I was actually a very skeptical person when it came to talking to beasts. sigh
And no, I’m not talking about the beasts of this world. I mean the pets people kept back in my old world.
When you try to interpret a dog’s bark with human ears, you can only get a general sense of emotions. It’s pretty much impossible to fully understand that language. Honestly, thinking that a dog has a language system as complex as a human’s is nonsense. Considering a dog’s intelligence, their barking is probably more like mixing in sounds to help understand body language rather than actual conversation.
People who raised dogs or cats often claimed they could “talk” with them, but I’ve never believed that. Sure, they’re cute and healing when you’re with them. So when I visited a friend’s house and came across their dog, I didn’t bother trying to talk. I just patted its head or gave it a gentle back rub in silence.
But…
Hmm, well.
Maybe it’d be different if it’s a Gryphon.
In this world, it’s considered the “King of Beasts,” but honestly, the fact that I could even think of a Gryphon as a “beast” was just because it’s this world. To me, it seemed closer to being a “spirit beast.”
Besides, didn’t they say they form societies amongst themselves? It’s unclear if that society is just a wolf pack level or if they actually developed their own civilization. The info from the lore or monster descriptions in the game barely treated Gryphons as anything more than a boss monster, so there aren’t really any detailed explanations.
I mean, isn’t it a bit too much to treat a being with the name ‘Fanggriffon’ just like that?
“Sis?”
But, well.
If I could at least figure out what was going on, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try having a “conversation.”
“Sis, wait a minute.”
Claire, who was by the door, seemed like she was hastily trying to persuade me, but I was already on my feet and walking.
The gaze of my party members, who were lost in their thoughts or doing their own things, all turned towards me.
I was still holding that broken gem. No, I was holding it high so that the Gryphon could see it well. I was kneeling and bowing my head, but the Gryphon was still a Gryphon; it was way bigger than me.
As I got closer, a wary light began to flicker in the Gryphon’s eyes. It made sense, considering I was bringing up something that had just tied it up. Even dogs bark and get cautious if their owner gets close after doing something to them.
“It’s okay.”
But I tried to attempt a “conversation.”
“This object is destroyed. It will no longer bind you.”
As I said that and moved closer, the Gryphon raised its head.
And it looked down at me again with those eyes.
What should I make of this?
Can you explain it?
It seemed like it was in a state where it could die at any moment with a bullet, yet it was just thinking that.
Without needing to explain with words, I held the gem higher towards its face.
“……”
The Gryphon didn’t make a sound but tilted its head slightly to look down at my hand.
It confirmed that the gem no longer emitted light.
No answer came back. Well, I didn’t really expect one. After all, it’s nearly impossible for us to understand each other’s language.
However, I thought I caught a glimpse of relief in the Gryphon’s eyes.
If things kept going like this, it was going to die soon too.
I put the gem back in my pocket and quietly looked up at the Gryphon.
“……”
“……”
While we locked eyes, no sounds were heard around us. Even Alice, who had come close to check on the Gryphon, held her breath, silently watching us.
I approached the Gryphon and placed my hand on its body.
Is it a bird? With four legs, it looks mammalian, but its appearance is closer to an eagle.
At the very least, I could tell that its body temperature was much higher than a human’s. The ancient Fanggriffons used to ride on Gryphons; they’d probably have had some serious chafing on their behinds.
Or maybe it was hurt?
Even with such tattered feathers, the area I touched felt incredibly soft.
Then suddenly, I felt a lumpy part again. It was that tumor I saw earlier.
“Grurrr…”
A sound that didn’t seem like it would come from a “eagle head,” more like the sound of a feline. Was that a sign of pain?
“……Follow me.”
Well, fine.
After all, it is a Gryphon, and as long as it doesn’t chomp down on my head, I can probably rewind time.
Plus, based on its reactions so far, it didn’t seem like it had the desire to chomp on my head at all. It didn’t seem to think of the meat right in front of it as its food like a hungry beast would.
Well, lions and tigers have been raised from a very young age and recognize their keepers as parents.
Whether or not it understood my words, or simply wanted to follow me as I stepped back with my hands raised, the Gryphon slowly lifted its body.
I felt oppressive energy again.
But this oppressiveness was a different kind from what I felt earlier. While the previous tension was like an intimidation meant to threaten, this was genuinely the majestic intimidation of a king of beasts.
Saying that, I felt a bit embarrassed because I was the one who said “king of beasts” right before entering battle… but well, it’s not like I said it directly to anyone else.
As I walked a few steps back while locking eyes with the Gryphon, it struggled a bit and took a few steps closer to me.
Confirming that, I turned around.
The space in front of me was completely clear.
My friends seemed to have understood what I was about to do, so they made way. Even the Cardinal, who was leaning against the far wall, was watching me with wide eyes.
Puyooh, a small eagle-like cry echoed.
It sounded slightly threatening. At that sound, the Cardinal flinched, hurriedly moving as far to the side as possible. Even though its legs were almost healed, it looked like it was truly in a panic.
I walked straight to the door. I didn’t look back even once, but behind me, I could hear something heavy and sharp hitting the ground multiple times.
I was proud of myself for not flinching even once as I walked to the door.
“……”
As I approached the slightly open door, I locked eyes with Claire and Leo, who were guarding it.
I nodded silently, and the two also nodded back and stepped aside. Then they slowly opened the bronze door for me.
Like a sudden gust of wind blowing in, a healing light enveloped us.
Only then did I turn back.
And I saw the true meaning of the “King of Beasts.”
The first thing I noticed was its golden shining eyes.
In truth, the color of its once-dirtied feathers hadn’t perfectly returned. That was pollution, not a wound.
But I saw the tumor that had been visible in the places where feathers were missing had disappeared. Wounds that were all over the place were gone, and robust muscles were returning.
The wings that had been oddly bent returned to their original position and folded properly. Its broken beak and claws had come back.
Such rapid recovery speed was incomparable to that of a human.
Even after the Gryphon’s body was restored, it stood tall, looking down at me with an air of arrogance.
Uh, um…
Did I mess up? Did I unnecessarily heal it? For a moment that thought crossed my mind, but I quickly resolved it when I saw it didn’t immediately chomp down on my head.
I raised one hand to point down the corridor.
“Go ahead.”
Did it understand this? Those golden eyes, unreadable, just stared at me quietly, and I couldn’t make any judgments.
“You are free.”
“……”
Upon hearing my words, the Gryphon finally moved its feet. With an air of dignity, walking with a different grace than when it was under control, the Gryphon took a few steps forward, then suddenly whipped around towards me.
With a whoosh, the Gryphon’s wings spread out to the sides. It seemed like a threatening motion.
To put it bluntly, I was surprised.
But the reason I didn’t show any reaction at that moment was that the degree of surprise was beyond comprehension, and for an instant, my mind went blank.
The Gryphon, seeing me unmoving, tilted its head.
Its eyes narrowed slightly.
They looked like they were smiling.
The Gryphon slowly folded its wings, then lowered its head gently towards me, very slowly.
“……”
Only then did I snap back to reality and lightly grasp the hem of my skirt with both hands.
I did my best to perform the royal salute, a gesture I had repeated several times since arriving in this world, as elegantly as possible.
The Gryphon lifted its head and effortlessly turned away.
Its movements were incredibly swift, light as though one wouldn’t believe such a motion could come from such a large body.
Puyooh, I heard the Gryphon’s cry from afar.
I had no idea what that cry meant, just as I had no way of knowing what it was—not the Gryphon, but me. Honestly, I decided to think of it as a farewell.
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