Chapter 15
A knight following at the head of the party, right behind El, whispered in a grave voice.
“Captain, something’s strange.”
El gave a small nod, affirming the knight’s words. He, too, had been sensing that something was amiss.
“The Wyverns are excessively subdued. Their numbers have also noticeably decreased.”
On the first day, they had been overwhelmed by the swarming Wyverns. But at some point, the number of Wyverns charging at them had visibly dwindled. Even the few that did attack would flee pathetically after the knights swung their swords a few times. Thanks to this, the knights could easily dispose of the Wyvern eggs. It seemed the subjugation could be wrapped up sooner than expected, as the pace had picked up considerably.
It was a positive situation, yet the knights weren’t entirely happy. The flow of an ecosystem doesn’t change easily. If it does change, it’s because a tremendous event has occurred. Such massive events greatly impact not just plants and animals, but human lives as well. If it’s a positive influence, that’s fortunate, but most often, it’s the opposite.
When the ecosystem is shaken, human lives become unstable. The ecosystem of the Black Forest was no exception. The fact that the Wyverns’ behavior had changed overnight was proof that something monumental had happened.
“Captain!”
They were all walking through the forest with tense faces when a knight came running up, his face ashen. He was from the scouting party sent to locate the nests where the eggs were stored.
“I, I found this near an empty nest!”
He held out a chunk of meat the size of a child’s head. Although its form wasn’t intact, it was clear it was part of a Wyvern’s body. Staring at the mutilated remains of a completely slaughtered Wyvern, the knights pressed their lips tightly together. They were all likely thinking the same thing, but couldn’t bring themselves to say it aloud.
A Wyvern, a creature they could only subdue by joining forces. A mysterious predator that had torn such a Wyvern to pieces. The mere thought was horrifying.
“If this thing… perhaps sets its sights on humans, on the Erel territory…”
It was a situation they didn’t even want to imagine. If they had to face the predator that had butchered the Wyvern like this, they would have to fight prepared to lay down their lives. Everyone’s faces turned pale. But Knight Captain El Loitz simply stared at the meat chunk in the knight’s hand with an impassive face.
‘Traces of fire.’
That meant it wasn’t a mindless beast. Only intelligent beings could manipulate fire.
‘It’s either human, or at the very least, an intelligent being.’
If that was the case, then communication might be possible. Was it a threatening presence, or a helpful one? That, too, he should be able to determine.
‘If it is a threat…’
There was only one conclusion. El’s hand, holding his sword, tightened its grip.
***
Every night, I secretly slipped out of the mansion and headed to the Black Forest. It was for the war Harry so desperately desired. Of course, the target of this war wasn’t humans. The magical beasts living in the Black Forest, the Wyverns, were to be the sacrifices to sate Harry’s bloodlust.
Wyverns were stronger than humans. Fighting them was enjoyable, making them perfect for relieving Harry’s urges. Their numbers were also vast, allowing him to fight to his heart’s content until he grew bored.
‘Besides, if the Wyvern numbers decrease, the subjugation force staying at the mansion will leave sooner, right?’
I could satisfy Harry’s desires *and* send Catherine’s pesky “fish” away. It was killing two birds with one stone.
‘The more I think about it, the more it seems like a perfect plan.’
Feeling quite pleased with myself, I sat perched on a rock, watching Harry’s delighted figure. With a flick of his wrist, massive Wyverns were tossed aside like sheets of paper. The Wyverns, whose territory had been invaded, resisted Harry desperately, but even to my untrained eye, it seemed futile to stop him. It was essentially a one-sided slaughter.
The only reason the Wyverns could momentarily tie up Harry’s movements was because he wasn’t fighting seriously. Dozens of Wyverns would charge at him at once, but they couldn’t leave a single scratch on him. Harry would play with them for a while, holding back his power, and when he grew bored, he’d summon blue flames to burn them to ash without a trace.
‘What a terrible personality, anyway.’
Watching Harry laugh joyfully amidst the carnage, I was reminded once again that he was a demon. The utterly cruel Demon Theoharis. That was the real Harry.
‘I really summoned something incredible, didn’t I?’
It seemed with just Harry’s power alone, he could easily obliterate an entire city.
‘And I asked a creature like that to just light a fireplace?’
It was like hiring Bill Gates to fix a broken laptop because it crashed.
‘And then Bill Gates would say after fixing the laptop…’
“My salary is a million dollars, so please pay up.”
While I was lost in such absurd thoughts, a severed Wyvern wing landed right in front of me. The sight of the monstrous wing, torn and dripping blood, rolling at my feet was straight out of a horror movie.
‘This isn’t really my idea of a fun sight.’
I would have preferred to just send Harry to the Black Forest alone, but there was no telling how wildly he might act. In case of an unforeseen situation, I, the one who could control him, needed to be by his side.
Because of this constraint that I had to accompany him, our movements were naturally limited to the deep night. For several days, we repeated this routine: sweeping through the Wyverns under the cover of darkness, avoiding people’s eyes, and quietly returning to my room before sunrise as if nothing had happened.
During this time, the Wyvern population steadily decreased. The once uncountable number of Wyverns had now dwindled to a point where their numbers could be roughly estimated.
“Harry.”
I checked the time on my pocket watch and quietly called his name. Though my voice was soft, he heard it perfectly and incinerated the Wyverns he had been toying with. After cleaning up the area, Harry approached me, his face full of reluctance.
“Is it already sunrise? It feels like no time has passed, that’s strange.”
“No time has passed? Think about the number of Wyverns you’ve killed. After killing that many, you shouldn’t be complaining about frustration for years.”
“Tch, what nonsense? I’ve only killed about fifty. This won’t even last me a few months properly.”
He’d killed fifty Wyverns and called it ‘only enough for a few months’?
‘Isn’t the cost-performance just too poor?’
For now, killing Wyverns worked, but once the Wyverns were wiped out, it meant we’d have to go looking for another sacrifice.
“Can’t we count one Wyvern as one year? I heard the subjugation force throws a party just for killing *one* Wyvern. They say normally, the best they can do is drive them away.”
I heard they only managed to catch one every few years. Since this subjugation began, there hadn’t been any news of them actually killing a Wyvern. Thinking about it, wouldn’t “Wyvern Egg Subjugation Force” be a more fitting name than “Wyvern Subjugation Force”? They just broke the eggs to prevent the population from increasing and waited for the adult Wyverns to die of old age.
Harry, who knew this reality better than I did, snorted. It was a reaction of amusement at me comparing him to the subjugation force.
“Don’t compare me to those fragile weaklings. It’s quite insulting.”
Under normal circumstances, I would have scolded him for showing off, but having just witnessed his overwhelming power firsthand, I had nothing particular to say. Not that I felt like praising him either. I decided to just remain silent. At the ensuing quiet, Harry tilted his head as if puzzled.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Saying what?”
“Why aren’t you arguing back?”
“Do you want me to?”
“No, it’s not that… it’s just that you’re different from your usual self…”
Harry hemmed and hawed, circling around me. Wondering what on earth he was trying to say, I stared at him, and he promptly sat down beside me as if he’d been waiting.
“Hey, are you… scared of me or something? Like, you find me frightening now? Did you finally realize how great of a demon I am?”
“Yes. Harry, you were incredibly strong. You must have been very bored, having such power and just lighting a fireplace by my side.”
“Well, it wasn’t *completely* boring, you know? You’re a pretty funny human, as you know. Watching you from the side was somewhat entertaining.”
I frowned at Harry, who was suddenly speaking incoherently.
“What on earth are you trying to say?”
“So, what I mean is, it wasn’t entirely boring… I was just frustrated that I couldn’t use my power to its fullest, something like that…”
“Old man, I have no idea what you’re saying right now. Could you say it again in the language of the youth?”
“Ugh, I told you to stop calling me ‘old man’! I’m a young man with a bright future ahead!”
“Ah, I understood that one just now. Wouldn’t it be nice if you spoke this clearly all the time?”
“Ugh, really! You have no tact and no sense! You should just get the hint, understand implicitly!”
“Why should I go through the trouble of interpreting what the other person says? The one who has something to say should make the effort to be understood.”
“Well…”
As if at a loss for words, Harry huffed and puffed and shot up from his seat.
“Fine, fine. I won’t say anything.”
“Really? Okay.”
‘If he doesn’t want to talk, there’s nothing I can do.’
I didn’t have a hobby of pestering someone to talk when they didn’t want to.
‘If he wants to say it, he’ll say it someday.’
When I simply nodded obediently, Harry stomped his foot as if utterly exasperated.
“Hey, normally people ask what’s wrong in this situation! Shouldn’t you at least ask once or twice? Why do you give up so easily?”
“Being quick to give up is another one of my strengths.”
“…Generally, that’s not considered a strength, you know.”
“Why not? It’s best to quickly give up on things that won’t work out. Holding on pointlessly just wastes time. What’s the use of me clinging on and begging the other person to talk when they clearly don’t want to? It’s better to just give up and focus my energy elsewhere.”
“Ugh, you and your nonsense…”
Harry, who was about to click his tongue and wave his hand dismissively, soon seemed to realize something, his eyes darting left and right.
“…makes sense? Hey. That… kind of makes sense.”
The moment Harry muttered with a dazed expression, a powerful wind blew from above. It was a wind strong enough to shake the entire Black Forest. My body swayed uncontrollably in the gale. I felt like I might topple over, unable to keep my balance, but Harry grabbed my shoulder, firmly steadying me.
‘Wow. The wind is this strong, but I’m not swaying at all.’
As I was marveling at that, Harry’s gaze was fixed on the sky, the origin point of the wind.
“What’s that, why is *he* here?”
Harry’s face contorted into a pleased scowl as if he’d spotted something in the sky.
‘What did he see to have that reaction?’
I followed Harry’s gaze and looked up at the sky. There, at the end of my sight, was a single Wyvern creating the tremendous wind. It was clearly not an ordinary Wyvern. Its body was at least twice the size of the Wyverns Harry had killed. I didn’t need anyone to tell me; I could guess its identity.
‘That one must be the leader of the pack.’
As soon as I had that thought, the giant Wyvern landed on the ground, and the wind created by its wingbeats abruptly ceased.
I fixed my wind-tousled hair and looked at the Wyvern. Seeing it up close, its size was even more immense than I had imagined. Just tilting my head back to look at it made my neck ache. As if sensing the stare fixed on it, the Wyvern opened its mouth wide. Thinking it was an attack, I reflexively shut my eyes tight, but something completely unexpected happened.
“I. Wyvern. Leader.”
“…Huh?”
“Greetings. Human. Demon. To you.”
The Wyvern had spoken.
‘I thought only humans could talk?’
I was so shocked my jaw dropped. The idea that an animal that looked like this could speak was unthinkable. At least by my standards—no, probably for most people, that was common sense.
“…Why is the Wyvern talking?”
Flustered, I pointed at the Wyvern. The Wyvern slowly blinked its eyes at my possibly rude gesture.
“Speech. Learned. From human.”
Was this something that could be learned? Who was the insane human who thought of teaching a Wyvern to speak? Numerous questions swirled in my head.
“Harry, is this normal by any chance?”
Finally gathering my wits, I whispered to Harry. According to this world’s settings, which I hadn’t fully grasped yet, maybe Wyverns could talk.
“Of course not. Does a talking Wyvern sound plausible to you?”
Harry looked at me with pitying eyes as if I were spouting nonsense. But there was a talking Wyvern right in front of us! I pointed confidently at the Wyvern, who was staring blankly at us.
“But there’s such a Wyvern right here!”
“That’s why this guy is special. He’s an ancient spirit being who’s lived longer than me. Having lived that long, he should at least be able to talk.”
Harry shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward.
“Why have you come all the way here?”
He spoke to the giant Wyvern with a very familiar attitude.
“For a rare one like you, you left your pack and only lived in the south, didn’t you?”
“Dead. Brethren. Many. Know not. Reason. Suddenly. Why? Need. Conversation.”
“Do you need a reason? For a demon, slaughter needs no reason. We just do it.”
“But. Contractor. Human. Different. Need. Reason.”
The Wyvern’s gaze, which had been on Harry, turned toward me. His speech wasn’t very smooth, but it wasn’t hard to understand the content. He was asking why we were suddenly massacring the Wyverns.
‘I never thought I’d be interrogated by a Wyvern about the reason for a massacre.’
If I had known this would happen, I never would have suggested using the Wyverns to satisfy his urges. I’m not a huge animal lover, but I did feel a sense of guilt knowing we had killed beings intelligent enough to hold a conversation. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“He said a demon’s desires are only sated by slaughter. But I can’t tell him to kill people, and when I told him to just endure it, he tried to eat me… While looking for a method, I found the Wyverns were nearby…”
To think I’d be making excuses in front of a giant Wyvern. I didn’t even make excuses to Catherine’s “fish” when they scolded me for tormenting Catherine.
But this was different. Back then, it was a mistake the real Iberia made, but this was something I had done, so it was right for me to clean up my own mess.
‘If I pretend not to know about things I did myself, that just makes me trash.’
I thought so, but it was still a bit embarrassing to say it to the Wyvern’s face. The Wyvern looked at Harry while I awkwardly strung my words together.
“Urge sating. Exist. Other methods. Demon. Why. Not do. Explain.”
In a somewhat agitated voice, he stomped his foot. The ground shook *boom, boom*, and my hair fluttered in his hot breath. Despite the rather violent reaction, Harry just waved his hand around as if greatly annoyed.
“You, who’ve lived even longer than me, are being too harsh, old man. Are you telling me to do *that* with this crumb? Didn’t the Wyvern clan, like us demons, consider protecting the young ones most important?”
At Harry’s reproach, the Wyvern turned its head to look at me again. The stare boring into me was quite burdensome. After a long moment of observation, the Wyvern let out another large snort.
“True. Human. Young child. Such thought. Was impudent. Will do. Reflection.”
Its tail, which had been raised high, drooped downward. I could tell it was disheartened even without words. Seeing that, Harry puffed out his chest triumphantly.
“Hmph. Of course you should.”
“But. Trouble. Brethren. Dead. Many. Extinction. Trouble.”
“I’m in trouble too. I’m told I can’t kill humans, and the only ones I’m allowed to kill are Wyverns.”
“Why. Wyvern?”
The Wyvern looked at me with a voice full of resentment. Its tail drooped powerlessly, and a gloomy expression was evident on its face. So Wyverns had expressions too. It really felt like I was talking to a person. The more we spoke, the guiltier I felt.
“Well… the Wyverns were blocking trade routes, preventing logging and gathering… anyway, I heard they were causing damage to the people of the territory. So I thought subjugating them would be okay… I didn’t know you could communicate like this…”
“Can do. Control. Trade routes. Logging. Gathering. Will leave. Promise.”
“Uh… if you put it that way…”
‘I feel terribly guilty…’
Perhaps sensing the guilt in my voice, Harry quickly cut into the conversation.
“You’re the only one who can talk, leader. The others’ intelligence is lacking; they’re similar to cows or pigs. Do you feel guilty when you eat meat? No, you don’t. It’s similar to that. It’s fine to kill them freely.”
“Then. Catch. Cows or pigs. Why. Wyvern?”
“That’s your problem. Why. Should we. Understand?”
“Who asked for your understanding? They don’t even have the intelligence to understand anyway.”
“Have. We too. Emotions. Think. Rude. You are. Ill-mannered. Scum.”
“It’s the survival of the fittest anyway. Don’t you think it’s foolish to look for manners in a world like this?”
“Scum. Ill-mannered. You are. Blockhead. Good-for-nothing. White sea star. Ugly sea star.”
Among the derogatory terms, there seemed to be a strange word mixed in.
‘Did he learn it wrong when he was learning to speak?’
Perhaps “sea star” was an extremely severe insult in the demonic tongue. But Harry also frowned as if he’d heard something strange.
“Sea star? What kind of word is that all of a sudden?”
“Old man. Addressing. Informal speech. Ill-mannered. Scum. Indeed. Sea star! White sea star! Very. White sea star!”
“White sea star? What on earth does that mean?”
“Sea star! White sea star! Wet sea star! Flat sea star! Tasteless sea star!”
‘…The variety of sea stars has diversified.’
Watching the Wyvern huff and puff while listing all sorts of sea stars, Harry ran his hand through his hair irritably.
“I don’t know what it means, but I feel like I’ve been terribly insulted. To think I could get this upset over a mere sea star.”
“Sea star. Not work. Words. Young human. Work. You. Conversation?”
The Wyvern snorted and bent its body toward me. As its large face came close, it felt quite threatening. I unconsciously stepped back, and the Wyvern stretched its mouth into a smile as if to reassure me.
‘No, that’s even scarier.’
“Brethren. Dead. Many. Sympathize. You. Have. Compassion.”
The Wyvern’s face twisted gloomily. Its large eyes grew moist, as if tears would fall at any moment.
“Young human. Sea star. Prevents. Wyvern. Will heed. Requests. Ask. Compassion. Dead. Many. Lost. Family.”
“Contractor. Should not agree. How will my urges be sated?”
“Young Wyverns. Lost. Mother. Cried. Much. Are alone.”
The Wyvern leader began earnestly appealing to my sympathy. Harry shouted from the side not to fall for it, but inevitably, my heart wavered.
‘Ugh. It really is hard to kill someone you can communicate with.’
After all, I was a human with ordinary morals. If it was a being I couldn’t communicate with, that would be one thing, but I couldn’t order a slaughter while ignoring the pleas of someone who was even shedding tears and asking for compassion. The conclusion had been set the moment the Wyvern started talking.
The problem was how to satisfy Harry’s instincts. Couldn’t we find an answer as we go along? Just like the Wyvern solution had appeared suddenly one day.
‘It might seem like I have no plan, but what can I do?’
It wasn’t a problem that would be solved no matter how much I worried.
‘At least I won’t get eaten by the cannibalistic demon before that, right?’
With a sigh, feeling a ‘whatever’ mindset coming on, I spoke to the Wyvern.
“Alright. I’ll stop killing the Wyverns.”
“Contractor!”
Harry shouted in astonishment. The Wyvern wagged its tail left and right, which had been drooping, and smiled brightly.
“As expected. Young human. Different. Swear. Wyvern. Will repay. Benefactor of clan. Young human.”
Saying so, the Wyvern plucked a scale from its body and held it out to me. Dazedly, I accepted the scale he offered. Perhaps because of its large size, a single scale was as big as my face.
“Leader’s scale. Recognize. Brethren. Loyalty. Will follow. Young human. Your words.”
“They recognize this and follow my words?”
“Correct.”
“Do all the Wyverns understand human speech?”
“Understand. Human speech. Cannot. Speak.”
“So they understand, but can’t speak, right?”
“Correct. Smart. Young human. Benefactor of clan. Blue squirrel.”
“Blue squirrel?”
“Yes. Young human. Blue squirrel. Glittering squirrel. Glow-in-the-dark squirrel.”
The Wyvern opened its mouth wide, laughing, and kept shouting ‘squirrel’. The nuance was subtle, but from the context, it seemed to be a compliment.
“…That’s a good thing, right? Thank you.”
“Natural words. Need not. Thanks.”
The Wyvern wagged its tail and soared into the sky. Unbeknownst to us, the sun was beginning to rise from the edge of the sky.
“Time to leave. Must go. To south. Far but. Know. Method. Sea star. Call. Anytime. I. Come. Happily.”
Leaving a final greeting, the Wyvern disappeared into the distant horizon. As I stared blankly at the sky, Harry’s voice, filled with rage, pierced my ears.
“Contractor! How could you do this to me!”
“Anyway, you killed a lot, didn’t you? Shouldn’t you be able to endure for a while?”
“It’s easy for you to say, isn’t it? I’m the best dryer! How can you treat me like this! You sea star!”
“Harry, you don’t even know what ‘sea star’ means.”
“But it’s clearly a bad word, you sea star!”
Harry kept shouting ‘sea star’ and stomping his foot. When fighting the Wyverns, Harry had a truly joyful expression. Having that joy snatched away in an instant, it was only natural he was displeased with this situation.
‘How do I placate this troublesome matchstick now?’
Just as I was thinking that and taking a deep breath, a rustling sound came from not far away. Sensing the presence, Harry quickly transformed back into a dog. I looked around, scanning my surroundings.
‘Where did that sound come from?’
I could tell it came from nearby, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly where. But Harry, who had sensed the presence before me, was staring intently at the source of the sound, his mouth shut tight. That was probably the origin.
I turned my head to follow Harry’s gaze. I hoped it was just a passing animal, but unfortunately, it was a person standing there. And a very troublesome person at that.
“Young Ladyyyyy!”
A knight, who had pushed through the nearby bushes, tripped over a tree root and fell flat on his face. Just that sight was enough to guess the knight’s identity.
‘There’s probably only one clumsy knight like this in the kingdom. No, there *should* only be one.’
If there were two people like this, I’d have to doubt the standard of the kingdom’s knights.
“Sir Lionel, what are you doing here?”
I reached out my hand to Lionel, who was flailing on the ground, unable to get up properly. After a moment’s hesitation, he took my hand and managed to get up.
“Young Lady, what are *you* doing here? A tremendous magical beast has appeared in the forest, and both the Royal Knight Order and the Frost Knight Order are on an emergency search.”
“A tremendous magical beast?”
“Yes. They say a monster has appeared that completely dismembered and killed an adult Wyvern. It’s causing an uproar. It’s even more dangerous because its identity hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
‘I think I might know the identity of that monster.’
I looked awkwardly at Harry, who was pretending to be an innocent dog. When our eyes met, Harry averted his gaze, feigning ignorance.
“So, Sir Lionel, you’re also searching the forest? What about the other search parties?”
If they formed search parties to find a magical beast strong enough to slaughter a Wyvern, they should be moving in groups. A knight worth a hundred men might move alone, but Lionel was far from that. I looked behind Lionel to find other knights, but no presence could be felt.
“I was moving with the search party when I spotted you, Young Lady, and followed you! You shouldn’t be wandering around such a dangerous place alone!”
“You’re alone too, though.”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you moving alone to chase after me? What would you have done if you encountered the magical beast?”
“Uh… you’re right? What would I have done then? They said it’s an incredibly strong magical beast.”
Lionel’s face turned pale as if he hadn’t thought of that. He looked around uneasily; it seemed he had finally grasped the situation.
‘How on earth did this person become a knight?’
Leaving me, utterly baffled, aside, Lionel became resolute all by himself. He drew his sword with a trembling hand and began to be on guard.
“I, I swear on my honor as a knight, I will definitely protect you, Young Lady. D-d-d-don’t worry!”
“That’s… very reassuring.”
“Of course! Lionel of the Frost Knight Order! I will protect you even if it costs me my li—”
As if mocking Lionel’s desperate vow, the sound of birds fluttering their wings was heard. Looking up at the sky, a tremendous number of Wyverns were flying toward us, beating their wings.
“Waaaah! Gak!”
At the astounding sight, the faint-hearted knight shrieked in surprise and promptly collapsed to the ground. He had fainted.
[Idiot.]
While Harry clicked his tongue at the fallen Lionel, the diligently flying Wyverns landed around me in a circle. Surrounded by the giant Wyverns, the sense of pressure was immense. They were smaller than the leader Wyvern, but still several times larger than an ordinary human like me. The Wyverns, who had been watching me with their golden eyes, simultaneously folded their large wings and bowed their heads. It seemed it was because of the scale their leader had given me. Staring into their large eyes fixed on me, my conscience pricked me.
“Um… I’m sorry. I killed too many of your brethren. I didn’t know we could communicate like this.”
Remembering their dead brethren at my words, the Wyverns’ eyes grew sorrowful. Consequently, my guilt shot straight up. The largest Wyvern in the group lowered its body toward me, who was sorry beyond words. Its head came level with my eyes. The Wyvern blinked slowly as if to say it was okay. It was a gesture of reconciliation. I reached out and stroked its brow. As I slowly stroked its skin, the Wyvern let out a low growl. It seemed it felt good to be petted like this.
“Lionel!”
“Are you there?”
Just then, a group of knights appeared, pushing through the bushes. They seemed to be the knight order members who had been grouped with Lionel to search the forest.
“If you keep straying off like that… Gasp!”
The knights, who had been grumbling while following Lionel’s trail, froze upon discovering the Wyverns filling the clearing. They couldn’t even guarantee victory against one Wyvern, so it was understandable to be shocked seeing dozens of Wyverns blinking their eyes.
“What in the world…”
The startled knights gripped their swords tighter, assessing the situation.
“Lionel? And… Young Lady?”
Discovering me after the fainted Lionel, the knights were even more shocked and horrified than when they saw the Wyverns.
“Get away from them immediately! We’ll distract them somehow, so run away in the meantime!”
The knight’s eyes were sharp as he shouted with a determined face.
‘Fortunately, unlike Lionel, he’s a proper knight.’
If I were a young lady in real danger, they would have been a great source of strength.
“I’ll give the signal! I’ll count to three and then we attack, so Young Lady, you run straight away! Understood?”
The knight gestured with his eyes to his comrades behind him, and they also readied their weapons with grim determination.
“One! Two! Three!”
As announced, the knight shouted and charged at the Wyvern in front of me. Of course, I didn’t run away and stayed put. The knights swung their swords at the Wyvern. But the Wyvern simply flicked its tail lightly, subduing their attacks. The knights, now sprawled on the ground, looked at me in horror as I still stood before the Wyvern.
“Why didn’t you run!”
“I never said I would run away.”
I shrugged my shoulders and stroked the Wyvern’s brow. The Wyvern purred contentedly and rubbed its face against my hand, and the knights’ faces, which had been filled with despair, went blank.
“Just now, the Wyvern…”
“To the Young Lady…”
“It acted cute…”
