By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 17.4

Kohaku in the Morning

My mornings always started early, what with me being the leader and all. I rose before my flock, and quietly climbed out of my nest. Of course, no one usually spoke to me at this hour...

“You’re up early.”

“Oh, good morning.”

But now, I had a neighbor—Eins, the nightmare limour bird. We recently got a new owner, Ryoma, and had moved into this magical space created by him.

Eins and his friends were here first, but were kind enough to make a lot of accommodations so our large flock could be comfortable.

“Alone again...?” He asked.

“Yes. Everyone else’s still asleep.”

“I know you can’t do much about it, but how come your parents are sleeping in while a newborn chick is serving as leader...?”

I had to get a quip in at that. I wasn’t about to cover for them treating me unfairly.

“Well, we’ve belonged to a human since birth... Humans protect us, so we pretty much don’t have any predators. We really just need someone to mediate infighting.”

“You’re doing great, really... We’ll be spending more time in this space for the time being. Just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you. I’ll try my best to keep the flock from getting in your way.”

“But trouble is brewing?”

“I guess my guests are sulking that they can’t fly like you...”

“I did notice some nasty looks.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll make them stick to our territory. Please, ignore them if they say anything to you.”

“Don’t worry. I know how to handle the type. If it gets out of hand, I’ll speak to the master.”

“That would be great. That ought to keep them quiet for a while.”

“Indeed... Well, I didn’t mean to keep you.”

“No, it’s much appreciated. I’ll get going now.”

“See you later.”

Eins roosted on a perch set in his territory, and I returned to my morning duties.

“First, I’ll have to check breakfast... The flock bickers constantly if they get a little less food or if it’s late... Then check the eggs, do a little patrolling... Pick up any big trash...”

There were a lot of things to do now, but life was better than before. I had to be vigilant in my morning patrol so I could maintain this environment and lifestyle, prevent any quarrels and complaints... But most of all, to keep my sanity intact.

Another typical morning...