Mistress Of The Evil Forest

Case 165: Justice for the owls.

Dragons.

It might seem obvious, but dragons are quite strong. Of course, most of them aren't as formidable as the guardian dragon I fought back in Neveah or the hydra at the heart of Zircon, but they are nonetheless intimidating. In game terms, they are several grades above ordinary monsters, wielding immense power even at lower levels.

Around two hundred years ago, these lizards suddenly appeared all over the Khruse range and became the apex predators, leading to the escape of several other monsters and animals to other regions.

One such group was the giant snowy owls, I'd believe.

''You're going to Khruse?''

''Yeah.''

''No, but... hm... you know what? Go ahead. Just be careful.''

''...?''

For some reason, Chloe has a scheming face when I tell her my next expedition. Nevertheless, I immediately set out that evening.

''Phew... you can handle the cold, right?''

What is that expression? Is it saying 'yes'?

Either way, I have decided to only bring Blob along with me. I'm on its back right now, in fact. The reasons are numerous, but let's start with why I want to go there in the first place.

One, I have free time and am in need of practice targets to cut down. I haven't fought in a while, so my blade might get dull, as some of the characters in fighting shows might say. Two, I am curious about my... kin, I suppose. One might feel adventurous once in a while; isn't that normal?

It's not really about my mother or my siblings, by the way. They have expressed to me that they are content living in Zircon with us. It makes sense, considering they don't have memories of living in Khruse anyway.

All in all, I think this will be a fun experience, and if the conditions are suitable, I'll bring my friends along to farm some levels.

---

Around a few hours into the expedition, we can now see the snowy mountains quite clearly.

Although Blob's running speed is quite impressive as halfway through the ride, it sprouts out ten more blade limbs to reach the speed of a commercial airplane, nature is still vast.

We are now more than a thousand kilometers away from home.

''Slow down a bit, Blob. Let's not rush it too much.''

At my words, the Not Deer finally turns back to being somewhat of a deer, and the surroundings are not like smudged lines of brushstrokes anymore.

Now that I really have a good look at it again, the Khruse Range is truly vast. I believe the word 'magnificent' suits this place the best. Mounting tops of pure white snow layer each other, supported by an endless formation of gravel and dirt that spans past my horizontal perspective.

That view remains unchanged, but we are slowly heading toward the field.

''Hoh... we're finally entering the snowfield.''

Since I command the cold, it doesn't affect me anymore, but I can still feel the temperature dropping. Blob isn't scared of it either, so that's good.

As we stride around the foot of a mountain, little life can be detected. One reason for that is the enormousness of this land, but this is also the middle of the night, so it makes sense.

At most, I only see a few coyotes hiding behind the trees or some bears wandering around.

According to the books I've read, if we go up the mountain a bit, a lesser species of the dragon tree called wyverns can be found. Should we head up right away?

As if sensing my contemplation, Blob stops in its tracks, turning that head toward me and waiting for a decision. That's when the wind suddenly blows a large gust of snow at me from behind, and a large shadow covers both Blob and me.

HOOT—! HOOT—!

''Oh.''

Hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar hoot, I immediately turn my head in the direction of the sound. There, a round-ish figure towers over us, its size rivaling that of a house.

With puffy, pure white feathers and two big, round eyes, it is most definitely an owl—a snowy owl.

My wings twitch a bit in excitement. It's just what happens when I meet my kin. The giant owl also tilts its head, staring at me for quite a while.

[Inspect].

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Name: --              

Race: Khruse Snowy Owl                    Title: Master of Acorns

Level: 42

HP: 157/157                    MP: 165/178

STR: 5.3                     INT: 5.0

AGI: 5.8                    STA: 5.1

Skill: [Sharp Claw Lv9], [Night Vision Lv.8],
[Enhanced Hearing Lv.8], [Stealth Lv.8], [Flight Lv.7],
[Inspect Lv.7], [Wind Magic Lv.7], [Lightning Magic Lv.7],
[Keen Senses Lv.5], [Parallel Thinking Lv.4].

State: Normal.

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That's... quite good, actually. Stronger than my mother, and this one looks a bit younger, even. Is this what it takes to survive among dragons?

Hm? How do I know it looks younger?

I mean... it just does...?

HOOT—?

''Oh, oh, calm down...''n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Suddenly, the owl squints its head and begins nuzzling its head, which is bigger than my whole body, at me. It nearly pushes me off Blob's back, but the fluffy feathers make it quite cozy.

HOOT—! HOOT—!

''Follow you? Okay.''

So, we begin to follow the big owl of Khruse toward the trees.

It isn't hard to keep up with the bird since, even with its huge size, the goofy way it walks limits how fast it can be. Still, it only takes around fifteen minutes for us to reach a large clearing within the forest.

There, a rather large number of other owls can be spotted.

HOOT—!

HOOT—! HOOT—! HOOT—!!

Responding to the big owl's call, the smaller ones—ranging from just a bit smaller to as small as me—gush over, all their round, curious eyes glued on us.

I've noticed this, but my kin over here have yellow eyes rather than orange ones like I do.

Still, when are you going to stop staring...?

''...Ah.''

When I finally notice the pattern, it is already too late. The owls readily pounce on me, rubbing their heads against my body whilst letting out enthusiastic hoots. For a while, my vision is filled with only soft shades of white.

Rolling inside this mess, I should be feeling inconvenienced, if not annoyed, yet... all I know is I actually like this warmth.

---

After a bit, the owls gradually calm down, and they begin to gather around us—Blob, the big owl, and me. For no particular reason, I light up a fire between us, making the atmosphere friendlier.

HOOT—!

It seems this one is the leader of the bunch, and in such a short time listening to it, I already feel a sense of belonging. For starters, the owls here are all a part of a family—siblings—and each one has some interesting stories of their own.

For example, the big owl itself likes to use acorns to bait Sonic Squirrels, hence the title 'Master of Acorns.'

HOOT—! HOOT—?

''Mhm. We live in Zircon now. Life is good there, but what about you guys?'

HOOT...!

''There's a problem?''

HOOT—!! HOOT—! HOOT—!

''Ah... I see.''

Hm... what do I do? I've briefly considered befriending these guys and calling it a day, but I can't stay still when they say that the wyverns are threatening them, right?

Of course.

As a fellow snowy owl, I need to do justice.

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