Chapter 27

Crows are intelligent animals.

They were so smart that they're considered to have the intelligence level of a 6-year-old child.

Crows can handle tools, socialize, and have the ability to analyze and understand phenomena.

For example, when crows find the corpse of a comrade, they call others to loiter around it.

This behavior, known as a "crow funeral," involves analyzing the wounds on the crow's corpse to discuss the cause of death.

This means crows have the ability to reason about injuries and accidents and share this information socially with their peers.

Thus, groups of crows can become a severe nuisance, forming local cartels.

They use their intelligence and social skills to rummage through trash and attack other animals.

The large crow Ian found was also a smart fellow.

Among the crows, this particularly clever one quickly noticed that Ian was the only one among the humans who did not treat it as an enemy.

It also realized that Ian understood its will and was speaking to it.

"Could you lend me some medicine and bandages?" Ian asked Bernard.

Without changing his expression, Bernard repeated the request to the innkeeper.

"Bring some medicine and bandages, please."

"Oh, yes!"

The innkeeper quickly brought over first aid supplies and clean bandages.

Although these items were usually sold for money, that wasn't really an issue here.

After all, who would do such business with the son of a lord?

Ian applied medicine to the wounds on the crow's wing and wrapped it with bandages.

The injury was caused by an arrow from a hunter.

'For now... I'll have to take it with me until it's fully healed.'

Ian intended to care for the crow until it could fly again.

Releasing it into the wild as it was would only result in it ending up in someone else's mouth, which was no different from being preyed upon.

"I'll be stepping out for a bit with the young lord, so please take care of this one."

Ian left the crow with the innkeeper and was about to go out.

But as soon as Ian turned his back, the crow hopped and bounced, following Ian.

"Caw!"

[Let's go together!]

"What. You stay here. You can't even fly because you're hurt."

"Caw! Caw!"

[The people here are scary! Please don't abandon me!]

"Who's abandoning you? Just stay here and don't worry."

"Caw!"

[Please!]

"... You're a nuisance. Really."

Seeing that the crow was likely to keep following him, Ian picked it up and placed it on his shoulder.

The crow seemed much more comfortable then.

"Hey, Ian."

"Yeah?"

"Do you... understand what the crow is saying?"

Lucy asked, her eyes sparkling.

Looking around, other people were also staring at Ian as if they found him fascinating.

Wizards were like miraculous beings to ordinary people.

"Yeah, I understand."

"That's really cool!"

"..."

Lucy's admiration was a bit odd.

She hadn't reacted this strongly when he was talking with Drake.

It seemed the fact that one could converse with regular animals stimulated the girl's emotions.

"What's its name? What will you name it?"

"This one?"

Ian looked at the crow sitting on his shoulder.

Now that he had unexpectedly taken in a bird, he needed a name to call it by until it was time to release it.

Ian blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Dumbhead."

"... That's too insulting."

Lucy opposed the idea, but Ian genuinely thought the crow was stupid.

How dumb do you have to be not to understand even the simplest Maronius language?

If the crow understood, it would have been a misunderstanding worthy of crying over.

"How about Obsidian?"

"Obsidian?"

"Its eyes are as black and beautiful as obsidian."

Lucy spoke softly, and the crow cawed happily.

"Caw!"

Not because it understood Lucy's words, but because it sensed that she was looking at it fondly.

The very cunningness of a crow!

"That's hard to call out. Let's just call it Oberon."

"Oberon? That's nice! Sounds like a wizard's crow!"

Ian gently stroked the crow's head.

"Your name is now Oberon."

And so, the crow lord, Oberon, cawed.

[Bring me offerings to gain my favor!]

"...?"

"Ian, can I hold it for a bit?"

"Sure."

Oberon purred in Lucy's embrace, looking just like any other black chicken when snuggled up against her chest.

"Hmm."

The more I think about it, "Dumbhead" seems more correct?

Ian stayed in Riverville for a few days, entertaining Bernard.

Bernard would have protested, "We played together, what do you mean you entertained me!"

But it was true that Ian entertained him.

He could have left at any time, but he stayed for a while for the sake of maintaining relations with the nobility.

While Bernard took Ian around various places in Riverville, the aftermath of the previous incident was smoothly handled at the castle.

The villains from Riverville who had attempted to kidnap Lucy were all punished, turned into slaves.

Originally, they were to be executed, but the families of the villains begged for mercy, sparing them from death.

They would suffer forced labor until they repaid their ransom in full.

"Ian. I've been seriously thinking."

Despite the rough experience, Lucy remained bright and cheerful.

She's a girl with strong mental fortitude.

"What if we go with the knight order?"

"The knight order?"

It wasn't a bad idea.

If they were accompanied by more than ten heavily armed men, most robbers wouldn't dare to even look their way.

Since they were faithful men, there was no chance they would attack Ian.

"If our paths coincide, that would be fine. But do you know where they're going?"

At Ian's question, Lucy grinned.

The answer came from an unexpected source.

"We're headed to Count Catina's territory."

"Elder?"

The old man who appeared after opening the inn door was Elder.

Ian quickly understood what was happening.

It was clear that Lucy and Elder had come to an understanding.

"Even if you're a wizard, it's very dangerous to walk the roads filled with threats. It's just the two of you and even a lady."

"I'm aware."

Ian said, puffing up a bit.

Ian was a wizard, not a knight.

There was no way he could fend off a mob of knife-wielding murderers.

Moreover, Lucy was a traveler who attracted trouble.

Her pretty face was the reason for that.

Already having to deal with the kidnappers sent by Baron Jin, they also had to face bandits drawn by Lucy's beauty.

The attackers in Riverville were incompetent, but on the road, anything could happen.

"So, how about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

Elder nodded with a smile.

"We're going to hunt a monster that appeared in Count Catina's territory. Have you ever heard of a manticore?"

"Yes, I know it."

Manticore.

A creature second to none in wickedness, causing lords to grind their teeth and the people of their lands to tremble in fear.

The manticore was infamous for its cruel nature and enjoyment of killing.

"What... you want me to help you hunt the manticore?"

If Ian was being asked to accompany them on the condition that he help, he planned to politely decline.

No matter how dangerous the road was, fighting a manticore was a different issue.

Wizards were seekers of mysteries, not hunters.

As if seeing through Ian's thoughts, Elder responded.

"No. I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to help, but I don't want to involve you in something so dangerous you could lose your life."

Elder spoke as if he was casually testing Ian.

If Ian was a prideful wizard, he might join the hunt to gain fame.

But that's a very warrior-centric way of thinking.

While warriors might find glory in blood and slaughter, wizards have no interest in such pointless tales of heroism.

"Ah. Then I'll pass."

"Ha. Listen till the end. What we want to ask of you isn't hunting."

"Then what?"

"We already have a wizard who has promised to help us. But, the way we obtained that promise was... somewhat forceful."

The explanation went like this:

The Santiago Knights are a knightly order created by the Santiago Monastic Order, connected through a certain network with the clergy of Heaven's Faith.

When news reached that the Santiago Knights were coming to Count Catina's territory to hunt the manticore, the priests of Count Catina's territory 'forcefully' asked a wizard living nearby for cooperation.

In short, the wizard who ended up cooperating in the manticore hunt was a poor soul who was forced to participate due to the priests' threats.

"They must be quite upset by now. Ian, you're a wizard too, aren't you? We were hoping you could appease that wizard on our behalf."

I understand.

So, Ian was... meant to soothe the offended wizard instead of the Santiago Knights.

Ian slightly tilted his head.

"Would my words make any difference?"

Considering the part about being threatened by the priests, the damage was already done.

However, Elder was confident Ian could be of use.

"Even if it's unpleasant, words from a wizard carry a different weight than those from a knight. That wizard might know you or your master's name."

"My master's, maybe."

Elder nodded with a smile.

"And if by any chance the wizard uses magic against us, you could warn us in advance, couldn't you?"

The logic was that a wizard would be able to see through another wizard's schemes.

Ian nodded.

'Not bad?'

It was more than just not bad. It was a very good offer.

In exchange for the protection of the Santiago Knights, all Ian had to do was pacify the disgruntled wizard.

Even if things went awry and failed, Ian had nothing to lose.

Ian's goal was to take Lucy to the count's territory safely.

"If you change your mind along the way, you're welcome to join us in hunting the manticore."

Elder winked, making a gesture with his eye.

Receiving a wink from an old man made Ian feel a bit queasy...

"I'll pass."

"And what about persuading the wizard?"

"I can do that."

As soon as Ian finished speaking, Lucy sprang up and high-fived Elder.

"Yay! Thanks in advance, Elder!"

"Ha. It's we who should be thanking you."

And so, Ian's journey with the Santiago Knights was decided.

The next morning, Ian left Riverville.

Despite the early dawn, Bernard insisted on seeing Ian off, following him to the edge of the residential area.

"Come visit again, Ian!"

Maybe they had become somewhat close during this time?

Ian didn't find the impetuous young master Bernard too disagreeable.

"Yeah. See you again soon, Bernard."

"...!"

As Ian waved, Bernard smiled brightly and waved back vigorously.

"... Safe travels, friend!"

Sir Hansen watched Bernard's actions and slowly nodded.

'Excellent, young lord.'

Friendships from childhood are precious treasures that can only be acquired in one's youth.

If it's a friendship with a wizard, people would pay any price to have it.

What Bernard had gained was an experience of such value.

Sir Hansen felt a slight relief from the stress caused by Bernard's foolish actions, thinking that the future of Riverville had brightened a bit more.

Thanks to a promising young wizard.