Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: From Now On, You Are Choco
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If I’m going to get something, it should be herb seeds. Something very, very rare and valuable.
‘Something that'll make me money.’
Of course, it was unlikely the griffin could understand human speech, but Lucillea grumbled as she approached the injured creature.
Lucillea plopped down in front of the wounded baby griffin and took out all the potion vials from her bag. They were the health potions she had wrung out of Noa.
-"Your disciple is going on her first field training mission, and you're sending her off empty-handed?! Give me something!"
-"Your disciple is going on her first field training mission, and you're sending her off empty-handed?! Give me something!"
-"Your disciple is going on her first field training mission, and you're sending her off empty-handed?! Give me something!"
-"What, what do you want?!"
-"What, what do you want?!"
-"What, what do you want?!"
And what she'd managed to squeeze out of him was a whopping ten bottles of health potions.
-"Do you have any idea how expensive these are?! They're two gold a bottle!"
-"Do you have any idea how expensive these are?! They're two gold a bottle!"
-"Do you have any idea how expensive these are?! They're two gold a bottle!"
-"I won't forget my master's grace."
-"I won't forget my master's grace."
-"I won't forget my master's grace."
It had felt great getting them. Little did she know they'd all be used on a griffin...
‘Twenty gold…’
The average monthly salary for a maid in a noble household was two silver, while a maid in the Grand Duke's estate earned more, at six silver...
‘Haa… How many years' worth of salary is this?!’
Lucillea sighed and uncorked all the potion vials.
Then, she wedged the uncorked vials between the fingers of both hands and began to boldly pour them over the baby griffin's wounds.
Ah, there it goes! My twenty gold!
*Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…* With a clear, cheerful sound, twenty gold disappeared in an instant.
A single tear welled up in the corner of Lucillea's eye.
Only after pouring out all ten potions did the wounds finally heal.
The baby griffin's ragged breathing grew calm.
*Huu, huu.* Instead, it was Lucillea's breathing that became labored.
‘Twenty gold!!’
One might say that money is nothing in the face of life—.
‘It is something! It's a big something!’
What do I care about the life of some ancient divine beast!
But as that thought crossed her mind, her gaze fell upon the anxious mother griffin beside her chick, and her sense of injustice subsided.
‘Tch.’
*Haa.* Lucillea sighed, stroking the baby griffin's beak.
"From now on, your name is Twenty Gold."
[…*Pfft!*]
Cookie, who had been staring at the baby griffin with a serious expression, burst out laughing.
[Lu-Lucy. I mean, really, *pfft!*]
What kind of name is Twenty Gold? Twenty Gold! *Pwahahahaha!*
"This is no laughing matter. I don't know for sure, but with twenty gold, I could probably buy you a cage the size of a glittering golden mansion."
[…What did you say?!]
Cookie, who had momentarily flared up, fluttered over to Lucillea's shoulder.
[But Lucy, I don't need anything like that.]
"Hmm? A golden cage the size of a mansion?"
[Yes! Right here, on your shoulder, is the most comfortable and best place for me!]
"Cookie..."
[Lucyyyy...!]
What a good boy.
‘I wonder who raised him? He's grown up to be so well-mannered.’
Lucillea's nose twitched as she smiled softly.
In any case.
Lucillea's gaze now swept over the griffin's nest.
If I just break off a piece from the three o'clock position of that nest and stuff it in my bag, I could easily make back that twenty gold—.
No, that's not right.
Lucillea shook her head.
‘Regardless, the nest can't stay here.’
The griffin's nest was immense and beautiful. But the problem was its location.
‘If it stays here, they'll run into people again.’
Misunderstandings would arise, fights would break out, and someone would get hurt again.
Even though griffins were ancient divine beasts, the moment they threatened and harmed humans, they could become targets for subjugation just like any other monster.
Lucillea glanced around cautiously as she stroked the beak of the mother griffin, who had quietly approached.
The griffin offered its beak docilely, showing no signs of wariness.
Why is it so gentle, unlike its appearance?
"You know, if you just offer your beak to anyone and act so tame, you're going to get hurt. Huh? When someone approaches, you need to snap your beak wide and threaten them. Cookie, show her!"
Our Cookie is great at that sort of thing. At that, Cookie on her shoulder stuck his head out and snapped his millet-seed-sized beak open and shut.
[*KRAAAAW!* Like this! Like this!]
Cookie gave a textbook demonstration of intimidation. Lucillea nodded, satisfied.
"Right, you have to screech wickedly like that."
*Kiiiing.* As if it understood, the griffin half-closed its eyes and nodded.
"What? Don't tell me you actually understood what I said?"
What's this, what's this? They said it was an ancient divine beast, so I guess it really is smart enough to understand human speech.
[Lucy! Does that mean I'm an ancient divine beast too? I can understand human words!]
‘Uh…? That's… a bit… Let's just say you're a very smart parrot. Not an ancient divine beast, none of that headache-inducing stuff. Got it?’
[…]
Lucillea laughed awkwardly and gently placated Cookie.
‘Anyway!’
Lucillea looked at the griffin and let out a deep sigh.
Twenty Gold's wounds had been somehow treated with the potions she'd wrung out of Noa, but moving the nest was not so simple.
"Listen carefully, Twenty Gold's mom. You need to move the nest to a place where people don't go, but I can't help you with that. You'll have to move it yourself."
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't think of a better way.
If word got out that an ancient divine beast and its gold-plated nest were here, people would surely flock to it, hoping to tear a piece off.
[That's true! Lucillea was drooling over it too!]
Be quiet... Lucillea continued speaking.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't think of a better way. But for now, the only option seems to be for you to move the nest as quietly as possible. Do you understand? Twenty Gold's mom?"
Nod if you understand.
*Kiiiing...* The mother griffin drooped her head as if disheartened.
Then, a thought struck her.
"This is a little weird."
[What is?]
"Calling you Twenty Gold's mom."
She looked at the mother griffin and said.
"Let's just give you a name, too."
*Kiee?* The griffin seemed to ask what she meant.
"This is fate, after all. Who knows when we might run into each other again? It would be strange for me to call out, 'Hey, Twenty Gold's mom'."
Hmm, Lucillea looked the mother griffin over, then fiddled with its dark brown mane.
"Twenty Gold's mother. From now on, you are 'Choco'."
[*Pfft-hah!*]
Cookie burst out laughing, as if asking what was wrong with her naming sense.
Lucillea ignored Cookie's ridicule and continued.
"Your mane is the color of sweet chocolate. Just because you're an ancient divine beast doesn't mean your name can't be sweet, right? I put some thought into it, so just accept it."
At that, Choco nodded. Lucillea introduced Cookie, who was on her shoulder.
"His name is Cookie. If you ever run into each other while flying, at least say hello. Cookie and Choco. Choco, Cookie. Choco Cookie. It's a set, a set."
Just then, Cookie, who had been clutching his stomach and cackling, suddenly turned serious.
[Huh? Wait a minute. Why does Choco's name come before mine?!]
"Cookie Choco sounds weird, doesn't it?"
[No, no, it's not about how it sounds! This is a matter of rank!]
Lucillea picked at her ear, wondering why he was being so tiresome about it.
"She's bigger and seems older anyway, so just let it go."
[No! I can't let it go! I want it to be Cookie Choco! Cookie Choco!]
Ugh, whatever. Lucillea turned her back as if she couldn't hear him and spoke to Choco.
"There. Now that I've even given you a name..."
Lucillea looked up quietly at Choco and said.
"Let's part ways here. Honestly, pal. I've done more than enough by saving your chick."
So let's make a clean break here, you and I.
Lucillea said as she started walking out of the nest.
"Take care. And move the nest as soon as you can. Got it?"
But then, she heard a *thump, thump* from behind.
What was that sound? She turned to see Choco slowly following her.
"Why? Why are you following me? Don't come, stay there. Go watch over Twenty Gold."
She thought that the rest of the group, having dealt with the monsters, might be coming to look for her and Keilin by now.
‘I'd rather not attract any attention.’
Don't come, shoo, shoo!
Lucillea waved both hands, gesturing for it not to follow. At that, Choco paused for a moment.
"Yes! There! Stay right there! Don't follow me!"
And when she turned her back again to leave the nest's territory, she heard another *thump, thump*.
Lucillea spun around and shouted.
"Hey, hey! Choco, you! I told you not to follow me!"
But in that instant.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa? Whoa?!"
Suddenly, Lucillea's body was lifted into the air. Startled, she looked around to see that Choco had picked her up by the collar with the tip of its beak.
"Wha-what! You! You pretended to be all gentle, but were you planning to eat me all along?! Put me down! Won't you put me down?!"
This Choco, repaying my kindness with betrayal!
Lucillea freaked out and struggled.