Chapter 96: Dorori the Thunderbird

But then. 

“Number 77, 200 gold!” 

“Number 20, 220 gold!” 

“Number 13, 240 gold!” 

I’d thrown out what I thought was a solid bid, but the price skyrocketed as if it were nothing. 

There was no sign of hesitation. 

“This is…” 

“Fabir, everyone’s eyes are so intense.” 

Their gazes were filled with fierce determination to claim it no matter what. 

Especially those from the mage towers—they seemed prepared for a hefty sum. 

“Number 123, 500 gold! Raising increments to 50 gold!” 

People started dropping out one by one. 

“Number 23, 600 gold!” 

“Number 41, 650 gold!” 

The pace slowed, and only about five or six bidders remained. 

Most were from the mage towers. 

A few were hanging on by a thread. 

I was one of them. 

“Number 53, 900 gold! Any more?” 

“Ugh.” 

I clenched my teeth. 

The amount I had on hand had already been surpassed by a long shot. 

Even scraping together everything I’d saved so far left me in a precarious spot. 

Still, if I let this slip, I might lose the Floating Island. 

Flash. 

“Number 77, 950 gold!” 

Whispers rippled through the crowd. 

“Wow, 950 gold?” 

“He might hit 1,000 at this rate.” 

Don’t jinx it! 

“Any more?” 

My blood ran cold. 

“Seems like that’s it. I’ll count down and close the bidding. One, two—” 

That split second felt like an eternity. 

I could barely breathe. 

Finally, the host raised the gavel high. 

Flash. 

“Number 23, 1,000 gold!” 

“Wh-what?!” 

I whipped around. 

A man from the Blue Mage Tower had his hand thrust up. 

His eyes were still rock-steady, as if he’d never let it go. 

Mine, on the other hand, wavered. 

No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn’t figure out how to pay the winning bid on the spot. 

“Any more? One! Two! Three!” 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

The long countdown flew by without a moment to think. 

It was a shame, but I had to give up on the Thunderbird material. 

“Fabir…” 

“I-I’m fine.” 

I forced a smile onto my face, but my stiff lips wouldn’t move properly. 

The disappointment was too overwhelming to hide. 

 ***

Step, step. 

I trudged out of the auction house with slumped shoulders. 

“What now that we couldn’t get the material? You were so determined to win it.” 

“It was essential, but… there’s nothing we can do.” 

I couldn’t just mope like this. 

I had to fix the Floating Island somehow. 

“There must be another way. Thanks for giving up your precious vacation time for me.” 

“No problem. At least I got to see the Thunderbird feather thanks to you.” 

Ellis flashed a bright smile. 

“See you at the herb shop, then.” 

*** 

After parting ways with Ellis, I headed back to Mr. Porin. 

“Mr. Porin.” 

“Did you find the material?” 

“I did find it, but…” 

“It didn’t work out?” 

“Yeah…” 

I vented about the auction like it was a lament. 

Each time, Mr. Porin nodded and offered words of comfort. 

“You must be really disappointed.” 

“Yeah… but the price was way beyond what I could handle.” 

The big mage towers had come ready to fight tooth and nail. 

What chance did I have? 

“So I came to see if there were any other materials.” 

“Good timing. I’ll take another look.” 

Come to think of it, Mr. Porin—who used to stutter around me—seemed more at ease now. 

He turned to his desk and scanned the ancient tome. 

“Wind attribute, wind attribute.” 

He muttered to himself, flipping through pages like a boy poring over a picture book. 

“Sorry for bothering you like this.” 

“It’s fine. I read books all the time anyway.” 

While I waited for him to find something, I looked around the tower. 

The bookshelves were packed with volumes, but every one was spotless. 

He must have tended to them all without fail. 

Then. 

Piiit! 

“Oh no!” 

Dorori’s cry came from outside the window. 

Startled, Mr. Porin dove under the desk. 

“Mr. Porin? You okay?” 

“I-I’m fine.” 

As a bookworm spirit, he must have been spooked by the bird sound. 

Did bugs fear birds? 

“Looks like Dorori came to pick me up.” 

“Dorori?” 

“Now that I think about it, you’ve never met. He’s the friend who flies me back to the Floating Island. Want to say hi?” 

“Uh, well…” 

“If it’s too much, you don’t have to.” 

“N-no, it’s fine. Since he’s your friend, I should at least greet him.” 

Mr. Porin started stuttering again. 

He was tensing up once more. 

When we stepped outside, Dorori flapped his wings in greeting. 

“How did you know where I was and find me so easily?” 

Piiit! 

Strangely, Dorori always seemed to know exactly where I was and tracked me down without fail. 

His senses must have been sharper than a human’s. 

Then. 

“Huh…? Whaaat?!” 

A shocked voice came from behind us. 

“Mr. Porin, it’s okay. He doesn’t eat bugs.” 

Dorori was bigger than your average bird, so it was no wonder Mr. Porin was startled. 

“R-really?” 

“Yeah. He loves fruits and sweets.” 

Mr. Porin peeked his head out from behind the door. 

His eyes were wide with fear, trembling like he was about to cry. 

It was almost pitiful. 

“Ha, hahaha.” 

I laughed awkwardly. 

I felt bad for him. 

“…Huh?” 

But then Mr. Porin let out another gasp. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Th-that’s a Thunderbird!” 

“Huh? Where?!” 

I scanned the sky. 

But there was nothing there. 

Mr. Porin pointed a finger. 

Right where he was pointing. 

Kyuuuit? 

Dorori tilted his head, eyes sparkling innocently. 

“…You mean Dorori? Come on, that’s a joke.” 

“No! That’s definitely a Thunderbird chick!” 

“…Whaaaat?” 

Dorori was a Thunderbird chick? 

The one with the sharp eagle face and majestic build from the pictures! 

“Th-that’s impossible! He looks nothing like the drawing!” 

Dorori’s cute round face and short legs were the complete opposite. 

“I-I’m sure of it!” 

“The Thunderbird’s feathers were blue! This one’s almost white!” 

“Ch-check the feathers on his chest!” 

…… 

“No way.” 

Still skeptical, I gently parted the feathers on Dorori’s chest. 

Shine. 

Feathers with a blue sheen. 

“G-gasp.” 

My breath caught for a moment. 

It was exactly like the one from the auction. 

…A bit smaller, though. 

“Y-you… you’re a Thunderbird?!” 

Piiit? 

Dorori tilted his head again, as if he was just realizing it too. 

Had even Elenia not known? 

Well, if she had, she wouldn’t have sent me to the Magic Nation. 

I’d always suspected Dorori wasn’t an ordinary bird, but a Thunderbird? 

All this time, I’d been riding a Thunderbird? 

“Thunderbirds are supposed to shoot out electricity, right? Dorori can’t do that.” 

“Maybe because he’s still a chick?” 

“Heh, hehehe….” 

I could only let out a hollow laugh. 

“Anyway, we found the wind material.” 

“Oh, yeah!” 

It was absurd, but since we’d found the material, I had to be happy! 

Now I could fix the Floating Island! 

“Just don’t yank out the feathers willy-nilly. They hold the Thunderbird’s power.” 

Like a dragon’s scale, it seemed to be a vital organ. 

“One should be plenty.” 

It was time to part ways with Mr. Porin. 

“Thanks for everything.” 

“I-if you need anything, stop by anytime.” 

I climbed onto Dorori’s back. 

Was it my imagination, or did I feel a faint electric tingle? 

“You… don’t go shooting out electricity or anything, okay?” 

Piiit! 

He said not to worry, but it felt like sitting on a bed of nails. 

*** 

As soon as we arrived at the Floating Island, Elenia came fluttering over. 

“Back already?” 

“Anything happen while I was gone?” 

“There were a few small tremors, but it hasn’t collapsed yet.” 

She was acting casual, but her words came out a bit faster than usual. 

“How did it go with the materials?” 

“Who do you think I am? Of course I got them.” 

“Really? Where?” 

“I’m about to pluck one now.” 

“Pluck? What do you mean?” 

Elenia tilted her head. 

“Well, turns out Dorori’s a Thunderbird.” 

“…” 

“…A Thunderbird?” 

“You didn’t know either? The bird that brings storms and all.” 

Elenia stared intently at Dorori. 

She examined his round, chubby face closely, then burst out laughing. 

“Pfft, pfft hahaha! Dorori’s a Thunderbird? That’s a terrible joke!” 

Piiit! 

Dorori got angry at Elenia. 

Peck, peck! 

He jabbed her with his beak. 

“Ow, that hurts! You fat bird!” 

Piiit! 

“Your feathers are puffed up too!” 

Thud, thud! 

Suddenly, they were bickering and fighting. 

Here we go again. 

“Sigh… both of you, stop.” 

Huff, huff. 

Both of them puffed out their cheeks like mountains. 

“I didn’t believe it at first either, but Dorori really is a Thunderbird.” 

I showed her the feathers on his chest right away. 

Elenia gasped, then her expression turned pouty. 

“Now apologize to each other and make up.” 

“Ahem… s-sorry.” 

Piiing. 

They fought often, but they made up just as quickly. 

“Anyway, Dorori. Mind if I pluck one feather?” 

Piiit! 

“Thanks a lot. I’ll use it carefully.” 

Pluck— 

I gently pulled out one feather. 

It shimmered with a beautiful blue light. 

“Floating Island, we’ve got all the materials now.” 

Ding. 

[Dragon’s Scale, Hydra’s Tooth, The Flower That Never Wilts, Thunderbird’s Feather] 

[Four powerful materials have been acquired.] 

[Self-repair has begun.] 

The four materials floated into the air. 

Whirr— 

They began resonating with the Floating Island. 

Fire, water, earth, wind. 

The potent energies each one emitted. 

It was like the primordial earth rising, oceans forming, the sun shining down, and life sprouting forth. 

They breathed new life into the Floating Island. 

Ding. 

[The Floating Island has been fully restored.] 

[Affinity has increased significantly.] 

“Oh! The Floating Island’s back to normal!” 

Piiit! 

“Thank goodness.” 

I patted my chest in relief. 

But in that moment of ease. 

Ding. 

[The meteor that penetrated the underground is interfering with the mana circuits.] 

[Mission! Please remove the underground meteor!] 

It wasn’t over yet. 

“A meteor?” 

The shooting star that had collided must have lodged somewhere in the Floating Island’s basement. 

If we left it, who knew what trouble it could cause? 

Better to remove it right away. 

“I’ll head down to the basement.” 

I grabbed a pickaxe and hurried underground.