The long-tailed tits looked at each other and murmured. The combination of long-tailed tit and jaguar was bewildering enough, but the fact that Prince Formo’s partner was also male. They were in a very confused state.
“Ch-cheeeeep?”
[Then, what about breeding?]
One of the long-tailed tits asked in a surprised voice. At that question, the other long-tailed tits also showed interest and glanced at Serdin. They couldn’t meet his eyes boldly due to the intimidation flowing from Serdin. Potun, who had been speechless for quite a while, spoke helplessly.
“Cheeeep, cheep…….”
[Since even Formo’s footprint stamp is on it, it must be true…….]
He squeezed his eyes shut, his head already aching at the thought of having to send Formo to that sinister jaguar. For the long-tailed tits of Arancha, a promise was something that must absolutely be kept. They definitely took ‘responsibility’ for the choices they made. This was one of the few rules of Arancha.
A promise was also one’s own choice. Therefore, no matter what happened, they had to take responsibility and keep it. And for some reason, Formo had promised to spend his whole life with the jaguar. That choice couldn’t be broken by even his family—Moti, Potun, and Armo.
Knowing this, they had no choice but to become gloomy. Though they didn’t know how that wicked jaguar had found out that fact and came, they had to obediently follow Formo’s choice.
“Cheeeeep. Cheeeeeep……!”
[But Formo-nim is the Guardian. If Formo-nim goes, who will protect Arancha……!]
One long-tailed tit shouted with tears welling up. If Formo, Arancha’s only Guardian, followed the jaguar, Arancha’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed. A kingdom that lost its Guardian would surely collapse. The long-tailed tits, who loved this comfortable and peaceful nest very much, were restless with worry about their own safety.
“So there really is such a thing as a system even among long-tailed tits.”
Serdin muttered in a voice tinged with laughter. He looked around at the long-tailed tits who were looking at him with eyes as if they’d lost their kingdom, then turned his gaze away. Since he had gotten Formo back and presented a valid justification to take him, there was no reason to stay here any longer. Serdin turned around.
“Are you leaving?”
At Kert’s question, Serdin nodded and stepped forward.
“……Cheeeep!”
[……Formo!]
It was a cry close to a scream. Armo couldn’t let Formo go like this. Even knowing the weight of the promise Formo had to keep, she didn’t want to send Formo away like this. Wasn’t Formo even unconscious? Confirming the facts from her younger brother came first.
Though she didn’t know how that cunning jaguar had obtained Formo’s footprint stamp, everything could be fabricated. Serdin tried to ignore such an Armo, but when Formo, who had been lying as if dead on his palm, flinched, he had no choice but to stop his steps abruptly.
“Pipi?”
He called Formo in a slightly surprised voice. The small long-tailed tit’s eyelashes trembled, and soon his eyelids opened slowly. Though his eyes were half-closed as if his mind was still hazy, he clearly remembered his purpose for waking up.
“……Cheep.”
[……No.]
Formo stopped Serdin with a faint voice. Since they couldn’t communicate, he couldn’t say anything more. He could only shake his head while muttering that it wasn’t okay. Serdin, who had been quietly watching and waiting for what Formo was trying to say, let out a sigh.
“Sara.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you have a book written in the common language?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll take it out.”
Sara’s biggest bag had everything. She opened the bag and took out a book from inside. Then she showed it to Serdin.
“This is it.”
“Give it to that long-tailed tit.”
Serdin spoke while glancing toward where Armo was. Sara looked at him with puzzled eyes for a moment, but soon composed her expression and obediently followed the instruction. A thick book with detailed writing about herbs and medicine in the common language was placed in front of Armo.
“You know the common language, right?”
At the question that seemed to already know she was familiar with the common language, Armo’s beak twitched.
“Point to the letters in the book and explain why Pipi is doing this.”
At the command that was arrogant enough to be absurd, sparks flew from Armo’s eyes. However, she couldn’t let Formo go like this. It seemed that doing as the despicable jaguar ordered would help both Formo and Arancha.
Armo looked at Formo, who quickly lost energy and was nodding off, with pitying eyes before moving her gaze to the book. When Armo glared at the thick book, Kert, who had been watching her mood, approached stealthily and turned the pages for her. Assisting someone was almost like an instinct for Kert.
Kert thought as he turned the pages. No matter how he looked at it, the book was far too big and heavy compared to the tiny long-tailed tit. If he hadn’t helped, this long-tailed tit would have surely collapsed from exhaustion while trying to turn the pages.
Whether she knew this fact or not, this bold long-tailed tit was naturally giving commands to turn pages by pointing with her wing. Kert looked at Armo with absurd eyes but obediently followed. While thinking that all of this was to prevent Serdin from killing.
Like that, with Kert’s help, Armo made brief words in the common language. The long-tailed tits watched this with sparkling eyes. This was because they had fallen completely for Armo’s appearance of communicating using the common language without being intimidated even in front of the jaguar.
It was Kert who transcribed the words combining the letters Armo pointed to. He held up the paper with the letters written and looked at Serdin.
“It seems to be done, Your Highness.”
“Read it.”
“A-ahem! Barrier danger. Formo muscle need……? Why do the name Formo and muscle suddenly appear…… Anyway, this seems to be the end.”
“They must call Pipi ‘Formo’ here. But more than that, muscle?”
Like Kert, Serdin also muttered ‘muscle’ in an absurd voice. Since he’d handed her a book dealing with medicine, it seemed there wasn’t an appropriate word visible so she substituted it with muscle.
“Surely that muscle doesn’t refer to actual muscle…… Ability or power, stamina. Wouldn’t it be something like that?”
At Kert’s reasonable speculation, Serdin frowned.
“You’re saying Pipi’s ability is needed?”
“That’s probably it. Since it makes no sense…… that the minuscule Pipi-nim’s muscle would be needed.”
When Serdin gave his attention, Armo nodded vigorously with blazing eyes.
“Why is Pipi’s ability needed when he’s so tired he can’t even open his eyes properly?”
Serdin asked in a slightly low voice as if interrogating. At that question, Armo pointed to ‘barrier danger’ that Kert had written down. Then she additionally pointed to more letters and gestured to Kert with her eyes. Kert, who had been spacing out, picked up a quill pen and hurriedly transcribed the letters Armo was pointing to.
“Um…… It says ‘fix’. Perhaps Pipi-nim has some kind of fixing ability…….”
To Kert, who was trailing off, Armo nodded.
“Yes, it seems correct. Quite unfairly, it appears that Pipi-nim, who resembles Your Highness and has quite a temper, has such an amazing ability hidden. How unexpected.”
Kert said that while shrugging his shoulders.
“In Pipi’s current state, he can’t even eat by himself. What if he gets blown away by the wind like this?”
“……Pardon?”
“Pipi can’t even open his eyes. Don’t you see? You really need the ability of Pipi who can’t even control his body properly?”
At Serdin’s calm voice, Kert closed his mouth. The shock was considerable since he hadn’t expected his superior to spout such doting remarks even outside. He became afraid that Serdin might make such remarks without hesitation even after returning to the capital.
Armo, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between Serdin and Kert, pointed to a few letters with her wing. Then she stared at Kert intently. Kert, who met those round eyes, suppressed the hollow cough about to burst out at that natural attitude and said.
“……It says ‘stay’.”
“You’re telling me to stay?”
This time too, Armo nodded. Serdin scoffed and looked down at Armo. Logically, how could he ensure Formo’s stability in such a barren, backward, and primitive place? If it were up to him, he wanted to take Formo to the villa immediately.
However, when he thought of Formo who had grabbed him and shaken his head even while out of his mind, he hesitated. Even though his decision was surely right. Was it because he didn’t want to see Formo hurt by him if he forced it through?
Serdin had no choice but to shake his head at himself, feeling unlike himself even to his own perception.
“How long?”
After quite a while, Serdin’s mouth opened. Armo pointed to letters as if she’d been waiting, and Kert, who had half given up, answered in a voice mixed with sighs.
“It says ‘three days’.”
“……Three days.”
Serdin pondered before checking on Formo. The round head was placed obediently on his palm. When he saw Formo sleeping while panting heavily with a somewhat more comfortable face than before, as if his condition had improved, he made up his mind.
Right. What couldn’t he do for this small long-tailed tit who interested him?
“Let’s do that.”
At the low answer, Kert smiled brightly and clenched his fist. His small wish to stay in Arancha and study this place was fulfilled very quickly. Sara, who deliberately pretended not to see that frivolous appearance, approached Serdin’s side and spoke softly.
“I’ll go prepare the things Pipi-nim needs.”
The things Pipi needed were a sleeping cushion, twig toys, various high-quality foods, and medicinal herbs that would help with recovery. Serdin, who nodded, also ordered her to bring jaguars to deploy near Arancha where the barrier was unstable.
At that command, it seemed that a light of emotion somehow appeared in Sara’s eyes, but Serdin didn’t see it. No, it would be more accurate to say he didn’t look. He wasn’t curious about such things at all.
