I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 14

—–CROW—– 

Silphy finally went outside the cave, thanks to our “persuasion.”

-The, the sunlight is shining on meeee!

“Sss.”

“Seriously, what’s with that reaction?”

It wasn’t like she was a vampire; what difference did a little sunlight make?  She thrashed around the moment we were outside, desperately trying to get back into the cave. I sighed and tightened my coils around her neck.

“Just stay put for 10 seconds.”

10 seconds later, Silphy melted onto the ground like ice cream, mumbling incomprehensibly.

-I’m, I’m melting. Am I going to die like this?  Silphy, the Wind Spirit, melting away without fulfilling her dream of becoming the Spirit King, sob, sob.

Ssssss.

This should be enough. I loosened my grip and slithered onto a nearby rock.

“Meow!”

Thump. Thump.

The cat was free now that I’d let go, but Silphy’s face scrunched up as it started hitting her head.  However, despite the change in expression, she remained motionless, as if dead, conserving energy by limiting unnecessary movements.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

-…

Thump. Thump. Thump.

-…

Whack!

-…

Whack! Whack! Crack!

“Sss?!”

“W-Wait. Didn’t you hear something strange?!”

“Meow?”

I’d been watching the cat try to wake Silphy up, but the increasing force of the blows, culminating in a sickening cracking sound, startled me.  At first, it had been light taps, but now it was hitting her head with full force, as if trying to break it.

-Kyaaaaaa!

“Oh, she’s fine.”

Thanks to the cat’s “efforts,” Silphy finally started moving, clutching her head.  Although, not in a good way.

-Why do I have to be treated like this the moment I come out?! Is it such a crime to want to relax comfortably at home?  Is it?!

Whoosh.

The wind stirred.  Fueled by Silphy’s emotions, the wind swirled around her, acting as her limbs.  It looked like…

Wiggle, wiggle.

“Truly pathetic.”

Like a child throwing a tantrum in the toy aisle, rolling around on the floor.  And perhaps because of us, she was controlling the wind’s strength.  It only stirred up dust and dirt, looking…pitiful…no, petty…no, it just looked like…a vacuum cleaner.

-I’m going back inside!

She could just get up and walk or fly back.  But she was crawling back, covered in dirt.  Watching her, I looked up at the sky.

Whirr~.

The clear, bright sky filled my vision, accompanied by a pleasant breeze.  I wondered what was beyond that endless expanse.

“The sky is so clear.”

-Ughhh. Finally, I’m, I’m inside.

***

-Sniffle.

“Sss.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

-Yeah.  I’m not grateful at all, but thanks.

After her unbelievable display outside, Silphy had settled down in the deepest part of the cave within our reachable range. Thanks to this, we could move freely without her help and even offer her some comfort.

-I was struggling a lot, but you did that for me, right? So I’ll forgive you.

“Meow.”

-A-And about earlier, I was just startled.

Whoosh.

It seemed the cat had asked why she crawled back into the cave.  Brushing the dirt and dust off her clothes, Silphy slowly levitated into the air.  As if to say, she’d fall for it once, but not twice. She created distance, rising to a height we couldn’t reach.

“Meow?”

-I wasn’t scared! I just wanted some fresh air!

But it was obvious she was scared.  She trembled and flew higher whenever we approached.  I wisely kept my mouth shut, and the cat, seemingly too lazy to provoke Silphy further, yawned and climbed onto the rock where I had been resting earlier.

“Meowww.”

That rock was pretty great.  Comfortable to lie on, and warm from the sunlight.

-So, what are your names?

Silphy, who had been clinging to the ceiling, now floated freely around the cave, asking for our names.  Come to think of it, we only knew Silphy’s name.  But there was a critical problem preventing me from answering.

‘I don’t have a name.’

More precisely, my current snake form didn’t have a name. And if I wasn’t mistaken, the cat was in the same situation.

-Wh-What? You don’t have names?

“Meow.”

“Sss.”

She’d figured it out. We nodded in agreement, and Silphy, looking excited, clenched her fists.

-Then I’ll give you some! How about Snakey and Tiger Lily?

“Sss!”

“Hiss!”

-Why?! They’re cool and pretty names!

Then you use them! I narrowly avoided being named Snakey and racked my brains for a name.  A name… three syllables that naturally came to mind.  My name from my previous life.  Could I use it here?

Hesitation.

I wasn’t sure if I should continue using that name.  Should I connect this new life with my past life?

‘The gallery should have the answer.’

I couldn’t be the only one who had faced this dilemma.  Everyone in the gallery must have thought about this at some point.  So I decided to look at the choices made by my predecessors and make my own decision.

[What should I do about my name?]

– Author: YonggariSnack

I just thought of this, but how are you guys handling names?  I’ve been managing without one, but now that I’ve met Silphy, who can communicate, I need a name.  I’m not sure if I should use my original name or create a new one. What did you guys do?

– I just use my own name.

– Me too.

– I created a new one.

– I use my game nickname.

└ Oh, what’s your nickname?

└ Flora.

People had made various choices.  Some used their real names, some their game names, and some created entirely new ones.

‘…Hmm.’

– Wouldn’t it be better for the Gallery Master to create a new one? He was reborn, unlike us.

└ Agreed. He’s a case of “reincarnation,” not “transmigration,” unlike us.

└ Shouldn’t he use his original name then?

└ Just do whatever you want, Gallery Master.

Seeing everyone actively giving me advice, I fell into thought.  Those who used their original names did so because they came to this world with their original bodies. But my case was different.  I hadn’t been summoned with my original body; I had been reincarnated into a completely new one.

‘A new life needs a new name to match.’

Someone’s words kept catching my eye. A new life, and a new name.  There were also arguments for using my previous name to remember my past self on Earth, but for some reason, I felt a slight resistance to that.

‘It’s probably because my mindset has changed.’

I had realized something while fighting the giant rat.  I didn’t want to die like this. I would do anything to survive.

‘I probably instinctively decided that using my previous name would become a shackle.’

That’s why I felt resistance.  The nostalgia associated with my past name could put me in danger in the future.  For example, if I had to kill a human, what if I hesitated or let them go?  Unless I had overwhelming power, such actions would be a fatal mistake.

‘Alright.’

I made up my mind.  To prevent myself from being swayed by nostalgia and making mistakes at crucial moments, I would abandon my previous name.

Tap.

“Huh? What?”

Just as I made my decision, I felt a tap on my body.  Turning my head, I saw Silphy looking at me with a meaningful expression.

-Tiger lady says she wants you to choose her name.

“Sss?”

“What?”

She wanted me to name her?  I looked at the cat with a questioning gaze, and it nodded, its beautiful blue eyes as clear as ever.

“Meow.”

I hadn’t even chosen my own name, and now I had to name someone else? I chuckled at the absurdity, but my mind was already searching for a name that suited this white, not-quite-tiger creature.

“Ssssaaaa.”

“Your name is now Choonsik.”

“Hiss!!”

Whack!

I got hit.  What?  Didn’t it like the name?

“Sss!”

“I took the time to choose it for you, why…!”

As I reeled from the paw strike to my head, Silphy came over and said, looking dumbfounded,

-Seriously, Choonsik? It sounds like a dog’s name.

“Sss.”

“Are you looking down on Choonsik?”

It was a traditional, precious name.

-Would you like it if I called you Choonsik?

“Sss?”

“You wanna die?”

-Scary! And you don’t even like it!

Ahem, if it disliked Choonsik that much, I could choose a different name.

‘Then how about Rangi?’

-Isn’t that just taken from “tiger”?  That’s too lazy.

Wasn’t it better than Snakey and Tiger Lily?  I gave Silphy a look, and she shook her head, saying it was too uninspired and questioning my intelligence, wondering if this was the limit of a snake’s brain.

-There’s no other choice. Then we’ll hold a meeting to decide on your names!

“Meow.”

“Sss.”

I wasn’t really interested in participating.

—–CROW—–