Published at 25th of March 2019 11:40 pm

Chapter 35 - The name is『Nevalides』

「I, in the end, came here♪」

Wow!! x2

……Explanation about what just occurred is something like this.

The day after we returned from the『Crimson Forest』,

After eating the breakfast, *knock-knock*, my door was knocked. What is it, thinking that, Elk opened the door……

……There stood, Irene-san, with a face full of smiles. Explanation over.

☆☆☆

A sudden visit by Guild Master.

As for the reason, why she came to the inn for a single adventurer was,

「Yeah, in truth, I got a really tasty snack yesterday, so I will share it with you」

……You’re a guild master, right?

With this timing, I had thought that some big problem came up or she was going to inquire us, but……my predictions were kicked right out of the bucket.

I asked if it was fine to not report about this matter to her, the guild master,

「Report? I don’t need. Isa-chan has told me the outline, and in truth I don’t even need to hear it, but still get what might have happened. It was this『Minato-kun, getting attacked by demons, went on a rampage』, right ?」

Irene-san said that. She just covered the main point in less than damn 30 words. ……Not like she’s wrong.

Well, I don’t know who that『Isa-chan』might be, but let it like that, just why the hell have you come here nonchalantly for playing?

If a guildmaster, even as a joke, came to an inn for a single adventurer……wouldn’t that make a pain-in-the-ass trouble later?

「It’s fine, It’s fine. I came here while using the magic for recognition obstruction, so one would realise it’s me. I have left the work to Barracks, so I’m fine even by ditching the job, at least till the end of morning」

Another problem is sprouting.

Well, if Irene-san is saying that, I couldn’t help but agree to her. Even if I say anymore, it won’t make much of difference.

And, thank you for the hard work, assistant Barracks-san.

When she finished speaking, she took out a snack seeming like castella from the different pocket of same pouch.

The size of pouch, and the snack is obviously different……maybe it too is an storage-type magic item, just like my backpack.

After that, while eating that castella-like snack, she heard the story about the current case with an happy expression.

Irene-san said before that『report』wasn’t needed, but the talk for chatting was something else, so she lend an ear for killing the time.

While telling her, during the parts that weren’t in report or the parts she was personally interested in, she tried to delve deeper in secret.

Like, when the landslide occurred while we were in the small hut (at this point we hadn’t met Suura-san and others), or like when I used darkness magic, or even when I used my original magic『Magic Pheromone』.

As for the thing about the hut, I didn’t think there was a need to report, so it was fine.

I explained it to Irene-san briefly, then she grinned with satisfaction.

「So that is the case. So you had been fighting with dog, rabbit, lizard, cockroach and even grasshopper」

「Originally it was only supposed to end with dog. But our bad luck」

「Don’t say it like that. Only because you guys took a detour, Suura-chan and others were saved」

Well, that certainly is right, but. When I think about getting in that situation without Elk or me……I felt slight cold.

I, of course, Elk too, displayed lot of efforts in repelling the demons attacking the carriages. At least, more than those delinquent pair.

Those two lacked in basics. So they got injured a lot, and were taken to curing team very quickly.

In that aspect Elk, using basic hit-and-run tactics, fought against demons, her evasion was good from before, but recently, by training with me, those movements have got slightly polished.

So in terms of overall work, she falls behind me, Zari and Suura-san, but still she showed lot of efforts in defending.

Thinking that, it felt like it was for the good. As a hindsight-based opinion, it was good that Suura-san and others didn’t die.

「But……you too were lucky, Minato-kun」

「Eh?」

Irene said that thing suddenly. Luck? Without knowing what she meant, I stared blankly.

In the talk right now, was there any part showing that I got lucky?

When I asked,

「Minato-kun, do you remember about the『List』, I gave you before?」

「? Hmm, that goal list which I don’t want to remember?」

「Yes. Wasn’t it inside there? The subspecies of『Exceed Hopper』」

Ah, yeah, certainly it was there. I think it was the topmost in the subjugation goal list. But, what about it?

「I forgot to tell you, but the demons in that list, become stronger as you go down, so the first demon you met in was the weakest, that’s why you were lucky」

「……Oh, so that is the case」

I can’t say anything to Elk with an expression saying『For real!?』.

It was the weakest, eh. In the list?

Well I did thought it was too weak for being the level of monster which would make me recognised by mom.

「And, though it doesn’t happen here but……in far countryside, a rare group of around 100 subspecies appears after many years. Sometimes, a request for punitive force reinforcements are made in guild, so how about going there at that time?」

「……Well, after Elk becomes more stronger than right now」

「I just can’t, hell no!!」

A shout filled with grief and despair. I’m joking, joking. I too won’t go to a place like that on my own will and it’s not like we would find a group like that wherever we go……let’s stop talking or I get a small feeling it would turn into a bad flag.

Well around here, a group that big isn’t present, so I can be somewhat relieved.

And, according to Irene-san, the quest for investigation of『Crimson Forest』has been put out by Guild, and many adventurers with information gathering as objective, have went inside the forest.

Naturally, they had written a warning saying『It more dangerous than ever before』, but almost none of the adventurers dropped out because of it. Let’s just pray for their well being.

In this way, we might be called by the guards’ side for inquiry, but the Guild, wouldn’t delve in deeper about this case. They have decided to close up this case as『An unexpected accident. Now resolved』.

「Though, the rumours about『adventurer in black』is spreading, so Minato-kun, be ready for some hard life」

「Ah, I see now……」

……The case hasn’t been resolved for me. Well, when we returned to city in carriage, I was in the front carriage, though as escort, so it was only natural to stand out.

「And, with this case, your rank will have to be raised up again, so, for updation of your guild card, do come to Guild, okay?」

「Yes……」

Well, I had thought it would be like that for levels, but……ah, so depressing.

I recalled about the situation during the case with『Naga』.

Onlookers filled with curiosity, check by fellow adventurers, invitation to other adventurer parties……just because rumours were spread, I had to face all these things before.

Moreover, this is the second round. I do have my criminal record (?) of before, after this one too, I can already feel it being a pain-in-the-ass situation.

I heaved a sigh while thinking that, Elk looked at my attitude with a fed-up expression, suddenly, as if she remembered something Irene-san started speaking.

「By the way Minato-kun, I was bothered about this from before?」

「Come again?」

「It came out in the story before, but, it’s the first time you are keeping a pet, right?」

「Ah, yes. I’ve made it wait in the other room for now」

Yeah, it was about Alva.

Look right now, a guest is here, snacks……edible stuff is also here, so I gave Alva it’s food (grasshopper meat) to make him stay obediently in the other room.

In the talk before, I sure did talk about Alva. I think it is a demon, but because I didn’t knew its species, I introduced him as a blackish owl-like bird.

Then, Irene-san said she wanted to see it, so I called Alva from the other room. I just called out its name, it came flying and perched on my shoulder. Really intelligent.

Then, Irene-san, bend forward, looked at Alva, then for an instant, though it might be my imagination, Irene-san showed a serious expression completely different from her normal nonchalant expression. ……What happened?

「You said it ate things with magical power willingly, so I did thought about it, but……」

「Err……Irene-san?」

「Minato-kun, this bird……ah, Alva-kun I mean. Do you know what sort of demon Alva-kun is?」

「? Nope not at all. Elk too said that she didn’t knew it」

I sent a fleeting glance to Elk and affirmation came back.

Seeing us, Irene-san said『As expected』.

Does Irene-san know what sort of race Alva is from?

No, she would naturally know. After all, her career is different from ours, she’s the great legendary-class adventurer. It isn’t strange that she would know about a demon with just a glance.

It is a good chance, how about I ask what race is it from and how to raise it? When I was thinking ridiculous stuff like this,

Irene-san made an expression as if she found it REALLY interesting. Eh, What?

「……In truth, the main reason I came here was because in the report of Isa-chan there was something about an blackish owl loving to eat food with magical power」

「Hwat?」

「And I come here to see this……no, things like this can occur」

「……Umm……?」

「Hm? Ah, sorry sorry, I was just startled. I had never thought Minato-kun you would keep a guy this tremendous, though by coincidence, as your pet」

Eh, what do you mean by that? What is with that suggestive sentence which seriously is ticking me off. What? Is my Alva that bad? To the extent that even Irene-san said『tremendous』about it?

I looked to my side, and Elk too, while looking at Alva, was spilling out somewhat sweat.

……What to do, I wanted to ask about it, but now I have gotten scared to even hear.

No no, wait wait. Jumping to conclusions is not good. Calm down. It can be『tremendous』based on normal public opinion, maybe.

The demon I fought this time『Exceed Hopper』too is said to be『tremendous』based on normal public evaluation……it would be good to that extent, right? ……no, surely there is no doubt it is just too much strange.

Elk’s reproachful gaze has been coming to me - no, how the hell am I wrong this time? - and other things too, so I want to first calm down……while thinking that, I waited for an answer from Irene-san, holding my breath.

In the end, this Alva, perched on my shoulder, scratching its feather with beak, is what kind of demon and of what level…… Please, be be upright with explanation……

「Yes, well then, it’s a good chance so I shall enlighten you. That Alva-kun, in truth is……」

「-In truth is?」

「…………」

「…………」

「………………」

「………………」

「………………」

「………………」

You’re hesitating way too fucking long! That just fucking too long of an hesitation! You’re definitely having fun, right!?

Like that, keeping us in suspense for about more than 20 seconds……Irene-san finally opened her mouth.

「Race name『Nevalides』. Rank『Unmeasurable』. It is that one hell of a monster demon. Though it’s only a baby bird right now.」

Written as『humans』and 『dreams』 is a word pronounced as……『fragile』. (TN: This is a pun. Okay, so pun intended)

☆☆☆

『Nevalides』

Habitat: Unknown.

Detailed Ecology: Unknown.

Rank: Unmeasurable.

It is a Devil bird, said to come from the pits of hell, while covered in feather of black and grey. Its appearance is of a slightly bigger black owl an adult bird is, around the size of a medium~large sized bird of prey. Its appearance is not much of a thing, but it’s true state is a lot of thing, as it contains dreadful combat ability, it is a legendary-class demon.

It doesn’t has much physical strength (according to normal demon evaluation basis), but inside its body is enormous amount of magical power, and it could use a great variety of magic easily with more power. That power could turn a really big forest into scorched earth, and a single bird could subjugate a whole group of more than thousand demons easily.

It has abnormally high intelligence and could understand human language. Furthermore, it could learn a simple magic just by seeing it sometimes, for an easy magic seeing it once is enough, it could even learn the magic just by hearing about it, all in all, it has too much intelligence that it far surpasses human being in imitation aspects.

Due to the high magical power by birth, it loves to eat the meat of demons with magic. Especially, during the time as baby bird, the foundations to growth of magical power aspects are made. Thanks to that, it requires fine quality of food with lots of magical power inserted, in short, it has empty stomach most of times.

Its growth is too fast, after hours from birth it can fly, after one day it can fly without making any sound. By two or three days, it could already use normal magic of fire and other attributes, though being in growth stage.

……All this was the grateful explanation by Irene-san about the identity of Alva.

「Though, this race was said to be extinct about a thousand years ago……but for it to still live in this era, is truly shocking even for me」

Hearing more, apparently, Irene-san too had only read about it in documents during her times as adventurer, so seeing it in real is a first for her too. In that document a picture similar to its sketch was drawn, so she understood by looking.

Why a demon like this, a monster demon which could laugh and kill all those grasshopper group easily, was present in that Ritoras Mountains.

「Maybe, the egg transformed in a fossil, and remained in a dormant state?」

「Dormant state?」

「Yes. Sometimes there are demons like those present. They go in a dormant state with various methods, upon the loss of food, deterioration in habitat, and after entering dormant state……they sleep for many years, tens of years, hundreds of years……at most thousands of years」

「So Alva……Nevalides are like that too」

「Yes. That egg, came out of the place of a landslide, right? Maybe the dormant egg stated working once again with the landslide as trigger, and just before hatching, you guys passed by and picked it up. During dormant state, there are demons, who have strong shells or egg shells」

「So a thing like that exists……」

The thing called demons, are so profound.

A demon like that exists, it’s egg rested at that place, and I picked it up……too absurd of a coincidence.

Then, Elk who had been hearing till now,

「But, why was a legendary-class monster present at a place like that? Ritoras Mountains is said to be a mountain for beginners, the levels of demons appearing there is low……naturally, the magical power quantity they have is also low……」

Said all that. Well she is right.

If it is that great demon, then the parent bird would try to feed it the fine quality meat of demon with high magical power quantity……

「Yeah, I also think that is strange, but there are certain reason I can think of? Like for making the baby bird independent as soon as possible and let it start hunting on its own」

I see. Indeed that place is good for even the beginner human adventurers, so for a demon like this, it would become a good training place.

If it becomes insufficient, then it has to become self-independent, go to some other place, and search for a better food……

「Either that or, before that place became for low rank demons, it lived there, and in that era high ranked demons might have lived there. Like, perfect for their training」

「So Alva’s egg was given birth around that time?」

「Possibility about that sure exists. But in that case, it would be long before, this country was even made……around many thousands of years before」

So there is a possibility it slept for all that time.

There were other possibilities, but without any proof for the correct one, this talk ended with this.

Then, Irene-san asked me that if I would keep it even after knowing……all that stuff.

Well, a normal person, would lose all the intention to keep a pet which is said to be tremendous. Based on danger aspects.

In that case, either selling or presenting it in Guild are two choices.

According to Irene-san, rare demons like those are bought with high price as a research material.

But I have no intention to do that.

After all, I had decided to keep it, with having considered the possibility that it might be a demon. I promised to look after it, took it along with me, and even fed it.

And to throw it away or sell it to Guild, well two words: Fuck it!

No well, other people might blame me for acting that way with a dangerous demon, but I just don’t give a sheet about it.

I have all the more intention to look after it till the very end. And from what I have heard, the time it would grow up and not need me to look after too is coming near soon.

Hearing that, Elk sighed and Irene-san smiled in a strange way.

Apparently, she had guessed my answer, so she didn’t say anything else, though being on the guild side, and easily accepted my answer. Maybe it was because she is broad-minded or due to her personality of being wild and nonchalant.

Elk, didn’t oppose it, though it’s not like she isn’t feeling uneasiness.

It has high intelligence, can understand human language, so it won’t become much of a danger if I kept telling it.

However, she also said to properly discipline it.

After saying that, the work of Irene-san was finished. She suddenly stood up and started to leave.

And she wouldn’t need us to send her off……just as I thought that,

「Ah, and Minato-kun」

「Yes?」

「I don’t anybody does it, but you don’t need to be afraid just because your pet is outside the norm, if you raise it while giving lots of love, then it might stick with you only」

Doesn’t that implicitly mean『Be careful there are those who don’t stick』?

「It’s fine. I know one of my friends who has a demon, around the same danger levels as this guy, as her pet (smirk)」

「……Umm, please don’t tell me that person……」

For this person to say words like this, at this timing, in this mood only means……

「yeah, your mom」

「Yeah, damn it. really!?」

「Didn’t she had? A bird with golden feathers, around this big」

Saying that, Irene-san stretched her hands in left and right side.

……A bird which reaches 2 m upon opening wings……Stork, eh?

On mom’s orders, it radiated flames from the wings, released beams from its mouth. When I was weak, and went in forest, in substitute for mom, it escorted me, against demons I couldn’t fight against, it kicked their asses.

I had thought it wasn’t any normal demon, but……

「It is called as『Phoenix』, and is a sacred bird, completely opposite of『Nevalides』. It’s name was……I think it was Stork, maybe?」

In the traditional folklores of some places, Phoenix are called as『god of light』and Nevalides as『evil god of darkness』, certainly they fit the phrase ‘light and shadow’. Of course rank is unmeasurable. On theory is, that upon dying it could revive from even the smallest fire, it is a type of immortal bird. This information is the same as of『Immortal bird』the『Phoenix』in my previous world’s fantasy genre stuff. (TN: Immortal bird means phoenix, but the reason I didn’t write it was because Phoenix has many ways of being written in Japanese and they all different meanings, which english words cannot teach)

Irene-san, after saying information that only increased my mental fatigue, left with a satisfied expression.

Still what sort of karma is this. Mom and stork, a demon same as that would come to me, almost like the same side of the coin idiom……

Well, I did felt dreadful coincidences, but it’s all good. Alva is Alva.

For the time being, I thought to be a good friend to this lovely guy facing its round and cute eyes towards me.

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