Ch. 1: Hya!
One day, in the Month of Sunlight…-.
The weather was very clear that day.
Navi and I walked across a grassy plain as a gentle wind blew.
OO: “The weather feels nice…”
Navi: “Yes, the sunlight makes it an ideal day for a walk.”
A gentle breeze ruffled my hair.
(I think it’s going to be a good day.)
As I had that thought…-.
Navi: “!”
OO: “Navi?”
Navi’s ears perked up.
Navi: “The presence of a ring…? But it seems different…-.”
OO: “Navi…?”
Navi: “Princess, let’s at least check it out!”
OO: “R-right…!”
Navi and I came upon a sweet-smelling flower field.
Navi: “Princess, over here!”
With the ring swinging on its chain at my chest, I approached where Navi was pointing.
There we found…-.
OO: “An egg…?”
A white egg was nestled almost protectively between the flowers.
The shell was glossy as I looked at it, the egg about the size of my palm.
OO: “…this is… an egg, right?”
Navi: “It… appears so.”
Both Navi and I tilted our heads in confusion, then slowly… I picked up the egg.
OO: “Wow… it’s so glossy.”
The glossy sheen of the egg sparkled as it reflected the sunlight.
OO: “Huh? This egg… it’s warm!?”
I felt a faint heat in the palm of my hand, then…-.
??: “Hya!”
OO: “Eh…!”
??: “Hya! Hya!”
The flowers rustled, as if surprised by the strange voice.
Ch. 2: Hya! Hya!
I almost dropped the egg as I heard a strange voice, but…-.
Egg?: “Heyaaaaa!!”
OO: “Wha…!”
The noise sounded almost berating, and I frantically recovered my hold before I could drop the egg.
OO: “Wh… what?”
Navi: “That was… the egg, wasn’t it?”
Unable to believe this sudden occurrence, Navi and I shared a look.
OO: “…”
(What the…)
I stared closely at the egg, questioningly, when…
Egg: “Hya~!”
As if proclaiming its existence, the egg gave an energetic shout.
OO: “Looks like… it really was the egg.”
Navi: “Just what kind of egg is this…?”
OO: “Hmm…”
I looked around, but I didn’t see a creature that could possibly be the egg’s parent.
(What should I do? Should I not move it…?)
As I thought that, I began to place the egg back where I found it…
Egg: “Hya!? Heya! Heyaaaa!”
The egg jumped up as if in protest, and I stopped.
Navi: “…it doesn’t seem to want that.”
OO: “…”
Navi: “Princess…what shall we do?”
Worrying over this, I…-.
OO: “…for now, let’s bring it back with us.”
And that was how we ended up bringing a strange egg back with us…-.
…
……
Having returned to my room, I immediately began discussing the egg with Navi.
However…-.
OO: “I see. So, you don’t know what it is either then.”
Navi: “My apologies, Princess… however, this is the first time I’ve seen an egg like this.”
Navi’s large ears drooped apologetically.
OO: “It’s alright.”
(But if even Navi doesn’t know…)
Egg: “Heya!”
The egg rocked back and forth in my hand and called out as if in complaint.
OO: “Sorry, we’re just trying to figure out how we can be helpful…”
I gently stroked the surface of the egg with my finger, and the egg flopped onto its side as if it felt good.
Egg: “H-heya~…”
(It’s kind of… cute? Maybe. But, what on earth are we supposed to do?)
As I was at a loss…-.
Navi: “How about… we ask someone more knowledgeable in these things?”
OO: “Someone more knowledgeable…”
The person who came to mind was…
OO: “If it’s someone well-versed in chicks… I know, that would be Leonie, right?”
Navi: “Prince Leonie… I see, he’s had experience with hatching eggs before!”
OO: “Yeah, I hope he can help.”
(If it’s an egg then…)
Even while my inner thoughts were in turmoil, he was the only person I could think of in this situation.
OO: “If it’s someone well-versed in food… what about Nepenthes?”
Navi: “P-Princess… are you hungry!?”
OO: “Ah, no, that isn’t it…”
(But… this is a really weird egg.)
OO: “…”
Egg: “…hya…”
My thoughts spun as I looked at the egg again…
OO: “…let’s see if we can think of anyone else who could help.”
Navi: “Right. Having more people would be reassuring!”
Egg: “Hya!”
And so, we reached out to the people who came to mind…-.
Ch. 3: H... Hya!
Several days later…-.
Leonie: “OO, are you alright!? You said you found some kind of weird egg?”
Nepenthes: “I came as I heard it was a delicacy but… where is the egg in question?”
The two princes rushed in, both of them seeming excited.
Egg: “…”
The air felt strained and prickly… almost as if the egg was on guard.
Nepenthes: “Ah, I see, this is the unusual egg then?”
Leonie: “It looks like an ordinary egg to me though…”
Navi: “Princess…”
Navi looked up at me pleadingly and…
OO: “It’s really glossy.”
Leonie: “You’re right. I-it’s almost scarily shiny…”
For some reason, Leonie’s voice started to shake.
OO: “We found it in the grass.”
Nepenthes: “I see… is it a bird? No, an amphibian…? Well, what matters to me is the taste.”
Nepenthes licked his lips with his long tongue.
Leonie and Nepenthes looked at the egg quizzically when…
Egg: “Hyaaa!”
Leonie: “U-uwaaaaaa!!!”
Leonie fell backwards in surprise from the egg’s voice.
Nepenthes: “What a strange voice…”
Contrarily, Nepenthes didn’t seem surprised at all, and he looked at the egg closely.
Navi: “Th-that surprised me…”
I…-.
OO: “Leonie, are you alright!?”
Leonie: “Y-yeah, sorry for scaring you…”
Still on his backside, Leonie took my offered hand and stood up.
OO: “Nepenthes…?”
Nepenthes: “Such a strange voice… with this, I have great expectations for its taste.”
Nepenthes smiled broadly with an ecstatic look on his face.
Leonie: “Ah… that surprised me… it should have just told us from the beginning that it could talk…”
Nepenthes: “And how would you expect it to let us know it could speak?”
Leonie: “Th-that’s…!”
Leonie grit his teeth in regret when faced with Nepenthes’ cold gaze.
Leonie: “Anyway… I came because I thought I could help, but… that might be impossible for me.”
OO: “It’s alright. I’m just thankful you came.”
Leonie: “O-oh, okay…”
At the Festival of Thanks Giving held in the Land of the Rainbow, Leonie and I had worked together to hatch chicks.
Even while panicking, Leonie was reliable and did his absolute best to raise the chicks well…
(That time, I wouldn’t have thought Leonie didn’t possess any courage.)
Leonie: “…I’m glad you said that. Just tell me what I can do to help.”
OO: “Right. Thanks for your help, Leonie.”
On the other hand…
Nepenthes: “Oh my. I thought I would be having a marvelous banquet today, but it seems I may have been wrong.”
Nepenthes kept a captivated eye on the egg even now.
OO: “A banquet…!?”
Egg: “! Hya…!”
Nepenthes was a prince of Vilastine in the Land of Flower Spirits…
His goal in life is to track down delicious foods, and there is no end to his curiosity on the matter.
OO: “Nepenthes! This egg is a living thing, you can’t eat it…!”
Egg: “Heya! Heya~!”
The egg hopped up and down in my hand as if angry.
Nepenthes: “I see… in that case I shall have a taste of you first. Aah, you’re still as fragrant as the last time we met…!”
OO: “…!”
Navi: “P-Princess~!”
As soon as Nepenthes leaned in close…-.
Leonie moved to stand protectively in front of me.
Leonie: “H-hey! What are you talking about, trying to eat OO!!?”
Nepenthes: “I should be asking you what YOU are talking about. It is only logical to eat when there is delicious food to be had.”
Leonie: “Huh!? No but seriously, what are you talking about…-.”
Nepenthes let out a heavy sigh even before Leonie had finished speaking…
Nepenthes: “And? In the end, what do you plan to do with this egg?”
OO: “Ah…”
Egg: “Hya…?”
We all turned our attention to the egg.
Ch. 4: Ma... ma...
After that, we referenced various books and tried to find information on the egg, however…
In the end, we couldn’t find any plausible information.
Nepenthes: “…”
Nepenthes stared at the egg.
(I wonder if this is really okay…)
I was still worried he’d try to eat the egg, so I didn’t let Nepenthes out of my sight.
Egg: “Hya! Hya!”
The egg made a sound as if it were in good spirits, and Nepenthes let out a sigh…
Nepenthes: “As Lady OO has stopped me, I cannot eat you now, however…”
Nepenthes snapped up the egg between his fingers.
Nepenthes: “Answer me plainly! What the heck are you!? Shall I roast you? Steam you? Or eat you alive!? How would you like to choose the method in which you will be cooked?!!”
Egg: “Hya…?”
Leonie took the egg in his hands to hide it from Nepenthes.
Leonie: “Hey! Knock it off! We have to get it back to its family so it can hatch…”
Nepenthes: “I see. Then we shall eat it after it has hatched. That is another option.”
Leonie: “No!!”
Leonie stroked the egg kindly…
Leonie: “I’m sure you’re worried too. But we’ll make sure you can see your parents again.”
Egg: “Hya…”
(Leonie…)
Nepenthes: “…hmph.”
This time, Nepenthes snatched the egg from Leonie.
Leonie: “Ah! Hey!!”
Nepenthes: “You mustn’t spoil it. I’m in the mood for something crunchy and salty. I want to prepare it with spice rather than sweetness.”
Egg: “H…ya…?”
Nepenthes: “And that means… You. Drop this act and reveal your true nature. If you don’t… ah, I know, I shall introduce you to the world’s most potent spice…-.”
Leonie: “Y-you can’t! Why do you look like you’re going to throw it!?”
I watched over the unfolding events, then turned to Navi.
Navi: “Sweet or spice… which will it be?”
(Hmm…)
I..-.
OO: “I’m sure this little one is worried so… we should treat it with kindness.”
Leonie: “Yeah. I knew you’d say that OO!”
Nepenthes: “Hmph, I see… well then, there’s nothing to be done. I suppose I will have to take an after-dinner desert in that case.”
OO: “I understand what Nepenthes is saying.”
Leonie: “EEH!?”
OO: “If it’s like a chick, it might think we’re its parents… and then when we find its real parents, it’ll be difficult to part ways.”
Egg: “Hya…”
I took the egg from Nepenthes and gently stroked it.
Then…-.
Egg: “Ma… ma…”
OO: “Eh?”
(What… was that?)
I listened carefully to the egg once more but…
Egg: “Hya!”
(I’m sure… it was just my imagination.)
And with that we were once more at a loss.