After tremendous effort, I succeeded in reattaching the regressor's arm. I decided not to recall exactly how I managed it. It wasn't a pleasant sight to behold.
I tied the torn muscles, connected the severed blood vessels, and forced the bones into place using qi to join them. The techniques, authorities, and qi I employed during this process were of such a high level that it was hard to put into words. I connected the nerves with lightning strikes, controlled the blood flow with blood manipulation arts, and used qi to suction the arm so it wouldn't fall off. An immense amount of elixirs and vitality was consumed in the process.
"Hah. Hah. Hah."
Completely exhausted, the regressor was drenched in sweat, barely managing to hold onto consciousness. I uncapped a vial of elixir and poured it into the regressor's mouth. Drinking it this way would reduce the elixir's efficacy by half, but the regressor simply drank twice as much to overcome that problem.
"Heuh, heueu."
'My throat feels like it's burning...'
Having swallowed the elixir, the regressor gasped, feeling a burning thirst. Even without mind-reading, it would have been obvious that the regressor needed water. I opened the bamboo faucet, poured some water, and brought it to the regressor. Like a baby bird, the regressor opened their mouth and received the water.
'Haa. Ugh. Even after drinking water, my body is still hot. It feels like my body is being torn apart. I can't do anything except hold myself together.'
They couldn't move a single finger right now. Since the regressor was also a qi master and my treatment was perfect, sensation would return in about a week, and they'd be able to hold a weapon in a month. But right now, the regressor was as weak as could be.
'I've never been this powerless during my regressions... If my arm got sliced off, I usually just died. Right now, I can't resist whatever Hughs might do...'
Reaching that thought, the regressor flinched and looked at me with frightened eyes.
'Surely not... no, right? That guy is rude but surprisingly keeps his boundaries... But what if he tries something while I'm unable to resist...? W-what do I do? If it's Hughs, how far would he...'
What do they expect me to do about it? Figure it out yourself. Good grief. If I wanted to seduce you, I would've approached you slowly from the start. I'm not the type to force myself on someone who doesn't want me.
'No, no! It's because I'm weak. I shouldn't think about leaning on someone! This relationship will disappear when I regress anyway. In the next loop, we'll have to meet again knowing nothing! If we form a deeper relationship, I'll be the only one who gets hurt! It always ended up like that. Even my first love was like that...'
Well now. They certainly got around in their regressions, didn't they.
Playing both drums and cymbals by themselves, the regressor suddenly dug through their hazy memories and thought.
'Wait. First love...? When did I, have a first love...?'
They've been regressing for so long that their memories... It is a bit pitiful, I suppose. As I was quietly reading their thoughts, a red fountain spurted from the regressor's shoulder. Blood was leaking through the stitched seams. Realizing this belatedly, I urgently shouted.
"Huh? Mr. Shea, blood! Blood is coming from your shoulder!"
"Uh, uh?"
"What are you doing? Focus! You'll lose blood!"
Your shoulder joint just became a blood faucet! The regressor, realizing their state, barely managed to stabilize their blood flow. With no strength left to focus on anything else, the regressor clenched their teeth.
'...I guess it's not coming to mind because I'm dizzy right now. Let me focus for now. I'll think about it after I'm fully healed.'
While I was devoting myself to the regressor's treatment like that.
Knock knock. I heard a sound of someone knocking on the door. I first tried reading their thoughts with mind-reading, but was flustered by the fact that I couldn't hear any thoughts from outside. They definitely knocked, but could it not be a person? I approached the door cautiously with some wariness.
"Who is it?"
There was no answer, but I could sense a presence. When I carefully opened the door, what appeared before my eyes was a parrot. A parrot with red feathers and a blue tail sat perched on a stand, nodding its head.
"What is this."
[What is this.]
"A parrot? Did it fly all the way up to this height? Or maybe... a familiar?"
[Correct! Correct!]
The excitedly squawking parrot spread its wings and flew into the room. Looking around for a place to land, the parrot found a familiar spot and settled down.
It was the regressor's shoulder.
"Hey! Get off that! I just barely managed to reattach it, what if it falls off!"
[Kyak? Then how about here?]
"Sure. The top of the head would be better."
'How is that better! Get down! My hair's getting messed up!'
The parrot made itself at home among the regressor's hair. After clearing its throat for a moment, the parrot spoke in a squawking voice.
[King of Humans. I came to pay my respects.]
"You say you're paying respects, but you send a familiar? I don't feel any respect at all."
[My apologies. But please understand. It's more convenient to borrow Poly's mouth than to speak directly.]
"Convenient? Is speaking through a parrot really speaking? Wouldn't it be more convenient to speak with your own mouth?"
[Not really? What's so difficult about speaking? Even a parrot can do it, you're making such a fuss!]
Are they speaking from somewhere far away? Their thoughts aren't reading well. It must be one of the witches, but who?
The parrot stood imposingly atop the regressor's head and spoke.
[Humans are the most dramatic. Beasts have the same blood flowing through them. Parrots can speak too, and leopards use their heads to hunt. The only things humans do better than beasts are jealousy and envy, vile desires and childish schemes. Rather than facing such humans, I'd rather face beasts. Isn't that right, King of Humans?]
Hmm. I get it. The misanthropy seeping through the tone, and the love for beasts.
This is definitely the Grand Witch.
I didn't recognize her because her way of speaking changed, but the only one who would use the mastery to conduct precise conversation through a parrot so uselessly would be the Grand Witch. Then again, it's not like any other witch would contact me before the Grand Witch either.
Well, it's something I can somewhat sympathize with, but fundamentally, something is wrong with her reasoning. I said.
"I can't sympathize at all, you know?"
[You can't? Is the King of Humans protecting his subjects?]
"Not particularly? I'm just seeing things as they are. Do other beasts not get jealous or envious? Do they not bare their teeth with vile desires? You're making a fuss over things that all other beasts do too."
Everything good is also done by beasts, and everything bad is humans' fault? That's what's truly strange. Humans are also beasts, so it doesn't mean humans are particularly worse.
"The one making a fuss, no matter what anyone says, seems to be you, Grand Witch."
[Kak, kakak!]
Hit right on the mark, the parrot flapped its wings roughly. Red feathers fell onto the regressor's eyes and face. Snatching a feather that was about to touch my nose, I said to the parrot.
"Are you, by any chance, afraid of humans?"
[N-No! Not at all! I'm not scared! It's just, difficult!]
"If you're not scared, then come in person. No matter how well you handle familiars, if you want to see their true nature, you'd need to see with your own eyes."
From what I read when we briefly met last time, the Grand Witch has a significant level of anthropophobia. To what extent? Enough that she's closer to beasts than humans.
It's fine if the other party is a woman, or if they're a familiar face. That's why she converses comfortably with Nevida and the other witches. But apparently she couldn't do that with me.
Especially.
[How would I know what the King of Humans might do to me!]
"I haven't even done anything lately, but you keep saying I'm going to do something. At least let me commit the act before you say it! So it doesn't feel unjustified!"
If she's scared of humans, then she'd also be scared of me, the King of Humans.
Huh? Wait a second. Could this actually be helpful? It's easier to exploit someone who's scared of me than someone who disregards me, right?
I asked with my head held high and an overbearing posture.
"So. What's the reason you came to find me?"
The parrot ruffled its feathers in discomfort, but since it wasn't the Grand Witch herself, a parrot doing so wasn't particularly intimidating. When I glared with wide eyes, the parrot flinched.
And the regressor also shrank back in preemptive fear. Why are you doing that too.
[It's about the Demon God!]
"The Demon God?"
[Yes. Is it true that the Progenitor Tirkanzhaka became the Demon God of Animals?]
"Demon God of Animals? Not particularly a Demon God of Animals. If we're being specific, they're the Demon God of Blood."
Then the parrot shook its head up and down while making gagging, crying sounds.
[W-Why?]
"Why, you ask? A Demon God is a Demon God because they're a Demon God. If you're asking why they became a Demon God...? And originally. They're the one who single-handedly created the vampire race. Isn't that to be expected? Even you received their blood and became an Elder."
[I had research purposes! It was to fathom the mystique of the Progenitor's blood and become a Demon God! But to have the initiative stolen...!]
Among the thirteen Elders of the Progenitor, the Grand Witch is a slightly different existence. The Grand Witch, who is the darkness enveloping the jungle and the teacher of all witches, is the head of a faction. The Progenitor and the Grand Witch shared each other's treasures on equal footing. The Grand Witch provided her knowledge, and the Progenitor provided their blood. The two darknesses of the continent colluded and became more complete.
But ultimately, an Elder is an Elder. In the eyes of the world, it must have seemed like the Grand Witch had joined the Progenitor's faction. The vampires who once ruled the world were also far more powerful than the hidden coven of witches.
[Tirkanzhaka...! Born earlier than me! Stronger than me! But becoming a Demon God too is too much!]
Perhaps that perception lingered as a slight inferiority complex for the Grand Witch.
The parrot, thrashing about on its own, glared at me while huffing.
[King of Humans, I heard the Demon God changes you.]
"That's not a story limited to me. The Demon God changes the world itself, so I'm simply affected by it."
[Anyway! That's roughly correct, isn't it!]
That shouldn't be something you just gloss over. Well, should I just agree for now.
[How can I become a Demon God like Tirkanzhaka? Tell me the method.]
"Why are you asking me that."
[The Demon God is a human. As the King of Humans, you should know!]
"Ask the Demon God. It's not like you and Tir are strangers."
[Then it makes it seem like I'm beneath Tirkanzhaka!]
"That's the truth, isn't it? What's there to be dissatisfied about? Whether you look at name value or the achievements gained, it's right that Tir becomes the Demon God."
[What am I lacking!]
"Dignity, charisma, power, authority, fame, appearance. Ah, and age too."
[Shut uuuup!]
The incensed parrot flapped and flew up. It looked fierce enough to peck and claw at my face at any moment, but I am human. I wouldn't lose to a mere light-brained flying beast. I snatched its neck in one go and pinned its wings.
[Squawk! Let go!]
"You're quite strong. Is it because you're the Grand Witch's familiar? But I'm not weak enough to lose to a mere parrot."
[Let Poly go right now! You haven't forgotten that I am the Grand Witch, have you! How dare you touch my precious familiar, you must not be afraid of crossing me again!]
"Huh? What about you? You haven't forgotten that I'm the King of Humans, have you?"
The parrot stopped flapping. Rolling its eyes, the parrot spoke with stubborn bravado.
[Hmph, hah. Putting on a bluff when you've lost your power. I, I know. The King of Humans lost all their power and went to sleep...]
"I'm currently consulting with Nevida to regain that power. So what? Am I afraid of crossing you again? Hey. Do you want to meet me with my power restored on bad terms?"
The parrot's eyes rolled again. Quietly folding its wings and curling its talons, the parrot avoided my gaze.
[...N-No.]
While Nevida had the attitude that as long as the King of Humans was resurrected, she didn't care what happened afterward, the Grand Witch was different. She had her own purposes for cooperating with Nevida. She'd want to maintain as friendly a relationship as possible with the King of Humans. Even if that might not be me, but anyway.
This much threatening was enough. I also smiled gently and softly placed the parrot back on top of the regressor's head.
"Of course. I also want to remain on good terms with the Grand Witch. After all, the Grand Witch is a friend to beasts. Which means, a friend to humans too."
[Y-Yes. Thank you...]
"But Grand Witch. Why do you want to become a Demon God?"
[T-That's... f-for revenge.]
"Revenge? Revenge against whom?"
[A... about that.]
"What?"
Since she couldn't speak well, I couldn't understand what she was saying. I really need mind-reading. As I grumbled inwardly and asked again, a clear voice flowed from the parrot's mouth.
[Revenge for the World Tree that burned and fell. To honor the spirit of the Blessed Ginkgo Tree.]
The parrot's pupils focused on a single point. With its feathers calmly settled, the Grand Witch's parrot spoke with a calm and composed attitude uncharacteristic of a bird.
[I will shatter the last remaining World Tree, Metasequoia.]