A Snake’s Life Ch 76

Chapter 76

 

“Shuiren? Shuiren!”

Zerpell’s panicked voice stirred commotion around him. But the one called by that name rested peacefully in his arms, as if merely asleep. Zerpell sharpened his senses. Thankfully, he could hear Shuiren’s steady breathing. Letting out a long sigh of relief, Zerpell had only a moment to feel reassured before Shuiren’s body began to shrink.

“This is…”

A small sigh escaped Zerpell’s lips. In his arms now remained only Shuiren’s clothing.

“Th-the Divine Envoy!!”

Even though it was raining, the villagers did not flee for shelter. Instead, they gathered in concern for Shuiren. Zerpell quickly caught the small white snake that fell from the bundle of clothes. He remembered how Shuiren, in his snake form, was especially vulnerable to the cold. Wrapping him tightly in the discarded garments, Zerpell acted with urgency.

“Y-Your Highness, is the Divine Envoy alright? Could it be that he overexerted himself…?”

Murmurs grew louder among the villagers. The Pope, wide-eyed with surprise, asked,

“Has he reverted to his snake form?”

Zerpell shot him a sidelong glance. His teeth ground together at the Pope’s insincere tone, but the priority was getting to a safe place.

“This has happened before. Don’t concern yourselves. Pope, given Shuiren’s condition, we must take our leave now.”

“Of course. Leave the rest to us.”

Zerpell strode off hurriedly, with Cedric and the others close behind. Cedric’s voice was heavy with concern.

“Your Highness. Lord Shuiren…”

“This has happened once before. There’s no need for alarm.”

Yet Zerpell’s eyes trembled. Not since the rain ritual had Shuiren collapsed from expending all his power. Though the circumstances were different, the symptoms were eerily similar. Shuiren’s body trembled, and Zerpell could feel the shivering transfer to him through contact. He clenched his teeth hard.

‘I should have investigated more…’

His focus had been on the casino, and because of that, the Pope had lowered his guard. Zerpell was overwhelmed with guilt, feeling this incident was his own fault. Sharing his warmth with Shuiren, he made his way straight to their lodging.

In the room where a chilly breeze crept through the slightly ajar window, a shadow sat on the bed, silently watching the curled-up snake.

The rain continued to fall endlessly outside, and Shuiren’s trembling showed no sign of stopping. Unfortunately, the building was not well-insulated, and the wind pierced through. The rain beat violently against the roof.

Though Cedric was tasked with monitoring the Pope’s movements, the latter hadn’t left the church since the incident. It was as if he had concluded his business. The only inquiries made were from priests asking about Shuiren’s condition.

Zerpell placed his hand on Shuiren’s body. The coldness of his skin was like ice.

“Why are you trembling so much…?”

To anyone’s eyes, Shuiren’s condition was clearly worsening. Zerpell made a decision and notified Cedric.

“This won’t do. We must leave this place at once.”

“But we haven’t finished the investigation.”

“I know. But Shuiren’s state is not normal. This place is too poorly insulated against the cold.”

Cedric glanced at Zerpell, who was gently stroking Shuiren. The small snake was curled into a tight ball, shaking uncontrollably. Zerpell lowered his voice and checked the surroundings.

“If Casa’s mission succeeds, the Pope won’t escape unscathed. But… if we lose Shuiren, it will all be meaningless. I’m afraid he may not make it…”

He cradled Shuiren to his chest, his eyes filled with fear.

“Understood. We’ll depart immediately.”

The next morning, Zerpell departed for their next destination. The Pope, hearing the sudden news of their departure, rushed out in a hurry to see them off. Though he hadn’t shown himself since the incident, the Pope clutched at Zerpell’s group.

“You’re leaving so soon? Wouldn’t you stay just a little longer?”

Seeing Shuiren in Zerpell’s arms, the Pope spoke with a worried expression. But Zerpell’s gaze was sharp as he replied firmly.

“No. We can’t impose further. Ensure the villagers’ safety, Pope.”

“I shall.”

The Pope bowed deeply in reluctant acceptance. After a final glance, Zerpell climbed into the carriage. With a shout, the carriage quickly departed.

Once the sound of the carriage faded away, the Pope raised his head. He turned to look at the church with a meaningful expression.

“It’s a shame… but this should be enough…”

The Pope briskly returned to the church.

I awoke with a start. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t respond. Ah… right, I collapsed? Hearing the rustle, Zerpell’s face appeared.

“Shuiren, are you alright?”

His hand reached toward me, and it was warm. He gently tapped my head. I looked around. As I remarked on how large he seemed, I realized I had reverted to snake form. Had I used up all my energy? When I closed my eyes and focused, I felt a faint trace of strength within me. In other words, I barely had a pea-sized bit of power left.

He watched me closely, his brows slightly furrowed in worry. His complexion was dark as well. Of course, he must’ve been worried. He said I was unconscious for a week last time too—this might’ve been similar.

From his worried expression, I guessed I might’ve been out for even longer. Embarrassed, I tapped his hand with the tip of my tail to reassure him.

‘I’m fine. But—is the rain still falling?’

He smiled faintly, seemingly understanding my unspoken question.

“Thankfully, everything went well. It’s still raining even now.”

Zerpell passed me and pulled back the curtain. Only then did I notice the sound of rain. The sky outside was filled with heavy clouds, and a gentle drizzle fell. As he sat down on the bed, it dipped slightly. He softly explained what happened after. He said the people were happy, the Pope had withdrawn, and all went smoothly after I brought the rain. He gently stroked me, so lightly it tickled like a feather.

‘Ah! Right!’

Before I collapsed, the church bell had been strange. Blue threads stretched out from it, as if drawing my power. I flailed and hissed to tell him the bell was odd. Judging by his awkward smile, he clearly didn’t understand. To him, my speech sounded like meaningless hissing.

I pondered and then tried to mimic the bell’s shape with my tail. But Zerpell mistook it for a display of affection and wrapped a finger around my tail.

“You must be completely better now.”

Thinking I was acting energetic, his worried expression faded, replaced with a smile. No, that’s not it! Unable to get through to him, I slumped down and looked around. I should point to the church with my tail! But this wasn’t the same room as before. A different village? I quickly pointed to the window.

“You want to go there?”

Zerpell couldn’t understand my complex words, but he picked up on simple gestures. As much as I wanted to explain, I still hadn’t recovered enough strength to transform. Once I do, I’ll explain everything properly. He lifted me up and stood by the window.

“We moved while you were asleep. You would’ve gotten motion sick if you were awake, and since everything was resolved, we departed early. The schedule changed, but if the rain clears, you’ll see beautiful flowers.”

I stretched out to peer out the window. I must’ve slept a long time… There were no crumbling or collapsing houses. Instead, neat buildings lined the streets, and people bustled about outside despite the rain.

It appeared we had arrived at our planned destination. A city known for tourism… a place Zerpell had chosen with great care. The church bell still nagged at me, but since we’d already left, there was nothing to be done. I sighed quietly, but couldn’t bring myself to blame Zerpell, who clearly worried deeply for me.

The matter had been resolved, hadn’t it? I should think positively. As a reward for my hard work, I’ll enjoy myself when the rain stops!

It’s now been five days—and I still haven’t returned to human form. Zerpell looked clearly disappointed that we couldn’t sightsee together. He kept fiddling with me and asking when I’d turn human again. Honestly, I wanted to know too!

Despite coming all this way, I was stuck indoors. When I begged to go out, Zerpell sternly refused, fearing potential danger.

His harsh reaction even startled me. Hey… you wanted to go sightseeing with me too… To soothe my startled heart, I flicked my tongue.

It felt unfair, but I accepted his reaction. Judging from everyone’s concern, I must’ve been in a critical state after collapsing. Even Zerpell warned me not to let my guard down until I’d fully recovered. Cedric kept checking in on me too.

Still, watching petals fall outside the window made me worry they’d all drop before I could see them. When I looked visibly dejected, only then did Zerpell relent.

“There’s no helping it then… but tell me right away if anything feels wrong.”

My eyes lit up. Of course! Finally, I could go outside.

Before leaving, Zerpell and the knights all donned shabby hooded cloaks. They looked so old and faded, like something pulled from the back of a wardrobe.

When Zerpell pulled up his hood, he no longer looked like himself. Instead of the Zerpell I knew, I saw a plain man one might pass by without a second glance.

I flinched and recoiled from his hand, startled by his changed appearance. His expression fell as if his world crumbled. Realizing it really was him, I scurried forward and licked his hand to soothe him.

“This damn hood…”

He muttered, about to tear it off—but someone stopped him. Yet another stranger.

My eyes nearly popped out in shock. The man smiled awkwardly and introduced himself: “Cedric.” Confused, I stared in daze until Zerpell explained.

According to him, it was a magical tool given by Ian. Since our faces were well-known, they’d brought it just in case. I was supposed to wear one too, but I was currently a snake. The cloak, Zerpell said, had a magic spell that interfered with recognition. That’s why I didn’t recognize him. He really looked like someone else!

The strange thing was, once he told me who he was, I could accept it—like a switch flipped in my mind. The magic disrupted recognition, but if you consciously identified the person, the spell didn’t work. Complicated, but that’s magic for you. Once outside, no one recognized Zerpell.

Anyway, we enjoyed our date without worry of prying eyes. The only issue was that I was a snake.

I was a little sulky at first, coiled around Zerpell’s neck as we explored. But then I realized—I didn’t have to walk. Perched there, I was warm, had a great view, and didn’t tire. Whenever I pointed with my tail, Zerpell instantly turned in that direction. With how crowded it was, we would’ve struggled moving through the throngs if I had been human.

I overheard guests at the inn saying it was festival season, much like the palace celebration we once held. The rain had been welcomed, but it caused many flowers to fall before people could enjoy them. Tourists murmured their regrets, and I felt a pang of guilt.

Now that the skies had cleared, the streets bustled with people eager to see the flowers.

The festival brought out many vendors selling various goods. Flowers were everywhere, but beyond that were accessories made of cubic stones, animal parts, shells, and pretty rocks—a truly diverse array of items. Among them, one item kept catching my eye.