CHAPTER 10……………………………………..
It didn’t take long to calm Panake down.
After Panake stopped crying, Elexena threw off her upper garment. Blood was still flowing from the parts of her torso where Panake’s claws had pierced her.
“Good thing I had bandages.”
Elexena unwrapped the bandages from her arms and legs and wound them around her entire ribcage. It was a rough treatment, but good enough for now. At least she didn’t have to tear up more clothes due to lack of fabric.
Panake, watching her treat herself, casually spoke.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
It seemed he still felt uneasy, even though he was the one who caused it. Aside from their first meeting, they hadn’t fought to the point of drawing blood like this, so it made sense.
Elexena picked up her torn top and pulled it back on. The garment was shredded by claws, and the elbow guards and belt had long since disappeared. The clothes barely functioned as clothing anymore.
“It’s normal for me.”
Elexena chuckled and lightly patted Panake.
In the distant past, when no one across the continent did not know her name, there was never a time her body was intact. Blood was a daily occurrence in battles with monsters, scars were marks of honor, and wounds were proof of victory. She was not so fragile as to collapse from something like this.
Tsk. Panake clicked his tongue. A faint whisper followed.
“…Sorry.”
It was so quiet it barely reached the ear.
“It’s fine.”
Elexena laughed brightly. Panake turned his head away sharply. He was a proud monster bird and not used to apologizing.
So honest it hurts.
Elexena tapped her chest as if to show she was fine. In doing so, fresh blood seeped back into the bandages. Panake glanced at her with annoyance again.
“Exactly what happened?”
Ah. So that question came now. Elexena shrugged.
“The original owner of this body, Cardia, is technically older but has the mind of a five-year-old. She was being abused by her stepmother and the rest of her family. Then she fell from a tree because of her stepbrother and was seriously injured.”
In truth, Elexena knew almost nothing about Cardia. She didn’t even know how this situation was possible. After all, she was probably the first human to ever be resurrected in another’s body.
“Her fragile mind must have treated it as a life-or-death injury, because she came all the way to where I was.”
So Elexena simply made guesses and talked.
“I then promised revenge against that family in exchange for taking over her body. When I woke up, I could actually live in it.”
“You insane bastard…”
Panake trailed off. Elexena did not deny it. Taking over another’s body and life was, in itself, madness.
Panake looked like he wanted to say more, but shook his head. He didn’t want to scold his friend whom he had finally reunited with after over a thousand years.
“Cardia. Is that what I should call you now?”
“Seems so.”
Elexena nodded.
Cardia. That name now belonged to Elexena. Normally, being called by another name would feel strange—but not for her.
Daughter of the sky god, Panake’s companion, the glory of Palaquium. She had many titles besides Elexena. So adding another name was nothing unusual.
Panake sighed. No matter how much time passed, he could never get used to what his friend did.
“So, to the point. You didn’t come all this way just for that, did you?”
“Of course you know me well.”
Elexena tapped Panake’s wing.
“My stepmother might be a witch—or at least connected to one. Everyone serving me is her people, so I’ve been starving.”
Elexena patted her stomach jokingly. A day of hunger was nothing. Compared to a time she once spent on Lampis Island without proper water for a year, this was nothing.
But Panake’s eyes turned red.
“…Don’t take unnecessary risks. Kill them all and leave that house immediately.”
Witches were infamous enough that even newborn babies knew of them.
They used vile sorcery to turn humans into pigs or fairies into monsters. Unless a way to break it was found or they themselves lifted the spell, it would last forever. And their power grew stronger when plotting conspiracies.
Panake believed Elexena should not risk herself unnecessarily.
“That’s not what revenge is about.”
But Elexena disagreed.
She had defeated witches before.
Their strength had limits. Their magic required strict conditions and steps. That meant the only real threat was poison.
And poison was not frightening. Not anymore. She had Panake.
There was no reason to step back.
Elexena looked at Cardia’s thin hand under the moonlight. It felt strangely alive under the silver glow. The scent of crushed grass, the echo of a friend’s voice—
Without this child, she might never have felt this again.
“I can’t half-ass the revenge of such a lovely child who gave everything for me.”
Revenge meant returning what was done to you—no, multiplying it by ten or a hundred times. Elexena had promised it, and she intended to keep it.
As always, it was Panake who gave in first.
“You’re truly the most insane person I know.”
“It takes that level to be the greatest hero of the age.”
Elexena laughed.
“Will you help me?”
“Yes.”
Panake let out a resigned laugh.
Panake carried Elexena on his back.
Cool wind cut through the night air. Elexena pushed her hair back as it whipped violently in the wind. It was hard to keep her eyes open at such speed. This body was far more fragile and inconvenient than her old one.
Panake landed and hid among the trees in the duke’s garden.
“I smell blood.”
At his words, Elexena held her breath.
“They’re looking for you. Everyone is calling out ‘Cardia.’”
Tsk. So the disappearance at night reached her mother’s ears.
It wasn’t a major issue, but it was annoying. Explaining torn clothes and how she left the estate would be troublesome.
Then Elexena felt Panake’s feather brush her fingers.
A thought came to her.
A grin formed on her lips.
“What are you going to do?”
“What else? I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’ll go in proudly.”
For reference, sneaking out at night is indeed something a noble child under guardianship would be punished for—sometimes severely.
“Let’s go through the window. I’ll introduce you as well!”
She pointed toward the upper floor where many people gathered. Panake let out a dry laugh.
This insane human planned to crash through the most crowded window—with a legendary monster bird.
“I truly don’t understand what goes on in your head.”
“You’ll do it anyway, so stop complaining.”
“I really did raise you wrong!”
“Hahaha!”
Elexena laughed loudly like a carefree country youth.
Whenever she laughed like that, Panake always ended up giving in. He didn’t want that bright face to be shadowed with disappointment.
“Hold on tight.”
Panake shot toward the window at full speed.
Crash!
Glass shattered with an unpleasantly loud sound. Servants near the window collapsed.
Elexena patted Panake’s wing. He shook off the glass shards and stood beside her. His red eyes scanned the room sharply.
Elexena spoke calmly.
“What are all of you doing this late at night?”
Her voice was relaxed, yet filled with authority.
She brushed her hair back. Glass fragments fell out. She shook her shoulders casually, dislodging more shards.
The servants looked up at her.
She stood there utterly shameless, as if she had done nothing wrong. One might think the servants were the ones at fault.
But no one dared speak against her.
Not only because she was composed—but because of what stood behind her.
The monster bird guarding Lady Cardia.
Its red eyes stared directly at them.
It was the legendary creature everyone had heard of.
Steel-hard feathers, razor claws, boar-like tusks, and countless poisons.
The terrifying beast of the southern cliffs of the Simena Strait that devoured sailors.
Its mere presence crushed fear into everyone present.
No one could speak.
“Everyone ignores me. How sad.”
Elexena grabbed one servant by the hair and lifted their head.
Panake chuckled.
“What do you mean? Just feed me those who ignore you.”
His tusks gleamed between his beak as he laughed.
