Riot Grasper Vol 2 Chapter 5.1

2nd Volume, 5th Chapter 【The Devil of the South】 1st Part

Author’s note: go on.

The PoV isn’t Seiji’s in the first half.
You may think you’re reading the wrong novel, but it really is 『Thieving in the Otherworld』.

Its golden eyes were like gla.s.s marbles. Its head was endowed with a sharp beak like that of an eagle’s. The talons on its forelegs possessed the characteristics of a raptor’s. There were wings on its back, but by no means was it an eagle. It was a beast whose lower body couldn’t be more different from a bird’s.

That creature――the Griffon was *kyorokyoro* searching around restlessly.
Surprise floated up onto the faces of the occasional pa.s.sersby, but they resumed walking as if they had understood something.

Eventually, a man who stood before the Griffon uttered.

「You have truly subdued a Griffon… Pardon me, really.」

The man, who muttered so, stepped into a cave which appeared as if a great stone wall had been gouged out.
Advancing further in, one would realize that it wasn’t an ordinary cave. It was an artificial one.
It was a place built to accommodate a humanoid creature. Even though sunlight was striking through a hole, it was dim.
A stone decorated on the wall was emitting a phosph.o.r.escent light which was illuminating the room.

The man called out to the person inside without any reserve. The person, who had turned around, didn’t have a shred of delight.

「What is it, Dino? Do you have some business here?」
「Hey, hey, do I need a business to visit my fiancee? I just wanted to see your face.」
「Really? Now that you’ve seen it, leave.」

The man named Dino, despite not having been offered by the other party, slumped into a chair.
His body covered in muscles and his clothes seemingly made of fur added further to his wild nature.
Even when he sat down, he didn’t look any smaller.

His skin was swarthy and his eyes were dark crimson like blood. Two small horns could be glimpsed through his dark crimson hair.
The woman facing Dino had similar colored skin and eyes. However, the color of her hair was a brilliant silver. As for her horns, they couldn’t be seen either.

「Hey… Don’t play with me. Lemme see that friendly look on your face a little…」

「Unfortunately, you’re not a fiance that I chose myself, so I have no reason to be friendly with you.」

The silver haired woman-――Alba, coldly declared.
She didn’t return Dino’s humor at all.

「Oh well. It (marriage) has already been decided. Since it (Griffon) loves you so much, teach it at least one way of being useful to a man by then (marriage).」 (TN: The line was confusing by itself, so I added a few aids)

Dino and Alba――were demons.
Their parents engaged them in order for a superior descendent to be born through the marriage of two powerful demons. All for the sake of regaining their former glory.

The truth is, both Dino and Alba were extraordinarily capable.
In the southern tip of Aesha Continent, which was inhabited by the demons, there were many demon groups. However, the parents of these two, who were the heads of their respective groups, were close.

「Even if… it’s only a griffon on the surface? Since it’s a troublesome partner, I’ll catch it only if necessary. At least a woman shows more love.」
「I asked you because if I brought it here myself, it would be dead. Besides, I didn’t catch it, I’m friends with it.」
「Hehe, I’m glad.」
「To be honest… I hate you. If you were one of those humans living up north, I would have killed you already.」

Dino laughed such words off and replied.

「Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a demon. So are you, and you’ll be bearing my kids. That matter has already been decided.」
「I regret that I appointed you to bring Luna here…」

Dino’s voice contained a tinge of anger.

「Luna…? Is that this fellow’s name? Then, take care of it even more from now on. When you’re out, tell it to attack me on sight. Oh well… In that case, I’ll be free to hit and kill it.」
「Hou… Then, that will be a chance for me to let anger take its course and kill you.」

Their eyes crossed; silence ensued for several blinks.
In the room that had attained tranquility, Dino was the first to voice.

「I get it… I’ll return for today. Really, though… You’re pretty only on the outside. Inside, you’re belligerent.」
「Thank you for the compliment.」
「Oh well. If you hate me so much, why don’t you bring it up with your parents? If you sweep some garbage up north, they may accede to your whims.」

*Hirahira* fluttering his hand, Dino left.
That was a joke, of course.
No matter how capable Alba was, she would only spell trouble for herself if she plunged in to exterminate by herself.

「――Fuu……」

Alba’s, who was the only one left in the room, sigh echoed in the empty room.

For a while, she stayed still as if pondering over something. Then, she grabbed the spear leaning against the wall.
She was carrying a large bow on her back. It must weigh quite a lot, yet she lightly strode toward outside.

「Kwoo」

The Griffon――Luna, that was watching Alba leave with round eyes, uttered a cry upon getting its throat caressed.

「――Sorry, Luna. Would you please… hear my request?」

「――Uwaaa… It really is beautiful.」

Upon witnessing the scene at the Paudal Wetland Belt, Lim had an expression of a child who had just left childhood.
After getting off Rook’s back, she spread both her arms wide and inhaled deeply.
She’s able to breathe the same air br.i.m.m.i.n.g with nature as in her hometown, which happens to be on the other side―in the south to be exact―of Rave Mountain Range, which happens to be in our line of sight. Is that why she’s in high spirits?

Her expression turned really bright…

I’m grateful to Rook that brought us here.
Just as planned- No, the two of us had to inevitably ride together. That said, it wasn’t a 『back hug』.
Nah, it’s not like I was expecting it.
Because Lim jumped on Rook’s back quickly, I had to sit in the back.
Why don’t you understand, Lim? Why don’t you understand?

However, Lim has not the slightest idea as to how much I enjoyed her *fuwafuwa* fluffy tail touching my arm while I was holding the reins.
Nah, it really was *fuwafuwa* fluffy.
That my fist loosened control and that I steered us in the wrong direction is a secret.
We arrived safe and sound, but…

「Ah……」
「H-hey, are you alright?」

Upon stepping on an afloat water plant in the swamp, Lim’s body tilted.
Carrying her sopping wet body on my shoulders 『tehe☆』――――

Didn’t come to pa.s.s… Lim agilely corrected her posture and jumped.
That she’s a cat beastkin doesn’t mean she’s a cat. She doesn’t particularly dislike water. Anyone would hate getting wet.

「It’s more convenient to move about the wetland belt with Rook. Let’s get on?」
「Uun, I want to walk a little.」

After pondering for a while, Lim said such a thing.
Because she had been sitting on Rook all this while, she wanted to walk on her own feet.
…Impossible!

「Is that so? Then, when you feel tired, do let me know.」
「Thank you.」

――Thereafter, we hunted (plundered) the Slimes noncommittally while pa.s.sing the time enjoying the nature of Paudal Wetland Belt leisurely. Since it wasn’t a quest with a time limit, we could afford to be carefree.

When the time approached noon, we decided to search for a good spot so we could eat.
It wouldn’t be at all right if we were disturbed by the Slimes during the lunch break.
In an open s.p.a.ce, we sat under a shrub facing each other so as not to leave a blind spot and took the lunch out of the leather bag.

I know that today’s lunch isn’t Dario-san’s work.
It’s the information I received from Dario-san himself.

…This time, don’t fail――I was stressed.
Dario-san, GJ.
Lim seems to be intent on exacting revenge for last time.

I rented Rook as usual, so I paid for it.
In exchange, Lim arranged for lunch.
She didn’t say any such thing as 「I prepared it myself」. She pretended as if she bought it at Feeder Pops’.

Had I not received the information in secret, my body would again have been subjected to a planted landmine.
Because of such a mood, Rook had been permitted to retire till we returned.
My heart seems to have been clenched.

Fufu, I won’t make the same mistake twice.
Credit goes to Dario-san, though.