10. Animal Sanctuary

(Oh?)

(So, if an animal cannot sense or perceive me in any meaningful way, I will not be able to grant them citizenship?)

It was a bit frustrating that the system didn’t tell me that in the first place.

But well, now that I knew, I wondered what the other conditions would be, if there was any.

Anyways, where exactly was the cutoff for “intelligent enough”?

If ordinary robins were considered too dumb, what about ravens? On Earth, those black-feathered geniuses could solve complex puzzles, use tools, and even recognize individual human faces for years. Did Azef even have ravens, or some fantasy equivalent?

Or wolves? Foxes? Dogs?

(I’d figure it out eventually if I lived here long enough, I guess!)

And so, as my first taming attempt failed, I settled back into quietly watching the little robin family.

When Jack finally came back and spotted the fresh bread, he stopped dead in mid-air for a second. His head tilted sharply, eyes widening in pure surprise. Then he exploded into happy little hops, fluttering excitedly around the crumbs like a kid who had just discovered sugar.

(Here you go, buddy! A gift for the upcoming chicks. Now you can take it easy for a while.)

And he did. Over the next few days, Jack barely left the nest area at all. He diligently preened his mates, shared whatever food he found, and filled the air with bright, cheerful songs that echoed pleasantly through my empty halls.

****

Little did I know, the robin family was only the beginning of something truly miraculous.

Over the next week, more animals started showing up at my castle as if drawn by some invisible signal.

Another robin family arrived first, and I figured Jack would welcome them with open wings.

Nope!

He puffed up his red chest aggressively, charged straight at the new male, and tried to drive the intruders off with fierce dives and loud chirps. Turns out robins were super territorial, especially when eggs were already in the nest!

Still, the newcomers eventually found a spot on the far side of my western turret and settled in anyway.

After that, more birds kept arriving almost daily.

They still squabbled noisily with one another over prime ledges and corners, of course, but eventually everyone found a place to call home. Here and there, windowsills, turrets, and sheltered nooks slowly filled up with messy little nests.

And just like that, within the span of a single week, I had no fewer than twenty birds living comfortably in my territory.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I was over the moon with joy.

Even though they pooped everywhere, leaving little white splatters across my stone and courtyard… whatever! I didn’t mind one bit!

Anyways, it didn’t stop with just birds.

One peaceful afternoon, a pair of slender deer wandered cautiously into my overgrown front yard. They moved slowly at first, ears constantly twitching, heads held high and alert for any sign of danger. But when nothing attacked them after several long minutes, they finally relaxed and began munching happily on the tall grass and weeds like it was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

(Oh no! Rest in peace, Sir Lawncelot and Grasstolfo!)

A little later that same day, I noticed a small mound of fresh dirt forming near my eastern perimeter wall.

A bunny.

A fluffy little bunny had decided to dig a cozy den right next to me!

My core nearly skipped a beat from the sheer cuteness.

Then, another night, things got really interesting.

I sensed soft movement near my iron gate — careful, sneaky footsteps padding across the paving stones. A moment later, a whole family of raccoons appeared out of the darkness. One big, bold adult and several smaller ones trailing curiously behind!

They inspected my walls thoroughly, tapping stones with tiny paws, sniffing the air, and peering into every crack. Then, they boldly wandered into my yard, then my halls, explored my empty rooms, and searched for anything edible.