In a world that’s obviously pure fantasy, there’s something I keep forgetting even after living here for several years.
I’ve gotten used to the existence of magic, so it’s not a big deal anymore. At least, I’m confident that I won’t be shocked if someone conjures a fireball right in front of me. To be honest, nowadays, I find the hand movements of street performers way more impressive than things like fireballs or ice spears.
But the reason magic doesn’t seem so extraordinary to me is that the ones wielding it are just people.
Anyway, since magic exists in this world, it’s obvious that it’s humans who use it—just like how it was humans who created and used semiconductors and internal combustion engines in the world I came from.
But here’s the thing.
In this world, even beasts use magic.
That’s right. I’m not talking about some divine beast or anything significant; I’m just referring to the common animals you see on the street. It means that even the huge rats scuttling through the city’s filth or wolves sprinting across the fields can use magic.
I have no idea how it works. I thought this world followed a system similar to the original, but it seems the Goddess’s preparations had nothing to do with the world itself—only the devices I could use.
Humans need to memorize spells and swing wands to use magic, but the beasts don’t need any of that. When you see a bear breathing fire or an elephant swinging a giant ice hammer, it’s beyond comprehension. And I don’t mean in a good way; it’s hilarious in the literal sense.
Then there are gryphons that know healing magic.
“Phewyooon!”
Honestly, if a gryphon that can only make that sound were to use healing magic that requires Mia to concentrate, it would just be infuriating from a human’s point of view.
And honestly, calling a gryphon a beast seems a bit off. It’s more like an incredibly powerful monster that only exists in people’s imaginations.
That being said, a gryphon burst into the cathedral through a window, crashing and shattering glass everywhere.
It looked far more majestic than when I last saw it. Even right after healing, its dirty feathers weren’t completely clean, but somehow, it looked as if it had been grooming itself for days, its white and brown feathers shimmering with luster.
And most strikingly, those wings spread wide.
Honestly, just looking at the size of its wings made me think, “Is it even physically possible for an animal looking like that to fly with wings that huge?” The wings were enormous, reminiscent of those eagles you see on documentaries, though calling them similar might be a stretch because of their sheer size.
Even more surprising, the gryphon didn’t even bother flapping its wings. Its posture was effortlessly natural, but the way it glided down while just flaring its feathers didn’t look “physical” at all.
A similar white light poured out from its feathers.
As the gryphon slowly descended closer towards me, the warm sensation from its belly grew stronger.
No way, really?
Looking at it now, I totally get why the gryphon is considered such a troublesome being. If it can use magic on top of already having such physical capabilities…
How did the people of the Papal State even manage to catch a gryphon? Did they just find a newborn one or something?
The gryphon, which brought an eerie silence around it just by being there, landed right on top of me. Not that it flattened me or anything. To be precise, it stood right in front of me at a height that allowed me to meet its gaze.
That’s right. Without bending its neck, the gryphon looked down at me.
I heard a sniffing sound. Not being able to see its expression since it has a beak instead of lips, the only thought that came to mind was…
That little punk is smirking at me.
But if I dared to say anything, I felt like I would get my waist sliced in two by its claws, so I bit my tongue.
The gryphon then raised its right foot.
And skillfully hooked its claws under my side.
“Ugh!”
Then it flipped me over.
Wait a second. If you’re going to help me up, then just help me up instead of making me wait until I’m standing on my own.
I thought the gryphon might flip me again if I didn’t get up immediately, so I hurriedly stood from the ground.
And I looked up at the gryphon again.
The gryphon looked down at me with an expression that said, “Me? This guy?” as it slowly bent its head down like before.
“……”
I could hear the sound of breaths being held around us.
What’s happening here? Is it trying to raise my spirits or something? Or is this just how gryphons communicate in their culture?
Since there was no chance of conversing with a beast, reading its intentions relied solely on body language. Honestly, I didn’t want to learn any gryphon language anyway.
So just like last time, I grabbed the ends of my skirt with both hands and slowly bent my waist.
For a while, we both bowed our heads towards each other, then raised them simultaneously.
I turned around.
Well, honestly, when I noticed the hole in my gut, I was unsure of what to do.
I hadn’t confirmed it yet, but it was right after the Goddess’s power got blown away entirely. Just seeing how the world has returned to “normal” shows that much. I have no idea when the Goddess might return, but up to now, it seems unlikely that will happen in my remaining lifetime. Even if she starts planning things from scratch, it might take hundreds of years.
“Fanggriffon…”
I heard someone mutter that.
Right. Fanggriffon.
Here, I’m considered a Fanggriffon too, even though there’s not a drop of blood mixed in.
“Haha!”
Startled by an unexpected laugh, I turned my head to see Lucas grinning. He didn’t seem particularly insane; he just looked genuinely amused.
“Is that so?”
The Emperor Arthur Fanggriffon’s voice was neutral as he spoke. It felt almost like a father asking his son who just got back from school, “What happened today?”
“Hmm? Of course, it’s because of that, my Emperor.”
Finally stopping his laughter, Lucas replied while still clutching his side with one hand.
“The reason you brought Sylvia to me is obviously tied to you stealing the Goddess’s power and working hard to step on the world, right?”
Lucas said it with a refreshing expression that someone who has completely let go of everything would have.
“It’s just that it seemed like it would be more interesting.”
That was a reason truly befitting Lucas.
And thus, it sounded like something a son of Arthur Fanggriffon would say.
“……I see.”
The Emperor answered with a smile tugging at his lips.
If he had said from the beginning to his children, “You are truly my offspring,”
If he hadn’t tossed them into strange places to choose abilities,
If he hadn’t made his children live woefully deficient lives,
The story might have been different. No, perhaps it might not have even begun.
But the Emperor couldn’t even give enough love to Alice, the daughter he claimed as his own. He loved his children in his own peculiar way, but that love was just as vital as it was useless.
Well, it doesn’t matter to dwell on it now. Either way, from this point onward, there won’t be a second chance.
But honestly, with a badass gryphon like this at my side, why would I care about rewinding time?
“Phewyooon!”
As I pondered this, an abrupt loud noise from above startled me. I glanced up at the gryphon, which was looking down at me with an expression that seemed to hold a lot to say.
…Did it read my mind or something? I thought such magic didn’t exist.
Probably not, right?
Looking into those golden eyes makes me a little less sure.
Still, it seems like it won’t abandon me, so I readied myself again. I had tossed aside everything, weapons and all, but I could still see some objects lying around.
If necessary, I could just pick something up—
“AAAH!”
—Before I could figure out what to grab, my feet left the ground.
W-wait a second.
Feeling a heaviness on the back of my neck, it seems the gryphon is lifting me up by my collar—
And then I was suddenly soaring into the air.
Without even a chance to scream, I was launched upwards and landed with a thump onto the gryphon’s broad back.
“……”
Well, if you’re going to carry me, couldn’t you do it a bit more gently?
I was wearing a dress, for crying out loud.
No, more importantly, I hope you don’t just take off flying without a saddle on your back.
I flattened myself on the gryphon’s back, trying to hold on.
“Phewyooon!”
This time, as if instinctively knowing my thoughts, the gryphon lifted into the sky, completely ignoring my will.
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