Each Answer #3

 

Square, square.

Nitrobird gnawed nervously at the rope.

His gaze wanders anxiously from side to side.

Two humans running towards him.

A rope that binds the ankles.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime crisis for Nitrobird.

And, a cornered creature summons powers he would never have imagined.

The thick rope had almost all been torn off, leaving only the core.

“Okay, I got it-”

The moment Mitchell’s hand caught the Nitrobird.

Pot—

As soon as the rope snapped, the Nitrobird shot forward like a bullet.

“Where are you going! Give up, you punk- I won’t kill you, I won’t kill you! Just give me two feathers- I’ll pluck them out without hurting you-!”

Mitchell grabbed Nitrobird’s leg and dragged him along.

Nitrobird charged towards freedom without hesitation, even with a load on his ankle.

“Huh, huh? Hey, wait a minute- there’s a cliff ahead-”

Mitchell’s eyes opened wide.

Is it because my vision narrowed down due to my desire to just run away?

Nitrobird was running towards the cliff without looking back or forward.

“Mitchell, let go!”

Wagner shouted.

Mitchell gritted his teeth and shook his head.

“No! I have to pluck out the feathers!”

“If you don’t let go, you’ll die!”

“I’m going to die, what!”

Wagner sighed.

In his view, there didn’t seem to be much difference in the level of accident between Nitrobird and Mitchell.

Nitrobird is about to fall off the cliff.

“Huh? Hey!”

Mitchell’s body floated in the air.

Wagner’s large, bear-pawed hand plucked Mitchell off his feet and threw him backward.

“Are you crazy, Bear?”

“If I have to die, I will die.”

Wagner took Nitrobird’s ankle instead.

Before Mitchell could stop them, a bird and a bear disappeared over the cliff.

“Ah, ah⋯. Ah⋯.”

Mitchell was speechless.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even shed a tear.

“This can’t be… I’m, I’m sorry… I was stubborn… Bear, Bear…”

dump.

Mitchell knelt on the dirt floor with his eyes wide open.

The choices we make in the moment always determine our lives.

Once again, she lost someone precious to her.

What the hell is that feather? What’s so great about the test?

Mitchell’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Ugh… I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Please come back…”

The moment Mitchell was sobbing.

chuck.

A large hand appeared from the bottom of the cliff.

“Ugh.”

Wagner pulled himself up onto the cliff, breathing heavily.

“Wagner!”

Mitchell grabbed Wagner’s hand before he could even wipe his tear-stained face.

“That was really dangerous for me just now. I thought I was going to die. The face of the Frelium god flashed before my eyes.”

“You idiot! Let go of my hand! Why won’t you let go?”

“sorry.”

Wagner apologized, gasping for breath.

He raised his other hand, which he was holding tightly.

“But it was worth a try.”

There were two feathers in his hand.

“Idiot!”

Mitchell kicked Wagner in the side with tears in his eyes.

***

Three hours left until the exam ends.

The few remaining adventurers naturally gathered in an empty lot without any prior arrangement.

Of course, they couldn’t save the feathers.

Seasoned adventurers, like Mitchell and Wagner, came up with the idea of luring Nitrobirds and obtaining their feathers, but not all of them had such success.

“⋯Should I go back?”

An adventurer muttered.

What have the past two weeks been like?

It’s not like they were just wasting time lazily, but in the end the result was the same.

A familiar failure. As always.

A feeling of emptiness came over me.

“Hey, shit. What kind of adventurer’s guild is this for, considering I’m a cricket? I have to eat pine needles to survive.”

“Let’s go have a drink and forget about it.”

They were in a situation of mutual suffering, soothing each other’s pain by licking each other’s wounds.

If there’s anything I’ve gained in the past two weeks, it’s that I’ve made a new drinking buddy.

The adventurers looked back at the wilderness with regretful eyes and then stood up.

That was the time.

“⋯What is that?”

An adventurer narrowed his eyes.

Someone was approaching from beyond the sunset.

Thud, thud.

One person of small stature.

And the leashes held in that hand are tied around the necks of two Nitrobirds.

“Huh? Huh!”

“Hey, that’s Nitro Bird!”

The adventurers stuttered.

Among them, there were many adventurers who had not seen Nitrobird properly for two weeks.

The spark of hope that was thought to have already died down has been rekindled.

“If you catch me now…!”

“No. It already has an owner.”

The cool-headed adventurer shook his head.

As he said, the nitrobirds were on a leash.

That means it’s not a wild nitro bird.

“What are you? How did you catch that?”

When one adventurer asked, the owner of the Nitrobird lifted his hood.

Silver hair fluttering in the wind.

Long eyelashes.

White skin that is not even slightly tanned by the hot sunlight of the wilderness.

It was Estelle.

He is already a famous adventurer in Garden.

He chased out a corrupt chef, conquered the sewers, and even personally took down the infamous vigilante leader Dawson.

And it was even cute.

Among the adventurers, there were even secret fans of Estelle.

“Estelle⋯?”

“I only needed to collect two feathers, but I ended up killing two birds.”

Estelle made an arrogant expression as if it was no big deal.

If other guys did it, it would be an unlucky face that would make you want to slap them, but Estelle strangely suited it.

This is why lookism is unfair.

If you are pretty and cute, most of your actions are forgiven.

“What are you going to do with those birds?”

“What should I do? I have to return it.”

Estelle said with a smile.

“I can’t just leave them in the wilderness. Poor thing. I only need two feathers, so there’s no reason to carry live birds around.”

At that moment, the same thought flashed through the adventurers’ minds.

The Nitrobird, which was nearly impossible to catch, is now tied up alive right before my eyes.

Maybe it’s possible.

‘I can save the feathers.’

An adventurer broke the back of a flatfish with a hammer.

“Hey! Please. Just give me a feather and I’ll repay you later!”

Starting with him, other adventurers flocked in.

Without saying a word, everyone bows their heads before Estelle and begs.

“Please give me just one feather!”

“Sister, I will never forget this favor!”

Estelle smiled bitterly.

‘Who is your older sister?’

Adventurers with half-bald foreheads and graying beards bow down shamelessly.

But face doesn’t buy food.

They were desperate in their own way.

Even the weak have their own way of surviving. Their own strategies for surviving, however ugly and dirty.

Knowing that, Estelle didn’t laugh.

“It’s difficult.”

Estelle said, gently stroking Nitrobird’s head.

“There are almost thirty people here. If we give out feathers to everyone, there will be too many successful applicants.”

“That, that is⋯.”

This is a fact that even adventurers were secretly aware of.

One or two people might have been fine, but there were too many people to share feathers.

“If we pass this many people, the examiners will naturally be critical. I might even fail. I don’t want that.”

Estelle tilted her chin and paused.

There is only one girl.

If they wanted to, there was a possibility that all these adventurers could rush in and steal the Nitrobird.

But now no one dares to do that.

Estelle’s reputation, which I have already seen and heard of countless times.

And, the feat of capturing two live Nitrobirds that they couldn’t even get close to.

They didn’t feel like rushing in. Estelle was already an absolute powerhouse, beyond their reach.

“I’ll pay!”

One of the adventurers raised his hand.

A careful person would have noticed the smile that flashed across Estelle’s lips for a moment, but now was the time for such things, as everyone was desperate.

“money?”

“I brought four thousand gold just in case. I think four thousand gold for a single feather is not a bad price⋯!”

“Certainly, that’s true.”

Estelle nodded. The adventurer, who had agreed to pay, rummaged through his wallet with a broad smile on his face.

“Four thousand gold? Four thousand gold? Hey, you shameless bastard! I’ll pay six thousand. Don’t sell to that guy!”

The middle-aged adventurer stepped forward with a pounding heart.

Estelle didn’t really say anything, but before she knew it, competition had begun.

An impromptu auction held in a clearing in the wilderness.

“I can’t help it. Then I’ll sell it to exactly five people. At this rate, even the test tubes won’t notice.”

“thank you!”

“Estelle is our benefactor!”

“Then you pick out five people. I’ll sell to them.”

Estelle went to the shade under a rock, spread out her blanket, and lay down.

Estelle took out a glass of juice with ice from the ring of storage, unfolded the newspaper, and read leisurely.

“Hey, you cheapskate. Are you trying to show off with just six thousand won? Go home. I’ll pay double that.”

“You too. See this armor set? No matter how cheap you sell it, you’ll get this much gold.”

The adventurers, who had been comforting each other in their shared plight until just a moment ago, were engaged in a heated argument.

Peace is only possible when everyone is in the same situation.

The moment the lifeline of salvation descends.

And the moment you realize that only the chosen ones can hang on to that rope, that fragile peace is shattered in an instant.

The final price of the feathers won by the five adventurers was thirty-two thousand gold each.