Chapter 36
Episode 36: Drangon's Cave
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Unlike his younger brother, he had a hard time opening his mouth. For some reason, Isaac looked at him blankly.
"I just found a suspicious woman in District C. She looks like a poacher….…."
"The poachers are roaming around in this place during the season?"
"She had fainted. I don't know if her colleagues left her behind. Anyway, I woke her up and made her come to her senses, and she started saying strange nonsense."
"What load of bullshit?"
"I do not know. It's a bit weird for gibberish. She saw a big raccoon, that a raccoon ghost ate their companions, that a griffin was playing with a blonde witch….… Will you take a look?"
* * *
"Wow, it's a good harvest."
When the heavy rain stopped for a while that was pouring down like a canyon, a forest with hazelnut trees and raspberry bushes appeared.
While Popo and I were diligently collecting the fruits, Griffin sat down in the bushes and tore off the meat he had brought to his lunch box.
"Look at them, who are they?"
"Po, po, po."
"Are they your friends? Hello, how are you?"
When I waved my hand, it was shyly snooping behind a tree…… Should I say they were raccoon monster kids, but anyway, they waved their arms to us.
After staying here for a few days, my wall seems to have grown bigger.
I lost my shoes, so I got quite used to walking around barefoot.
Still, I was really surprised when a basilisk suddenly popped out of the bushes with a giant apple.
Anyway, the apple was very delicious.
Popo and Griffin continued to stick next to me except when they disappeared for a while, and other monsters also appeared alternately, peeping around us.
It was funny, but it felt as if the monsters had heard rumours about me and came to see me.
And the hypothesis that Popo was either unusual or I was unusual was confirmed.
The original Rudbeckia had this ability, but I didn't know if anyone knew it, or if something happened when my soul from another world came in.
From what I've seen so far, the monsters who are known to be dangerous are extremely docile to me, and I also didn't feel any threat or fear.
Although Popo seemed to be worried that I would be scared to see it swallowing people.
At that time, I closed my eyes and turned my head, so we compromised each other as if I hadn't seen it.
It didn't occur to me that it was terrible or how it could be.
Popo was definitely a monster, and they were poachers who illegally hunted and sold monsters.
Like wild predators, it was impossible to put human standards recklessly.
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So I just turned away while Popo gulped down both people.
The remaining woman fainted, but I don't know what happened after Griffin dragged her out.
Even if Griffin showed mercy, it would be difficult to escape this flood full of demons alone.
"Let's pick it all up and hurry back to the cave. It looks like it will rain again soon."
"Po."
Popo shook it's body back and forth, but Griffin scoffed with its beak.
It was an attitude that a mere rain was nothing for him.
Of course, the reason I wanted to go back to the cave quickly was because of what the poachers said before they died.
There are paladins all around, or even if they do, they won't come to this cave……. Because a lizard Drake[1] is living here?
I wondered if he was looking for me, but it was just a silly idea.
No matter how in the northern part of the country is infested with monsters, there was no way they would visit the area filled with monsters to find me alone.
If a lady is kidnapped by monsters, it should be assumed that she is already dead in all cases.
On top of that, as soon as it spread that I was gone, everyone must have said that I was an idiot in their heart…… Tch, they'll pretend to look for a few days because of the Vatican's pressure.
Maybe even my husband…….
Yes, he's always a mean bastard….….
"Po, po."
Popo came close to me and stretched out his flapping arms and pulled the corner of my mouth.
I guess I have a dark expression again. Good fellow.
Huu, should I just hide here with the monsters? Even if I go back, I'll be misunderstood and scolded again.
Not long ago, the plan of running away was not even feasible.
No matter how much money I ran away with in this world where there was no concept of human rights and security was at the level of an extraterrestrials, I would only become a prey of the underworld and bounty hunters.
The only place where I could hide my identity and hide safely was the monastery, but Cesare was a human being who would search through monasteries around the world to find me.
But now……. Instead of giving up the benefits of civilization, living in hiding with Popo might be one way out.
Although this is not without risk.
I haven't met all kinds of monsters yet, and I'll have to desperately hide out of sight of poachers and paladins who come out of nowhere.
After the number of witnesses increases one by one, I will probably be branded as a witch who wields magical beasts, and soon a massive witch hunt will begin…… Damn it, one way or the other, it's no different than to have to shoot a survival film. What's wrong with my fortune?
"Purung…"
While I was seriously contemplating becoming a female Tarzan, Griffin, who had been burping vigorously after eating all the horse's ribs, suddenly flapped his wings and stood up.
Popo also sprinted past me and approached Griffin's side.
What, is there another poacher?
As I listened with bated breath, I heard a faint sound approaching me.
Duduk, Duduk, duduk, Duduk…… It certainly sounded like a horse's hoof. It was not one.
When about five or six cavalry appeared over the misty forest road, I immediately thought they might be paladins.
But fortunately, they were not Paladines.
Those were Durahans.
"Pureung…"
Griffin let out a threatening growl as if it were saying something.
Popo, on the other hand, was frozen motionless.
It was a different feeling compared to when it was standing still when the poachers appeared.
Right, Popo was afraid of Durahan.
When I first met Popo, it hid with me when Durahan came close.
It was impossible to know why a monster who could swallow up even human men armed with holy relics was so afraid of Durahan.
On the other hand, Griffin, who feeds on horse meat, was more of a vigilant position than being terrified.
Come to think of it, those two didn't seem to care much even if the Basilisks and magic stones were messing around with them.
What's different about Durahans? Is it because it looks like a knight?
Popo and Griffin's new response also started to scare me.
Just in case, as soon as I slipped the basket of leaves I was holding onto the floor, Durahan, who was in the lead, threw something toward this side.
Thud. The head of the helmet, flopped, landed at my feet.
I was terrified. It was creepy but at the same time ridiculous and yet it still scared me.
"Kyaaaaa!"
Next, everything happened in a flash. Popo, who jumped and approached me, picked me up, and at the same time, Griffin sprinted into the air and flew away.
Then it grabbed Popo's ear with his two front paws and began to fly high!
It was the moment my soul flew into the air. Isn't this a real chick stuck in an eagle's claw!?
Of course, Durahans did not just stare blankly and instead chase us like dogs chasing chickens.
I suppressed my fear and glanced down, they were chasing us with terrifying momentum, as if they were sliding and running instead of galloping on a horse.
The dreary cries of the horses sent shivers down my spine. What the hell do they want?
"Ahhhh…!"
In the blink of an eye we entered the cave again.
The griffin literally flew like a flowing stream and put us down like a cannon.
Soon afterwards Popo began running recklessly inward with me in one arm.
While we slid down such a winding cave road, Griffin flew ahead with a whistle-like cry.
Finally, the slope that had no end in sight stopped and everyone stopped sprinting until we reached a dark space filled with something like a pile of stones.
Popo gently let me go. I sat with my legs stretched out on a pile of stones for a moment, and my mind was in a daze.
Oh, my God. It feels like my eyes are spinning.
Silence fell. For a long time, I held my breath for a while and listened, but there was no more sound. Have they stopped chasing?
"Ku, kuku……."
Griffin, who sat next to me and alternately looked at us with green eyes shining brightly like a fluorescent light, suddenly opened his beak half-open and made a strange cry.
It sounded like a laugh for some reason.
"Kukuku…."
"Pfft…."
I laughed even though I wasn't in that situation.
I grinned, biting my lips, and finally giggled along with them.
I didn't know why I kept laughing.
I don't know how long it's been since I laughed like this…….
"Po, po, po, po!"
Popo even looked the happiest of us all.
The way it rolls around with it's arms waving and burying itself in a pile of stones was like seeing a cat who met Catnip.
You look like you're really happy. Do you like piles of stones?
"Po, po, po!"
Clatter, clatter.
Popo, who was very happy, scattered faintly shiny pebbles in the air.
That's strange. What kind of stones are shining like that?
"Pureung…"
Without thinking, I picked up a stone under my body and looked into it.
To be exact, Griffin's shining eyes were used as a light and I examined it closely.
Griffin was also bathing in a pile of stones as sand, so it was a little troublesome.
"…… Ruby?"
Griffin snapped it's beak happily.
This looks like a real ruby. Not my nickname. Real jewel, Ruby!
Other stones were also picked up and examined. Some are vivid red like rubies, some are sapphires, some are emerald, and those are diamonds.… It's not like glass. It's a real gem
Then all these piles of stones…… God, did we find a treasure island in the cave?
"Po, po, po, po!"
"Pureung pureung"
"Wow…."
I stared away at the two monsters rolling in the treasure with my jaw dropped helplessly.
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[1] In mythology and language, drake or drac is often the word for 'dragon', as dragon was derived from drakon.
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