The Chick

It was early morning at the shrine where the statues of the Creator God and the God of Agriculture stood.

My first impression upon seeing it was that of a fat bird. It didn't look like a chick at all, just a perfectly round, plump bird about the size of a volleyball.

Had it really just hatched? It must have. The shards of a broken eggshell lay nearby. Since they featured a marble pattern of red, white, orange, and pink, there was no mistake. This was the chick that had hatched from the Phoenix Egg. I had only kept the egg as a decoration, but it was surprisingly hardy to have actually hatched.

But a Phoenix? It wasn't at all what I had imagined. Even its feathers were pink.

Well, for the time being, I needed it to get down from the Statue of the God of Agriculture. I’d be angry if it pooped there.

When it heard my voice, the chick let out a chirp from atop the deity's head. Then, without moving an inch, it spread its tiny wings and showed them to me. Was that a declaration that it absolutely refused to get down?

I see. I see, I see.

I lifted the chick with both hands and set it on the ground. It put up a valiant front, but it needed to gain a bit more strength before it could challenge me. As I listened to the chick's frustrated chirping, I checked the Statue of the God of Agriculture for any stains. There didn't seem to be any issues.

Since it had only just hatched, perhaps it didn't need to relieve itself yet. Or rather, how did it even climb to the top of the statue right after hatching?

Ah, it could fly. Its speed was slow, but it could definitely fly.

"Hey, don't climb that. I'll make you a proper perch later."

When I brought the chick back to the Village Head's Mansion, everyone was surprised. I suppose they would be. They were shocked that it had hatched at all, but even more so that this was supposedly a Phoenix.

Alfred and Tiselle wanted to touch it, but I first checked with Lu regarding the bird's upbringing.

"A Phoenix will grow up just fine on its own," she said.

Apparently, Phoenixes possessed incredible life force and could survive for a hundred years without food. They also had regenerative abilities. It seemed they didn't require any special care.

Did it really not need any care?

When I looked at the chick, it suddenly started chirping adorably to curry favor with me. What had happened to that valiant attitude from before? It seemed it valued a meal over its pride. I see. Even though it had just hatched, it was already quite wise. Or perhaps it was just being faithful to its instincts.

For now, I passed the chick to Alfred and Tiselle and went to find something it might eat.

I quickly understood what Lu meant by it not needing care. The chick ate anything. It did have preferences, though. It liked unharvested rice, much like a sparrow.

"Don't get angry. I'll prepare some for you. But if you touch the fields directly, I’ll be cross. Do you understand?"

It seemed to.

Then, a group of Zabuton's Children arrived. One of them stepped forward in front of the chick. Perhaps sensing something, the chick spread its wings and threatened the spider. Suddenly, a fight broke out between the chick and the spiderling.

I wondered what had sparked it so abruptly, but then it hit me. Birds ate bugs, didn't they?

"Whoa, whoa! Hold on a second!"

I was too late. Zabuton’s child was already striking a victory pose atop the chick, which was now wrapped tightly in thread.

"Ah... well, you're quite strong. Now, please release the chick."

I gave the bird a stern warning. "Listen, I won't allow you to target Zabuton's Children. I'll give you as much rice as you want. And you lot, you're free to defend yourselves if you're targeted, but please don't start the fights."

Zabuton’s Children waved their legs to show their understanding. Good, good. As for the chick? It was sulking.

"Here, have some cabbage. You like this, right? Hey, don't peck my hand."

Good grief. Still, the chick seemed to have accepted the terms. I hoped they would get along.

A few hours later, I saw the chick being chased around by the kittens. Well, those kittens weren't the type to wait just because I told them to.

"Ann, please. After you stop them, tell them not to attack the chick."

Eventually, a name was chosen for the Phoenix chick: Aegis.

I had suggested names like Hinako, Feniko, or Fenitaro, but the chick didn't seem to care for them. It settled on Aegis, the name Alfred had proposed. Apparently, the name came from one of Progenitor-san's stories. Perhaps it was the name of a god?

Now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure if Aegis was male or female. No one seemed to know how to distinguish them.

"I think its characteristics will become clearer once it grows a bit more," someone noted.

I see. It was snuggling up to Tiselle far more than Alfred. And for that matter, it preferred Lu and Tia over me. Until we knew for sure, I decided to treat it as a male.

As a side note, while I was building a birdhouse for Aegis, Lu whispered in my ear.

"Phoenix feathers are a high-quality material. Even a chick's feathers are valuable, so don't throw them away if they fall off while you're cleaning."

I suppose I should think of it as a bird that earns its own keep. Yeah.