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Flying In The Morning Glow
The light streaming in from the western horizon begins to mix with an orange color. Looks like I have no time left. Lately, the amount of daylight hours has visibly gotten shorter.
The land spreads before me. There are scattered trees growing on the grassland, but they cast long shadows on the ground. When I gradually moved my eyes to see farther, I could see the swiftly flowing river and white-capped mountains. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
The wind feels good. There is no one around. The exaltation of freely flying about in the sky makes you forget about anything else.
But, I must not forget. I am now flying in the sky. It is a situation where I can’t make a single mistake.
It’s been 2 years since ‘Noor disappearance’ incident. I continued living in the housing facility in the end. I turned 5 years old.
I have become able to read and write quite well now. I am also working in Myluc's office sorting the documents today, which is also a part of my study. Even with the same language, there are various patterns, such as the form used by the merchants or the format used by nobles. It changes depending on the purpose, so there is still plenty to remember.
Once the day's work is done, it is free time. So I shut myself inside my room and read books. That’s what I said. I have been given quite a bit more free time right now, so there is no one to bother me at this hour.
I told Myluc I would never cause any disturbance ever again. So I refrained from using my ability at first. But, cutting it short, I couldn’t endure it any longer.
The scenery on the ground has changed. A lake in the middle of the forest. Flowers of various colors bloom. This is my goal today.
There was a thicket a short distance away from the lake. And I found a plant blooming among the cluster of small, pretty flowers. In terms of its design, it feels similar to the hydrangea from my previous life. Only, each of its flowers is shaped like a star mark.
The color varies depending on the plant, but the overly bright red ones are probably not very popular. I guess pink or white is preferable.
I flew down after visually confirming there are no large animals on the ground. Then I walk on my two legs. It’s not like birds can’t walk like humans since they have knees, but I don’t like how their necks jerk back and forth with each step. I know this is due to birds’ skeletal structure,e but it doesn’t feel good.
After checking, there was nothing but the empty, dry ground behind me, I stretched my neck as far as I could. I break off the flower’s stalk with my beak. Luckily, this is a strong bird of prey so it’s possible to do that much. The problem is whether I can collect the cut flowers without dropping them off. Fortunately, the flower that was about to fall was supported by the stalk of another plant and stopped there. I carefully reposition it in my mouth and gently lay it out on the ground.
I am now able to do such a complex task like this, but it was difficult at first. It was not easy to shut off the room so no one would notice. I took every possible precaution and more.
The most familiar and easiest animal I could get my hands on is, of course, insects. But those are not good. Within seconds after taking over their bodies, I immediately lost consciousness. Rather, I turned out to have the intelligence of insects. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
So, what about an animal much smarter than that? Like a horse, for example. All the horses raised by Myluc are smart and well-behaved. But that’s also not good. Large animals like horses disappear inside this closed-off housing facility. It will become a huge fuss.
I gave up on chickens and pigs for the same reason. Although they are not being treated as important as the horses, they are properly managed in numbers. If they suddenly disappear - especially the chickens - they will suspect someone stole food.
In that case, it can only be wild animals. As I was staring outside on a certain day, I saw an impressive, large crow-like bird flying in the sky. On that subject, a crow is apparently quite smart. If their beak can’t reach the water in a bowl, they will drop a stone into the bowl to raise the water level. Then it will bring the water to a place where it can drink it. At worst, even humans might not think of this.
Thinking of this, I stole the body of the fake-crow bird flying high in the sky. The slight discomfort that arises from using my ability is a necessary price to pay.
Even so, changing my body will inevitably result in the decline of intelligence. Besides, this is a flying animal. If I return to my original body while flying in the sky.....so in the beginning I practiced repeatedly in my room with the condition 『Return when I feel like flying』.
After around 6 months, I became familiar with it. Still, if too much time passed, my consciousness grew hazy, so I tried to return to my own body before that happened. I have set some conditions just to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Conditions such as 『Go land on a wide place and turn to human form if you can not remember your own name』. It is slightly complex, but the reason I specify ‘wide place’ is because I might land on something like a thin tree branch, the kind only birds can land on. I don’t want to think myself falling down from a tall tree.....breaking countless branches along the way down.
Various other experiments were also repeated.
For example, although it’s a little cruel, I tried taking over the body of a frog and then moving to a place with a snake. Since I can become a bird, I thought even a snake could become a frog. But it was a failure. They might be the ones to decide which body becomes active1. If I wanted to change bodies, I could only forcibly take over the snake’s body.
Regardless of whether I could actually make use of them or not, there were no time limits or restrictions on how many times I could transfer skills or materials from myself to other creatures based on the time. Only if something was brought over to me from elsewhere was there, as expected, a 24-hour restriction. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Well then, looks like I gathered enough. Dona will probably be happy if I have this much. It’s a little heavy, but I can fly somehow. Even a mouse can be grabbed with my feet and flown with, so this much should be no problem. Only, there’s no meaning if the petals end up falling off from the rough handling.
It will be dangerous in various ways if it gets too late. It will be terrible if they find out I was missing and if I fail to return as a human. Let’s hurry.
When I finally landed in my room, it had already started to get dark. This is not good. It’s almost dinner time. My roommate Wyst will be back soon. I hover carefully to avoid spoiling the flower as I slowly enter the room. It hurt a little when the tip of my wings grazed the wall, but I couldn’t do anything about that. Then I place the flowers on top of my bed. After that, I quickly return to being a human.
I returned to my original form of the 5-year-old Noor. But I’m completely naked. I have to quickly wear clothes, but before that, I have to hide the flowers under my bed. At worst, I will be seen completely naked, but I don’t mind. I will just be treated as a pervert after all. But not with the flowers. The first thing people will ask will be, ‘where did you get it’.
In the space faintly lit by light from the purplish red sky, I hurry my work. I wrapped a wet cloth around the base of the flowers and gently place it under my bed. Then I put on the clothes I had placed on the bed.
「Oi, Noor! Are you shutting yourself inside again!」
There was a loud banging sound from the door. It’s Wyst. It was a close call.
「Ah, aah, sorry sorry, I didn’t realize」
I had just finished getting dressed. My slave’s handcuffs and leg shackles have come off....but it wasn’t noticed it because of the long sleeves. I’ll put it back on secretly later. Those can be opened with the key, or shortening the ring to their limit, and then lengthened again.
I quickly rushed out and opened the door.
「It’s time for dinner. Let’s go」
「Un」
He has really taken care of me for the past 2 years. He is also 6 years old this year. The next year from now will be crucial. There is a chance until 7 years old, but after that, you can only choose a life one rank lower. There is also a case like Detel, who just barely got sold right before he turns 8 years old, but that is a rare case. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
As usual, dinner was simple. We got bean porridge again tonight.
My eyes met with the girl setting the table. It’s Dona. She became even more attractive from her originally cute face over the past 2 years. If this is how she is when she turns 6 tomorrow, I wonder what she will be like 10 years from now? But, at least, she’s out of my reach with my current status.
When she noticed me, she stared at me for a moment before suddenly looking away. It’s not that she hates me. She is like that towards everyone. She will reply if you talk to her, and she will follow instructions properly. She’s basically a good kid. Just that, she is a little shy. And, if you say being quiet is good and all, she rarely shows a bright expression on her face. She will probably be even cuter if she shows a smile, even if it’s just once.
「Ahー, you were late again today. Are you studying?」
Someone called me from behind. I could tell without turning back. It was Tamaria.
She is 11 years old this year. Soon entering puberty, she is the leading figure now, not that it’s wrong, an old lady. Only, she looks beautiful, and she keeps herself well-maintained, so there’s no problem with her being accepted into a brothel. She herself also seemed to have readily accepted her fate.
「Yes well, something like that」
「’Something like that’, eh, hmm」
She said with a smile. She has an expression that implies something. It’s like the look scrutinizing me from top to bottom. I’d like you to do that kind of thing with your customer after you become a proper prostitute.
「Dona」
Tamaria called Dona, who was working behind me.
「Come here for a second」
She is the boss of the girls, just as she had been for 2 years. Regardless of whether they are boys or girls, no one can disobey her. The oldest male slave was Dorol, he was.....he had little presence.
Although he is called the ‘Boss’, Tamaria herself is a good girl. She talks to everyone frankly and is considerate to others. It’s the so-called anego(big sister) disposition. That’s why everyone relies on her.
「If I remember correctly, tomorrow is your birthday, right」
「Eh, un」
「Congratulations!」
「Th, thank you」
The two of them are talking in front of me with their arms around each other's shoulders. Well, it has nothing to do with me. When it is my turn, I pick up a tray and stand in front of the pot. After receiving the bean porridge, I sit down on a chair and eat. That’s all. Even so, what kind of secret conversation do they have, with their faces close to each other and their voice hushed like that?
Tamaria knew about the details of the young slaves here. That’s natural since she talks to everyone and gives them advice. And the reason I know about Dona’s situation is that she told me.
Dona.....no, Nora Naeke was born in Nuga village. It is also located close to Linga and Shuga villages. However, it is currently outside of the Tintinabria territory. Or should I say they are located right next to each other? www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Her parents' house was, as expected, a poor farmer family that you could find everywhere. Both of her parents were ordinary farmers, and naturally, their hair color was brown. Only, what was somewhat different was her mother, she was said to be extraordinarily beautiful.
Then, a countryside knight who obtained the royal family’s order and was granted a governance contract entered the picture. However, although he can’t be said to be rich, he is still the lord. For the people of the territory, his order is absolute.
Of course, just because someone in the territory had a beautiful wife, there was no misfortune where someone barges in and steals them or something. He was by no means a praiseworthy lord, but he did have that much decency at least.
But then, an incident occurred. A few years ago, a young noble came from the eastern continent, called Hanfan (ハンファン). He was accompanied by some black-haired men who were also from Hanfan.
Apparently, this man was a debauchee. Problems always happened wherever he went, and it was the people around him who smoothed things over. As he went on a pleasure jaunt, he stopped by the lord’s manor near the Nuga village.
Apparently, the young nobleman came from a famous family even in Hanfan, and he had to be treated accordingly. And while the lord has a large fortified mansion, he is but a countryside lord with small revenue and territory, and he doesn’t have that many servants. But if he has guests visiting, it will be a different story. He ordered the villages in his territory to provide temporary servants.
And, Nora’s mother also stepped forward to work as a servant. For the poor farmers, they couldn’t let go of the chance of making some good money. And not only was she beautiful, she was also elegant and smart for a countryside girl. She had already given birth to her eldest son, and she was not exactly young anymore, but she was still attractive. So the lord dressed her in a maid's uniform and let her work in front of guests.
The problem occurred on the day the young noble was about to leave the lord’s mansion. Nora’s mother - who had been tasked to take care of the young noble’s daily necessities - was suddenly dragged into a closed room. Naturally, people heard her scream, and there are other servants working in the mansion. However, they hesitated to interfere.
From the lord’s perspective, it was probably the most humiliating thing possible. Particularly since the young noble makes a move on his servant selfishly. But if he acted rashly and poorly, the relationship between Forestia and Hanfan could worsen. And he also won’t be sure about what would happen to his own position. It appears that the young noble’s status was quite high.
The next morning, the good-for-nothing noble and his followers left the mansion. Or rather, his followers urged him to leave. As expected, it seems like they also understand their master’s thoughtlessness, and they left the lord with a small amount of money for the inconvenience caused.
The lord wasn’t sure about the amount of money, but he handed it over to Nora’s mother. For a farmer, that was probably quite an amount of money. The lord also ordered. She can not file a complaint regarding the matter. Then she went home with a heavy heart. At that point, it was unclear whether her husband knew the truth or not. Naturally, the lord strictly warned everyone in the mansion to mention it. It seems like there were rumors, but that was it.
Only, no matter what was done, it was not something that could be hidden. It was because Nora’s mother was pregnant. At that point, it was difficult to decide whether to have an abortion or not. In other words, they didn’t know whose child it was.
At the moment when she gave birth, the doubt turned into certainty. Just one mistake resulted in the birth of a child whose existence was not allowed. After seeing the black hair, the husband named his 「step」 daughter, Nora.
After that, Nora’s mother lived an uncomfortable life. However, her mother still lived properly even in such a situation. She didn’t blame her daughter. If anything, she showered her daughter with as much love as she could.
But, that was until Nora turned 3 years old. When her daughter became aware of the things around her, her mother gathered some flowers and gave them to her. That stayed in Nora’s mind. Shortly after that, Nora’s mother fell ill. Although she was provided with some care, a countryside farmer didn’t have the money to call for a doctor. No, they might have some. Three years ago, Nora’s mother received the nuisance money as compensation. But at any rate, she breathed her last shortly after.
Nora’s stepfather soon remarried. Her stepmother openly disliked Nora. And that was when Myluc’s group happened to pass by. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
I learned about this series of events 4 months after Dona arrived here. Dona - who celebrated her birthday on Amethyst month - was brought to tears by memories of her mother from the year before. Last year, her mother picked flowers for her, but right now she can’t even leave this place. The one who calmed her down was Tamaria, who was assigned the same room as Dona. Being the caring person she is, she casually picks someone among the children who might be able to help Dona and asks them to take care of her. I was also considered smarter compared to my age, which allowed me to know the truth.
Dona was really suffering at that time. Not only had she already received mental damage, but her surrounding situation was also harsh. Even though Tamaria was there, Dorol's harassment didn’t stop. Dorol doesn’t mess with tough children. After noticing someone weaker than him - not just physically but also mentally-, he quietly reached out to them. Unlike the single-minded Wicax, his method was also cunning. He has never done any wrongdoings in front of others. However, he chose the words that would hurt the other party the most and intentionally repeated them over and over again to them.
In the end, his harassment continued for half a year. Meanwhile, Tamaria and I have been helping her from the shadows all the while. But one day, a boy whom Dorol had bullied harshly retaliated against him, and the harassment stopped from then.
Even so, Dona became shier and more easily frightened than before. It was to the point where even an observer would feel sorry about it.
And so a year later, I acted on a whim. I’ve become able to turn myself into a bird and fly outside, so I thought ‘Why not go outside to get a present for Dona’. That’s why, last year, I already gifted her with flowers.
Well, that kindness - or rather whim - continues even to this year. She will be 6 years old tomorrow. If so, a buyer will probably appear within a year. I’m sure she will be raised to be a mistress of a wealthy merchant or a noble. She is fated to belong to someone else. That’s why I don’t have any attachments or expectations.
I stood up from my seat once I finished my bean porridge. Let’s go to bed early tonight.
……still early the next morning, I was woken up by some sounds.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Wyst putting on his clothes. It is still before dawn. He has to go out now.
Of course, it is a work officially approved by Myluc. Several older boys - including him - are tasked to draw water in the morning. It was supervised by a guard, so they couldn’t escape. Although it was a work where they had to go a little away from the housing facility, it was actually a popular work. It’s hard to get up early, but you can go outside even for a moment.
「Ou, you woke up?」
「Ah, un」
I try to look as sleepy as possible.
「I’m going now」
「Take care」
I close my eyes while saying that. Wyst quickly left the room. Once his footsteps faded away, and I’m sure he doesn’t forget anything, I jumped up from my bed. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
First of I gently take out the bouquet of flowers from under my bed. Good. Looks like it hasn’t withered yet. Once I take it out, I place the bed in front of the door as quietly as possible so it won’t make any sound or vibration. It’s quite difficult with a child’s physical strength, but I have to do it. The most dangerous thing is a sudden intruder.
Having done that, I concentrate my mind. A lukewarm cloth fell from above with a light thud. I have become a black bird.
I stick my head out of the window. The eastern sky has finally started to take on a reddish hue. The red sun will probably show itself soon. Looks like today is also going to be a sunny day.
First, I flew out of the window without the bouquet. Then I check the condition of the window of my target location. It was tightly closed last year, and it was difficult to wrench it open. This year, the closing is a bit loose. If it’s like this, then it looks like I can shove my beak into the gap and widen it.
I clung to the wall while flapping my wings. I shoved my beak into the gap while trying to make as little noise as possible and pulled it towards me. 2 girls were lying in bed. It would be better if I widen it a little more.
Have they noticed it? Looks like it’s safe. After checking the situation inside, I literally returned to my room. And this time I grabbed the bouquet and slowly and carefully took off. It’s not difficult to fly swiftly, but having to pay attention to your pace and hover in the air like this is quite tough.
Finally reaching the window frame, I braced myself against the building with one leg and used the other to pull in the flower stalk inside. The flowers will fall off if I don’t insert them deep inside the room. Of course, I repeatedly flap my wings even during this action to stabilize my body. I don’t want to make any noise but there’s nothing I can do about this.
It was hard, but I could deliver flowers again this year. I took a breath, quickly spread my wings, and soared into the sky.
The red sun was beginning to appear from the east. There are no other buildings near the housing facility, but several figures can be seen a little away from the facility. They are as small as peas, but I’m sure those are Wyst and the others. Beyond that is the green forest and I could see the sea reflecting the faint glow of the morning sun.
Come to think of it, I’ve been living here for a long time. But soon, I will come out to the wide world outside. This isn’t just like sneaking out for a walk I had every now and then. My second life is about to truly begin this time.
I spread my wings one more time. I still have to be here now. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Author Note :
And so, a new chapter begins.
The number of characters will gradually increase from this point onwards.
But I’m still in the middle of scattered foreshadowing, though.
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TL Note:
1. Might be the creature's instinct or even the skill.
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