Chapter 67 Such Days Without Fighting (3) (1/2)

Chapter 67 Such Days Without Fighting (3)

Hiding myself in a not so thickly grown, lush tree, I gazed up at the sky.

The sky was clear and blue, the clouds white, and the sun was shining as the cold wind caressed my cheeks. While tightening my body from the cold wind, I have continued staring at the sky…….for about 3 hours now. Not that I have a watch on me and I am only able to tell that from the movement of the sun, but I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong.

“About 4, is it……..?”

“nah, that one is slightly smaller than the ones we had seen till now, so that makes it 5.”(renji)

“Really? But like the one before, its wing is also slightly damaged though.”

“Mu.”

[………It’s amazing how you guys can tell all that from down here.]

While we counted the number of griffins in the sky, Ermenhilde spoke that in an amazed voice. No, we’re not just playing around. Finding out the exact number of griffins before we head to subjugate them is also a very important job, you know.

Hiding in the tree, and carrying Mururu near my chest, I put on my mantle to endure the cold. And by hiding my body temperature like that, we observed the movement of the griffins.

Griffins in Elfreim normally make abundantly green mountains as their nests but there was only this bare mountain near Merdiore. There is not a speck of greenery on this mountain.

Then that means these griffins’ behaviour is probably different from the ones me or Mururu know of. Or rather, the griffins must have changed their behavioural patterns to adapt to this new land. And to investigate that, we are observing them from the morning.

It’s not like Mururu pestered me to do something else since there was only chess to play at our inn or anything. This is also a job. We’ll even get a reward for this.

“It’s easy. The one flying right now has a damaged wing…….and the new griffin’s cry is slightly higher pitched than the rest.”(mururu)

“that’s true.”

[……….It’s okay since I know that beastmen have senses far more sensitive than humans but it’s really amazing how you can understand the same things, Renji.]

“It’s experience that’s all.”(renji)

Also, to differentiate between monsters is a skill very necessary to adventurers. Especially when in party, saying ‘Go defeat that goblin’ and ‘Go defeat the goblin with a scar on its face’ make a lot of difference. Those eyes and ears that can catch such peculiarities instantly are very important skills to have to an adventurer in my opinion.

While observing these griffins with Mururu, I gave a yawn.

It might have been better to stay inside with Aya and Feirona and watch their chess games……..Well, but then I recalled that the main reason we came here was because it was painful to just sit in one place and not move around at all.

By the way, currently the skill ranking in chess is Aya, then Feirona, then me and last is Solnea. And it won’t be strange if Solnea surpassed me as well in a few days. I recalled even Aya telling how both Feirona and Solnea learnt things extremely fast. That means, I am just too slow at getting the hang of things. I recall I was told this about swordsmanship as well but still, it’s a weird feeling to be surpassed by kids and amateurs so fast.

I have gotten quite used to this feeling as well but that doesn’t change that it still feels a bit sad and frustrating.

So, getting scared of playing with Solnea again, I ended up going to the guild to get some jobs. Even feel like it’s pathetic as I sighed.

Also, Feirona instantly became better than me. That actually didn’t really surprise me at all though. I had already given up on that.

“The big one, isn’t coming.”(mururu)

“Yeah..”

We have been waiting since morning but the Arch griffin had yet to show itself to us. That is the one I want to see the most though. You can’t tell a Griffin and an Arch Griffin apart from a single glance. Since they are technically the same race, there isn’t much change in appearance. But they can be at least twice as big than normal having lived so long.

A griffin is usually 3-4m big. Slightly bigger than lions of our world. Their wingspan is really big so they seem much bigger than what they actually are. That said, it’s still much bigger than a human.

In comparison, an Arch griffin can be as big as 5-7m. We don’t exactly know how long a griffin lives but we do know that it becomes an Arch Griffin when it has grown to its limit. Even I think that the naming difference is very vague. But, its power is definitely different than normal.

Normal Griffins can use spirit magic that the Demihumans call [Ward Spells], and can destroy a magicians concentration from a single cry to stop their spell casting. But an Arch Griffin can even create wind blades and tornados. If we’re talking about just wind magic, they can fight on equal or surpass this world’s strongest magic users.

“Mururu, have you ever hunted an Arch griffin before?”

” No, papa said that it’s dangerous and didn’t allow it. Even though I am already an adult, he still called me a child and refused me.”

“I see.”

[Probably because your body is still too small.]

“I’ll grow big soon!”

Seeing her get worked up just from Ermenhilde’s single comment is exactly why she’s still a kid but I should probably not say that.

“Isn’t it nice though, it shows that your father deeply cares for you.”

“I wish he’d stop treating me like a child though.”

“In my opinion he’s just simply worried for you not because you’re a kid or anything.”

“………Renji, are you taking my father’s side?”

“hmm…….I don’t know him nor have I ever seen him so I can’t really say.”

But I think I understand how her father feels. I really haven’t met him but I’m pretty sure that he really cares for Mururu. Maybe he’s worried as hell since Mururu had to come all the way here alone due to Zwenelia’s oracle. I recalled how Mururu had been broke when I met her. She had told how she had been robbed of all her money by some people. It’s great that it was just money. Those heartless people could even take someone’s life as well.

When I thought of that, I suddenly felt the warmth in my arms as more precious. Just thinking about how this warmth could get stolen, my heart tightened. It’s the same feeling I had for Aya and Souichi—and all the kids back then. Feeling like a parent yet not actually a parent. Even I can’t explain it but I find those feelings really precious to me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking about how I totally understand what your father felt.”

Hiding away on a ship, getting mugged. Anyone would be uneasy.

“Renji’s also treating me like a kid?”

[That’s not it, it’s better to say that he’s just worried for you.]

“That’s right. It’s just as Ermenhilde says Mururu.”(renji)

“fuuun.”

She didn’t seem very satisfied and made a sulky sound. I felt that this was what made her seem so childish but I think at her age, I was also similar I think.

I smiled hoping she won’t notice but she did notice it and my arm was slightly pinched. Rather than pain, it felt itchy. That was again also so amusing that I shook from laughter.

“Hmph.”

[If you get angry from just this, then you really are a kid.]

“That’s not true.”

This time she pinched my upper arm slightly stronger.

“ow, that hurt.”(renji)

“That was the intent.”(mururu)

As we continued looking at the sky while messing around like this, a few Harpies appeared in the sky this time. They had the lower body of a bird and the upper body of a hairy human. Instead of arms, they had wings, and though they didn’t have a beak, they had fangs inside their mouth. They were mostly orange-ish in colour.

Just when I was thinking that they probably rose p from near the foot of the bare mountain, they suddenly did a nosedive again. Looking that way, I spotted a few goblins moving on the ground.

And just when I thought they’d go directly at the goblins and attack them, even faster the Griffins violently assaulted the Harpies. Facing an attack from a body that’s more than 3m the harpies were unable to withstand it and began to freefall from just a ramming attack from the griffins. It’s not important but this is the time when Griffins hunt it seems.

“As expected, it has become like this.”(renji)

[What do you mean, Renj?]

“Nah, I was just thinking about how the movements of other monsters has also changed since the Griffins arrived.”

[That’s true.]

Goblins feed on cattle, humans and wild grass. Harpies feed on such goblins and humans. They had such an ecosystem built but due to the sudden appearance of Griffins that eat humans goblins and harpies, the hunting methods of monsters has changed. Or rather, both goblins and Harpies have stopped attacking anything out of fear. Due to that, even when the Griffins are prowling in the air, the other monsters come out of hiding unable to starve any longer. And that’s when the Griffins attack.

Right now, only the Griffins are winning alone.

If we leave them alone, the number of griffins will increase at a fast rate. And once the number of goblins and Harpies reduce, they’ll start attacking humans next. Here, it’d be the unlucky Merdiore city. Now, I doubt they are so lacking in personnel that the whole city would fall just toafew griffins but they will suffer quite a lot of damage.

Right now, there’s five of them and Griffin’s breeding season is in spring. After only a few months, their numbers will double. Griffins are similar to the birds of our world in the sense that they lay multiple eggs at the same time.

“Mururu, don’t move.”

“Un.”

Though we are pretty far away, the Griffins are sensitive to even the slightest of movements in the air due to having the protection of Sylph. And though there is a certain method to use that against them as well, it’ll be difficult to face them with Mururu alone. And if it ended up calling other griffins, we’ll have no way out.

Covering us with my mantle, I observed the Griffins as they preyed on the Harpies. Really, they are pretty big. In fantasy novels and manga, Griffins are often portrayed as rideable mounts but I really doubt these things are tameable. After all they eat humans and are really ferocious. Even if I was on its back, I’ll only be worried of getting eaten by it.

The Griffins beak has a lot of strength. It can rip apart an arm off the body very easily. It was the same with even harpies as the Griffins tore them apart limb by limb and swallowed them whole. And after having their full, they left just the innards lying there and flew away. And even those innards were eaten away by the goblins, so all that was left was blood stains. Seeing such a scene right in front of me made me recall that one scene from that dinosaur movie but it is reality here. Thinking about how the next time I could be the one in place of those harpies, I really couldn’t laugh about it.

Even after witnessing such a cruel scene, my heart didn’t waver at all, probably because I’ve also grown up and matured now. And seeing that even Mururu showed no such signs either even though she’s half my age once again proved to me the cruelty of this world. Not that someone like me who has only lived a mere 3 years here has any right to say about it though.

“Now then, it’s pretty depressing thinking of how we have to fight those things as well.”(renji)

“You’re always like that.”

[that’s true.]

“Really, you two sure get along so well.”(renji)

I have been trying to be more proactive recently you know? Is this that? Because the first impression was just so bad?

While thinking of that, I opened my mantle and stood up. Looks like it’ll be difficult to get to see the arch griffin today. Since the Griffins in the sky have disappeared as well, it’s about time to return.

Since I sat in the same position for such a long time, all of my joints hurt.

“We’re going back?”(mururu)

“yeah, do you have something else you want to do?”

“Nope.”

Saying that, she also jumped up to her feet. She really is so nimble. I feel that no matter how many times I see that.

“Renji, have you hunted a Griffin before?”(mururu)

“More or less, yeah.”

Griffins exist in Elfreim and Abenelm every here and there as if it was completely natural. I’m bad against flying opponents but that doesn’t mean I could just avoid them completely.

Well, we didn’t face them alone, magicians like Aya or Koutarou were good opponents against them. If they’re flying, hitting them with a single lightning attack would end it. The power of a thunderbolt……..is it referred to as ‘power’? but anyway, the voltage of a thunderbolt is about a billion volts. And the amount of time it takes to hit is just a microsecond. Even the temperature around the air increases incredibly high. There is no way to dodge it and nothing could survive after getting hit by that……there was a time I truly thought that was the case. Well, dragons and ghosts-types are able to survive that without trying much……..Ghosts aside, I still find it strange how Dragons are still categorized under normal life forms.

“Can you beat one alone?”(mururu0

“Probably not.”(renji)

[Why do you reply that instantly……..]

“Because I’m an honest guy. I hate lying.”

[With which mouth are you saying that?]

Shrugging at Ermenhilde’s amazed voice, I began walking towards Merdiore.

Mururu quickly came up to walk beside me as well. Due to the fear of griffins, the goblins and the harpies in the area don’t come out much nowadays so it’s pretty relaxed even walking so openly like this. That said, it’s nothing more than postponing the actual problem.

“I’m hungry.”(mururu)

“Well it is almost noon.”

By the time we return to Merdiore, it’ll be past noon. Thinking of that, I brought a cracker from a small bag attached to my belt.

“Want one?”(renji)

“Un.”

Even after seeing that gruesome Griffin’s eating scene, we were the same. Mururu ate that cracker beside me and looking at her made me hungry as well so I also brought out a piece of dried meat and bit on it.

Walking while eating isn’t exactly good manners but I really am not in any position to say that. If Aya scolds, we’ll both get scolded together. While I was walking and thinking of that, I felt my mantle getting slightly pulled. Looking that way, Mururu was looking up towards me.

“Will Fran not travel with us anymore?”(mururu)

“Well, yeah. She’s just a student. She has to go to school to learn a lot as well.”

“School?”

“It’s a place where men and women of her age go to study like in Magic City Ofan and here in Merdiore.”

“………study.”

“It’s really important you know?”

“I see.”

She spoke, in a depressed voice.

I guess since they were so close, parting hurts even more. Right now they are in the same city but that’ll change when we get on the ship. Well, it’s one of the never changing things of travelling after all but I guess it must be harder at Mururu’s age.

“It’ll get lonely.”

“That’s true.”

I agreed to Mururu’s mutterings. It will be a bit lonely. We travelled together for almost half a year, so it’s only normal to feel that way.

But just because it makes you lonely doesn’t mean you should hate such farewells in my opinion.

I am an adventurer. A traveller who goes from city to city, village to caves. With meetings come farewells. And then come reunions. You go away only to unexpectedly meet somewhere to have a happy reunion. When I said that, Mururu lightly hit me.