I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
At the spot where Shella had been, the clothes she had been wearing just moments ago lay on the ground.
From within those clothes, a wise-looking bird, wrapped in silvery-white feathers, poked its head out. Its eyes were the same beautiful aquamarine color as Shella’s.
Aside from its shimmering silver plumage, its appearance closely resembled that of a jackdaw.
Among crows, the jackdaw is said to be the smallest species. Compared to the large-billed crows commonly seen in the previous world’s cities, it was much smaller and considerably more endearing. Its beak was short, and its fluffy feathers looked as though they would be pleasant to the touch.
As I gently reached out my hand, the silvery-white bird crawled out from the pile of clothes and hopped onto it.
Up close, it was even smaller than I had imagined—about the size of a pigeon or perhaps even more delicate. As I gazed down at it, the bird noticed and tilted its head slightly.
“…Shella?”
『Yes, it’s me!』
The moment the silver crow chirped, Shella’s voice echoed in my mind.
“…So you can use telepathy now.”
『⁉︎ You’re right! That’s great! Now we can talk even when I transform!』
With a series of excited chirps, Shella flapped her wings energetically.
Though she had grown larger than when she was a long-tailed tit, she remained just as adorable.
“Since you leveled up, does that mean you’re stronger than before?”
“Yes. I should be able to fly faster than in my previous form. My wind magic has also become more powerful, and my magic reserves have increased significantly.”
“That’s amazing. As expected of a mythical beast chick.”
Having evolved from an egg to a chick, Shella seemed eager to test her newfound strength, fidgeting restlessly.
『I want to fly!』
“Nope. It’s nighttime—you wouldn’t be able to see properly.”
『Muu… Then tomorrow! I want to fly as much as I can!』
“Alright, alright. Tomorrow, then. We’ll test your abilities in the dungeon.”
『Yay! Thank you, Tohma ! And you too, Rei!』
“Think nothing of it. Watching a mythical beast grow is quite enjoyable.”
Apparently delighted with her new form, Shella gleefully flitted around the house.
Her speed had noticeably increased compared to when she was a long-tailed tit. It was clear that she had energy to spare.
“She looks happy, which is great, but… I’ll miss seeing her as a long-tailed tit.”
I muttered absentmindedly, and Rei caught my words.
“You can still see her that way.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. Even after evolving, if she consciously wills it, she should be able to return to her previous form.”
“That’s fantastic.”
Even if Shella continued evolving in the future, I would still be able to enjoy her fluffy, palm-sized long-tailed tit form. Truly wonderful.
Her small yet dignified jackdaw form was also a sight to behold, so knowing I could appreciate both forms was a blessing.
◆◇◆
And so, the long-awaited next day arrived.
Deep within the Anheim Dungeon, Shella was enjoying her flight to the fullest.
“Chack!”
A sharp, lively cry.
I had heard that this was the call of a jackdaw inviting its companions on a journey.
Riding the rising air currents with expertise, she soared high into the sky with a proud demeanor.
Since there was a possibility of airborne monsters, the golden dragon Rei, in his compact form, was flying alongside her. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves—it made me a little envious.
“They do remember we’re stuck on foot, right?”
This dungeon level was an open plain, making it easy to run without obstacles. But keeping up with them was no small feat.
Using a combination of my 【Body Enhancement】 skill and wind magic, I pushed forward with sheer magical force.
Kotesu, unable to sit on my shoulder as usual, had curled up inside my hood.
Since this kept him from falling off, I resigned myself to it—though the occasional centrifugal force nearly strangled me, I endured it with sheer willpower.
Just then, I felt a strong presence from afar.
Alarmed, I lifted my gaze and spotted a massive shadow soaring through the sky.
A brown, pterosaur-like creature entered my field of vision, and I clicked my tongue.
“A wyvern…!”
A type of lesser dragon, a flying magical beast.
It seemed wary of Rei in his small dragon form, but had apparently identified Shella—now a small jackdaw—as prey.
With powerful wingbeats, it lunged at her.
“Shella…!”
I readied my magic to provide support, but Rei, in his small dragon form, moved into the wyvern’s flight path, obstructing my line of fire.
“Rei!”
『Relax. Just watch.』
I shot him a glare, but Rei remained utterly composed as he observed Shella.
“Chichichit!”
The silvery-white crow let out a sharp, wary cry as she locked eyes with the massive approaching shadow.
Rather than fleeing, she charged straight at the wyvern.
Like a gust of wind cutting a perfect trajectory through the air—
She pierced straight through the wyvern’s belly.
“…Huh?”
『Mm, splendid. Shella, you were testing a new spell, weren’t you?』
Rei nodded in satisfaction.
“…A new spell?”
『It was Wind Lance. By cloaking herself in wind, she pierced through her enemy like a spear. Quite courageous for such a small body.』
“Ehhh…”
Wasn’t that a bit too reckless?
But Shella, having single-handedly defeated a wyvern, was ecstatic. She spun joyfully through the air, and I couldn’t help but be disarmed by her excitement.
“…Yeah. You’ve really gotten strong, Shella.”
I picked up the loot dropped by the fallen wyvern—magic stones, meat, and leather.
“Chuchuchu!”
Shella, in high spirits, fluttered over and perched on my shoulder.
From inside my hood, Kotesu poked his head out and touched noses with her in greeting.
『Tohma ! Tohma ! I did it! I defeated the wyvern all by myself!』
“Yeah, well done. Taking down such a huge opponent in one strike is incredible.”
Puffing up proudly, the silver crow fluffed its feathers, looking extra round.
I had the urge to tickle her with my fingertips, but—
(Sexual harassment, absolutely not.)
I restrained myself and instead petted Kotesu. Burying my face in his soft belly, I heard a little sigh escape him.
Wait, do cats sigh?
I could almost hear a “Can’t be helped, huh?” in my head, but I pretended not to notice.
Having gained confidence from defeating the wyvern, Shella continued the dungeon exploration in her bird form.
As we got deeper, the variety of monsters and beasts increased, making her presence incredibly helpful.
Shella and Rei handled the skies while Kotesu and I took care of the creatures on the ground as we advanced.
“Next up, the 70th floor.”
We had been progressing smoothly, but exhaustion was setting in. We’d been pushing forward non-stop since morning, and before we knew it, it was already evening.
Since Shella was eager to take the lead after her evolution from a tiny, weak bird, we had only taken a short break for lunch.
Even though her magic capacity had increased dramatically, there were still limits.
“Let’s call it a day here.”
『But I can still keep going!』
She tugged at my hair with her tiny beak, but I shook my head.
“Nope. I’m tired. And Kotesu is hungry too.”
『Ugh… Now that you mention it, I might be a little hungry…』
“We only had katsu sandwiches for lunch. Let’s go home and have a proper meal.”
『Okaaay…』
By the way, today’s lunch was katsu sandwiches made with high-orc cutlets fried last night.
Just a simple sandwich with shredded cabbage and crispy katsu, but it was incredibly delicious. The slightly sweet tonkatsu sauce was a perfect match, and I devoured it.
『I want to eat wyvern meat tonight!』
Hearing the word “food,” the tiny dragon Rei swooped down.
Now, I had a cat fairy (Ketsey) in my hood, a silver crow on my right shoulder, and a tiny dragon on my left.
…
Without a word, I took a selfie.
I’ll brag about this later.
