57th
19. The Green-Winged Ilgast #2
The Elder of the Forest, Ilgast, presented a broken horn to me.
“Eat it, Alpha. Seize the destiny of your name.”
━What on earth are you trying to do right now!?
Salome flapped her wings dramatically, making quite the fuss.
I blinked, utterly baffled by the sudden turn of events.
‘Wow, that looks really painful.’
Seeing the bl**d trickling down Ilgast’s forehead made me frown.
This was no ordinary wound; it was gushing from a freshly severed surface.
“Take it.”
Ilgast once again thrust his horn toward me.
In a daze, I accepted the offered horn with my front paw.
‘Deer antler? You want me to eat this?’
I recalled that in the original world, deer antlers were quite famous as a traditional herbal medicine.
Of course, having never experienced any sickness, I had never tried deer antler or any herbal concoction.
‘Can I even eat this? It’s really hard.’
Though I had chewed on meat before, eating a horn was an entirely new experience, causing a moment of hesitation.
The horn in my paw throbbed and pulsed as if it were alive, emanating a strong power even though it had just been severed from its body.
━What the heck is this? It doesn’t seem like a regular horn.
In response to my unvoiced question, Elder Ilgast smiled.
“That is my essence. The magical power that overflowed from consuming the Fruit of the World Tree, the Fruit of Good and Evil, has solidified into this horn. Your undeveloped body might struggle to digest the fruit itself, but you can handle a horn that has been refined from within me.”
━The Fruit of the World Tree…
It was definitely not an ordinary horn.
I examined the beautifully grown horn, wondering what it could possibly taste like.
‘Since it’s a medicinal herb, it’s probably bitter. I’m not really that hungry right now, though.’
“Hurry and eat it.”
Ilgast and Salome’s focused gazes felt like they were piercing me.
Was this what it felt like for foreign tourists holding a fistful of kimchi in their hands?
‘This is a mythical creature’s horn. If it’s related to the Fruit of the World Tree, it must give me incredible power.’
I steeled myself and opened my mouth wide.
I placed a piece of the horn in my mouth and chomped down hard.
To my surprise, it broke apart easily instead of being as hard as a twig.
‘Bitter, and unexpectedly… hmm?’
The initial taste was pure bitterness. But after enduring that pain, a rich and dense sweetness spread throughout my mouth.
‘This is chocolate!’
It was akin to dark chocolate loaded with a robust cacao flavor.
Plus, it didn’t melt and stick to my hands, which gave it bonus points over regular chocolate.
━This is surprisingly tasty.
I forgot my earlier hesitation and started chomping down on the deer horn.
The bitterness that grazed my tongue was bothersome at first, but as I chewed, it became strangely enjoyable.
“I’m glad that it suits your taste. After all, it shouldn’t taste bad. I’m a creature who has consumed all kinds of precious things and is filled with nutrients thanks to the essence of my solitude.”
Ilgast stroked the severed side of his horn.
The bleeding had ceased, and a tiny new horn was beginning to sprout like a fresh bamboo sh**t.
In less than a minute, I devoured the horn I had in my paws.
━So? Do you feel anything changing?
Harpy Salome leaned in close to inspect me from head to toe.
I concentrated within myself, trying to discern any changes.
━Not really feeling anything.
No messages indicating that my experience points had risen appeared, nor did anything significant seem to be happening.
While the flavor was enjoyable, I felt a tinge of disappointment that I hadn’t gained any skills or leveled up.
As Ilgast wiped the bl**d from his face with his palm, he rested his chin in thought.
“Nothing at all? Are you sure you’re not lying?”
Ilgast asked again, clearly skeptical.
━No real change, I promise.
With a hint of concern, I examined myself for any signs of transformation.
I flexed my stomach and furrowed my brow, tensing my head, but there were no signs of change whatsoever.
After a moment’s contemplation, Ilgast softly spoke up.
“Is one horn from this fading body not enough? Since you’re here, I hope we can replenish my magical power with an elixir…”
━Ew.
The mere mention of the elixir made a weird sound escape my lips.
Knowing its primary ingredients sent a shiver down my spine.
‘Maybe it’s fine for Eve, but this guy is a dude! Even if I’m not the one drinking it, it still makes me uncomfortable.’
As I shivered at the thought, Ilgast burst into laughter.
“Your reaction to the word ‘elixir’ suggests you’ve already met Eve. Yes, since you came from the south, it makes sense you’d have encountered her.”
While it might be obvious, it seemed that even Elder Ilgast of the western forest knew of the witch Eve from the south.
━Are you also… going to make that, eh, elixir?
“I can’t. I’m not a Wildling, so I lack the talent for crafting potions. Making elixirs has always been Eve’s job. You’ve been thoroughly schooled by her, haven’t you? Rest assured, I am not as reckless as Eve.”
Though it seemed he was trying to put me at ease, I could not lower my guard.
If she were a pretty girl, I might have allowed it, but for guys—even if they’re beautiful—they’re no different from dogs or cats to me in terms of s*xual orientation.
‘He might try to get me drunk like Eve did and pull some weird stunt.’
It’s entirely possible the horn I just devoured had some sort of mind-altering properties.
With growing suspicions about the mention of elixirs, my entire perception turned shifty.
As I hesitantly took a few steps back, Ilgast raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry. There’s no need to be so frightened. Hmm, I do have one favor to ask of you. Will you hear me out?”
━Um, what kind of favor?
I kept my suspicious eyes fixed on Ilgast, scrutinizing his every move.
If it was a bizarre request, I was ready to bolt.
“It’s nothing strange, so you don’t have to be suspicious. I just want you to fetch one flower for me. It’s called the Evening Primrose…”
━The Evening Primrose!?
Salome interrupted, exclaiming in excitement.
‘What’s with the sudden outburst?’
Noticing our gazes, she cleared her throat awkwardly.
━S-sorry. I didn’t expect to hear the name Evening Primrose… but, aren’t there beasts where it grows?
“True, but nothing beats the Evening Primrose for replenishing my magical power. If I could go myself, I would, but my body is bound to this realm.”
━But is it really okay to push this onto him… He’s still small, and he’s not a beast of the western woods!
Salome’s trailing words made Ilgast hum thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes.
Then, Ilgast broke into a pleasant smile.
“Salome, it’s the first time in three hundred years that I’ve seen you worry for a male. Do you have a soft spot for this little guy?”
━N-no way! Especially since we’re different species! He’s a four-legged beast and I’m a creature of the skies!
“You know I can make such things manageable with my abilities. And to this little one, it may not pose an obstacle.”
━What do you mean by that?
“No, no. Anyway, the reason I brought him to me was to recognize the eligibility of a great warrior. So let’s do this: if you accept my request, I’ll acknowledge your warrior status and also replenish my magical power, plus I’ll cut off the remaining horn!”
Salome, who had been considering the proposal with a hint of disdain, quietly questioned Ilgast in a small voice.
━Isn’t this more of a discrimination against this guy? You’re offering to cut off two horns, after all. What’s the deal with going that far?
“Redemption.”
Ilgast answered without hesitation.
I was curious about what that meant, but Ilgast didn’t say any more.
*
Stepping out of Ilgast’s cave, the endless downpour was finally coming to an end.
The sky was dark, but the rain had ceased falling.
I recalled Salome mentioning that the rain would stop sometime tomorrow.
‘If it really clears up tomorrow, the sky is going to change, isn’t it?’
It was astonishing how she could predict such things in a world without weather forecasts.
‘They say swallows are the ones who know when it’s about to rain. So, I guess they might also know when it’s going to stop, right?’
Wasn’t it said that when swallows fly low, it foretells rain?
If they can sense rain, it wouldn’t be strange if they could know when it ends as well.
‘Now that I think about it, I don’t have that kind of instinct at all.’
I’d heard beasts have an instinct for predicting disasters like wildfires or earthquakes.
Whether it’s true, there have indeed been numerous occasions where animals have fled just before a major earthquake.
‘Well, my hearing has gotten a bit sensitive, though.’
I could hear a rustling sound that had been lingering since earlier.
It was Salome tidying up her feathers beside me.
Ever since we stepped out of the cave, she had been meticulously preening her feathers whenever there was a moment.
‘Is that what birds do? Why are they so intent on grooming?’
I wondered if I should also start grooming like a cat, licking my fur.
But even without grooming, my fur was beautifully thick and shiny enough to be quite charming.
After a few minutes of walking while lost in thought…
━So, where do we need to go to find that Evening Primrose?
I realized I needed a destination instead of wandering aimlessly and turned to Salome for guidance. She stopped preening her feathers and tilted her head slightly.
━We need to keep going this way. But are you really going to take the job? It’s usually not an easy task.
━They promised me the other horn too.
Since the horn I had sampled from that creature surprisingly tasted great, I felt I could do anything for another chance to munch on it.
‘Speaking of which, Eve’s body had an incredibly delicious taste resembling grapes. It was on a whole different level compared to other Wildlings.’
Were mythical creatures all that delicious?
Thinking about Eve’s bodily fluids and Ilgast’s horn made my mouth water.
‘Now that it seems the rain has really stopped, I should make a run south after eating that guy’s horn.’
I had nothing but darkness looming over me after stealing the everlasting snow ginseng, the festival’s grand prize.
I doubted I could get away with an excuse saying I didn’t know it was the everlasting snow ginseng.
The most prominent options forming in my mind were either to run away altogether or earn the title of a great warrior at the festival to become its rightful owner.
In the latter scenario, I would have to count on being forgiven, which made it feel more like a gamble.
So ultimately, the conclusion I arrived at was to escape.
‘Once I eat the horn, I’ll leave this western area. Surely someone is waiting for me somewhere.’
I began to worry a bit about Leaf, whom I left behind in the cave.
Clouds cast shadows, and I had no idea how much time had passed since then, but this prolonged outing seemed excessive for just looking for a meal.
While I hadn’t thought we had bonded at all, it seemed I had developed a certain attachment having lived together for the past few days.
‘Gotta finish this request or whatever quickly.’
I busily churned my brain plotting my escape.
━How long do you think it’ll take to find that Evening Primrose? Is it a rare flower?
━The flower itself isn’t rare. The problem lies with the area it grows in. The creatures living there are notoriously malicious.
Salome frowned, as if recalling something filthy and mean, then spat on the ground.
━They are very malicious beings. So, they’re very dangerous.
━What kind of beings are so malicious that you have to repeat it twice?
At my question, Salome glanced around cautiously before speaking quietly.
━They’re the Chili Poison Dart Frogs.
━Chili Poison Dart Frogs?
The name struck a familiar chord somewhere.
━Yes, even you, a beast from the south, must have heard of their infamy. With just a single drop of their poison, they can take down numerous beasts.
━Poison…
This was my first time hearing about the Chili Poison Dart Frogs.
Of course, if you asked me whether I had heard of poison dart frogs in general, I would say I had.
‘Aren’t those the ones the African tribes use to make poisoned darts…?’
I recalled a documentary where a single poison dart frog single-handedly wiped out a hundred soldiers.
‘But poison shouldn’t matter to me.’
In my evolved form, I had the ability to resist toxins that the Grid Ratel possessed.
After pondering for a moment, I turned back to Salome with another question.
━So they use poison, huh? Which is stronger, the Poison of the Snake Queen El-Gasa or these frogs’ poison?
━El-Gasa? You mean that scaled queen from the south?
━Yeah.
━Th-the Snake Queen…
Salome suddenly froze in her tracks, trembling as if she had seen something frightful.
Her meticulously arranged wing feathers all bristled, as if her whole body was stiff with fear.
━Th-the Snake…
She repeated the word “snake” as if it had a sinister weight to it.
‘Oh, I remember that swallows’ natural enemy is a snake.’
I wondered if even here, a predator-prey hierarchy existed.
Of course, the Snake Queen El-Gasa was a gigantic serpent.
A harpy could likely be swallowed whole by her.
It seems strange in retrospect, but I still have no idea how I managed to defeat that queen snake.
At that time, I could hardly see anything, and in all honesty, you could argue I was just lucky for my reckless dive to work.
I imagined it could also be that I was still wounded from being heavily injured by humans.
After shaking for a while, Salome let out a deep breath and calmed her chest.
Watching her rise and fall, she furrowed her brow and covered her chest with her feathers.
━Ah, I doubt I could withstand the Snake Queen’s poison. She is the master of the forest, after all. It is said she possesses a deadly toxin strong enough to dissolve flesh and the power of Ma’an.
━Hehe.
With Salome’s response, I couldn’t suppress the grin crawling up from my lower belly.
