"Master! This is betrayal! You can’t just shove me into the—"
Before Erblim could finish, Azel pushed the crow’s head back into the water. The bird let out a furious caw that echoed across the beach with his wings flailing helplessly.
Azel chuckled, pulling both Erblim and the Royal Silverhain Furry out of the shallow surf and onto the warm sand.
The sun reflected off the droplets running down their feathers and fur.
"How did that nice soak feel?" he asked, looking down at the Furry, who shook herself like a dog and then hopped onto a rock nearby.
She began licking her paws delicately, letting out a happy yelp afterward.
Erblim, dripping wet, took to the air immediately, glaring down at Azel with pure betrayal in his eyes. "That wasn’t nice! Water is good, but you didn’t have to soak me in it!"
Azel smirked. "Hey, at least you don’t smell like bird brains anymore."
"Excuse me?" Erblim flapped his wings angrily, sending a spray of water over Azel’s head and shoulders.
Droplets ran down his face, soaking through his shirt.
Azel wiped his cheek and laughed. "You’re petty as hell."
The Royal Furry, sitting beside him, tilted her head as if amused by the exchange.
"So your bird familiar can talk? How fascinating."
Azel turned at the sound of Sylvia’s voice.
She was standing behind him, her blond hair fluttering in the light sea breeze.
"Is that rare?" Azel asked, curious.
"Yes," Sylvia replied with a serene smile, stepping closer. "There are few familiars that possess the ability to communicate fluently with their masters. I’ve seen perhaps three cases in my homelnad. Yours must be a rather unique specimen." She paused, giving Erblim a sideways glance. "Of course..."
Her lips curled slightly in a teasing grin. "...he still looks like a bird brain."
She said it with such delicate politeness that it almost didn’t sound like an insult, but Erblim’s feathers ruffled instantly.
"BIRD BRAIN?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BIRD BRAIN, YOU ARROGANT—"
Azel caught him mid-flight by the leg and held him upside down. "Easy, easy. She’s joking. You’re going to make me bald one day with all your tantrums."
Erblim squawked again but gave up, sulking in silence.
Azel grinned and reached into his storage ring, pulling out a small pair of silver scissors.
The sunlight gleamed off the blades as he twirled them between his fingers.
"Anyway," he said, looking at the Royal Furry, who was now grooming her tail. "I need to trim your hair a bit. Who wants a haircut?"
The Furry tilted her head again, curious.
Her fur was still damp, sticking to her small frame, making her look even fluffier. She barked softly, as if agreeing.
Azel crouched, brushing his fingers through her silky fur before carefully trimming the uneven strands.
She stayed completely still, only wagging her tail slightly whenever his hand brushed her back.
Sylvia knelt nearby, watching with interest as she gently brushed her own Silverhain.
"You are surprisingly gentle, Azel," she remarked. "I would have imagined you to be far less patient with animals."
"Guess I have a soft spot for fluffy things," he replied, snipping a few more strands. "Don’t tell anyone though, it’ll ruin my image."
Sylvia smiled and laughed elegantly. "Your secret is safe with me."
...
From where she stood farther down the shore, Rain watched the entire scene and her fingers clenched tightly into fists.
’Calm down... You’re a fully grown woman. That’s your hero, remember?’
She took a deep breath, but the twisting ache in her chest didn’t go away.
Watching the hero smile at another woman... especially that woman made her chest burn.
Sylvia Du Sorenia.
The same woman who had stolen her place in Reinhardt’s heart in her past life, slipping into the story halfway through and turning everything upside down.
Rain’s jaw tightened.
"She’s vile," she muttered under her breath. "An uptight, long-eared court doll with a stick up her—" She stopped herself and exhaled sharply. "Whatever. I have my Phoenix egg. That’s all that matters."
Her gaze softened as she looked beside her.
The egg radiated pure heat, glowing with deep crimson patterns that pulsed like embers.
Even standing near it was uncomfortable.
Rain had wrapped it in a thin barrier of holy energy just to stop it from scorching everything around it.
She crouched down beside it, eyeing a few dark marks on its shell.
"Even though it’s clean... it still has some stains," she murmured. "Guess I’ll need to scrub those off."
She didn’t want to think about what those stains might be... probably residue from whatever volcanic nest it came from.
Still, the perfectionist in her couldn’t leave them there.
She glanced at the calm waters nearby and nodded to herself. "Alright... let’s make this quick."
Reaching into her spatial ring, she pulled out a large, circular container... a Floating Bowl. A handy invention she’d bought the day before.
True to its name, it could float steadily even with heavy weight inside, as long as the water beneath it stayed calm.
"Perfect."
Rain placed the bowl on the surface of the water and watched it steady itself, bobbing slightly before going still.
"Alright, let’s do this," she muttered.
With careful precision, she used her holy energy to lift the Phoenix egg.
The air shimmered under the heat it emitted, and sweat immediately formed on her brow. She guided it slowly toward the bowl and released the spell.
The moment the egg touched the bowl, a blast of heat surged outward... so powerful that her hair flew back. She quickly tied it into a ponytail before it could burn her face.
"Alright, damn egg... let’s go," she muttered, squinting against the heat.
She raised her hand, summoning streams of water from the ocean into the bowl.
Steam hissed immediately, clouding the area in thick steam. But she didn’t stop... instead, she conjured several glowing sponges from her ring, their soft edges infused with holy magic.
One by one, she guided them into the bowl. They began scrubbing at the shell, circling the egg rhythmically.
"Yeah... that’s right," she said with a grin, focusing her mana. "Get clean."
Steam billowed upward, surrounding her completely until her figure became a silhouette.
Then, without warning, the water shifted.
It grew darker.
Rain frowned, pausing mid-command. "Huh?"
The surface rippled violently. The floating bowl trembled, water sloshing over the sides.
And before she could react...
Something rose from beneath the surface.
A massive shadow surged upward from the depths.
It swallowed the bowl, the water, the sponges and the egg in one swift movement.
Rain’s breath caught in her throat.
’Wha—’
[Author’s Note]
Bonus Chapters coming later.