IBTBD 28

chapter 28

[These creatures must be demons. Otherwise, there’s no way I could have been subdued so easily…]

Whatever had happened up on the roof, the once arrogant bald eagle was now completely dazed.

Its wings flapped feebly, its mutterings incoherent, as if it had suffered a deep mental shock.

It looked like it had just seen a ghost.

Between its once lush, snowy-white feathers, gaps seemed to have appeared here and there…

‘Then it wouldn’t be a bald eagle anymore, but just an eagle, huh?’

[How rude! I am still, without question, a bald eagle!]

“Chuu.”

Lia, I think roasted bird for dinner tonight sounds perfect.

[N-no! Please, just this once, spare me! I’ll do anything you say. Yes, I’ll carry your message to Jjorong!]

The eagle spoke to me in a panic.

‘…Really?’

Birds like this were hard to trust.

I narrowed my eyes and asked again.

[Yes, really!]

Its neck caught tight, the eagle couldn’t nod, so instead it flapped its massive two-meter wings a couple of times.

Lia took this as an attack, and promptly slammed its head into the floor.

[Kkhh, these devils…]

Still, the deal was struck.

And how could I make sure this sly eagle would keep its word?
There was a way.

“Lady Cherry, here is the restraint you requested.”

Understanding my desire to keep the bald eagle literally at my feet, Lia quickly brought a specially made collar.

This special restraint, oddly enough, had been created to satisfy the peculiar whims of herbivore beastkin who dreamed of keeping carnivores as pets.

My father, Marquis Logan Aymond, was one such eccentric, so I remembered it well.

‘He raised guard dogs in a garden full of squirrels at the Marquisate.’

Thanks to the restraint, my father—recognized as the “master”—was safe from the dogs. But everyone else lived in fear.

“This could be dangerous…”

Despite her concern, Lia fastened the collar snugly around the eagle’s neck.

She had no choice.

Kenig had ordered, “Do whatever Cherry wishes.”

“All that remains is for you to name it.”

“Chuu?”

A name?

I stroked my chin and stared at the eagle.

‘You—what’s your name?’

[What do you mean? I’m the bald eagle.]

‘So you don’t have one.’

That was common in the wild.

Even my subordinates from Bear Mountain were once just “Rabbit 339” or “Falcon 101,” until I named them Doctor and Jjorong.

[My name IS Bald Eagle, I tell you—!]

Yeah, so basically nothing.

Ignoring its noisy flapping, I decided to call it Bishop.

But the problem was…

‘How do I pass this name along?’

Unlike Kenig and Gerard, who knew I could spell thanks to our time in the office, the rest of Black Dragon Castle didn’t know that fact.

A squirrel who could read and write perfectly? Suspicious at best.

‘The fewer who know, the better.’

I liked the name Bishop, but… maybe I should just call it “bird.”

With a flap of wings, “bird” should be understandable.

[You’re going to just call me ‘bird’? No way! Never!]

The eagle, pinned flat to the ground, flapped its wings in protest.

“Do you really want to end up roasted?”

Lia’s quiet murmur made its struggling stop instantly.

Still, its desperate feelings reached me.

‘Hmm, Bishop. Bishop. Bishop…’

Maybe I should find an actual chess piece to show it?

I was deep in thought, chin on fist, when—

“Um, Lady Cherry… How about the name ‘Bishop’?”

Lia hesitantly raised her hand as she spoke.

“Chuu, chuut…?”

B-Bishop?

I blinked slowly at her.

“It just came to me. In chess, the bishop can run diagonally, no matter how far.”

Exactly the reason I had chosen the name.

‘What’s going on here?’

Had my thoughts, or maybe even the eagle’s, reached her?

Or was it telepathy?

I quickly shook my head. Impossible.

My telepathy only worked on animals. I’d tried with merchants in Bear Mountain plenty of times—always a failure.

[Who cares if it’s Bishop or Pawn?! Just say yes already!]

Like now—Bishop, who had overheard my thoughts, was squawking impatiently.

I was tempted to just call it Birdbrain.

But I chose mercy.

“Chuut, chuut!”

“You mean you like Bishop? I’ll put in the order to engrave it on the collar by tomorrow.”

Despite being a restraint, the collar’s design was quite dainty—colorful beads and pearls strung together prettily.

‘The effect is anything but cute, though.’

Should it ever attack or even think of harming its master, instantly—

[Kkghhh—!]

It would be flattened against the ground like this.

“This damn birdbrain must not have learned its lesson yet. Lady Cherry, give me a little time and I’ll train it so thoroughly you won’t even need the collar.”

Lia grabbed its neck tightly.

[Say I won’t ever do it again—hurry!]

But in Black Dragon Castle, all that echoed was the pitiful screech “Kyaaak!” and the flutter of dark-brown feathers in the wind.

“Cherry, how goes training your new subordinate?”

The banquet hall, where dinner was laid out.

Kenig asked the question while carving up a crisp-skinned turkey and placing a piece on my plate.

‘As expected, there are no secrets in this castle.’

I popped the neatly cut meat into my mouth and gave a small nod.

“They say it’s a bald eagle with wings spanning over two meters. To make such a beast your underling—truly befitting the Squirrel of Black Dragon Castle.”

“Chuut.”

Well, of course.

I lifted my chin proudly.

Lia had done the subduing, but the training of Bishop was entirely my responsibility.

In half a day, Bishop had been forced to “lie down” twenty-five times.

Only when its wings ached did it finally stop resisting.

And now—

[Slurp. Looks delicious.]

It was hanging off the balcony railing, drooling.

I wasn’t sure whether it was eyeing the turkey leg—or me.

“Chuut!”

When I glared sideways at Bishop, its sharp eyes locked right back on me.

“Is that the one?”

It was Kenig.

[H-hiiik! The great demon…!]

With a frantic flap, Bishop fled to the rooftop.

By its words, this castle was full of demons, and the one living in the largest room exuded the most wicked aura.

So it had tried hard to avoid Kenig’s gaze.

“As I thought, it was that one. Judging from the fact it only started appearing a month ago, it must be a young one, newly independent. Even now, its size is impressive. It has great potential.”

Gerard, squinting and measuring with his hand, sounded a little astonished.

‘That size—and it’s only just become an adult?’

While I was shocked, Kenig only nodded quietly.

“I see.”

The firm line of his mouth seemed oddly satisfied.

It was around when we had finished half the meal—while still talking about Bishop—that Gerard, as if recalling something, set down his utensils and spoke in a grave tone.

“My lord… what shall we do about Sir Astrakhan?”