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Chapter 14
First of all, there was Whitey’s ability.
A warm and gentle energy flowed out from her and reduced pain.
‘Hmm… now that I think about it, it feels very similar to healing power.’
Healing power.
It was an ability even Calid had long forgotten.
Because no one capable of using that power remained anymore.
He had never imagined Whitey would make him remember it again.
‘But… I’ve never heard that healing power could calm mana before….’
Calid investigated the ability that had disappeared after that child, but he quickly reached his limits.
The four founding contributor families each possessed special abilities, and now, among all of them, only his own wolf clan could truly be considered still alive.
Moreover, unless someone belonged to the family itself, it was impossible to know the detailed nature of each family’s powers.
The only thing commonly known about healing power was that it could heal the illnesses of others.
‘Hmm… if it’s information like this, then….’
After thinking deeply for several days during his investigation, Calid wrote a short letter.
“Sebastian. Send this letter to Arachne.”
‘Send a letter? How? With animals? Birds? Or does someone ride a horse? Don’t tell me they have magical tools or something?’
“Yes. Then I shall send it immediately using a magic tool.”
‘Oh? They really have magic tools?!’
“Wait. Rather than a magic tool, are there any messenger birds available right now?”
“…If I remember correctly, there should be a few.”
“Then, this let—”
‘There are messenger birds too?! What kind of bird are they? Pigeons? Or hawks?’
Whitey, who had quietly been reading beside him, suddenly became interested when she heard about sending letters.
Now she was completely glued to Calid’s side, chatting excitedly with curiosity.
Seeing Whitey bouncing around in excitement, Calid could not remain still.
“Never mind. I’ll go send it myself.”
“…Your Highness will go personally?”
‘Wow! We’re going to see messenger birds? It’s my first time seeing one!’
“The messenger birds of the North have been famous for being brave and intelligent for generations. They are systematically trained from the time they are young.”
‘Really? Brave and smart birds? I’m excited!’
“…So I thought I’d go see them after a long time. I haven’t visited since returning.”
Without realizing it, Calid had naturally responded to Whitey’s words again.
Startled internally, he quickly added an excuse afterward.
Fortunately, Whitey seemed to accept his response casually.
The entire way there, Whitey kept bouncing around excitedly, and Calid could not stop smiling.
When they arrived at the open field behind the training grounds, several young messenger birds were currently training.
“No, my lord! What brings you all the way here?!”
The knight training them hurried over the moment he saw Calid.
“Looks like you were training. It’s nothing serious. This letter—”
‘Wow, it’s a real bird! Judging by its appearance, I think it’s some kind of hawk? Oh my god! It’s my first time seeing a hawk! It’s secretly kind of cute!’
After seeing the hawk sitting on the knight’s shoulder, Whitey floated closer and closer toward him.
Hearing her excited voice and seeing her thrilled movements, Calid felt satisfied that coming here had been worth it.
‘Oh, a handsome man and a hawk together! What a picture. As expected, handsome really is justice!’
“……”
But the moment he heard Whitey’s next words, Calid’s good mood dropped sharply.
“Would you like me to send this letter?”
“…Is there a messenger bird available right now?”
“To be honest… there aren’t many available immediately. Most of them are still too young and lack proper training….”
“Messenger delivery is the highest priority in strategy and administration. Are you saying they haven’t been properly trained all this time?”
“T-That is…. I apologize.”
Whitey, who had been happily nodding while admiring the handsome knight and hawk combination, jumped in surprise at Calid’s cold attitude.
‘Wait, why is Calid suddenly getting angry?’
“Bring the remaining messenger birds.”
After being scolded by Calid, the knight silently moved with slumped shoulders.
Calid frowned, but he also knew his anger was somewhat unreasonable.
Because of the recent battles and wars, the number of messenger birds had greatly decreased, and most of the remaining ones were still young chicks.
Under those circumstances, the knight who stayed behind to care for and train the birds actually deserved praise instead.
But hearing Whitey call the knight handsome somehow made irritation rise inside him.
The atmosphere quickly froze.
Even Whitey, who had been bouncing around in excitement, hesitated and carefully watched the mood.
“My lord. These five and the captain are the only ones currently available. But the captain is extremely disobedient…. My apologies.”
“Ah… that one.”
Calid remembered the captain messenger bird the knight mentioned.
“Yes. It’s practically the grandson of the messenger bird the former Grand Duke treasured. But it’s incredibly arrogant and fierce…. It listens to no one.”
“…I think it once carried letters and flew to the battlefield a few times.”
“That’s right. Actually… there was a female bird it liked, so it followed her there. But now she rejected him, so he became even more twisted.”
‘Oh! From the bird’s perspective, isn’t his entire private life being exposed right now? But wow, he’s such a romantic. Following her all the way to the battlefield.’
“……”
Whitey floated closer to the knight again, looking completely fascinated by the story.
Seeing that, Calid’s expression started turning dark once more when suddenly he sensed something flying toward them at terrifying speed.
The object flying toward them rapidly began slowing down as it got closer.
“Uh… that bird is….”
Sharp eyes.
Gray feathers on its head.
A majestic body covered in dark brown feathers with black spots, along with gray-to-white tail feathers.
Anyone could tell it was the captain.
It was larger and fiercer-looking than the other messenger birds, and it was a bird Calid knew very well.
The fastest.
Smart enough to remember every route it had ever flown.
Excellent at handling unexpected situations.
Its only flaw was its wild personality and flirtatious nature.
The captain bird instantly flew toward Whitey and slowly circled around her while observing her carefully.
“Haha…. W-Why is that bird acting like that in empty air? It never behaved like this before…. You brat, come back here right now!”
Since the knight could not see Whitey, the bird circling around empty air naturally looked strange to him.
But Calid immediately realized that the captain bird could see Whitey.
In case it attacked her, he watched sharply, ready to stop it immediately.
But—
‘Huh? What? Don’t tell me you can actually see me?’
Completely unaware of the tension around her, Whitey simply tilted her head calmly while watching the captain bird slowly fly circles around her.
A little to the side.
Then quickly to the opposite side.
Forward.
Then backward.
Whitey moved around in different directions, and the captain bird copied every movement.
She jumped in shock.
‘Oh…. You really can see me?!’
Excited and delighted, Whitey slowly stretched out the white lump that looked like an arm toward the hawk.
Watching nervously, Calid accidentally lost control of the mana gathering in his hand.
Because unbelievably, that fierce-looking captain bird suddenly acted like an extremely tame little bird and rubbed its head affectionately against Whitey’s hand.
‘Oh my gosh, are you acting cute right now? That’s so adorable! I can’t believe there’s such a gentle and sweet bird like this.’
“……”
‘And you can even see ghosts! Wow, you’re so smart. What’s your name?’
Since Calid knew its true nature, he found it unpleasant watching the captain bird wag its tail feathers innocently while crying out cutely as though saying, “I know absolutely nothing.”
Perhaps sensing Calid’s gaze, the captain bird secretly sent him a suspicious look behind Whitey’s back.
“Tsk.”
Calid clicked his tongue unhappily at the shameless captain bird.
But seeing how happy Whitey looked made satisfaction and pride slowly rise within him.
And naturally, Calid once again overlapped Whitey with the image of a woman.
It had become one of his recent habits.
A woman smiling brighter than the sunlight shining on her.
And beside her, a proud bird circling around while acting affectionately.
Calid deliberately ignored the strange longing rising inside him.
“…It really would look like a painting.”
Calid unconsciously muttered quietly to himself.
Now he could somewhat understand how Whitey had felt earlier.
Soon, the sound of clear laughter brought him back to his senses.
“Ahem-. Right, what was that bird’s name again?”
“Ah… i-it doesn’t have a separate name. We just call it Captain.”
‘Ah! Really? So it doesn’t have a name. Then can I give it one?’
“Then may I give it a name?”
“A-Ah, yes yes yes! Of course.”
The knight, whose face had already turned pale from the strange behavior of the captain bird, nodded blankly while cold sweat poured down his body.
“Hmm. What would be good…. I can’t think of a suitable name. I wish someone would recommend a good one….”
‘Oh, then can I name it?’
As if deliberately speaking for someone to hear, Calid muttered those words.
Whitey seriously began thinking of a name that would suit the captain bird.
‘Hmm… what would be good? Since its cry sounds chirpy… Chiru?’
The human and the bird, who had secretly been competing with each other, both completely froze at Whitey’s unbelievable naming sense and stared at one another.
