

Of course, there had to be at least a little wind where you wanted to spy.

• Hmm… it’s hard to explain in human terms. It’s easier to think of it this way: the closer it is, the clearer you’ll see it.

“Let’s say I wanted to spy on Ruspell’s laboratory from here. Would that work?”

• Ah! That would be no problem at all. It would be as clear as seeing it with your own eyes.

“Even if I’ve turned into a crow?”

• You should still be able to plant the wind. Actually seeing inside would be difficult, though.

Since I’d only been talking to Sylph, Undine suddenly puffed out her cheeks.

• Rianne! I asked where you’re going!

“The Moulton estate.”

• Moulton? Ah! The house with those weird humans?
• You’re going to spy on them?
• Why do we have to look at that crazy little human again?! Ah, fuck, I hate her! Gnome, you hate her too, right?
• (Nod.)

“I have my reasons. Sylph, have everything ready before I turn into a crow.”

• I’ve already divided the wind. All that’s left is to plant it where you want to spy.
• But, Rianne… can you find the place?

“Of course.”

I’d memorized the map by heart.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

At last, the grandfather clock announced midnight.

After transforming into a crow, I soared into the night sky.

Looking down from above, the Moulton estate was…

‘Hm. Cute.’

The main residence was modest, and even the central garden was smaller than one of House Ivrante’s sponsored gardens.

According to the butler, it had been ten years since Marquess Moulton had moved his residence from his territory to the capital.

It seemed he’d relocated to the capital, where the Academy was located, before Bianca had even been born, all for the sake of his future child’s education.

That was why it couldn’t even be compared to the Ivrante estate, which had stood in the capital since the Empire itself was founded.

Perched atop the roof of the main residence, I looked down over the silent garden.

Though the estate itself was modest in size, every corner practically screamed that a fortune had been poured into it.

‘Looks like they’ve made quite a fortune from the construction guild. Well, considering they seem to be charging at least three times the actual cost, I suppose this is only to be expected.’

• Rianne, I can sense layers upon layers of magic woven into this building… no, every building on the estate.
• It’s not meant to defend against intruders. It seems to be there to prevent deterioration and decay while also protecting against fire.
• They really enchanted the hell out of this place. Do they have mana to burn or something? Don’t you think so, Gnome?
• (Nod.)

It was also a showcase of what Fabius was capable of.

Hire them, and this was the sort of magic you could expect.

The spirits chatted for quite a while about the enchantments placed throughout the Moulton estate.

• Aren’t those flowers only supposed to bloom in winter? And that tree can’t even survive in warm weather… Oh my! They must’ve cast preservation magic over the entire garden!
• Foolish humans. Nature is at its most beautiful when left as it is.
• Those aren’t flowers anymore—they’re flower corpses. Planting corpses all over your front garden… what a lunatic. Right, Gnome?
• (Nod.)

I lightly flapped my wings and landed on a third-floor terrace.

Which of these many rooms belonged to the Marquess and his wife?

If I found their bedroom, Bianca’s room shouldn’t be difficult to locate.

It would most likely be nearby.

‘Most noble families keep their bedrooms on the third floor.’

As it turned out, I didn’t have to search for long.

The moment I landed on the terrace, the Marchioness’s shrill voice rang out from the room beside me.

“Do you have any idea how humiliating today was for me at that dress shop?”

Since it was already past midnight, her voice carried with perfect clarity.

A moment later, another voice answered in a sleepy mumble.

“…Please, let me sleep. We can talk tomorrow…”

That had to be Marquess Moulton.

“Now is hardly the time to be sleeping peacefully! Tell me the truth—did you really take care of everything properly?”

“Sigh… What on earth are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about House Ivrante cutting off business with us!”

“And you woke me up in the middle of the night over that?”

“You told me House Ivrante simply stopped doing business with us after appointing a new estate steward!”

“How many times do I have to tell you that’s exactly what happened?”

“Because I think the Duchess discovered the embezzlement, that’s why!!!”

‘Oh?’

So Marchioness Moulton had known all along what her husband’s guild had been doing.

And yet she’d tried to make it sound as though I’d cut ties because I’d fallen for Fiache’s tricks.

‘Just as I thought. She’s no ordinary woman.’

The Marquess sounded fully awake now.

“W-What…? The Duchess knows?”

“I ran into the Duchess today when I took Bianca to buy a dress!”

“At a children’s dress shop? What was the Duchess doing there?”

“Is that really what matters right now? Do you have any idea what that woman did to me?!”

“What happened? What did she say?”

“She humiliated me completely! I can never set foot in that dress shop again!”

“Is a dress shop really what matters right now? I’m asking what the Duchess said! How much do you think she knows?”

“You’re the one who caused this mess, so why are you yelling at me?”

“So you’re saying you didn’t find out anything?”

“I was already humiliated enough because of you! Was I supposed to ask her how much she knew while I was standing there?”

“And you’re proud enough of yourself to raise your voice at me?!”

Crash! Bang!

Something shattered inside the bedroom.

“Then you stop yelling at me!!!”

Crash! Smash!

More things broke in quick succession. The Marchioness screamed even louder.

“What exactly have you ever accomplished? So what if you’re a marquess? Your territory is insignificant, and your abilities are nothing special!”

“You think words don’t have consequences? Isn’t the only reason you’re living this well because of me?”

“And how exactly is that because of you?! Because it was my dowry that founded Fabius, and I was the one who built it into what it is today!”

Contrary to what most people believed, it wasn’t the Marquess who had revived House Moulton. It was the Marchioness.

“And you expect me to bow and scrape before that woman just because you couldn’t handle her?”

“And what exactly haven’t I done? You know how much I’ve sacrificed for this family!”

“Ha! I asked you to do nothing more than manage the guild while I raised Bianca, and you couldn’t even manage that without making this mess! And now you’re talking about sacrifice?”

“Is that my fault? I told you we should stop skimming so much off the top!”

“You think I did it all for myself? Do you have any idea how much it costs to maintain this estate?”

“You’re the one who chose this estate in the first place! Because of that ridiculous vanity of yours!”

“So now it’s my fault? I never should’ve married you! I’m sick of you, and I’m sick of that child! Aaaahhh!”

Marchioness Moulton’s shriek echoed into the night.

She had probably taken immense pride in being the one who rebuilt her husband’s family despite being a woman.

After I’d trampled all over that pride today, there was no way she could simply let it go.

Just then, I heard the faint shuffling of slippers.

A moment later, Bianca stepped out onto the terrace.

She was carrying an oil lamp to light her way.

‘…!’

‘Was the terrace I’d been eavesdropping from connected to Bianca’s bedroom?’

The child simply stood there, silently listening as her parents screamed at each other.

‘She doesn’t have any expression at all. I can’t tell what she’s thinking.’

No matter how awful Bianca’s personality was…

…I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.

Growing up listening to this every night…

No wonder she’d turned out the way she had.

‘…Tsk. Now I just feel uncomfortable.’

For a moment, I hesitated instead of flying away.

Then Bianca suddenly smiled brightly.

“Wow… you’re pretty.”

‘Well… for a bird, I am rather handsome.’

“I like how many feathers you have.”

‘She looked like a little devil while she was throwing that tantrum… but when she smiles, she looks like such an innocent child. Maybe I’ll stay and keep her company for a moment while Sylph plants the wind.’

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Bianca tilted her head ever so slightly.

“I wonder how long you’ll shine.”

‘…Huh? What’s supposed to shine?’

“That’s right. The more feathers they had, the longer they shined. I think you’ll shine for a long time too.”

‘…What?’

“Mhm. I’m curious. Stay right there for me, okay?”

‘As if I’m going to just sit here…’

Bianca hurled the burning lamp at me.

‘Y-You little psycho?! That’s what you meant by “shine”?!’

I shot into the air at once, but I was too late.

Oil from the lamp splashed over the toes of my left foot.

The thick, slippery liquid seeped between my claws.

A heartbeat later, an unbearable heat engulfed my foot.

The oil had caught fire.

My beak flew open before I even realized it, and a scream burst out.

“Caw! Caaaw!!”

“‘Caw?’ ‘Caw-caw?’ That’s such a funny sound! Pfft! Hahaha! This is so much fun!”

Bianca mimicked my cries before clutching her stomach and laughing.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of sympathy for an injured animal on the child’s face.

• R-Rianne! Are you alright?! You… you vicious little monster!!!
• Miss Rianne! I’ll keep the flames from spreading! Get to the ground! Hurry!
• Has she lost her damn mind?! Gnome! The moment our Pactmaker lands, cover her foot with dirt!
• (Nod.)

With my mind reeling in panic, the spirits took charge instead.

I wobbled through the air before dropping straight down.

Fortunately, I landed in a flowerbed, so the fall itself didn’t injure me.

The instant I hit the ground, the earth Gnome summoned buried my injured foot.

‘Hah… hah…’

• Rianne! Are you alright?
• Miss Rianne! Are you hurt?
• Pactmaker! Is your foot oka—… holy shit.

I struggled inside the dirt before finally lifting my head.

The fire had gone out almost immediately.

But my left foot had already been scorched black.

‘I-It hurts…’

“Caw… caaw…”

The pain was unbearable.

Even lying still, tears welled up and streamed from my eyes.

• Ah! That crazy brat’s coming this way!
• I’ll go take a look!

Just as Undine said, a lone light was approaching from the main residence.

Even in the darkness of night, my crow’s eyes saw it clearly.

Bianca was running toward me…

…another burning lamp in her hand.

Smiling like some grotesque clown.

“…!”

A chill shot down my spine.

Ridiculous as it sounded…

I was terrified.

She no longer looked like a seven-year-old child.

She looked like a serial killer walking straight toward me.

• Miss Rianne, I’ve planted the wind! Hurry and get out of here!

To do that, I’d have to push off the ground and take flight.

But every time my injured foot touched the earth, it felt as though chunks of flesh were being ripped away.

I couldn’t move.

I beat my wings and limped forward…

…only to collapse again.

• Fuck! Sylph! Can you lift our Pactmaker with the wind?!
• There’s barely any wind tonight! I can’t do it by myself! If someone can get her into the air first, I think I can keep her up for a little while!
• Worthless water spirit! Can you sense any nearby water?!
• I can, but gathering enough will take time!
• Then Gnome and I’ll buy you that time! Gnome, I’ll knock that little psycho off her feet, and you hold her down!
• (Nod.)

If I could’ve used my mana properly, this would’ve been an easy problem to solve.

Instead…

…all of us had to pool every ounce of our strength just to lift a single crow into the air.

‘I made a mistake. I underestimated her just because she’s a child…No matter how pitiful she seemed, I never should’ve let myself feel sorry for her. If she’s already like this at her age… what kind of monster is she going to become?’

Undine and Sylph began drawing in the power of nature, while Salamander and Gnome disappeared to interfere with Bianca.

Meanwhile, Bianca steadily closed the distance between us.

The glow of her lamp was already nearby.

I’d been so startled that I hadn’t managed to fly very far from the Moulton estate before crashing.

‘At this rate, she’ll find me. I need to hide in the bushes at least.’

“What are you doing here?”

I was slowly crawling toward the undergrowth when Bianca appeared.

“Huff… huff… I’m out of breath. Why did you come all the way over here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

‘…’

“I’ll make you shine this time. I promise.”

Smiling the moment she spotted me, Bianca raised her arm high.

The one holding the lamp.

Just then, her knees suddenly buckled beneath her, and she pitched forward.

“Ah!”

Acting on instinct, the child threw out both hands to catch herself.

The next instant, both of them sank straight into the earth.

“W-What is this…? Ugh! Nghhh!”

She struggled desperately to pull her hands free.

But the earth only shifted and churned, refusing to let go.

“Waaah… Mommyyyy!!!”

Bianca’s piercing scream echoed through the night, and lights flared to life all across the estate.

It wouldn’t be long before people came running to find her.

• Sylph! Get ready! Aqua Drop!

A sphere of water formed beneath me and launched me upward like a rubber ball.

• Already prepared! Wind Feather!

The wind Sylph summoned caught me, carrying me even higher into the air.

I didn’t let the opportunity slip by and immediately started beating my wings.

“Hey! Where are you goooing?! Get back heeere!”

Bianca’s shrill voice rang out behind me.

Using that voice as motivation, I flapped my wings with every ounce of strength I had.

 

TN: I never wanted to beat up a child this badly