A Snake’s Life Ch 95

Chapter 95

[A human once came to me, asking for help to make this barren place fertile. At the time, I didn’t like humans. But that person came every single day without fail. So I gave him a bead imbued with my power. I told him to use it to bring rain.]

[That… bead, what about it?]

[So much time has passed, I didn’t think it still held any of my power, so I paid it no mind… But it seems it has absorbed the power of the children and your power as well. Since it once held my strength, it must have been easy for it to draw in more. And now, that bead has become corrupted.]

[You’re saying the Pope has it?]

[…That must be the case. In the process of taking your power, it must have mixed with the children’s. The children I missed may have naturally gravitated toward you.]

I was left dumbfounded, my mouth hanging open. I finally realized why the Pope had been so impatient about bringing rain and why my strength hadn’t been returning as it should.

Since the Pope was involved in the matters of the Sanctuary, it was entirely possible he used the bead to steal the snakes’ powers. And now, with the bead corrupted, he sought to rob me of mine as well. In the process, the powers must have mixed, and as my power was drawn into the bead, the snakes’ power that remained in it sought a familiar force—and found its way to me.

[Wait, then what do I do!?]

I shouted in horror, completely flustered. But unlike the grave content of his words, Water deity said the solution was simple.

[What’s the solution?]

[You just need to shatter the bead. But only after first absorbing the children’s power that currently resides in Aiden.]

[Breaking it is really enough?]

[…For now, that’s the only way. All you need to do is destroy it. Leave the rest to me.]

Though Water deity’s voice sounded resolute, I sensed that something serious was going on. But it seemed he had no intention of elaborating further.

[Will you be okay…?]

Worried, I asked, and Water deity gave a faint smile as he tapped my forehead with the bridge of his nose.

[No need to worry. Just in case, I’ll remind you—I am a god. My involvement in the human world is restricted… but if that power explodes, the aftermath will be immense. Surely they’ll let it slide then. When that time comes, I’ll be counting on you.]

[What do you mean by “counting on me”?]

[You should hurry. Take care of yourself.]

I tilted my head, trying to demand an answer, but Water deity gradually faded away into the distance.

I was expelled from Water deity’s conscious realm, and my eyes flew open. I tried to gather my thoughts in the blurry vision. My body was wrapped in a perfectly warm embrace. As I lifted my head and looked around, a hand reached toward me. I instinctively nuzzled into the hand.

“Shuiren?”

It was Zerpell’s voice. He looked at me with an expression filled with worry and carefully examined me. I tried to reassure him by meeting his gaze, but his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Had he not slept again? I panicked and tried to scold him to get some sleep, but only raspy hissing came out instead of words. When I let out a strong sound, Zerpell gently stroked me.

“Really… what a relief. It’s good to help others, but if you’re hurt, it’s all meaningless. I can’t keep you locked up either. If this happens again, just once more—do you understand?”

[…I’m sorry.]

This time, Zerpell scolded me sternly. I could guess the meaning behind his unspoken words, and I nodded repeatedly. Though he didn’t say it outright, I could feel it in my gut—this was bad.

Trying to gauge his mood, I acted cute to soften his anger. I even kissed him first, something I rarely did, all in an effort to make him feel better. Only then did his stiff lips begin to soften.

Is he appeased now…?

“From now on, you must go with me. Always.”

[…]

Looks like moving around alone from now on is no longer an option. Judging by his firm expression, I had a 100% chance of being overruled.

“And thank you for the gift. I’ll use it well.”

He picked up the pen he had put down earlier as if to show it off. That fountain pen was a very familiar item. I had worried it might not have reached him after I was captured, but it seemed Paul and Wall had delivered it to him. The pen he was using was the one I had gifted him.

He gently scratched my neck, and I purred in reply, saying it was no big deal. As Zerpell tried to focus on the documents again, I remembered something I hadn’t told him yet. I tugged on his collar to draw his attention and then spilled everything I had heard from Water deity.

But Zerpell’s smile seemed a bit awkward. Oh no… I was still in snake form, so there was no way he could understand me. He couldn’t even read my thoughts. Seeing my dejected face, Zerpell hesitated, then said:

“Could it be you’re hurt somewhere?”

I quickly shook my head at his worried voice.

“Hungry, maybe?”

I shook my head again.

“You seem like you have something you want to say. I’m sorry I can’t understand you.”

Don’t be sorry… I could only sigh deeply. I remembered Water deity’s words telling me to hurry, but in this form, I couldn’t do a thing. Why did I have to lose the ability to speak?

I hung my head in frustration. It seemed impossible to deliver any news until I regained my strength. I tried to change back into human form, but it didn’t work. As Water deity had said, my power was drained. The blue light flickered weakly, barely visible. My frustration boiled over.

Trying to restore my strength, I attempted to calm myself and rest. But when would the power return? The uncertainty made me roll around in distress.

Next to Zerpell, a mountain of documents was stacked high, and he was reading through each one. I glanced at them and noticed they were about the casino. I grabbed one of the papers in my mouth and held it out to him.

“Yes, I should explain to you as well.”

Noticing my action, Zerpell gave me a concise explanation. He told me what the Marquess of Francia had done and the aftermath it caused. Upon hearing it, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Serves him right. I felt a bit better, just for a moment. I never imagined the Marquess of Francia would be involved.

Ian was busy at the Mage Tower, and Cedric was investigating noble estates.

At the same time, a feeling of unease crept in. Even if the marquess was dealt with, the Pope was connected to the Empress. What if they were plotting something? Was that why Water deity told me to hurry? But the information I brought wasn’t reaching anyone… I could only sigh deeply again.

Zerpell stroked my drooping head and returned to reviewing the documents. Then, a sudden thought flashed through my mind. Thanks to Water deity’s power, I was fully fluent in the Ailfelt Empire’s language—listening, reading, and writing. I could just write it out and show him!

Delighted with the revelation, I crawled toward Zerpell.

He was using the fountain pen I had gifted him, and the pen he usually used was stuck in a pencil holder. I used my tail to pull out that pen, wrapped around it tightly to keep it steady. Zerpell observed my sudden actions and called my name in confusion.

“Shuiren?”

Ignoring him, I scanned the room and brought over a sheet of paper in my mouth, then began writing. I focused as hard as I could, trying to form the letters. But the results were dismal. I couldn’t grip the pen properly with my tail. The end product was barely presentable.

“…Is it something urgent?”

Zerpell guessed based on my behavior. Yes! I looked up at him with an anxious expression. He tried to read the scribbles I had written, but his faintly furrowed brow told me he couldn’t make them out.

[…]

I hadn’t expected much anyway. I couldn’t hold the pen properly, so…

As I dropped the pen, I caught sight of my flicking tail. I didn’t have to use a pen—there was another medium.

My tail.

It would get dirty, but… I dipped it into an open ink bottle and carefully began writing. I couldn’t convey everything I’d heard from Water deity, but I could write the most important part about the Pope and the divine relic.

The letters written with my tail were actually legible. The handwriting looked like worms crawling across the page, but at least it was readable. Much better than before. I flicked off the excess ink from my tail, grabbed the paper in my mouth, and handed it to Zerpell with satisfaction.

Zerpell read it carefully, slowly. His expression gradually darkened.

“I see… So that’s how it is…”

Seeing Zerpell nod in understanding, I tilted my head.

[What’s going on?]

Zerpell let out a heavy sigh. A dark shadow passed over his face.

“Before anything else, I must tell you… Aiden is not doing well. Reading your message, I understand now. He must have been affected too… And using that as a pretext, the Empress summoned the Pope to the palace.”

[What!?]

I stared at Zerpell with wide, shocked eyes. He gently lifted me, trying to comfort me. Startled, I jumped, but he patted me soothingly. Then he took out a handkerchief and softly wiped the ink off my tail.

“Don’t worry. I’ve assigned guards to watch over him. Aiden’s condition truly isn’t good, so we had no grounds to prevent it.”

I had resonated with those children. That meant it was just as likely that the reverse could happen. More than just an excuse, Zerpell probably truly worried for Aiden… I silently stared at his face. His brows were slightly drawn.

“The Pope examined Aiden and then said we should prepare for the worst.”

I wanted to check on Aiden immediately. I tugged hard at Zerpell’s collar. Master, let’s go see Aiden! Maybe he understood my intention, because he patted my head.

“Just wait a little. Oddly, the Pope isn’t staying in Aiden’s quarters but in the Empress’s palace…”

He began hastily writing a letter. Was he planning to summon Cedric? Once finished, Zerpell rolled up the letter, opened the window, and whistled.

A large hawk swooped in and landed on the windowsill. Its gleaming eyes met mine. I flinched and hid behind Zerpell. He attached the letter securely to the hawk’s leg and released it.

Once the hawk flew off safely, Zerpell lifted me up and said we’d go see Aiden.

I eagerly crawled toward his outstretched hand, climbed his arm, and perched on his shoulder. Zerpell adjusted his posture so I could settle comfortably and then opened the door. As we stepped out, he called to a passing attendant.

“Let’s head to Aiden’s quarters. Deliver the message.”