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Chapter 10 - Talking Crow

"How long have you known you'd get to take care of beasts?!" Ethan demanded. "What subject even is this?"

Adriel eyed his professor as he hurried through the rows of classmates sitting in desks. "Since literally just right now. Don't blame me. Magic Creature class never gives time for preparation."

"Wow. My old teachers would tell you things three months in advance."

Professor Liffey snapped her fingers, and a bunch of cages in various sizes materialized behind her, near the open side of the room. Five aides quickly stepped through the room doors and walked over to them.

"Your task is to raise your assigned creature for the next month and a half. They are all younglings of varying species. We have carefully planned this out for you, as the top Magic Creature class."

Dropping a long assignment in the middle of nowhere is crazy. Must be just a classic filler arc before midterms. 

"I thought she was just a mage," Ethan said.

"She teaches General Magic, but also Magic Creatures. I don't know why."

The aides began distributing boxes to students, filling the room with strange noises. 

"They will come with you everywhere to classes. Live in your rooms. You will clean up after them and feed them."

Liora, whom Ethan hadn't realized was sitting right next to Adriel, put her hand up. 

"Yes, Liora?"

The girl stood up. "No offense, but what's the point of this?" she asked casually, like she just wanted to know the time.

The professor paused. "You're the one who picked this elective," she said simply. "Did you think we'd only be reading books about creatures? We have deemed this class responsible enough to care for animals. It will be a good experience."

"Oh, okay," Liora nodded, and sat back down, though she didn't seem to buy it. 

Of course, gotta have the love interest in the same class as MC who adds nothing valuable to the story. Every academy scene has to have a 'why are we learning this?' to make it genuine.

From Adriel's spot near the aisle in the center, Ethan still had a good view of the room, despite being stuck to Adriel's waist. He watched as an aide approached their table with a cage smaller than the rest. 

"Do not open the cages until I instruct you to do so."

The aide placed the cage on the desk, just out of Ethan's sight. 

"What creature did we get?" 

"What creature did I get, you mean. This has nothing to do with you," Adriel scoffed.

"Uh, yes it does. If I have to live with a yappy little dog or whatever, then it is absolutely my business."

Scratching noises emerged from the cage, and Ethan heard someone gasp, as though offended. 

"I am no dog!" a strange voice said indignantly, coming from above Ethan. 

Huh??? 

"I'll have you know I'm an Obsidian Corvid, not some dirty mutt. My name is Rue, and I am an esteemed member of the Alliance of Apothecaries--how dare a mere artifact compare me to a dog!"

Wait, wait. Our pet talks?! The world is adding new talking characters faster than I gamble away my money on gacha games.

The professor continued talking, but Ethan missed her words in his confusion.

So the creature was an obsidian-something, and it could talk to Ethan, despite not being an artifact. And it sounded annoyingly similar to Adriel…

"Who the hell just said that?" Adriel snapped. "You better not be messing with me, sword."

Ethan was stunned. "You actually heard it?"

Magical creatures could also talk telepathically, just like artifacts?

This telepathy rabbit hole goes even deeper than I thought…

"Yes, I'm talking to you too, boy. And I am not an 'it'! I am a 'she'! Don't treat me like a lowly artifact." 

"You may now open the cages. Please keep track of your creatures. You must come to the Academy stables in the morning and night daily for the duration of the assignment. And at the end of the assignment period, we will hold…"

"They just had to give me a weird one, didn't they?" Adriel said loudly, but opened the cage anyway. 

"And they just had to give me to an insolent brat," Rue retorted. "I used to be treated like a queen--"

As Ethan heard her leave her cage, she stopped. 

"What is this corrupt magic I sense?" Rue whispered.

Oh, can she sense me?

"Yeah, hi, that's me. I'm a cursed sword," Ethan said. 

Rue's feathers puffed up. "Good god, the first artifact I talk to in seven decades is a cursed sword?!"

But she seemed to recover fast. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overreact. I just couldn't believe a sane voice could be something like that," she said after a few moments. 

A little dark bird poked its head over the edge of the table, looking directly at Ethan. Rue's feathers shone a beautiful deep black, catching the light when she moved. Her beak almost looked like glass. 

Adriel's eyes followed her. He raised an eyebrow. "You're seventy years old? You're supposed to be a chick. But I guess you have the size right."

Rue grimaced. "I know I'm tiny, and I don't like to be reminded of it," she complained. "I'm older than that, actually. But don't tell the Academy, will you? I like living here."

Ethan saw her hop onto Adriel's shoulder, settling like she'd always been there. 

"I won't tell anyone you've got a cursed sword," she added. 

"Could you even do that if you wanted to?" Ethan questioned. 

"...No," Rue admitted. "I can't communicate with anyone who is unable to speak telepathically."

"...Please take the remainder of this lesson to become acquainted with your creatures," Professor Liffey said. "You may take them in the area just outside this room if you wish."

Liora leaned over from her desk, holding a little kitten in her hands as though it was the most precious thing in the world. "Ooh, Adriel, you got a crow? I got this little baby--look at him! Isn't he so precious?"

The professor's gaze landed on her. "They will require names, for now. And one more thing… you would do well to find out the exact species of your creature."

Many students left their seats, bringing with them exotic animals. Ethan saw a few puppies, some kind of monkey, one more animal that looked like a cross between a lion and an eagle, plus some more oddities. 

Adriel, still with Rue on his shoulder and Ethan at his side, got up and moved close to his friend's table. "This one's not a crow. It's an Obsidian Corvid. And that's a Mooncat," he corrected, glancing down at the snow-white kitten.

Its whiskers were curly, and sparkled like glitter. Its two little eyes glowed an ethereal blue--Ethan fell instantly in love with it. 

"OMG!! That thing is sooo fluffy!" He burst out. "It's like, the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my whole life! Ask her what she's naming it!"

Adriel didn't even give a hot-tempered reply. Ethan decided that must mean he felt the same about the kitten.

"What are you going to name him?" Adriel said, as Ethan asked.

"Puff!" Liora declared. "A cute name for a cute kitty!"

Absolute NPC choice of name, but it works.

"Puff? Really? Well, I guess it'll be the perfect fit for an animal who's going to shed all over the Academy."

"Ugh, a cat," Rue said scornfully. "I can't stand them."

"Are you kidding? Puff is literally the peak of cuteness!"

"It's not that great. Calm down," Adriel said.

"Bro, why are you being a tsundere? Feel some excitement."

Ethan was calling it now. By Chapter 50, Adriel would kill for Puff and Rue. 

Liora stared at Rue, wide eyed. "What're you calling yours?" 

"My name is Rue," the bird reminded Adriel. "You are not calling me anything else."

"Rue."

Puff mewed sweetly, and Ethan's heart almost melted.

Okay, forget the cursed sword plot. I want the creature-raising slice of life spin-off. 

 "Whatever happens next, now I can die happy," he sighed. 

"Pwetty birb! I wan' to touch!"

Rue gasped. "It speaks?!" 

Adriel grabbed Rue with his other hand, setting her on the table, to the crow's horror. "Pick me up, human! I don't want to be near that thing!"

Puff clumsily sidled up to Rue, while she backed away until she was cornered at the edge of the table. 

"I like birb!" the kitten chirped, rubbing his head against her. 

"Nooo! Save me!"

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