A Snake’s Life Ch 3

Chapter 3

With my mouth agape, I stared at the people in front of me. My head began to spin. I had transmigrated and been reincarnated as a snake. I had shouted to at least let me be human if I were going to be transported to another world, but all that came out was hissing.

No, seriously, what kind of life is this—snake life?!

I was filled with resentment toward the god. At this point, I should be thankful I could even communicate. I was stuck living as a snake in another world. I was so dejected that I couldn’t even laugh. Somehow, feeling despair or worry seemed like it would play right into the hands of whoever sent me here, and that annoyed me. Snake life? Fine, bring it on! I hated working anyway, so this was perfect! I made a firm vow to live well and comfortably.

I stared intently at the man before me named Zerpell. He appeared to be the crown prince of the Empire of Eifelt. His clothes were luxurious, his manner of speech calm and dignified. I also clearly heard people calling him “Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

What is a crown prince? The person who will become emperor someday. In other words, a symbol of power and wealth. He might not be the top yet, but he was undoubtedly one of the highest-ranking people. The saying that there’s always a way out even if the sky falls wasn’t just for nothing. In this snake life, it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment, but if I could cling to the crown prince, the situation would change. A devious smile spread across my face as a plan began to form. Since this had already happened, I’d cling to the crown prince who would let me live in luxury!

Alright! I’ve chosen you! You are now my master…?

The word “master” was a little embarrassing, but it’s not like they could understand what I was saying. I didn’t want to get caught up on titles, so I just settled it simply. Calling him coldly by name didn’t feel right either. Especially since he was the one who would let me live comfortably. Giving him a title with a bit of affection didn’t seem like a bad idea.

As the saying goes: the life of a dog is the best! The life of a cat is the best! The life of a snake is the best!

I was quite satisfied with my perfect plan, but there was one big problem. The issue was that he had to take me with him. After a moment of thought, I stretched out my body as much as I could and approached him. But there was no reaction. He only watched my movements with his eyes. This wasn’t it… I thought of typical behaviors pets might do.

Cuteness! I had to act cute!

It was a good idea, but I racked my brain trying to think of how a snake could act cute. If I were a dog or a cat, I could show my belly… but I was, unfortunately, a snake.

Should I lick him…?

Just as I was deep in thought, a voice called out to me.

“Come here.”

I lifted my head. He was holding out his hand and looking at me. I briefly lost my mind at the sound of his voice, but then shook my head to pull myself together.

My master is calling me!

I slowly slithered toward the hand that Zerpell extended and gently touched it with my head. I glanced up to read his reaction. Since his expression didn’t change, I couldn’t tell if he liked it or not.

If it’s for survival, acting cute is a piece of cake.

Determined, I actively appealed to Zerpell, who was to become my master. I rubbed my face against his hand and flicked my tongue out. Then I felt a taste that was both sweet and cool? I’d heard snakes could smell with their tongues, and it was an interesting sensation. His palm was rough with calluses—coarse. Judging by the sword at his waist, I figured they were from sword training.

He’s not rejecting me, but…

I glanced at Zerpell’s expression and then slowly climbed up his hand, wrapping my body around his wrist. I kept flicking my tongue, and it must have tickled his hand because he let out a low chuckle. Laughing meant he didn’t hate it, right? He stayed still and just watched me closely, which made me anxious.

How’s that? Cute, right?… No? Why is there no reaction?

Some people dislike snakes because of their slippery feel. When I first saw a snake at a friend’s house, I hadn’t dared to touch it either. My perfect plan was crumbling. And whether his wrist was too thick or my body too short, it was tiring to hang on, and I started to tremble a little. I’d been self-conscious about my height in my past life, and it seemed the same now. I consoled myself, thinking it must be because I was still a baby.

“I never had interest in mere creatures… but this one’s not bad.”

Mere. Creature? Wow, what a refined way to put it.

I was dumbfounded by the shocking comment. I hissed in disbelief. Mere creature? I mean, I was a snake now, so it wasn’t entirely wrong, but couldn’t he have phrased it better? I’d thrown away my pride, twisted my body, and flicked my tongue to seem cute, and all he said was “not bad.” I’d never seen myself, but I vaguely imagined I must be cute. A white snake, right? And a baby at that—babies are always cute!

As I was thinking that, Zerpell gently tapped my head with one finger. For a moment, I thought he had hit me, but then he softly stroked my head, and I realized he was petting me. I used to dislike having my head touched as a human, but now, it wasn’t bad. It actually felt kind of nice.

“Shuiren. From now on, your name is Shuiren.”

At those words, I lifted my head. I was overjoyed, thinking this meant my food, clothing, and shelter were now secured. My body, which had been trembling from the cold, relaxed in the warmth, and as relief washed over me from having found a place to live, I let go of my tension. At the same time, I drifted off to sleep.

“What a sly little thing.”

The beautiful man before me was reading a letter, while the person who had delivered it stood by, waiting for a response. Soon, he smirked and tossed the letter. The sheet of paper fluttered and landed on the table. He leaned back in his chair and began tapping the table with his fingers.

“Your Highness. What do you intend to do? If the rain ritual succeeds, your position will become even more solid.”

“If nothing goes wrong, it would be good to go through with it. But if it fails… So, where is the person?”

“They have been shown to the drawing room for now.”

“Hmph. An uninvited guest deserves to be kept waiting, don’t you think?”

He spoke in a subtly suggestive voice, and Ian bowed his head as if to say he would follow whatever his lord decided. That gesture held a meaning of assent.

“You’re working hard.”

“It’s nothing. Supporting Your Highness is my duty.”

Ian responded respectfully with his head bowed. Zerpell spoke with a full sneer.

“Truly foolish. Basing their arrogance on a mere belief in a god. How can one prove that a god even exists?”

“Still, we cannot ignore them. Though the number of those who wield divine power has dwindled, and their influence weakened, that only makes their abilities all the more valuable.”

Zerpell turned his gaze back to the letter. It contained the Pope’s request to conduct a rain ritual.

Divine power indeed had the ability to cure diseases and heal wounds. However, as their numbers shrank and their influence waned, the Pope used that as an excuse to demand large donations from nobles and heavy fees from commoners. The world was full of strange and mysterious illnesses, and for those, divine power was essential. People had no choice but to use the temple, but because of that, public sentiment had grown even more distant.

“They’re desperately scrambling while they still have the chance.”

“It’s an unprecedented drought. Rumors are already spreading among the people.”

The letter specifically stated that they hoped Zerpell would host the rain ritual. It was a rain ritual to be held under his name. Even if he conducted the ritual, Zerpell did not believe it would bring rain. That was why he had continued to put it off. If the ritual failed during such a time of unrest among the people, it would become perfect fodder. The letter had taken that into account. The surprising part was that even the Pope had joined in. Zerpell’s eyes narrowed. What was suspicious was that even the temple could not escape the aftermath if the ritual failed. He suspected that some kind of deal had been made. The emperor must have offered a good deal.

Since ancient times, Ailfelt had been a land rich in water. Crops always grew abundantly, and being close to the sea made it an excellent location for trade. The people firmly believed in the existence of the water god, and because of that, the temple once held power equal to the royal family. Through ups and downs, they coexisted with each other. It was a mutually beneficial relationship as long as both sides profited.

Zerpell clicked his tongue. It wasn’t to his liking, but he couldn’t outright reject it. Divine power was a useful strength.

“But opposing them isn’t the answer either. Even if their power has weakened, the people still believe in the existence of the water god. Divine power is still useful, and abolishing the temple altogether would be too risky. What about the emperor?”

“He says he trusts Your Highness.”

“I see. If the ritual fails, it will give him a chance to bring me down.”

Though he was currently the Crown Prince of the Ailfelt Empire, he could not guarantee he would remain so. That was the nature of the royal court. He had actually been thrown into the battlefield once. There was a time when the emperor tried to forcibly strip him of his title as crown prince and replace him with a baby. The child was even sickly and on the verge of death. Even if it was the emperor and empress’s child, setting up a possibly dying baby as the crown prince would only make other nations look down on them. Signs of war were appearing then, which made things even more precarious. Thanks to the neutral stance and conservative nobles, he barely managed to keep his position. That was why the emperor had schemed to send him to war under the pretense of fulfilling his duty as crown prince. Deep down, he must have hoped he would die. But ironically, it was because of that he was able to climb this far, which must have been an eyesore to the emperor.

“My younger brother must be about ten now.”

He recalled his younger brother, but when he remembered the frightened way the boy avoided him, he chuckled.

“Seems like my father wishes for him to ascend.”

Though some words were left out, Ian understood what he meant and said nothing. Seeing this, Zerpell sneered. The rumors had already spread throughout the palace. How could the emperor not want to give everything to the fruit of his love?

‘He dumps most matters on me while constantly trying to drag me down. It’s absurd. Wasn’t it he who placed my mother in the position of queen because he needed an heir?’

Zerpell paused his thoughts and looked out the window. Though it was winter, the sun was bright and a cool breeze blew. Ever since arriving at the palace, he had been chased around by paperwork and hadn’t had any proper rest. Though he wasn’t the type to take walks, for some reason, he felt like taking one now.

“I’ll go for a walk. Tell the guest I’ll be quite late, so they can either wait or not—it’s up to them.”

“Yes, understood. I will call for Sir Cedric.”

“Don’t bother. I’m just stepping out for a moment. That guy is noisy.”

“He’s only like that out of loyalty. Besides, this is a time to be cautious. Have you forgotten what happened a few days ago?”

Ian spoke firmly, as if he couldn’t back down. Zerpell let out a quiet sigh and told him to do as he pleased. Ian quietly withdrew. Zerpell, who had been sitting, stood up and opened the door to go for his walk.

“Your Highness, Sir Cedric has not yet arrived. Please wait a moment.”

Said the knight guarding the office as Zerpell opened the door and stepped out.

“Tell him to come to the garden.”

“Then I should at least—”

“No need. You’re a burden even if you come.”

The knight could say nothing in response. It was the truth, after all. Zerpell’s time on the battlefield had given him exceptional swordsmanship skills, and the only one who could fight him on equal footing was Cedric.

In the end, the knight couldn’t follow Zerpell and could only pace nervously, hoping Cedric would arrive quickly.

The garden was filled with blooming flowers, making the winter season feel irrelevant. So many flowers had blossomed that the scent was overpowering, stabbing at his nose. Since he rarely came to the garden, he hadn’t noticed it at all. Among them, he saw a flower bed filled with tiny blossoms in various colors. The scent was familiar. It was a flower often seen in his mother’s garden long ago. His mother—was it? He felt a tightness in his chest.

As he walked, he heard a faint hissing sound nearby. It reminded him of the incident from a few days ago. While Ian and Cedric had made a fuss, Zerpell found it laughable that someone had tried to harm him with mere poison. It hadn’t worked anyway.

Zerpell moved closer to the commotion and soon heard something about alcohol. Then, he saw a gardener looking into a sack. Startled by Zerpell’s appearance, the gardener dropped the sack, which twitched as if to indicate a living creature inside. At that moment, Cedric’s voice calling for Zerpell rang out in the distance, and Zerpell raised his hand to signal him. Cedric quickly rushed to his side.

Meanwhile, the sack stirred again, and a creature emerged, lifting its head toward the sky as if taking a breath, then quickly turned it from side to side to scan its surroundings.

It was a small, pure white snake.