Chapter 370: Chapter 264 Part 1

Translator: “Hakou” Editor: “Weasalopes”

After the acting Chairman of the High Elves collapsed from a heart attack, there was a dispute over who would be his successor.

There were many who did not want to take the position due to the many difficulties involved in it.

However, there are those who raise their hands because they think it is time for them to step up. Others want to see their portraits lined up in the conference room as one of the 『Successive Chairman』.

There were more than a few of them, too.

「Silence please 」

Says a tired-looking, high elf with hunched shoulders sitting in the chair.

He is acting as the 『Acting Chairman』. No matter how many times they voted, they could not reach a majority, and could not elect a 『Chairman』.

As a result, the man with the hunched shoulders who had been acting as his assistant took his seat without being given any authority.

「The magic power released by the World Tree has been declining. And I’m sure you’ve heard about the appearance of the World Enemy and the Griffon. 」n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Seeing everyone nodding, he sighed and continued.

「Another piece of bad news has come in. It seems that places that spew forth dense magical power are appearing all over the world, and plants that shouldn’t be seen outside of the Spirit Forest are beginning to grow there 」

Ignoring the room that began to become noisy, the acting chairman continued.

「This is probably caused by the World Tree declining magic power. Although I don’t know how exactly it happened. 」

Then, he turned around and looked at the large map tapestry hanging on the wall.

Large circles emerged here and there on the map, dyeing the inside of the circles with light red color.

「This is the approximate location of where the magical power leaked out. The information is not very accurate because the Griffon was preying on the wind spirits. 」

Waiting for everyone to finish examining the map, the acting chairman pointed to a certain location. It was just southeast of the Spirit Forest, in the Northern countries.

Only there, instead of a large light-colored circle, there was a dark red dot.

「Perhaps because it’s the closest from here, this is the only place I could confirm. What appeared here was the 『White Lady』. However, its size exceeded the height of a person. 」

Another loud groan escaped from the room.

There has been no such thing as a White Lady that grows bigger than a man even in the Spirit Forest before. There was no doubt that there was a lot of magic leaked in that place.

「I’m thinking of sending someone from the village to investigate but, what does everyone think? 」

This matter was approved unanimously.

Incidentally, there is a reason why the High Elves themselves do not go to investigate. They consider leaving the Spirit Forest and heading to the country of the human race to be a lowly work.

「Now, I would like to move on to the next topic. 」

There were two proposals, which was 『Offer the Kingdom to fight together』 and 『Shoot the Spirit Cannon at the Great Pit』.

However, both of these proposals were rejected due to conflicting arguments. This was because their true feelings were that they hated either idea.

Their pride got in the way when it came to fighting together, and they were afraid of damaging the World Tree if they had to fire the Spirit Cannon.

(No wonder the Chairman collapsed.)

The acting chairman shook his head and sighed heavily.

In front of him were his colleagues, loudly cursing each other. It’s hard to believe that these are the leaders chosen by the Magi Charter.

Incidentally, the knight commander and the old pharmacist woman were not participating in the meeting.

If the two of them were to join in and make radical statements, the fat High Elf, who is currently sitting there looking grumpy and disgruntled, would not be able to keep quiet.

(It’s no different from a quarrel in a village tavern.)

The acting chairman sat back deeply in his chair and looked up at the ceiling with a pitiful expression.

***

This is a very short old story.

More than a few hundred years ago, a pair of Griffons built a nest in a tree branch near the top of the World Tree.

They took turns to warm the eggs, which could only be born one at a time, and hunt for them.

They had been doing this for a while, but then a few days had passed and the female Griffon had not returned yet.

(This is weird. Did something happen to her?)

Griffons are a high-ranking being in the Spirit Forest. They are not likely to lose their lives unless they are in a territorial dispute with other creatures of the same rank.

Troubled, he thought of his wife and sharpened his nerves. Then, he was able to catch a faint wave.

(I can’t watch it anymore)

This must have been possible due to the connection between the couple.

She seems to have fallen to the ground and is unable to move because of her injured wing and leg. Her husband decides to go and help her.

(I’ll be back soon. Be a good child and wait here okay?)

The Griffon hides the egg in the depths of the chamber and casts a concealment and protection magic. He then flies out of the cage and flaps his wings powerfully, drawing a circle in the air.

He roughly senses the direction his wife is heading. It was near the roots of the World Tree, near the nest of the humanoid creature.

(It’s a troublesome place)

He doesn’t know why they are so insistent on getting involved with his race. The only thing that helps is that they don’t try to harm them.

(“Don’t come”, she said?)

The male Griffon tilted his head at the weak waves that he kept receiving.

But there was no way he could leave his injured wife behind. He speeds up and glides towards the surface.

The egg waits. It waits for its mother and father to return.

A day passes, a week passes, a month passes.

The parents never returned. Only time passes, one year, ten years.

The parents who had given it magical power through the act of warming it up. Now that they were gone, the only thing that could stimulate the growth of the egg was a small amount of magic power from the World Tree.

However, the long years still brought maturity to the egg.

But the egg never hatched. This is probably due to the Griffon’s eggs’ characteristic that it will not hatch unless there is someone to protect it.

A parent, or a figure who can become its master through summoning. In its slumber, the egg waited patiently for them to appear.

***

The story from old times is over and we returned to the present. The stage move to the tent of the Rose Knights in the Northern city.

In the commander’s tent, Count Rosehip was giving training to the spirit beast that had become his familiar.

「Too naive! Don’t think you can hunt your prey like that! 」

A large, middle aged man with short, white hair shouted angrily. He stands naked in the middle of his private office, his hands crossed at the back of his head.

The giant worm sandworm between his legs stood menacingly. And a small bird was flying around the room, aiming sharply at it.

「Pii! 」

A small white bird folds its wings with a cry and speeds up as it descends. Both of its paws were poised in front of it, its talons ready to poke into the giant sandworm.

At that moment, Count Rosehip’s eyes shone.

「Hmph! 」

With a great spirit, he rotated his waist in a big grinding motion. The Sandworm swung around and struck the little bird like a bat hitting back a white ball.

The little white bird, about the size of a swallow, lets out a small cry and drops to the floor. The only difference between it and a swallow would be its color and its cat-like back legs.

「You’re quite the spartan huh, commander. It learned how to fly only recently isn’t it? This uh, Griffon… 」

The one who said it with a dumbfounded expression on his face was a member of Rose Knights. He had come to pick up the commander to go on his regular patrol.

He was in the middle of a match, so he was watching the game in a corner of the room until it was settled.

After picking up the Griffon, Count Rosehip opened his mouth with a grim expression.

「Eventually, he will have to return to the Spirit Forest. It is my duty as his guardian to make sure he can survive in the wild. 」

That’s why we have to raise him strictly. He continued, and put the little bird on his head after it regained consciousness.

「Is that how it is? 」

The member of Rose Knights shrugged his shoulders and turned both palms up.

Count Rosehip, who immediately put on his pilot’s uniform, climbed into his own A-class Knight with the Griffon perched on his head.

At first he tried to keep him from entering the cockpit, but he was so persistent that he gave up.

When he closed the chest armor and filled the cockpit with magic power, the Griffon let out a happy wave and clenched his mouth.

「I don’t mind if you eat some of it. But be careful. It’s not infinite. 」

Count Rosehip tells him with a wry smile on his face while looking over his head.

He doesn’t know whether the Griffon could understand him or not, but the small white bird made a single 『Pii』 sound as he flew down between his legs.

***

In the forest garden at Tauro’s home in the royal capital.

I was carrying a caterpillar on my right shoulder as I went for my morning walk. Today’s plan was to deliver potions to the merchant guild, and then venture into the red-light district to explore new stores.

It was a familiar place, but there were still many unexplored areas. And to avoid dangers, we’re not going to go anywhere near Go Go Bar or the park with 『Street Girl』.

「I guess I’ll visit aunty’s place since we’re near anyway 」

Who I call Auntie is the owner of compensated dating cafe,『Bell Talk』. She is very easy-going and fun to talk to.

I sometimes use the place as a place to take a break when I go to the brothel.

「Speaking of which, is the Capricorn’s injury getting any better? 」

A group of magic beasts the size of peas were swarming around a white mushroom and chomping on it. I looked down at my feet and asked.

They were too small for me to see, but I’m sure that’s what they were saying.

A dung beetle crawled next to me and moved its antennae toward the Capricorns. After exchanging some sort of conversation, he turns around and looks back at me.

『It’s okay, he said』

According to Dangorou, this injury is a sign that he has become the chief of his herd.

This is just my guess, but it was probably a wound he received in a duel between males to decide who would be the chief. If it was an 『Honorable Injury』 I can understand why he would want to keep it.

「Okay. Well, just tell him to come to me if he changes his mind. 」

Nodding at my words, Dangorou turns around.