Chapter 119 Gift
Shururuk.
Pyonk.
With a cute sound, I popped out of the bottle.
I wondered if I would have to walk back myself, but thankfully, I was flexibly returned to the original spot.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down.
The Snake Queen might not lose, but it was possible for the others to run away with the bottle. I had to be ready to fight the moment I escaped.
“Gek!”
An enormous mountain blocked my view.
“…Impressive.”
As always, the Snake Queen proudly showed off her formidable inner power pouch.
And somehow, I ended up nestled in her embrace.
“Geggegek.”
It was a misunderstanding.
I immediately rolled my body and escaped.
After that, I naturally stood up and assessed the situation.
Judging from her human appearance, it seemed like she had dealt with Pilbang and the Imoogi Bird properly.
There were no corpses around, so maybe they had run away.
…Judging from the rock that looked like a bird’s wing lying around, it didn’t seem like they left in one piece.
They might be in the Snake Queen’s stomach.
She stared at me intently.
“Did you defeat the Beihj Bird?”
“Gekgek.”
I lightly nodded, and the Snake Queen’s expression changed.
Of course, it would be surprising. A lizard that was suddenly kidnapped returned after defeating the Beihj Bird.
On top of that, thanks to leveling up, I was fully healed and appeared to have subdued it without a scratch.
“You’ve worked hard.”
The Snake Queen closed her eyes.
Then, as if she had a headache, she gently pressed her temples.
“Gek!”
Was she injured?
I wanted to support her with my tail out of concern.
The Snake Queen politely declined my tail and spoke with a calm face.
“I’m fine. It’s not because of the battle.”
Was it anemia?
“You consumed more divinity than expected.”
The Snake Queen glanced at my overall plumped, no, bulked-up physique.
No matter how superior Gecko Faith was, there weren’t that many followers.
There still seemed to be a long way to go before fully manifesting the power that Nephila had shown.
Even so, the only reason I was able to show such power was thanks to the Snake Queen’s help.
“Gekgek.”
I bowed my head to express my gratitude, and the Snake Queen raised her eyebrows.
Just like Nephila Jurassica.
“What is that hanging around your neck?”
What do you mean, ‘what’?
It’s the token you gave me….
“Gek…”
I carefully watched the Snake Queen’s reaction.
Wasn’t it like adding another ring on top of the engagement ring?
“That’s an amusing sight. I’ll have to meet them in person someday.”
As expected of the magnanimous Snake Queen, whose generosity was as vast as her inner power pouch.
It seemed like she wasn’t too bothered.
“It’s better to keep it like this.”
Then, ever so subtly, she flipped the necklace so that the lizard drawing was hidden.
…Wasn’t she actually concerned?
“You’ve achieved more than I expected. A subordinate of Gaetsalgoadal attacked all at once, but you turned the tables and subdued the Beihj Bird. Just like with Gogaduris before, I feel like I’m constantly receiving your help.”
Come on, it’s not like you’re only getting help.
“Gekgek.”
We were mutually benefiting each other.
It wasn’t a bad experience for me either.
Facing a Dimetrodon that flew around, flapping its crest, wasn’t something you could experience easily.
“…Up until now, that was from the perspective of the Snake Queen.”
“Gek?”
Tuk.
The Snake Queen’s hand grabbed the nape of my neck.
Even though I had leveled up and grown bigger, strangely, I felt powerless.
“Geeeek…”
Why was she suddenly doing this?
Women’s emotions are hard to understand.
I watched the Snake Queen’s face closely.
“And now, this is from a different perspective, not the Snake Queen’s.”
Her tone sounded somewhat angry.
I couldn’t understand at all.
Wasn’t it me who just thwarted an attack from Gaetsalgoadal?
I even achieved the amazing feat of hunting down the Beihj Bird.
I wasn’t trying to boast, but shouldn’t she be pleased?
I let out a frustrated “gekggek.”
“Do I seem that unreliable to you?”
I had no response.
I understood what she was getting at.
“Why do you do things no one asks you to do?”
“Gek…”
In the first place, this trap wasn’t aimed at the Snake Queen.
In other words, there was very little chance the Snake Queen would have been harmed by the object the Imoogi Bird threw.
I thought I was helping by leaping forward, but in reality, I was wrong.
“Did you think that little attack could actually harm me?”
Nobody asked for help, so why did you offer it?
Taken at face value, this sounded like a remark worthy of a swift Gecko slap, but that wasn’t the meaning behind her words.
“If something had happened to you, did you think about how the ones left behind would feel?”
The ones left behind.
That didn’t just refer to the Snake Queen and Shikshik.
It included everyone I was connected to.
Throwing myself into danger without meaning and dying in vain—
“They wouldn’t believe it, they’d cry, and they’d get angry.”
They’d be devastated, grieving, and filled with fury.
“They’d weep like children all day, wasting their time meaninglessly.”
They’d lose their sense of purpose and wander aimlessly.
The Snake Queen’s hand trembled.
Could I really be that significant?
That sounded like an inflated sense of self-importance.
But I couldn’t brush it off with those words.
If something happened to me, they were the kind of beings who would indeed react that way.
That was what the Snake Queen was telling me.
I was the core of the Gecko Faith.
If I disappeared, it would affect everyone tied to me.
Their lives might depend on me.
In other words, treasure yourself more.
That’s probably what she meant.
The Snake Queen always wore a cold, emotionless expression.
But that didn’t mean she had no feelings.
I knew that better than anyone.
I had seen her smile bashfully over a single dumpling.
Her words, spoken from another’s perspective—
They were likely connected to the Snake Queen’s past.
The betrayal of Gaetsalgoadal, who killed all of Hunhwi’s disciples.
The bottled-up emotions she must have felt back then.
That was what she was conveying to me now.
Her trembling hand finally stilled.
“I’m sorry. I threw a little tantrum for a moment.”
The Snake Queen’s voice carried a mix of various emotions.
“It’s not something to be so upset about. I’m sure you had your reasons, too.”
A slight bit of anger directed at me for jumping in recklessly.
“You’ve accomplished such a great feat that it wouldn’t be enough to thank you repeatedly.”
Gratitude for returning after dealing with the Beihj Bird.
“But next time, please consider those who will be left behind.”
And regret that surfaced as she recalled the past.
“…That’s enough.”
The storm of emotions that had swept over her ended with those words.
Drip.
Drip.
Hot water dripped down.
Could it be that the Snake Queen was shedding tears?
I quickly lifted my head to check.
“Ppiyaak…”
A cute little snake, with tears welling up in its eyes, was staring at me intently.
It wasn’t the Snake Queen’s tears—it was Shikshik’s.
“Since I’ve done something bad, I suppose I must calm my daughter down.”
The Snake Queen spoke in a slightly playful voice.
Just as she said, it seemed the previous situation had been sorted out.
Now, my task was to soothe this cute, chubby little snake.
“Ppiiiik…”
Shikshik slid down from the Snake Queen’s shoulder and clung tightly to me.
She rubbed her face against me.
“Ppiiiiik…”
It must have been a big shock for Shikshik.
Not only was the sudden attack terrifying, but then I had disappeared, sucked into the bottle with a ‘pop.’
The battle had dragged on because the Snake Queen, protecting herself, hadn’t been able to use her core techniques, and Shikshik might have thought I was harmed because of it.
“Ppiyaaak…”
Shikshik clung to my front leg, crying her heart out.
…Can snakes really shed tears?
I set that thought aside for now.
The priority was to calm Shikshik down.
…But how?
“Ppiyaaa…”
I’ve never had to soothe a crying snake before, let alone a crying child.
Should I offer my tail?
No, in her current state, my large tail would be too much for her to handle.
…I know.
I pulled out a core that I had been storing under my left arm.
“Hiek?”
Shikshik tilted her head in confusion.
With trembling hands, I offered it to her.
“Gekgek.”
She sniffed it, not with her nose, but by flicking her tongue.
Yes, take a good whiff.
I’m offering this to you with a big heart.
I’ve taken so many elixirs, I can afford to give up at least one of the two I have.
…And besides, this victory was also thanks to the faithful followers leveling up diligently.
Consider it an investment.
Yes, that’s right.
I’m not being stingy at all.
“Hiek? Hieek?”
Shikshik gave me a look as if she was wondering if I was really giving it to her, her tail wagging wildly.
Though I didn’t feel it was wasteful, I nodded, gritting my teeth.
“Ppiyaaaaak!”
Shikshik jumped for joy.
She pressed her face against my chest, rubbing it enthusiastically.
Although she never seemed particularly greedy for things like cores or elixirs, she was overjoyed, probably because it was from me.
Chomp!
…I had been holding on tightly, but she quickly snatched the core away—so maybe she wasn’t entirely free of greed after all.
Shikshik coiled her body around the core she had taken, cradling it. It was a peculiar sight.
Maybe it was because she was a Ball Python, but the way she did it was quite fascinating.
For some reason, it made me want to shrink down and crawl into that space.
“…Gek!”
I caught myself thinking something weird again.
Could there be a problem with the technique I’ve mastered?
If not, how else can I explain these strange thoughts?
When I get a chance, I’ll have to review the technique.
I’m sure it’s not me that’s the problem—it must be the technique.
“Are you trying to solve everything with a gift? The princess is something else, letting it go so easily. I wonder who she takes after.”
The Snake Queen stared intently at me.
It seems the situation is finally wrapping up well.
In the end, we managed to repel the Beihj Bird without significant losses.
The Snake Queen also gave me a warning, and I took it seriously.
Shikshik stopped crying and could now grow even stronger.
There was no one—no reptile—who came out at a loss.
“Forgiving you with just one gift from your mate, huh…?”
The Snake Queen muttered to herself.
“Forgiving with just a gift from your mate…”
Since it was the Beihj Bird’s core, and Shikshik’s greatest desire was probably to become strong enough not to be a burden.
“Forgiving with just one gift from a mate who shamelessly bears another mark on the token I gave…”
…Is she breathing while saying all that?
I glanced over at the Snake Queen.
Her expression seemed as neutral as ever, but there was a subtle difference.
If I could acquire a skill that lets me read expressions, I would probably see that there was some expectation behind her façade.
“Gek…?”
I had given Shikshik a gift.
But I hadn’t given the Snake Queen anything.
Was she silently asking for something as well?
Just in case, I held out the remaining core to her.
She pretended to stare blankly at me, then faintly curled the corners of her mouth.
“Are you offering that to me?”
Didn’t you ask for it?
“Gek.”
“No, it’s fine. While the Beihj Bird’s core is a decent item, it doesn’t hold much value to me at this point.”
…Huh?
Then what was all that pressure about earlier?
The Snake Queen’s face seemed a little brighter.
…We’ve known each other for quite some time now, but I still don’t fully understand what she’s thinking.
Is it because she’s a mystical creature, or is it because she’s female?
It’s always hard to understand a woman’s heart.
“Gekgek.”
I was a bit flustered, but it seemed like the real issue was resolved now.
I kept my core, soothed Shikshik, and the Snake Queen appeared satisfied.
Whether we chase the escaped birds or return to the temple to rest and regroup—
Since we were lingering here, it didn’t seem like she planned to chase them down, so I figured we’d head back to the temple.
Once Argentarvis fully recovers, the Snake Queen’s side will have a significant advantage from hunting the Beihj Bird.
So, while he’s recovering, she can absorb the core and strengthen herself even further.
“I’ll help you with absorbing the core.”
“Gekgek!”
If it’s the Snake Queen, I can trust her.
“In exchange for another gift, of course.”
The Snake Queen left me with a cryptic remark.
Weeoooong.
A siren sounded in my head.
The core!
Just take the core instead!
“Geeeek!”