Chapter 36

Izek looked at him blankly. He wanted to talk to him first unlike his younger brother, Andymion.

“I just found a suspicious woman in District C. She looks like a poacher… “

“The poachers are roaming around in this season?”

“She was unconscious. I don’t know if her friends left her or what. Anyway, I woke her up and she’s talking nonsense.”

“What nonsense?”

“I don’t know. It sounds like gibberish, but it’s also a little weird. She mentioned seeing a big raccoon, the raccoon ate her colleagues. And, a Griffin who was playing with a blonde witch… would you like to take a look?”

“Wow, a good harvest.”

Taking advantage of the brief pause in the pouring rain, a forest with hazelnut trees and raspberry bushes came into view.

While Popo and I were diligently collecting fruits, Griffin sat in the bushes and ripped off a chunk of meat that he had brought as its lunch box.

“Look, who are they?”

“Po, po, po.”

“Are they your friends? Hello?”

As I waved my hand warmly, the monster shyly swung behind the tree… must be another raccoon monster, but it still waved its arms. While staying here for a few days, my friend circle seemed to have gotten bigger.

I walked barefoot since I lost my shoes, but I’d gotten quite used to it too.

Still, I was really surprised when a basilisk with a big apple popped out of the bushes.

For your information, the apple was very delicious. Popo and Griffin were stuck next to me except for a brief time, and other monsters also alternatively pestered us. It was funny, but it felt like the monsters had come on hearing rumours about me.

And the hypothesis that Popo was unusual or that I was unusual, was later confirmed. Rudbeckia in the original book had this ability, but it was unclear whether no one knew or if something happened when my soul entered her.

It was dangerous from what I’d seen so far. They were more docile to me, and I didn’t feel any threat or fear. Although Popo seemed worried that I might be scared when I saw him gulping people. I just closed my eyes and turned my head, so I compromised by pretending I didn’t see.

It didn’t occur to me that it was horrible.

Popo was definitely a monster, and they illegally hunted and sold monsters.

They were poachers.

Just like wild predators, it was impossible to hold onto human standards.

So I just turned away while Popo gulped down both men. The girl fainted, but I don’t know what happened after Griffin took her out. Even if Griffin had shown mercy, it would have been difficult to get out of this flood alone.

“Let’s pick them up and go back to the cave. It looks like it’s going to rain again soon.”

“Po.”

Popo rocked his body back and forth, but Griffin puffed up and snorted. Its attitude said that the rain was nothing.

Of course, the reason why I quickly went back to the cave was because of what the poachers said before they died. There were a lot of Paladins around, and they wouldn’t come to this cave… because of the lizard cub that lived here or something?

I’d wondered if Izek was looking for me, but I was just being idiotic.

No matter how rich the North was, it would not be able to launch a full-fledged search to find me. If someone was kidnapped by a demon, they’d most likely be dead.

And as soon as I was said to be lost, everyone would have thought the same… well, maybe the Vatican would look for a few days.

Maybe my husband…

Ah well, he was always a cold guy.

“Po, po.”

Popo, who came closer to me, stretched out his flapping arms and pulled me. I must have looked down again. Good boy. Haa, should I just hide here with them? Even if I went back, I’d be misunderstood and scolded.

Not long ago, the plan to run far away was ridiculous. In this world, where there was no concept of human rights and security, no matter how much wealth I ran away with, I would become a prey to the underworld and bounty hunters.

The only place where I could hide my identity and hide safely was the monastery, but Cesare was someone who would search all over the world to find me.

But now, instead of giving up the benefits of civilization, it may be one way to live in hiding with Popo.

Though there’s a risk here, I hadn’t met all sorts of creatures yet, and we were desperately hiding out of sight of poachers and paladins.

I’d probably be branded as a witch, and sooner or later, a massive witch hunt will begin… damn it, whatever it takes for a shot at survival.

Why did my fate look like this?

“Purung…”

While I was seriously thinking about becoming a female Tarzan, Griffin, who was burping vigorously after ripping off all the horse ribs, suddenly flapped its wings and pulled itself up. Popo also leapt past me and approached Griffin’ side.

What, did the poachers show up again?

As I listened with bated breath, I heard a faint sound.

Many metallic clangs… it was definitely the sound of horseshoes. When about five or six cavalry appeared beyond the misty forest road, I thought they might be Paladins for a moment. But fortunately, they weren’t Paladins. Those were Durahans.

“Grrrrrr…”

Griffin let out a threatening growl as if it were saying something. Popo, on the other hand, was frozen motionless. It felt different from staying still when poachers showed up.

Yes, Popo was afraid of the Durahans.

Even when we first met, Popo hid with me when the Durahan had come close. I didn’t know why it was afraid of the Durahan when it gulped down a human man armed with a holy object.

On the other hand, the Griffin, whose staple food is horse meat, was in a wary state, rather than frightened.

Come to think of it, these two didn’t seem to care if Basilisk or other raccoon monsters were around. What was different about Durahan? Was it because it was a knight?

Popo and Griffin’s new reaction made me start to get scared, too.

The Durahan, who was in the lead, threw something toward the basket of leaves on the floor. The helmet landed at my feet. I was shocked. It was creepy and ridiculous, and I couldn’t help but scream.

“AHHH!”

Next, everything happened in a flash. Popo, who jumped, picked me up and Griffin flew up in the air. Then, it grabbed Popo’s ear with its two front feet and started running fast! This was the moment when my soul flew out of my body and scattered. This was truly being stuck as a chick in an eagle’s claw!

Of course, the Durahans didn’t just stare blankly like a dog chasing chickens.

Suppressing my fear, I glanced down, and they were chasing us in a terrifying manner. It almost seemed as if they were skating, and not running.

The dreary cries of the horses made shudders run down my spine. What the hell did they want?

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

In the blink of an eye, we came back into the cave entrance. Griffin literally landed as if he had been sliding and dropped down like a cannon. Soon after, Popo started running blindly inward with me in one arm.

While we slid down the winding slope of the cave entrance, Griffin took the lead with a whistling cry. Finally, the endless slope stopped and we fell into a dark space filled with piles of stones.

Popo let me go gently. I sat with my legs stretched out on a pile of stones for a moment to recover my confused mind.

Oh, my head. It felt like my eyes were twitching. Silence filled the place. I listened with a stifled breath for a long time, but I couldn’t hear anything. Did they stop the chase?

“Ku, ku, ku, ku…”

Griffin, who sat next to me, looking at us alternately with green eyes shining bright like a fluorescent light, suddenly partly opened its beak and made a strange cry. It sounded like a laugh for some reason.

“Popopopo…”

“Pfft…”

I laughed even though the situation wasn’t funny.

I bit my lips, laughing quietly, and finally burst into laughter.

I didn’t know why I kept laughing.

I didn’t know how long it’d been since I laughed like this…

“Po, po, po, po!”

Even Popo looked the most pleased.

It flapped its arms and rolled around in a pile of stones, like a cat that saw a catnip. Do it like the pile of stones?

“Po, po, po!”

Ching, ching.

The happy Popo threw sparkling stones in the air. That was weird. What kind of stones were they?

“Purung..”

Without thinking much, I picked up a stone under my body and looked into it. To be exact, Griffin’s shining eyes were brought close to it, used as a source of light.

It was also taking a sand bath on the pile of rocks, so it was a bit of a hassle.

“…Ruby?”

Griffin snapped its beak happily.

Didn’t this really look like Ruby? Not my nickname, but the real jewel ruby!

Other stones were picked up and examined. Some were a vivid red like rubies, some were sapphires, others were emeralds and diamonds… but these were real jewels, not glass. So all of these stones… oh my dog, did we find a treasure island in the cave?

“Po, po, po!”

“Purung, purung, purung.”

“Wow… “

I stared away at the two monsters rolling around in the treasure with my jaw dropped.