Bad news: There was a white snake in the nuts field today.

It should be good news, but the thing is: It’s with eggs.

It had been about two weeks since the previous white snake appeared. There’s also no guarantee that another will appear soon after that, considering how rare they are in the wild. So accordingly, I need to tread this one as carefully as possible or risk losing another big chance to open the ancient door.

For now, I keep the white snake contained inside a stone pot to think about what to do next. (Don’t worry, I put necessary air holes in the pot.)

Do I wait until the eggs hatch and try to open the ancient door after? A regular snake commonly produces a dozen or so eggs, right? That means more little animals that I need to take care of. As far as I know, snakes also generally only eat prey they kill live. I wonder if they will have any problem eating slimes later? I can’t possibly feed piglets into baby snakes, right? For the mother, I can probably feed an adult pig after the eggs hatch, but the baby… I don’t know what to do.

Stolen novel; please report.

In the first place, dealing with baby animals, like pigs, slimes, or snakes, isn't exactly my job. I’m a mage, for crying out loud. If not for that ancient door being impervious to my magical knowledge, I’d just bolt out of here. Fly in the sky or do whatever out there. But here I am, gripping again. I think I’ll drink some nut wine and then go to sleep.

Why does the long-awaited white snake have to get herself pregnant? Why?

I wonder who’s the father, though. Why is he leaving his mate alone in this cavern? Don’t tell me. Will he come back tomorrow morning? I need to cast a barrier at myself tonight.

I don’t want to die in this place. I don’t want to die in this place. I don’t want to die in this place.