Chapter 44 : IF-114 ‘Jimjo’ Part 2

There was an incomprehensible monster. 

Its presence had led me to believe it was some sort of massive, scale-covered predator, but the reality was entirely different—utterly unfathomable.

That such a being would go to the trouble of physically moving just to chase after a mere carrion bird was beyond understanding.

The bird regretted it.

It shouldn’t have flown here.

The monster flew fast. 

There was no way such a small pair of wings, attached to a body shaped like that of a human child, should be able to keep it airborne. 

Even the bird, with its tiny brain, could grasp that simple fact. 

And yet.

Irrationally, absurdly, the monster flew faster than the bird—despite its impossible anatomy.

There was no escaping it. 

The bird’s wings, weakened from long confinement, could not muster enough speed to outpace the creature.

The sound of flapping grew closer, and then—

Snap.

A soft hand seized the bird’s leg. 

The carrion bird’s venom was lethal with just a single drop. 

Its body, covered in iron-like scales, was untouchable even to those with the thickest hides. 

Yet somehow, this creature, with its unarmored hands, had grabbed it so easily. 

‘Why was it even chasing the bird in the first place?’

It couldn’t possibly eat it.

The bird, filled with indignation, turned to look back. 

And then.

The bird saw.

“Gyao.”

Jewel-like eyes. 

Beyond their depths lay a form so massive that, until now, had only been vaguely perceptible. 

It was only then that the bird understood.

The creature wasn’t chasing it out of some meaningless instinct to kill what it could not eat. 

It was chasing because it was certain—it could eat it.

Abandoning all hope of survival, the bird ceased its pointless resistance and meekly offered up its neck.

—Slice.

The final sound it heard was that of its own neck snapping. 

Only at the very end did the bird finally understand the fate of the thousands of venomous snakes that had once met their demise inside its stomach.

***

I caught Koko. 

‘If it was going to get caught this easily, it should have just surrendered from the start instead of making a fuss and running.’ 

‘But then again, what could I expect from a creature with such chaotically arranged facial features?’

Carrying Koko, I turned back cheerfully.

‘Ancestor!’ 

‘Ah, it’s the Ancestor! And there’s a bird too!’

I encountered my so-called descendants coming my way.

‘Oh?’

‘Ohh.’

‘Could they have come to greet me?’

As expected, my descendants were well-raised! 

Even if I didn’t exactly know why they called themselves my descendants.

Hiding my inner sense of pride, I sent them a thought.

You could have just waited. 

‘Why did you come all the way here?’

‘Attack! Attack!’ 

‘We won’t let you go, you arrogant flying beast! Take this!’

Unexpectedly.

They ignored me completely and went straight for Koko, still dangling from my tail.

‘Wait.’

‘Weren’t they here for me?’

Descendant No. 3 appeared out of nowhere with a metal stick and started wildly swinging it up and down. 

The stance was… rather sloppy.

Sure, I get that they don’t want to touch a venomous bird, but still. 

‘Do they really think wielding a weapon is the right call when their arms are basically flippers?’

‘Hiyah, hiyaaa…! You flying pest, how dare you act so cocky…! I only dodged earlier because I wanted to see the Ancestor! It definitely wasn’t because I was scared—’

But Descendant No. 3 seemed too focused on punishing Koko to care.

‘Just what kind of grudge do they hold against it…?’

Sure enough.

One out of every three swings of their unstable metal stick missed its mark and hit my tail instead.

Slap, slap.

Of course, it didn’t hurt.

But still.

I had just thought they were praiseworthy, and now? 

This was just disappointing.

“Gyao….”

***

Sigh. 

There’s no point expecting anything from these descendants. 

‘What kind of behavior is this?’

I internally wiped away an imaginary tear and flapped my wings once.

Bang!

With a burst of air, the disobedient metal stick went flying far into the distance. 

And along with it, Descendant No. 3 tumbled backward with a thump.

‘Uwaaah! My Excalibur—! …Hic. A-Ancestor?’

Only now did they finally look at me.

Whooooosh…

As the weight of my silent gaze bore down, they averted their eyes, whistling as if nothing had happened.

Oh, so that’s how it is.

“Gyaooo…”

I let out a deep sigh at the pathetic sight.

Ugh. 

You’re hopeless.

Instead of Descendant No. 3, I sent my thoughts to the plump snake wrapped around their neck like a scarf.

You’re no better.

‘Plump Snake, why didn’t you stop them?’ 

‘If anything, you were egging them on!’ 

‘Do you even think before you act?’

But this time, the response was different.

Plump Snake didn’t avert its eyes.

Instead, it wriggled its way toward me and stared straight up.

‘Ancestor. I. Explanation. Explain!’

Though its speech was broken, its expression screamed confidence, as if it could explain everything.

It even let out a proud, sharp squeak.

Bii!

“Fine. Let’s see you explain yourself. You better have a good reason for recklessly hitting the Ancestor’s tail. I won’t let it slide. I’ll just lie down right here and roll around in every direction. I’ll turn that Bii! sound into a Kweeng! sound.”

With those words, I folded my arms and looked down at the plump snake.

The plump snake, trembling, sent a thought. 

“…Flying beast. Attack. Flee. Attack. Ancestor. Mistake.”

‘What was this?’ 

‘Really… there are few creatures in this world as bad at explaining things as this plump snake.’

I tried hard to interpret it. 

Earlier, Koko had attacked first, so it had fled. 

The tail hit me by mistake, so there was nothing to be done about it. 

‘Was that the idea?’

“Positive!”

‘Alright.’ 

‘It was a mistake, so there’s no problem, right?’

I smiled and stretched out my hand toward the plump snake. 

“Come here, I’ll pet you.”

The plump snake, making a Bii! sound, hopped toward me. 

Once it was in my arms, I made sure to hold it tightly so it couldn’t escape. 

Koko was placed carefully in a corner.

“Ugh, uh, something’s off…”

Unlike Descendant No. 3, who seemed to sense something was wrong, the foolish plump snake hadn’t noticed anything yet.

It rubbed its head against my belly. 

“What?”

I stepped forward and ‘accidentally’ tripped.

Oh no, I fell and ‘accidentally’ ended up lying on top of the plump snake. 

Such a strange coincidence. 

‘Right, plump snake?’

Just then, I heard a Kweeng sound from beside my head. 

“It’s forced! It’s forced!”

‘Wait, was that some rude thought coming from somewhere?’

Still lying on top of the plump snake, I rolled around vigorously. 

Kweeng!

With a final squeal, the plump snake flattened out. 

Descendant No. 3, who was watching, raised their two flippers and shielded their face in fear.

“Hoek…!”

“Heh.” 

“That serves you right.” 

“Who told you to wag your tongue in front of an ancient elder?” 

I handed the flattened plump snake to Descendant No. 3, who trembled as they looked down at it.

Well, I hope they learned something from this. 

“Ugh, the Ancestor is scary…!”

Hearing the response from Descendant No. 3 made me laugh softly. 

Now they’ll think twice before being so rude.

I nodded in satisfaction. 

This is the might of the Ancestors.

“Gyaa!”

With the descendants properly educated, I turned to retrieve Koko, who I had left in the corner.

***

Seeing Koko’s long legs, my thoughts turned. 

‘How should I eat this?’

I was hungry, and I wanted to eat it, but… eating it raw seemed a little… 

No, it was very disappointing.

I’d long since gotten used to human seasonings and spices. 

The Lug, who used to tear into dinosaur entrails raw, was no longer in this world… 

But perhaps there were clever ideas to be had.

So I asked the descendants. 

“How should I eat this?”

“Gyao.”

A thought came through. 

It came from the plump snake, whose body had half-turned.

“Food. Swallow. Whole.”

Of course, the plump snake would say something like that. 

The level of its answers… 

I sighed and shook my head.

It didn’t even fit in my mouth, ‘how could I swallow it whole?’ 

And even if I could, that wasn’t what I was contemplating at all.

Not you. 

Descendant No. 3… 

‘Wait, how long will I keep calling you that?’ 

I need to ask your name first.

The plump snake was called the plump snake, but this one must have a name given by its parents. 

Names hold power, so I should call them by their true name.

“Hmm? Nothing special, just ‘Nessho…’”

So that’s it. 

Living in Nessho Bay, and calling it ‘Nessho,’ it felt like such a half-hearted name, but I kept it to myself.

Anyway, Nessho’s answer was unexpected.

“Ancestor… why would you want to eat that? That’s not food. I wouldn’t eat it…”

The plump snake had said to swallow it whole, but now this one was saying not to eat it at all. 

I had hoped we could share it peacefully, but their responses were so unpleasant that it left a strange feeling.

Koko was definitely food, but it didn’t know how to eat it…

“Look, this is how you eat it.”

I showed Nessho how to bite into Koko’s wing joint. 

It tasted terrible, but I forced myself to chew without showing any sign of it, so I wouldn’t seem weak in front of the descendants. 

“How is it? Want a bite?”

“… I mean, it’s fine because you’re the Ancestor! But I really don’t want any!”

After hearing my thoughts, Nessho took two steps back and then, without hesitation, abandoned the plump snake and dashed off.

‘What?’ 

That wasn’t what I meant! It’s actually fine…

I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at Nessho’s fleeing figure. 

I had intended to share it, but they ran away. 

It’s fine.

I have another descendant.

I looked down.

Nessho’s flippers had knocked the plump snake off, and it made a Bii sound as it met my eyes.

“Gyao.”

Since Nessho wouldn’t eat it, maybe the plump snake could eat it instead. 

It would make this Ancestor happy.

I sent a thought to the plump snake, who seemed to finally realize what was going on. 

But it was too slow. 

I walked toward it with Koko in hand.

Hehe. 

You can’t run away now.