ch61-ch80 · 071-ch70

Chapter 70: The Blue Bird

It felt like diving into a pool. A bottomless one.

"Mumuu!"

I mean, it's not like I can't swim, but no matter how much I flail around, I can't float or move forward. Actually, this isn't water, is it? Just complete darkness? It's too dark—I can't even see Papa, but we definitely sank into the shadow together...

As I was thinking that, I suddenly felt weightless.

"Wah!?"

This sensation... wait, is this like that free fall ride at amusement parks? But instead of falling, I feel like I'm going up, up, up, faster and faster. I wonder if elevators in Dubai's skyscrapers are this fast too.

...Oh, it stopped.

"We're here."

In the darkness, just when I thought I heard Papa's voice from somewhere, I felt my body being pulled up with great force. Yeah, just do whatever you want at this point.

　　―　◆　―

Pop! When I was pulled out of the shadow, I found myself in a dreary place surrounded by fences on all sides, with concrete ground... But beyond the fence was the sky—yay, what a great view!

"—Whoa, we seriously came up to a building rooftop in an instant!? How did you do that??"

When I turned around, there was Papa in his Black Knight form, arms crossed, his face hidden by his helmet but looking rather smug. At his feet, the black-haired lady, all wrapped up in shadows, was also rolling around. So he brought her along too.

"We climbed up the building wall's shadow. The sun's pretty low now, so the east wall is all shadow, right?"

"Huh, you climbed up the wall!?"

"Not in a climbing sense—I move through the shadows as if gliding."

So if there are shadows, you can smoothly climb even a 90-degree vertical wall. That's too convenient. Well, I guess only Papa could do something so unrealistic anyway—

SHUTA!!

Suddenly, the Green Knight lady landed! Where did she drop down from!?

"I created footholds in the air at various points with Emerald Walls and added wind power to jump here."

"Ah, right..."

Another person from the unrealistic department was here too. She was carrying some guy who looked completely limp over her shoulder. I guess when you become a knight, even slender ladies become powerful. The lady set down the old man and turned back to face us properly.

"Rock-san, there are many things I want to ask you... But first, how did the Green Bird and Black Bird regain enough eiyōso to perform Unison?"

<That is because this great one activated the "eggs" of my vassals!>

Penta started glowing again.

"W-what, directly in my brain?"

"Ah, Charru, this is your first time. The owner of this voice is Pentaankool. The leader of the Color Birds and the only one who can speak human language."

<Not vassal! I am the pinnacle of all birds, the Emperor!>

Penta was flashing rhythmically, trying to appear dignified. It's dazzling for me holding it, so tone it down a bit.

"The Emperor of Color Birds... the Blue Bird! No way, the Blue Bird's 'egg' should be enshrined on the highest floor of the royal castle..."

<That is my body. My spirit entered this vessel created by Iris and has been watching over Ai-chan all these years>

Hmph, like Melkid. ...But why me?

When I tilted my head, my eyes met the lady who was staring at me intently. It's even scarier since I can only see her eyes through the helmet.

Just as I was thinking that, the woman approached with quick steps and knelt before me.

"Those features, that blue hair... I had a suspicion. But with the Blue Bird following you, there's no mistake! You are of royal blood—you are Princess Iris's daughter, aren't you!?"

"...Huh?"

What, royal blood? That means the royal family from the other world, right? There's no way that could be true. I mean, I was born from Papa, who wanted to be a chef, and Mama from this world—I'm a half-blood. There's no room for royal blood in there! At all.

...Wait, what's with this atmosphere?

"Penta, by restoring even the Green Bird, the secret's going to get out, you know?"

<How annoying! This great one did nothing wrong! Besides, it's all your fault for being so useless and making Ai-chan cry again! Last time too, I barely held myself back. This time, if I hadn't helped, you'd have been done for>

"...I can't argue when you put it like that."

Papa bowed his head to Penta in my hands.

"W-wait, don't go on without me! ...Papa, what's going on?"

I have a really, really bad feeling about this.

For a little while, Papa looked up at the sky, scratched his head, and scraped the concrete with his heel... but when I kept my gaze fixed on him without looking away, he seemed to give up.

He placed a hand on his helmet and muttered something, then the helmet melted away like mist and disappeared, revealing Papa's face—an expression that was troubled, pained, and altogether indescribable.

<Hey, if you take off your armor, you'll start bleeding again!>

"It's just the helmet."

Stopping the anxious Penta, Papa stared into my eyes. He probably thinks he needs to talk to me with his real face. —I can feel Papa's determination, and I'm scared to hear what he has to say.

"...Ai, I'm sorry for keeping this secret until now. Your mother was the Blue Knight who fought alongside us against the Demon King Army... the first princess of Ceylo Kingdom, Princess Iris. In other words, Ai, you're the granddaughter of the Ceylo King... a princess."