Chapter 52
The forest was quiet.
Even though Kaelin had rushed in just moments ago, and all that chaos was happening outside the woods, an unnatural silence lay over the place.
Following what Noah had taught her, Lucillea lit a small flame at her fingertips to brighten her surroundings.
“Since this is the forest, I’d better be careful not to start a fire.”
She walked slowly, step by step.
“Why does the atmosphere feel like this…?”
Lucillea muttered under her breath while glancing around. Cookie, who had hopped down to sniff at the dirt floor, suddenly spoke.
[Lucy! Over here! There are footprints here!]
It began hopping excitedly toward the base of a tree.
“Footprints?”
[Yes! Right under this tree trunk, between the leaves! Ta-da! Right here!]
Cookie bounced in place, urging her to come quickly.
‘Oh, must be that Kaelin girl’s footprints.’
Between tangled twigs and fallen leaves, faint shoe prints were pressed into the earth—clear traces Kaelin had left behind.
“You’re amazing, Cookie! I knew I could trust you! Good job!”
Lucillea praised exaggeratedly and rubbed Cookie’s head. Cookie laughed proudly, delighted.
She lifted Cookie back onto her shoulder.
“Hold on tight.”
[Yep!]
Lucillea followed the footprints Cookie had found.
Before long, the forest grew darker.
She felt an increasing pressure, as though even the air itself was pressing down flat on her.
Then—
“…Found her.”
About ten paces ahead, Kaelin sat slumped against a massive tree trunk, seemingly unconscious.
‘Seriously… this girl…’
It was bad enough that she had irresponsibly abandoned her companions, but now she was dozing off here, all alone?
[Um… I don’t think she’s just napping. Look, she’s groaning, like she’s trapped in a nightmare.]
Lucillea narrowed her eyes. Why was Kaelin like that?
As though someone had forced her to sleep…
‘At least she didn’t wander in too deep.’
She planned to slap her awake, then—
‘I can just lift her with magic.’
Noah had taught her a wind-element spell—perfect for moving objects too heavy to carry by hand.
Lucillea started toward Kaelin, but suddenly froze.
Huh?
‘What’s that…?’
Sensing something odd, Cookie whispered softly.
[Lucy… this feels strange. My feathers are standing up, like they’re warning me of danger.]
Lucillea silently nodded. She felt it too.
‘Something’s here.’
She brightened the flame at her fingertip a little, casting more light around Kaelin.
And then—
‘Gasp!’
[Eek!]
Both Lucillea and Cookie inhaled sharply in shock.
From behind the tree Kaelin leaned against, a massive creature emerged—broad brown wings, a lion-like golden mane, and blazing golden eyes.
Lucillea’s mouth hung open.
‘What… what is that?!’
Cookie shouted, as if recognizing it.
[A griffin…!]
‘A griffin?!’
[Yes! That’s an ancient mythical beast! But why is it here?!]
‘How would I know!’
Lucillea stood frozen, staring at it.
‘What do I do?!’
Cookie, however, piped up with an “ingenious” idea.
[Lucy! Throw it a Latche!]
Latche? That fruit you’re crazy about?
“What? Why suddenly that fruit?”
[Because griffins have bird heads like me! And birds love Latche fruit!]
‘…Did he just call himself a birdbrain?’
It sounded ridiculous, but Lucillea decided to try anyway.
She pulled out a pouch of bright red Latche fruits—ones she’d packed as snacks for Cookie.
The griffin twitched at the scent, its furious glare softening slightly for a moment.
‘Oh? It really works?’
If she could distract it, even briefly, she could drag Kaelin out.
Lucillea grabbed a handful of fruits and hurled them deep into the forest.
“Eat this!”
Thud-thud-thud! The fruits vanished into the shadows. The griffin’s gaze flicked after them.
‘Now’s my chance!’
Lucillea used magic to tug Kaelin’s ankle toward her.
Slide— Kaelin’s body edged closer.
‘Yes! It’s working—’
But then.
The griffin’s eyes snapped back, locking onto Lucillea.
‘Oh no…!’
[Yikes!]
Lucillea swallowed dryly.
“…This feels bad.”
[I agree.]
She tried again, throwing another Latche.
“E-eat this…!”
But the griffin didn’t budge.
Another toss.
“Come on, eat!”
[Ugh, what a waste!]
“….”
One by one, the fruits ran out.
Silence fell. Then—
Kiiing…
‘Huh?’
A strange sound came from the griffin. Lucillea frowned and looked at it more closely.
There was something in its eyes—beyond fury or suspicion. Unease. Desperation.
The griffin stepped back, still keeping its gaze on her. Quiet, steady, and strangely… sorrowful.
As if…
‘It wants me to follow?’
[No, Lucy! It’s dangerous!]
But Lucillea tilted her head.
‘I don’t know. It doesn’t feel dangerous.’
The monsters outside the forest had filled her with dread.
But this griffin—though far larger than them—did not.
‘Maybe because it’s a divine beast… it feels almost… familiar.’
Instead of fear, she felt oddly drawn to it.
So she followed.
She passed the unconscious Kaelin, keeping a safe distance, and walked after the griffin.
After a while, the griffin halted.
Lucillea’s view opened up wide.
“Whoa!”
The once-dark forest now glowed so brightly she no longer needed her flame. And what lay before her wasn’t just trees.
A nest…?
Not an ordinary nest, but one woven entirely from gold in all shapes and forms.
It looked like the forest itself had birthed a cradle of nature and wealth.
Stones, roots, and broken branches formed the structure, while gold coins, ingots, and ornaments lined its edges, shining like a magnificent ancient temple.
Lucillea swallowed hard as she stepped closer.
[Griffins are said to love gold.]
‘You know quite a lot, huh?’
[I pick things up, you know!]
She chuckled, glancing around the nest.
‘This griffin must be filthy rich.’
But then her eyes caught something.
‘Huh?’
[L-Lucy! Another one! There’s another griffin!]
Inside the splendid nest, another griffin lay collapsed in a pool of blood. Smaller—about half the size of the one that had led her here.
A child?
Lucillea stepped closer.
“You’re hurt…”
Feathers had fallen out, deep gashes lined its flank, and its mane was matted with dried blood. Its beak hung open, panting weakly.
‘So… it was protecting its young.’
Their mission had been to subjugate the monsters of the northern mountains, which had been threatening passing merchants.
‘But maybe it wasn’t just “monsters” after all.’
People must have mistaken the ancient griffin for a monster.
[The nest is too close to the path. Maybe it just wanted to scare people away.]
‘That makes sense.’
Lucillea glanced at the mother griffin.
“So? What now? You don’t expect a human like me to save it, do you? Look at me—I’m just a kid too.”
The griffin’s eyes softened.
“…Ugh.”
For some reason, Lucillea could read its gaze, its expression. She didn’t want to, but she understood.
She brushed her bangs back, looking between the injured chick and its mother.
‘I’m not the type to go soft…’
And yet, she wanted to help.
Maybe because of all the time she’d spent with Cookie.
The fierce eyes and sharp beak—rather than frightening, they looked endearing.
‘That chocolate-colored mane is kind of cool. Like a lion who’s seen it all.’
And it was a divine beast. Surely, helping it would pay off one day.
Lucillea narrowed her eyes at the mother griffin.
“You’re lucky. Just remember to pay me back someday, like a magpie returning a favor. Got it?”
