Episode 9. I'll Hold You Back
"Phew."
Bercheria's small head popped out from the grass.
She exhaled and shook her head, brushing away the cobwebs and leaves stuck to her face.
"... Lacrahan!"
Lacrahan was just entering the condor's mouth.
"Muha! Stop!"
Bercheria shouted with all her might, but it didn't reach it at all.
The condor's two eyes were dazzling in the air.
She jumped up and came out of the bushes.
"Muha! Please come to your senses!"
Born as a divine beast, Muha, the condor, obeys Bercheria, the god of weather, but perceives other beings as mere prey.
Therefore, the current Muha was nothing more or less than a terrifying monster.
Kaaa.
As Lacrahan disappeared into Muha's mouth, Bercheria's face turned pale.
A carriage carrying Princess Kelita of Periat and her luggage formed a small procession and moved toward the portal.
Periat had six portals, created by archmages long ago.
Only those with the Emperor's permission could use these portals to travel to other regions. A permit was required to travel through the portal, and the Locust gem embedded in the permit protected the traveler's life.
Passing through the portal without a permit would result in the wearer's body being shattered and vanishing.
"Princess, are you feeling any discomfort?"
Kelita smiled as usual at the maid's question.
"Nothing. Thank you for your concern."
She looked out the window, her smile still on her face.
The portal was originally located in the center of the imperial palace, but after the war, it was relocated to the outskirts and settled in its current location.
"It's only half a day's journey, so please bear with me, Princess."
"Yes."
Kelita, gazing out the small window of the carriage, spotted a magnificent carriage speeding in the distance.
"Rosie."
“Yes, Princess.”
“See that carriage over there? What family’s carriage is that?”
The maid tilted her head.
“Yes. It’s the first time I’ve seen it. Still, I guess it’s noble. Maybe it came from abroad.”
“I see.”
Kelita and the maid turned forward again, chatting about the latest fashions in dresses and what kind of young lady was having a crush on someone.
After driving for a while, the carriage suddenly came to a screeching halt.
Whoa, whoa.
“Ah!”
“Princess! Are you alright?”
Whoa.
The sound of the coachman halting his horse filtered into the carriage.
Dust that had settled on the ground rose into the air, clouding her vision.
The maid opened the window and shouted,
“Oh my, drive carefully! The Princess almost got hurt.”
Then, as if still angry, she said to Kelita,
“I’ll go and find out what’s going on.”
Kelita straightened her disheveled clothes.
“Come with me. I was already feeling a little suffocated.”
As she cautiously followed her maid out, the coachman noticed her and repeatedly bowed.
“I apologize, Princess. Someone suddenly blocked your path.”
The coachman trotted toward the magnificent carriage.
After conversing with the other coachman, he seemed to have decided to speak with the owner of the carriage again, walking briskly again and knocking on the carriage door.
As if waiting, the door opened, revealing the silhouette of a woman seated inside.
“Hmm?”
Kelita tilted her head and peered inside the carriage.
Her curious brown eyes were filled with the sight of a fan fluttering beautifully like a butterfly in the gap between the carriage doors.
“Ah.”
Kelita was entranced, staring at the red lips being drawn up through the barely visible gap.
The condor, a carnivore, was known to have a beak as hard and strong as steel, capable of chewing through entire trees.
Furthermore, Muha was a divine beast that ruled over all birds.
With just a few movements, Lacrahan would be torn apart alive.
"Muha! No!"
Bercheria cried, running beneath the condor's massive wings.
Her heart pounded.
"Mistake. I came too late, and Muha doesn't remember me at all."
It was a bitterly cold day when she first discovered Muha's egg.
Someone must have placed it there, its sleek shape resting neatly in a pile of straw and twigs blown by the wind.
Bercheria decided to take good care of it.
Hiding it from her mother's daily visit with dry bread was the most demanding part of her day.
But it was worth it.
It made her feel less lonely.
Bercheria slept with the egg in her arms, and during the day, she kept it by her side in a sunlit spot, telling it stories.
A few years later, the egg cracked, and a baby condor emerged.
She gave thanks to God and named it Muha.
Bercheria had no doubt that Muha would grow up and, with his massive wings, deliver her to the world beneath the tower.
But as soon as he could spread his wings and fly, he left the tower and disappeared, never to return.
"I told you not to eat him!"
Bercheria picked up a rock from the floor and threw it at Muha with all her might.
The rock thudded against his massive thigh, halting Muha's jaw from closing.
"Haa, haa."
Bercheria grunted and looked up at Muha.
"Don't eat him! Spit it out! Now!"
At her voice, Muha's eyes fluttered open.
Bercheria, too, forced her eyelids open.
For a split second, she felt a change in Muha's gaze.
He was moving loosely, as if observing her closely.
"Muha... You recognize me."
Muha slowly lowered his head and brought his face closer to hers.
She stood on tiptoe and reached out with a trembling hand, and Muha opened his beak with a crack.
Without hesitation, he swallowed her small body whole.
"You stupid Muha...!"
Bercheria's clear voice was trapped in his beak and lost.
She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
It was better this way, she thought.
After all, she wasn't going to die, so all she had to do was find Lacrahan and rescue him.
"Ugh!"
Of course, she'd have to endure the filthy, hot, and sticky saliva of Muha, a pain that might as well have been death.
Just then, as her skin felt as if it were being crushed by the firm beak, a hot hand emerged from somewhere and roughly grabbed her arm.
"Lacrahan?"
His face, his dry cheeks puffed out from holding his breath, slid through the mucus, almost colliding with her.
Lacrahan pulled Bercheria's body to him.
His long legs tightly blocked her from behind, preventing her from escaping, and his arms wrapped around her small head, protecting her.
And the next moment.
Kkwow!
The condor's mouth, wounded in the neck, gaped wide.
Kkwow!
The two bodies, now joined together, were spat out with a waterfall of saliva.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
The two bodies that fell to the ground bounced into the air and then began to roll along the ground.
As they rolled through the rough, unkempt forest, Lacrahan’s clothes were torn, and more scratches appeared on his exposed skin.
Even so, Lacrahan did not release his grip on Bercheria until the very end.
“Ugh!”
Their bodies finally stopped when his back hit a solid tree.
“Haa, haa.”
“Phew.”
The two held each other for a while, waiting for the shock to subside.
Then Lacrahan, who had regained consciousness first, released Bercheria, who was still in shock, from his embrace.
When she staggered to her feet, his brow furrowed fiercely.
“Why did you jump in again after I saved you?”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem injured.
It was fortunate that he had noticed the woman at that moment; otherwise, she could have suffered serious internal injuries.
He saw the wound on her hand heal, but there was no way to know how far it would heal.
He figured it would be easier if he got hurt himself.
"What the hell happened?"
Bercheria asked, wiping the sticky drool off her hand.
"What?"
Lacrahan said, pushing back his cloak to reveal the sword at his waist.
“That giant condor’s Adam’s apple and my sword are the perfect size.”
Lakrahan glanced at Muha, who was still jumping around, and frowned.
“After being treated like this, I guess you won’t be able to eat anything for a while.”
“Haa.”
Bercheria struggled to stand up.
Lacrahan’s body was marred by wounds all over.
She bit the flesh inside her mouth and turned her head away from him.
“I put you in trouble.”
Lacrahan’s gaze, which had been fixed on Muha, turned to Bercheria.
“You have a rather amusing way of saying thanks for saving you.”
Bercheria let out a short breath and straightened her furrowed brow.
“Yes. My misjudgment put you in danger.”
“And?”
Her golden eyes glared at him without a hint of resentment.
“...Thank you for saving me.”
Lacrahan’s lips slanted upward.
Isn’t it really hard to receive an apology?
He pulled one leg back and placed his right hand on his left chest.
“To hear an apology from the great goddess. It’s an honor, Bercheria.”
“What’s real? Kindness? Or is being sarcastic like this just your nature?”
“Haha.”
Lacrahan chuckled cheerfully at Bercheria’s anger.
His personality was clearly the latter.
Bercheria watched Muha, who shed tears of pain, and walked towards the tower.
“Follow me.”
Lacrahan watched Bercheria’s back and then followed.
“At this point, wouldn’t it be polite to tell me what you want?”
The sound of grass rustling and being trampled underfoot could be heard as the two walked.
“We’re going up the tower.”
“...What?”
“Since the first method failed, we’ll have to try the second method.”
Bercheria pointed to the upper tower.
“Where are you going?”
“Up there.”
“So, you mean, going up the tower?”
“Yes. There’s something I need to bring with you.”
“Come out?”
“You’ll find out anyway, so just stick close to me for now.”
After finishing speaking, Bercheria suddenly started running towards Muha, who was crouching in front of her and groaning.
“Ha.”
Lacrahan ran his hand through his hair, but couldn’t hold it in anymore and shouted at Bercheria’s back.
“Is that your natural personality?”
All he saw in response was her back.
“That’s right. There’s no way she’d answer.”
Lacrahan eventually followed Bercheria.
His cloak fluttered in the air, and he caught up with Bercheria in an instant.
"Phew."
Bercheria's small head popped out from the grass.
She exhaled and shook her head, brushing away the cobwebs and leaves stuck to her face.
"... Lacrahan!"
Lacrahan was just entering the condor's mouth.
"Muha! Stop!"
Bercheria shouted with all her might, but it didn't reach it at all.
The condor's two eyes were dazzling in the air.
She jumped up and came out of the bushes.
"Muha! Please come to your senses!"
Born as a divine beast, Muha, the condor, obeys Bercheria, the god of weather, but perceives other beings as mere prey.
Therefore, the current Muha was nothing more or less than a terrifying monster.
Kaaa.
As Lacrahan disappeared into Muha's mouth, Bercheria's face turned pale.
***
A carriage carrying Princess Kelita of Periat and her luggage formed a small procession and moved toward the portal.
Periat had six portals, created by archmages long ago.
Only those with the Emperor's permission could use these portals to travel to other regions. A permit was required to travel through the portal, and the Locust gem embedded in the permit protected the traveler's life.
Passing through the portal without a permit would result in the wearer's body being shattered and vanishing.
"Princess, are you feeling any discomfort?"
Kelita smiled as usual at the maid's question.
"Nothing. Thank you for your concern."
She looked out the window, her smile still on her face.
The portal was originally located in the center of the imperial palace, but after the war, it was relocated to the outskirts and settled in its current location.
"It's only half a day's journey, so please bear with me, Princess."
"Yes."
Kelita, gazing out the small window of the carriage, spotted a magnificent carriage speeding in the distance.
"Rosie."
“Yes, Princess.”
“See that carriage over there? What family’s carriage is that?”
The maid tilted her head.
“Yes. It’s the first time I’ve seen it. Still, I guess it’s noble. Maybe it came from abroad.”
“I see.”
Kelita and the maid turned forward again, chatting about the latest fashions in dresses and what kind of young lady was having a crush on someone.
After driving for a while, the carriage suddenly came to a screeching halt.
Whoa, whoa.
“Ah!”
“Princess! Are you alright?”
Whoa.
The sound of the coachman halting his horse filtered into the carriage.
Dust that had settled on the ground rose into the air, clouding her vision.
The maid opened the window and shouted,
“Oh my, drive carefully! The Princess almost got hurt.”
Then, as if still angry, she said to Kelita,
“I’ll go and find out what’s going on.”
Kelita straightened her disheveled clothes.
“Come with me. I was already feeling a little suffocated.”
As she cautiously followed her maid out, the coachman noticed her and repeatedly bowed.
“I apologize, Princess. Someone suddenly blocked your path.”
The coachman trotted toward the magnificent carriage.
After conversing with the other coachman, he seemed to have decided to speak with the owner of the carriage again, walking briskly again and knocking on the carriage door.
As if waiting, the door opened, revealing the silhouette of a woman seated inside.
“Hmm?”
Kelita tilted her head and peered inside the carriage.
Her curious brown eyes were filled with the sight of a fan fluttering beautifully like a butterfly in the gap between the carriage doors.
“Ah.”
Kelita was entranced, staring at the red lips being drawn up through the barely visible gap.
***
The condor, a carnivore, was known to have a beak as hard and strong as steel, capable of chewing through entire trees.
Furthermore, Muha was a divine beast that ruled over all birds.
With just a few movements, Lacrahan would be torn apart alive.
"Muha! No!"
Bercheria cried, running beneath the condor's massive wings.
Her heart pounded.
"Mistake. I came too late, and Muha doesn't remember me at all."
It was a bitterly cold day when she first discovered Muha's egg.
Someone must have placed it there, its sleek shape resting neatly in a pile of straw and twigs blown by the wind.
Bercheria decided to take good care of it.
Hiding it from her mother's daily visit with dry bread was the most demanding part of her day.
But it was worth it.
It made her feel less lonely.
Bercheria slept with the egg in her arms, and during the day, she kept it by her side in a sunlit spot, telling it stories.
A few years later, the egg cracked, and a baby condor emerged.
She gave thanks to God and named it Muha.
Bercheria had no doubt that Muha would grow up and, with his massive wings, deliver her to the world beneath the tower.
But as soon as he could spread his wings and fly, he left the tower and disappeared, never to return.
"I told you not to eat him!"
Bercheria picked up a rock from the floor and threw it at Muha with all her might.
The rock thudded against his massive thigh, halting Muha's jaw from closing.
"Haa, haa."
Bercheria grunted and looked up at Muha.
"Don't eat him! Spit it out! Now!"
At her voice, Muha's eyes fluttered open.
Bercheria, too, forced her eyelids open.
For a split second, she felt a change in Muha's gaze.
He was moving loosely, as if observing her closely.
"Muha... You recognize me."
Muha slowly lowered his head and brought his face closer to hers.
She stood on tiptoe and reached out with a trembling hand, and Muha opened his beak with a crack.
Without hesitation, he swallowed her small body whole.
"You stupid Muha...!"
Bercheria's clear voice was trapped in his beak and lost.
She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
It was better this way, she thought.
After all, she wasn't going to die, so all she had to do was find Lacrahan and rescue him.
"Ugh!"
Of course, she'd have to endure the filthy, hot, and sticky saliva of Muha, a pain that might as well have been death.
Just then, as her skin felt as if it were being crushed by the firm beak, a hot hand emerged from somewhere and roughly grabbed her arm.
"Lacrahan?"
His face, his dry cheeks puffed out from holding his breath, slid through the mucus, almost colliding with her.
Lacrahan pulled Bercheria's body to him.
His long legs tightly blocked her from behind, preventing her from escaping, and his arms wrapped around her small head, protecting her.
And the next moment.
Kkwow!
The condor's mouth, wounded in the neck, gaped wide.
Kkwow!
The two bodies, now joined together, were spat out with a waterfall of saliva.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
The two bodies that fell to the ground bounced into the air and then began to roll along the ground.
As they rolled through the rough, unkempt forest, Lacrahan’s clothes were torn, and more scratches appeared on his exposed skin.
Even so, Lacrahan did not release his grip on Bercheria until the very end.
“Ugh!”
Their bodies finally stopped when his back hit a solid tree.
“Haa, haa.”
“Phew.”
The two held each other for a while, waiting for the shock to subside.
Then Lacrahan, who had regained consciousness first, released Bercheria, who was still in shock, from his embrace.
When she staggered to her feet, his brow furrowed fiercely.
“Why did you jump in again after I saved you?”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem injured.
It was fortunate that he had noticed the woman at that moment; otherwise, she could have suffered serious internal injuries.
He saw the wound on her hand heal, but there was no way to know how far it would heal.
He figured it would be easier if he got hurt himself.
"What the hell happened?"
Bercheria asked, wiping the sticky drool off her hand.
"What?"
Lacrahan said, pushing back his cloak to reveal the sword at his waist.
“That giant condor’s Adam’s apple and my sword are the perfect size.”
Lakrahan glanced at Muha, who was still jumping around, and frowned.
“After being treated like this, I guess you won’t be able to eat anything for a while.”
“Haa.”
Bercheria struggled to stand up.
Lacrahan’s body was marred by wounds all over.
She bit the flesh inside her mouth and turned her head away from him.
“I put you in trouble.”
Lacrahan’s gaze, which had been fixed on Muha, turned to Bercheria.
“You have a rather amusing way of saying thanks for saving you.”
Bercheria let out a short breath and straightened her furrowed brow.
“Yes. My misjudgment put you in danger.”
“And?”
Her golden eyes glared at him without a hint of resentment.
“...Thank you for saving me.”
Lacrahan’s lips slanted upward.
Isn’t it really hard to receive an apology?
He pulled one leg back and placed his right hand on his left chest.
“To hear an apology from the great goddess. It’s an honor, Bercheria.”
“What’s real? Kindness? Or is being sarcastic like this just your nature?”
“Haha.”
Lacrahan chuckled cheerfully at Bercheria’s anger.
His personality was clearly the latter.
Bercheria watched Muha, who shed tears of pain, and walked towards the tower.
“Follow me.”
Lacrahan watched Bercheria’s back and then followed.
“At this point, wouldn’t it be polite to tell me what you want?”
The sound of grass rustling and being trampled underfoot could be heard as the two walked.
“We’re going up the tower.”
“...What?”
“Since the first method failed, we’ll have to try the second method.”
Bercheria pointed to the upper tower.
“Where are you going?”
“Up there.”
“So, you mean, going up the tower?”
“Yes. There’s something I need to bring with you.”
“Come out?”
“You’ll find out anyway, so just stick close to me for now.”
After finishing speaking, Bercheria suddenly started running towards Muha, who was crouching in front of her and groaning.
“Ha.”
Lacrahan ran his hand through his hair, but couldn’t hold it in anymore and shouted at Bercheria’s back.
“Is that your natural personality?”
All he saw in response was her back.
“That’s right. There’s no way she’d answer.”
Lacrahan eventually followed Bercheria.
His cloak fluttered in the air, and he caught up with Bercheria in an instant.
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