The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 17
Ju Jeokseo led Baeksa directly to his Office.
Baeksa was taken aback but hid it well, padding softly behind him.
Once inside, he pulled out a plush cushion, arranged it for her, and asked a question.
“Do you remember the Guiding Feather?”
“Oh, yes… I remember it.”
The feather whose colour had faded when she’d drained its power.
How could she forget it? The child nodded her head earnestly.
Then came the next question.
“What about the Warmth Stone?”
“Oh, that too… I remember it. It was really warm.”
“Those were both made using Abnormal Abilities. The Guiding Feather and the Warmth Stone alike.”
As Ju Jeokseo finished speaking, he opened his hand, and a large crimson feather materialized in his palm.
A feather burning with fierce, flame-like intensity.
‘A Vermilion Bird’s feather…!’
Baeksa’s eyes widened at the sight of it. Her small mouth fell open.
“All beast-kin with Abnormal Abilities can embed their power into parts of their own bodies.”
“Into parts of their bodies…?”
“It doesn’t have to be anything grand.”
Only then did Baeksa recall the Cintamani that Yeoryun and Songra wielded so freely.
To a dragon, the Cintamani is as much a part of the body as a limb. But Baeksa had never had one, so she’d never thought to try embedding her power into a part of her own body.
‘Ah, the Cintamani…’
Unable to discover the truth of that bead she’d seen that day, Baeksa’s expression darkened slightly.
But the child didn’t let it show and quickly smoothed her face.
Jeokseo, who had been waiting, swept back his bangs with one hand and spoke.
“Watch closely.”
When Ju Jeokseo summoned flame from his fingertips, a massive blaze erupted and surged skyward, then in an instant was absorbed into the feather.
The feather glowed brilliantly as if heated, wisps of smoke rising from it.
“This is the main material of the Warmth Stone. All members of the Vermilion Bird Family make these Warmth Stones and distribute them every year to the beast-kin of Namto.”
“Then the Guiding Feather too…”
“My sister made it by embedding her Abnormal Ability. Her Ability was the Path-Finding Divine Ability.”
A Path-Finding Divine Ability—
It was the first time she’d heard of such a power.
“That’s truly remarkable…!”
“Isn’t it? After that Ability manifested, most of those who used to curse my sister as a Mutant disappeared.”
Ju Jeokseo reached under the table and drew out a smooth, polished stone.
He tilted the hand holding the feather and stone so Baeksa could see clearly, then slowly brought the two together.
“There.”
In an instant, flame flickered across the smooth stone’s surface, then slowly cooled as the stone’s colour changed.
It shifted to a beautiful deep crimson, like perfectly cooked food.
“Wow…”
“Only a Vermilion Bird with the Flame Divine Ability can do this. The Azure Dragon Clan, the Black Tortoise Family, and the White Tiger—they make things like this in different ways. As for you dragons, you’d know better than I could explain.”
“Yes.”
“Objects like this, which carry divine power, are called Sacred Objects.”
Ju Jeokseo placed the Warmth Stone in Baeksa’s hands. The little serpent received it in both hands, still warm to the touch.
“Wow, it really is warm.”
“It is.”
Ju Jeokseo smiled warmly.
“If you learn this way, you’ll be able to use your Ability.”
“Oh, I…”
“Even if you don’t know how, that’s fine. I’ll teach you step by step.”
“Um, I don’t have feathers… will that be all right?”
“But serpents have scales, don’t they? Your scales are white and pure—they’ll shine like gems when made into Sacred Objects.”
Baeksa, who had been fidgeting with her fingers, opened her hand just as Ju Jeokseo had done.
“You want to call forth your scales the way I called forth the feather, yes?”
“Yes, yes.”
“It’s not difficult. After all, scales are part of your body. Close your eyes and think of calling your scales onto your palm.”
“Calling my scales…”
Could she do it?
Baeksa was a lacking beast-kin in many ways.
She was slow to learn anything, and slower to grow than other children.
So she harboured no real confidence that she could manage this.
‘But I want to do this.’
This time, she wanted to succeed. She wanted to prove her worth in something, anything.
‘So, scales, please.’
As Baeksa yearned for it with all her heart, a tiny white light kindled in her palm.
Then, in a moment—
Splash!
A small, translucent white scale appeared in her hand. Baeksa’s eyes rounded when she saw the scale materialize in her own palm.
“My lord, a scale…!”
“You follow instructions well. It’s a pleasure to teach someone so quick to learn.”
“Hehe…”
“Then I’ll give you today’s assignment.”
“An assignment?”
“You won’t be able to embed your Ability into the scale right away. You still don’t understand how to handle your own scales yet.”
He covered her small hand with his large one, helping the child grip the scale firmly, and continued.
“So for the next two days, keep this scale with you and grow familiar with it.”
“If I become familiar with my scales… will I be able to make Sacred Objects like you?”
“Of course. You’ll succeed without difficulty. You seem even cleverer than Hwaryeong.”
At Ju Jeokseo’s words, Baeksa’s eyes curved into crescents as she beamed.
‘I’ve never been praised before.’
In truth, she’d worried she might fail and be scolded.
But she’d succeeded brilliantly, and received praise on top of it.
Baeksa’s small heart thumped with joy. Since arriving at the Vermilion Bird Family, only good things seemed to keep happening.
“You can do this, can’t you?”
“Yes, my lord! I’ll do my very best…!”
“Good. Then bring that scale back in two days. Don’t lose it.”
“Yes.”
Baeksa smiled brightly.
Seeing her expression, Jeokseo thought of something he’d nearly forgotten.
“Oh, and one more thing—can you read and write? I’d forgotten to ask.”
“Oh, I…”
Baeksa hesitated and shook her head.
Yet admitting she didn’t know no longer filled her with great shame or sorrow.
It was surely thanks to the Vermilion Bird Family Head’s warm heart, which continued to comfort and reassure her.
Ju Jeokseo nodded.
“Then I’d like to start teaching you letters beginning in two days as well. I’ll teach you to read and write.”
“Really… truly?”
“Yes. Once you learn letters, you’ll be able to read books on your own. Your world will expand without difficulty.”
At Ju Jeokseo’s words, Baeksa’s face brightened.
In truth, learning letters was something she’d long wished to do.
Yeoryun and Songra disliked both studying and reading, but Baeksa had envied their ability to read books.
Reading let you know so much more, and writing meant you could send letters to those you were grateful to…
The girl she’d been before had been robbed of even such opportunities, yet she’d still harbored the dream of learning letters in a quiet corner of her heart.
So of course Ju Jeokseo’s offer was doubly precious and welcome.
The child bowed again and again, her face brighter than it had ever been.
“Thank you, my lord. Thank you so very much…!”
“It’s the least I can do. You needn’t thank me so much. Now go and rest…”
The natural end would have been for him to tell her to leave and get some rest.
But Ju Jeokseo halted before finishing his sentence.
Then he glanced to make sure the window was properly closed, and asked in a low voice.
“Baeksa, have you run into Hwaryeong since you’ve been here?”
“Hwaryeong? You mean your second son?”
“Yes.”
Baeksa thought carefully for a moment.
Since arriving here, she’d only met the Physician, Sirang, and the Family Head.
She’d glimpsed the other servants only in passing, so it was hard to say she’d truly “met” them.
And among them, there had been no one who appeared to be a young lord of the Vermilion Bird Family.
‘There was a Spiritual Beast, though…’
But the little bird had asked her to keep it a secret, so she couldn’t speak of it.
Having finished her thoughts, Baeksa shook her head once more.
“I haven’t met him yet. If I do, I’ll greet him respectfully.”
“No, you needn’t do that. I just… couldn’t believe that rascal was staying quiet, so I thought I’d ask. Don’t worry about it.”
Ju Jeokseo waved his hand dismissively.
“Now go and rest. I’ve had Sirang wait outside for you.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll see you in two days.”
“Good.”
Baeksa slipped quietly out of the Office, clutching the Peony Flower and the small scale tightly.
Sirang, who had been waiting outside, took the Peony Flower from the child’s hands.
***
After Baeksa had gone, in the window frame of the Office—
“Chirp?”
Hwaryeong, who had been hiding in his small form, narrowed his eyes to slits.
‘Why doesn’t Father trust me?’
It was true that he couldn’t stay quiet as Father expected, but still—doubting his own son? That was Father’s fault.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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