Oh?
So, if an animal cannot sense or perceive me in any meaningful way, I won’t be able to grant it citizenship?
It was a little frustrating that the System hadn’t told me that in the first place. But now that I knew, I couldn’t help wondering what the other conditions might be, assuming there were any.
Anyway, where exactly is the cutoff for being "intelligent enough"?
If ordinary robins are considered too dumb, what about ravens?
Back on Earth, those black-feathered geniuses could solve complex puzzles, use tools, and even recognize individual human faces for years. Then do this world have ravens, or some kind of fantasy equivalent?
Or wolves? Foxes? Dogs?
I guess I’ll figure it out eventually if I live here long enough!
And so, with my first taming attempt having failed, I settled back into quietly watching the little robin family.
When Jacky finally returned and spotted the fresh bread, he stopped dead in midair for a second. His head tilted sharply, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he broke into a flurry of happy little hops, fluttering excitedly around the crumbs like a kid who had just discovered a pile of candy.
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 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 otherwise empty halls.
*****
However, 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, almost as if they had been drawn there by some invisible signal.
Another robin family arrived first, and I figured Jacky would welcome them with open wings.
Nope!
He puffed up his red chest, charged straight at the new male, and tried to drive the intruders away with fierce dives and loud chirps! Turns out, robins were surprisingly territorial, especially when they already had eggs in the nest!
Still, the newcomers eventually found a spot on the other side of the castle and settled in anyway.
After that, more birds kept arriving almost every day.
They still squabbled noisily with one another over prime ledges and sheltered corners, of course, but eventually, everyone found a place to call home. Before long, windowsills, turrets, and other sheltered nooks were slowly filling with messy little nests.
And just like that, within the span of a single week, I had no fewer than twenty birds living comfortably within my territory. There were robins, nightingales, and even several colorful little birds I had never seen before.
I was over the moon with joy.
Even though they pooped everywhere, leaving little white splatters across my stone walls and courtyard...
Whatever!
I didn’t mind one bit!
Anyway, it didn’t stop with the birds.
One peaceful afternoon, a pair of slender deer wandered cautiously into my overgrown front yard.
They were pretty cautious at first, only moving slowly towards me. But soon, they both relaxed and began happily munching on the tall grass and weeds as if they had stumbled upon 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 padded across the paving stones. A moment later, a whole family of raccoons emerged from the darkness. One big, bold adult led the group, with several smaller ones trailing curiously behind.
They thoroughly inspected my walls, tapping the stones with their tiny paws, sniffing the air, and peering into every crack. Then they boldly wandered into my yard and eventually made their way into my halls, exploring my empty rooms and searching for anything edible.
I watched them, completely mesmerized by their playful curiosity.
Haha. Cute little thieves!
And those fluffy tails are so ridiculously cute, too!
The raccoons in this world had the fluffiest, most luxurious tails I’d ever seen. The mother was fairly large and confident, while the little ones were only about the size of soccer balls, waddling around with seemingly endless energy.
So cute!
Not wanting them to go hungry, I ended up buying some apples and bread for them.
They startled at first when the food suddenly appeared, but they quickly grabbed everything and shared it among themselves.
Eventually, they settled down and made their main den inside one of my empty, cool basement rooms.
I guess those little guys really liked the darkness and spacious shelter down there!
Well, good choice! As an abandoned castle, I can certainly provide the best darkness and protection!
And then... after a few more days...
Oh... my God...
The raccoons brought even more friends.
They turned my basement into housing for an entire army of them!
Damn! This is getting ridiculous!
But hey, more cuteness! I’m not complaining!
During the day, the raccoons slept soundly inside their chosen basement rooms. Every single one of them curled up somewhere in the cool darkness, looking like fluffy black-and-gray balls.
But once night fell?
Chaos!
One by one, they crept out of the basement like seasoned burglars, slipping silently through my halls before disappearing into the surrounding forest to forage.
And when they came back?
Oh boy.
They fought playfully over scraps of food and chased each other in wild circles around my courtyard. They squeaked, hissed, and rolled across the stone floors in what looked like a series of tiny wrestling matches!
It was a mess.
A glorious, noisy mess!
Honestly, it was ridiculously entertaining to watch.
I even started imagining some epic scenarios.
For example, some poor adventurer might someday wander into my basement with a flickering torch, taking careful steps while thinking they’d discovered some hidden treasure, only to suddenly find themselves surrounded by hundreds of glowing eyes and fluffy striped tails emerging from the shadows.
Haha.
Good luck with that, buddy!
****
Just like that, things got so much better after Day 11, when the first birds arrived.
Now, on Day 20 of my reincarnation as a castle, I had birds nesting in my towers and turrets, deer grazing peacefully in my yard, a few bunnies burrowing contentedly near my walls, and an army of raccoons overrunning my basement!
Without realizing it, my once-abandoned castle had quietly become a sanctuary.
No monsters attacked.
No hunters came snooping around.
The animals clearly felt safe here.
They still weren’t intelligent enough to become official citizens, though.
But that was perfectly fine for now.
Because for the first time since being reborn, I didn’t feel like a lonely, empty building anymore.