Chapter 53
Might as well go with herb seeds. The rarer and more valuable, the better.
Something that’ll bring in money.
Of course, there was no way the griffin would understand her words, but muttering complaints, Lucilea approached the wounded beast.
She plopped down in front of the injured baby griffin and began pulling potion bottles out of her bag—every single one she had. They were stamina recovery potions she had extorted from Noah.
— “Your disciple is going on her first real battle training and you’re sending her off empty-handed?! Give me something at least!”
— “W-What do you mean, give you something?!”
That’s how she managed to wrangle ten stamina potions.
— “Do you know how expensive these are?! Two whole gold per bottle!”
— “I will never forget my master’s kindness.”
It had felt good at the time, but she never imagined she’d end up pouring them all into a griffin…
Twenty gold…
Considering that an ordinary noble family’s maid earned an average of two silver per month, and a grand duke’s maid earned a little more at six silver…
Ha… How many years of wages is this?!
With a sigh, Lucilea uncorked every single potion.
She wedged the opened bottles between her fingers and began boldly pouring them over the baby griffin’s wounds.
Ahhh, there it goes! My twenty gold!
Glug, glug, glug… A clear, ringing sound as twenty gold worth of potions vanished in an instant.
A tear welled at the corner of Lucilea’s eye.
Only after all ten bottles were emptied did the wounds finally close.
The baby griffin’s ragged breathing steadied.
Now it was Lucilea’s breath that came in gasps.
Twenty gold!!
One might say, “What’s money in the face of a life?”
It matters! It matters a lot!
What did the life of some ancient divine beast have to do with her?
And yet… when she saw the anxious mother griffin hovering close by, her resentment faded.
Tch.
With another sigh, Lucilea stroked the baby griffin’s beak and declared:
“Your name is now Twenty Gold.”
[…Pfft!]
Cookie, who had been watching the griffin seriously, burst out laughing.
[Lu-Lucy. Even so, pfft!]
“Twenty Gold? What kind of name is that? Ahahahaha!”
“This isn’t funny. Do you realize how much of a gleaming, gold-plated mansion-sized cage twenty gold could buy you?”
[…What?!]
Startled, Cookie flitted onto Lucilea’s shoulder.
[But Lucy, I don’t need something like that.]
“Huh? A golden cage the size of a mansion?”
[No! I like it best right here, on your shoulder!]
“Cookie…”
[Lucy…!]
What a sweet bird.
Whoever raised you, you turned out polite and good-natured.
Lucilea twitched her nose and chuckled.
Anyway.
Her gaze shifted to the griffin’s nest.
If she just tore off the part around the three o’clock side and stuffed it into her bag, she could easily make back twenty gold—
No.
She shook her head.
No, the nest can’t stay here.
The griffin’s nest was enormous and beautiful, but the problem was its location.
At this rate, it’ll collide with humans again.
If misunderstandings arose and conflict broke out, someone would end up hurt.
Even though griffins were divine beasts of old, the moment they became a threat to humans, they’d be treated no differently than monsters to be exterminated.
Lucilea carefully stroked the mother griffin’s beak as it approached cautiously.
The griffin obediently offered its beak without suspicion.
Why’s it so gentle, looking like that?
“You can’t just give your beak to anyone like that. If someone comes close, you should bare it wide and threaten them. Cookie, show her!”
This was something Cookie excelled at. The little parrot on her shoulder stuck out its head and snapped open its tiny beak.
[Screeech! Like this! Like this!]
It was the perfect model of intimidation. Lucilea nodded in satisfaction.
“Exactly. You need to snarl and scream a bit.”
Kiiing. The griffin even lowered its head as if it understood.
“…Wait. You actually get what I’m saying?”
No way. Is it really smart enough to understand human speech?
[Lucy! Then does that make me a divine beast too? I understand human speech!]
Uh… Well…
She gave an awkward smile.
“Let’s just call you an incredibly smart parrot, okay? Forget the divine beast stuff.”
[…]
Lucilea soothed Cookie gently, then sighed at the griffin.
She had somehow healed Twenty Gold’s wounds with Noah’s potions, but moving the nest would not be so simple.
“Listen carefully, Twenty Gold’s mom. You need to move your nest somewhere people don’t go. I can’t help you with that—you’ll have to do it yourself.”
No matter how she thought about it, there was no better option.
If word spread that a divine beast griffin’s nest was here, people would swarm in to steal its golden nest.
[That’s true! You were drooling over it too, Lucilea!]
“Shut it…” She pressed on.
“I’m sorry I can’t think of a better way. But for now, moving it quietly yourself is the only way. Got it, Twenty Gold’s mom?”
If you understand, nod.
Kiiing… The mother griffin hung its head sadly.
Then suddenly—
“This feels weird.”
[What does?]
“Calling you Twenty Gold’s mom.”
She looked up at the griffin.
“Let’s give you a name too.”
Kie? The griffin tilted its head as if asking what she meant.
“It’s fate we met. Who knows when we’ll cross paths again? It’ll sound odd if I call you ‘Twenty Gold’s mom’ then.”
Lucilea eyed its body, then stroked its dark brown mane.
“You’ll be ‘Choco’ from now on.”
[Puha! Hahaha!]
Cookie burst out laughing at her naming sense.
Unbothered, Lucilea continued.
“Your mane is the color of sweet chocolate. Even divine beasts can have sweet names, right? I put thought into this—so accept it.”
Choco nodded. Lucilea introduced her shoulder companion.
“This one’s Cookie. If you ever pass each other in the sky, say hello. Cookie and Choco. Choco Cookie. A set.”
Cookie, who had been laughing, suddenly stiffened.
[H-Hold on. Why does Choco come before me?!]
“Because ‘Cookie Choco’ sounds weird.”
[It’s not about the sound! It’s about rank!]
Lucilea dug at her ear lazily.
“Come on. She’s bigger and probably older. Just let it go.”
[No! I won’t! It has to be Cookie Choco! Cookie Choco!]
“Whatever.” Lucilea ignored him and turned back to Choco.
“Alright. Now that you’ve got a name…”
She gazed up at the griffin.
“…let’s part ways here. Honestly, I’ve done my duty saving your baby. So let’s keep things clean between us, okay?”
She began walking out of the nest.
“Take care. And move that nest soon, understand?”
But then—thud, thud.
She turned around to find Choco following her.
“…Why? Why are you coming? Stay there. Guard Twenty Gold.”
Her companions might have already finished dealing with the monsters and could be looking for her and Kaelin.
I don’t want to be noticed.
“Shoo! Stay back!” She waved her hands.
Choco paused briefly.
“Yes! Stay right there! Don’t follow!”
But when she turned again—thud, thud.
Lucilea spun around and shouted.
“Hey! Choco! I said don’t follow me!”
And then—
“Wha—? Huh?!”
Her body suddenly lifted into the air.
Startled, she glanced around and realized Choco had pinched her collar with its beak and hoisted her up.
“W-What?! So you were pretending to be all gentle, but in the end you’re going to eat me?! Put me down! Put me down now!”
This ungrateful Choco, repaying kindness with betrayal!
Lucilea thrashed in a panic.
