Chapter 68 Second Teacher
_Sssrrrrrk._
The Snake Queen took a few steps back.
“Hmmm… I’m quite flustered by this unexpected situation.”
Well, I was just as flustered.
It was just as unexpected for me.
No, how did it end up like this?
Why was I with the Snake Queen…?
Sure, I was momentarily tempted by that internal energy pouch, but that’s a different matter.
What should I call it, a natural instinct as a living creature?
It was merely an instinctive action to look at something big.
“There’s a saying that heroes are attracted to beauty, so maybe it’s not that strange…”
The Snake Queen trailed off, staring intently at me.
How was I supposed to explain this?
I had a feeling that things would work out without me having to explain, that it might even turn into a situation that would benefit me.
But at the same time, I had a hunch that something might go terribly wrong.
For some reason, I felt like I’d be wrapped up in spider webs if I encountered spiders.
Or maybe all my scales would fall off, and I’d evolve into a head-butting dinosaur.
“Geh-gehk…”
Come on.
No matter how things turned out, surely she wouldn’t do what I’m thinking, even if she tried to match me with her daughter, right?
That must have just been a passing comment.
She’d realize that what she said was a misunderstanding.
“It would be very troublesome if there were any offspring.”
What do you mean, Snake Queen?
Offspring?
Why were you talking as if we were going to have kids?
The Snake Queen subtly approached me.
Her movement was undoubtedly slow.
But I couldn’t evade it.
My body trembled.
Was this how a mouse felt in front of a snake?
It was similar to how I felt when Nephila Jurassica grabbed my tail.
The Snake Queen, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“…Wait.”
Yeah.
This situation didn’t make any sense.
You noticed something was off too, right?
I may be half-human, but let’s not live too wild of a life.
“You’re not even three months old?”
How did she know that?
“You mean you’re younger than my daughter?”
In lizard years, that would be true.
If you count my past life’s age, I’d be older than this snake, but this body hadn’t even been alive for three months yet. Of course, no one knew that.
“Age isn’t the most important thing… but you’re too young. Tsk, I guess I’ll just have to wait.”
She was strangely sensible about this kind of thing.
…No, why wait?
There were options like giving up or letting go.
“We’ll postpone the engagement for now.”
“Geh-gehk!”
She was just saying it would be postponed, but it felt like an indefinite delay, didn’t it?
It wasn’t something to worry about.
I’d think about it when Shikshik became the Snake Queen.
“Now that we’ve finished talking…”
_Sssrrrrrk._
The Snake Queen’s tail once again wrapped around my body.
You said we were done talking.
What did this mean?
“There’s something we need to do alone, so follow me.”
Alone?
What did that ominous statement mean?
…And it wasn’t like I was following.
I was just being dragged along.
The Snake Queen took me to the wide clearing I had first seen.
Currently, Shikshik was in the room with the mirror.
It meant it was just the Snake Queen and me.
Gulp.
What on earth did she bring me here to do?
“Are you ready?”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
You said I was young!
You said you’d wait!
Was she really going to do it before Shikshik was fully grown…?
Savage.
No, a barbarian.
This snake was barbaric.
_Sssssssrsh._
At the suspicious sound, I squinted my eyes open.
What I saw was a gigantic internal energy pouch.
[The Snake Queen is watching you.]
In other words, it was the Basilisk’s petrification pouch.
Before I knew it, the Snake Queen had returned to her original form and was staring at me.
_Crrrack._
[The Snake Queen is testing you.]
And so, my mother-in-law’s lesson began.
***
How many days had it been?
Another tough day had passed.
“Keeehk…”
One of the komodos was sprawled out on the ground.
My mother-in-law’s destructive beam was incredibly powerful.
She seemed to be using it in a controlled manner, but every time I got hit, my mind would go blank.
As I lay there with my tongue hanging out, a familiar sound reached my ears.
“Pee-yak!”
The Ball Python crawled over energetically.
There was a bucket attached to the end of her tail.
According to the Snake Queen, it was a magical iron vessel.
But how could that possibly be a magical item? No matter how you looked at it, it was just a tin bucket.
Still, considering it was an old item with no rust, maybe it did deserve to be called magical?
It didn’t matter either way.
The fact that the Ball Python was coming to me meant that today’s training was over.
“Peep!”
Shikshik made a chick-like sound as she handed me the bucket.
The bucket was filled with cold water.
Shikshik put down the bucket and stared at me intently.
She seemed to want me to drink the water she’d fetched for me.
How cute.
Just looking at her was soothing.
It was like looking at Tus and Pus.
For me, who had been tormented by my mother-in-law’s rough treatment, Shikshik was a precious existence.
“Pee-yak!”
Alright, alright.
I buried my head in the bucket—or rather, the iron vessel—and drank the water.
_Gulp, gulp._
Though I thought I should be scooping it up with my tongue one by one, that was for lizards. Just sticking my head in and drinking was no problem.
“…Princess, is there no water for your mother?”
At some point, the Snake Queen had transformed into her human form and spoke with a sulky tone.
“Pee-yak!”
[【Ball Python LV18】says there’s no water for the thief.]
“W-What do you mean? How could a mother have such shameless thoughts?”
The Snake Queen was flustered, facing her daughter.
Python, do you know what kind of humiliation I suffered while you were away?
She touched me all over.
“Ssssss!”
Good job, my Shikshik.
The Ball Python bit the Snake Queen’s finger and dangled from it.
“…One day, you will understand your mother’s intentions.”
The Snake Queen muttered with her eyes lowered.
I hope she never understands those intentions.
Please don’t corrupt my pure Shikshik.
Let me live seeing cute things.
I replenished my lost energy while eating the meat the Snake Queen had prepared.
“Oh lizard with legs, I believe you’re fully prepared now.”
Prepared.
It was obvious.
【Komodo LV15】
HP: 1203/1270
MP: 370/470
【Status】
「The Snake Queen’s Brand」
I had leveled up to 15.
In truth, most of this level-up was thanks to the effects of predation.
All I did was eat the meals provided by the Snake Queen, and my level shot up.
The brand left by the Snake Queen was a bit annoying since it wouldn’t disappear, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, so I decided not to worry about it.
If I thought about it differently, it was like a blessing from the Snake Queen.
Honestly, I wanted to stay by the Snake Queen’s side forever, but I felt that if I did, I’d somehow lose my level in another way.
The Snake Queen also trained me against a large cockatrice, and I focused on improving my basic physical abilities. Now, all my preparations were complete.
Since I had eaten enough, it was time to pay for my meals.
“Geh-gehk!”
With a confident cry, I nodded.
“Ufufu. You’re brimming with confidence. Well, it’s to be expected since you’ve received my teachings.”
No matter how strong a cockatrice was, it wouldn’t stand a chance against the Snake Queen.
I had been hit by her destructive beams multiple times.
I wasn’t afraid of a cockatrice at all.
“I guess I can start calling you my disciple now.”
“Geh-ek…”
I hesitated slightly.
Of course, I wanted that too.
The Snake Queen’s disciple.
How cool did that sound?
“…What’s with that expression?”
But I already had a master.
“Could it be that you already have a master?”
There’s someone named Baek Yeonyeong, who resembles the Queen, you see.
“…You’re quite the greedy lizard, aren’t you? To think I lost the position of master as well.”
The Snake Queen spoke in a melancholic tone.
Hearing her say that made me feel a bit guilty.
“I’ll definitely be the first…”
And now I didn’t feel guilty at all.
This person.
No, this snake still hadn’t come to her senses.
“Pee-yak!”
The Ball Python bit the Queen’s finger, nibbling away.
And so, a somewhat chaotic meal time came to an end, and after getting plenty of rest, it was finally time to leave.
I couldn’t take the Ball Python with me.
Though she might be safe in the Queen’s territory, if we entered another area, she’d become food for the birds.
“Heek…”
The Python rubbed her body against mine after getting down from the Queen’s finger.
To be honest
, I had considered just running away after eating all the food, but I couldn’t do that after seeing her. There was also the grace I had received from the Snake Queen.
“The objective is to gather evidence.”
The mission itself wasn’t difficult, so I’d solve it quickly and return.
“Remember this: never confront it.”
“Geh-gehk!”
“It’s not that you have no chance of winning, but it’s too dangerous. I don’t want to make my daughter a widow.”
…You’re worried about me, right?
“If you focus solely on running away, even Kogaduri will stop chasing you. After finding its traces or location, return to the temple quickly.”
I’d heard this advice so many times that my ears were practically calloused.
Locating the Cockatrice.
This was the task the Snake Queen had entrusted to me.
“Geh-gehk!”
I let out a trustworthy cry.
What could possibly go wrong?
“Yes, you are truly reliable.”
I petted Shikshik’s head as she rubbed against me.
Though she was a snake, why did it feel like petting a puppy?
Now, the farewells were over.
There was no need for a long goodbye.
A good lizard proves itself through action.
“Oh lizard with legs, if you successfully complete the mission, there will be a great reward.”
A reward?
Something beyond showing me a magical item?
If you give away so much, is there anything left for you?
Maybe she’d give me some kind of elixir.
I looked at her with eyes full of expectation.
“Ufufu. You may look forward to it.”
…You’ll give me an elixir, right?
A shiver ran down my spine for no apparent reason.