Chick 150
by CristaeEpisode 150
[Copycat Parrot Doll (B)]
Mimics the target’s appearance and actions.
Grew took out the parrot doll and sat it on the closed toilet.
“Grew, are you done yet?”
“Yeees—”
The parrot doll replied in her stead.
After patting the parrot’s head, Grew climbed onto the toilet tank and wriggled through the vent.
At a fork, she checked both directions and chose the right-hand path.
‘This is it.’
She carefully opened the vent and peeked out—
“I’m heading out to provide backup!”
A man with a tattoo on his hand was rushing out of the suite.
‘Oh!’
Grew made sure he closed the door behind him, then dropped onto the soft bed.
“Heave-ho!”
Plop! Thud! Bounce!
She hopped on the bed a couple of times before landing softly on the floor.
‘This should be the place.’
Checking the map, the glowing marker pointed unmistakably to this room.
‘Where’s Grew’s subordinate?’
Hmm, as Grew looked around, a metallic clang sounded from within a massive structure draped in white cloth.
Clang!
“…?”
She jumped.
Confirming once more that the room was empty, Grew slowly approached the object.
‘It’s huge…’
Clang!
‘Is it inside?’
She cautiously pulled back the cloth.
Whoosh!
What appeared was a cage built to contain a large animal.
But trapped inside was not an animal, but a boy—small, about Grew’s age.
He revealed himself from beneath a long shadow and gripped the bars.
His pale face was hidden by dark bangs, their deep luster reminiscent of a midnight sky.
The small boy was bound almost entirely by a scroll inscribed with red prohibitive runes.
Between his bangs, his irises glittered like stars, fixed intently on Grew.
Thump!
An instant sense of fear seized her—
[‘Mephisto’ negates ‘fear.’]
‘Hm? Thump-thump, all gone.’
Wide-eyed, Grew blinked.
“…?”
For some reason, the boy’s face twisted in suspicion, then—
“…Ah.”
His gaze locked onto Mephisto.
“You’re the miscreant who ripped out your father’s heart and sealed it away.”
His lips stretched wide, revealing teeth as sharp as a shark’s.
‘Eek—!’
Grew’s shoulders jumped in fright at his terrifying face.
“Usurper.”
He pressed his forehead against the bars, giving a twisted, almost ghoulish grin, while Grew clutched her bag strap and her lip quivered.
‘…What, what’s he saying?’
The words were far too advanced for a child their age.
Grew, her voice trembling, asked again.
“Cha… chachacha?”
The boy hesitated, then, enunciating clearly, repeated,
“…Usurper.”
“Cha…cha…?”
“Usurper.”
Even with that…
“I don’t know!”
“Peep!”
Grew put her hands on her hips and replied boldly.
At the same moment, Mephisto, perched on her head, struck a pose with wings at his waist and lifted his chin high.
The teacher always said to be a child who admits honestly when they don’t know something.
“Hmph!”
“Peep!”
“….”
Observing the girl and her chick, each confident even at their most clueless, ‘Bailach’ suddenly looked deflated, as if all his energy had escaped.
“As the lord was resurrected as a pitiful creature, it seems much has been lost…”
To think he would become such a plump, small chick.
His own essence was sealed within a human vessel, but Mephisto’s very being had been recreated, soul as its foundation.
Mephisto had never obeyed him, but he was undeniably a monarch.
What madman could have done such a dreadful thing to a monarch…?
The mere thought sent a chill down his spine.
And even so, did it have to turn him into such a fool?
Chilled, Bailach pursed his lips and sniffed Grew’s scent.
“You, did you inherit a monarch’s power?”
“…!”
Grew responded, adopting a solemn tone as if she understood,
“That’s what you meant? I don’t know!”
“Peep!”
Bailach, weary of this pattern, waved a hand dismissively.
“Enough.”
Confronted with such fools, he lost all motivation.
He’d been hoping for a rare treat.
A child’s essence, at best, would make but a single mouthful in his current form.
“Enough, you can go. Yellow bean.”
“Bean?!”
Assailed by chickpea PTSD, Grew clutched her chest and grimaced.
‘Ugh!’
The boy before her looked her age, but spoke in strange, difficult words, and seemed far more mature than anyone, more ancient than the universe itself.
He really didn’t seem ordinary—so maybe he was indeed a ‘vassal’…
Grew took a deep breath.
If so—she couldn’t just lose!
“…C-come with Grew. Here, take this.”
Digging into her bag, Grew pulled out a yogurt she’d been saving in secret.
“I’ll give you this. So you, become Grew’s subordinate.”
“….”
Bailach only felt his will draining further at the yellow bean’s offer.
“I cannot leave.”
He explained with unusual patience, as if trying to make even such fools understand.
“As you can see, my body has long been trapped within this vessel. I don’t know what you intend to do with me—”
“Hm?”
W-what?
Grew’s baffled expression made Bailach fall silent.
‘Has the scent of my homeland made me soft?’
He was about to pour out all his troubles to the usurper who stole his lord’s throne, and to the imp who inherited his lord’s power.
“…Ignore me and go.”
“Because of this?”
Grew rattled the lock on the cage that imprisoned him.
Clang! Clang!
‘It’s solid.’
“Yes, so—”
Just go, just go.
At that moment, as Bailach tried to shoo the annoying yellow bean away—
Clank!
Grew raised up the now-broken lock and her trusty fork.
“Done!”
What?
“…How… did you?”
Bailach stammered, pushing at the cage door.
Creeeak—
The bars that had held him so long swung open without resistance.
“Truly the best!”
“Peep!”
Grew and Mephisto puffed themselves up with pride.
“…?”
Bailach could only gape in disbelief.
No matter that he was sealed inside a child’s form—the cage was composed of a material his own power couldn’t break.
‘With such a dull toy…?’
Clearly, she was no ordinary child.
Even if Mephisto was a fool now, he had chosen her—she must have some special skill.
Suppressing his swelling admiration, Bailach hesitantly took a step outside the cage.
Suddenly a strange emotion rose within him.
How long had it been since he’d left this narrow prison…?
He drew a breath.
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
At that moment, Grew scratched at the scroll’s bindings with her fork, then tore them apart piece by piece.
“…?!”
She undid the ban with such ease? How does she do that?
Bailach, thrown into confusion, darted his eyes around.
‘What is this child?’
Grew finished tearing up the scroll and flashed a bright smile.
“Feel better now?”
A bewildered Bailach gave a faint nod.
“That’s good.”
“Careful, careful.”
Grew cautiously cracked the suite door and scanned left and right.
Though baffled at why he was following, Bailach nonetheless scanned both ways alongside her.
“I’m Grew. What’s your name?”
“I am Bailach of Shadows.”
“Baii… hmm.”
Worried she’d mispronounce it, Grew trailed off and nodded.
Her subordinates always had tough names…
Hamhonggi, Baii…
“Shh! Quietly.”
After confirming the hall was clear, Grew brought a finger to her lips and tiptoed down the corridor.
“We have to get to the bathroom. Sister Arin is waiting.”
Bailach stared uncertainly at the back of Grew’s head as she led him by the hand.
This young creature had so little awareness—she truly thought that if nothing was visible, nothing was there, even though countless presences gathered nearby.
As a door beside them began to open, Bailach casually blocked it with his strength.
Those inside, planning to step out, were left pushing on the unmoving door in confusion.
‘What now?’
If he tried to bar every human exiting, it would only cause a commotion.
Currently, he was trapped in a small, human body with little strength… led along by this clueless yellow bean.
‘…Sigh.’
No other choice.
Bailach spoke to the child tottering along on tiptoe.
“Little monarch, if you wish to make me your vassal, you must open the cradle.”
At those words, Grew’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O.’
“Chamber pot?”
She knew what a chamber pot was! Grandmas used it!
Wait—Grew tilted her head.
“Pee?”
“The cradle!”
“Hmph! You mean the cradle…”
Grew nodded as though she understood perfectly.
“Got it!”
Actually, she had no idea!
She was embarrassed to admit how little she’d understood all along, so she just pretended.
‘Sorry, Teacher Jeongyoon. Grew’s a bad child…’
Holding back tears, Grew fidgeted uncertainly.
‘…What should I do?’
Well, just try something. Anything.
Just like a hero in a cartoon!
Grew, hesitating, raised her index finger high.
“Open, crib!”