Chapter 8: Vote Now.

“Negotiate? You’re quite the joker, little pest. Do you know what you ate?” Aphrosia snapped, exasperated.

“Coo, just a few grains of rice. What else could it be?”

The red bird gave a human-like scoff, full of disdain, oblivious to the consequences of its attitude.

What, this stingy woman was making a fuss over a few grains? Really?

Wait—stinky woman? The red bird suddenly realized something was off. Earlier, hadn’t a man attacked it? It mocked his poor anti-air skills, got blinded, and now a woman had taken it down?

It went from facing a nobody to a powerhouse! What was it supposed to do?

Blame it for not checking the almanac—caught red-handed on its first heist.

Seeing this, Aphrosia, no saint herself, grew agitated.

The girl shook the clueless bird angrily. “That was my last bit of food, you know! You ruined it all, you pest!”

Already bankrupt, Miss Aphrosia was now in deeper trouble. She couldn’t fathom why she’d spent all her savings on clothes earlier. What was wrong with her? So reckless!

Cursing the goddess was the same—she felt like she’d been jinxed, making foolish choices these past few days…

“I didn’t eat it all! Just a few bites!” the red bird argued.

“You think I’d eat what you touched? Where’d you even come from, wild bird…”

Watching the struggling bird, Aphrosia sank into thought, comparing its traits to the books her mother left her. The answer was close.

A talking bird narrowed the possibilities significantly.

“Who’s a wild bird? You keep calling me a pest! I can be killed, but not insulted! I’ll fight you!”

The red bird thrashed harder, but the ropes held tight. After a long struggle, it only exhausted itself, panting heavily.

“Oh? Fight me? Touch me once, and you win~” Aphrosia poked the bird’s chest with a stick, amused by its fury.

“Don’t get cocky! I’ve got tricks left. You’d better beg for mercy!”

It thought this would rattle her, make her wonder what moves it had left.

But Aphrosia just propped her cheek on one hand, waving the other dismissively.

“If you’re waiting for your buddy to save you, it’s too late.” Her voice was sweet, like spring water with a playful edge.

To the bird, it felt like a demon’s whisper.

A flash of golden light appeared beside the red bird, revealing a blue bird, equally bound…

“Sorry, Sister, I couldn’t make her go all out…”

Blue Birdie fought hard but couldn’t win!

The red bird stared at its sister in disbelief. “Masaka! An illusion? When?!”

“Sister!” it cried out.

The blue bird shook its head, resigned.

“Sister, we can’t beat her. She’s too strong…”

“Don’t worry, Sister will protect you! Even if it costs my life, I won’t let you get hurt!”

Tears welled in the blue bird’s eyes at those words.

“Wah, Sister!”

“Sister!”

“Brother!”

…

Aphrosia was speechless. Was she the villain now?

“Enough! You’re making me sound like the bad guy. Let’s be clear—you stole my rice, and now I might starve.”

The red bird looked at her tearfully. “Do what you want to me, but leave my sister alone. We had no choice!”

“Oh? Tell me more.”

“Sniff, my sister and I were fleeing from pursuers. We traveled far, starving. My sister’s frail—if she doesn’t eat, she’ll die! We had no choice…” the red bird sobbed.

“Sister… it’s my fault, dragging you down. Kill me, spare her! Wah, Sister!”

“Wah, Sister!”

The birds inched closer, comforting each other.

The pitiful sight tugged at the heart. Even their misdeed seemed forgivable, right?

“Aw, that’s rough. I’ll let you go then!”

The birds perked up.

“Really?!”

“Nope, kidding~”

Let them go? As if! That’d be playing right into their hands.

“Rainbow Cloud Bird, sun-loving, kite-like, vibrant colors, high-tier magical beast, capable of human speech, intelligence of a 12-year-old human, high growth potential, low combat power. Juvenile danger level G, adult danger level S. Cunning, skilled at deception, cute appearance, wicked heart.”

A book appeared in Aphrosia’s hand as she read with a playful smirk.

The red bird couldn’t hold it together.

“Slander! Pure slander!”

The blue bird chimed in, “Yeah, yeah! We’re not Rainbow Cloud Birds! We’re Spirit Feather Sparrows! Good birds!”

Aphrosia ignored them, continuing to read.

“Due to its striking similarity to Spirit Feather Sparrows, it’s often mistaken for them, and Rainbow Cloud Birds frequently pose as such to deceive others.”

The birds were stunned. This woman! Not only did a book appear out of nowhere, but it was so detailed. No amount of arguing would help now!

The blue bird looked at her sister with a troubled expression.

The red bird returned the same look.

They stared at each other, out of options.

“Coo, Sister, what do we do?”

This cheating woman had them beat!

No wonder no one else was around—she was a cheat! It made sense now.

How else could you explain the book? Or a man turning into a woman?

“Sister! Think of something, or we’re done for!”

The red bird thought hard, a storm brewing in its mind, but came up empty.

With a helpless look, it turned to its sister.

“Damn, we surrender!”