The Sleeping Devil

The next day.

After finishing breakfast, Sheriel and Didier went out to the garden for the first time in a while.

Leaving behind Dior, who disliked the slightly stronger sunlight and reluctantly returned to her duties, and Sergio, who went back to his office, they went to meet Hermes' griffin.

They walked through the garden where they usually took walks and circled around to the opposite side of the tower where Sheriel's room was.

They saw a tall tree standing there.

"Oh, that tree! It looks tall when viewed from below."

"That's a Lasouju tree. The window you see over there is Sheriel's room."

Hermes, who was walking in front, turned around with a stern face.

"Why is Sheriel in that tower? What is Sergio thinking? Should I immediately educate him again?"

"W-Well, I said I didn't want to move from there! So, Father is not at fault."

Actually, Sheriel was recently allowed to move to the main building, but when she saw the room she was shown, it was so large and luxurious that she became frightened.

There were no flashy decorations, but rather, it was a room with a calm and pleasant atmosphere. However, she wanted a little more time to prepare herself.

"Why? That place is far from the dining hall, small, and old. Originally, that tower was used for disciplining servants and children."

"Is that so? But if it's too spacious, it will be difficult for Mary to clean. Besides, I like that tree because it blooms all year round."

"I see. However, there's no need to worry about the servants. We can hire more maids if needed. If you feel cramped, don't hesitate to say it."

"Yes. Thank you, Grandfather."

The tall tree called Lasouju grows right next to the window on the opposite side of the garden.

It has large white petals with a rich yellow center, and its round silhouette is adorable.

Sheriel didn't even realize it was a tower until Sergio pointed it out, so it was a belated realization.

"Brother, does that flower have a meaning as well?"

"Yeah, we use it a lot in our family. It means 'decapitate you.'"

"Why would you use that?! I wish I hadn't asked..."

How ominous. To associate such a lovely flower with such a meaning...

"Haha, we send a branch with a warning to impolite nobles or those who plot bad things behind the scenes. It's the most peaceful way of resolving things in the Beriard family."

"I see. Didier, you're studying well. Sometimes we also send fingers or ears of our comrades, but the Lasouju flower is enough."

Hmm, I wonder. That's right, it's the Beriard family. Alright.

Sheriel gave up thinking about it.

On this side, there were no hedges or planted flowers, only a wide lawn and trees lining the inside of the castle walls.

There were also some trees growing on the lawn, creating a small playground-like area.

"Where is the griffin? I looked for it after dinner yesterday, but couldn't find it."

"Oh, since the Forest of Demons is nearby, it's probably out playing there."

Hermes took out a short staff from nowhere, just like Sergio did the other day, and started muttering something.

"Huh? Isn't the forest where you live the Forest of Demons?"

"Well? I have a mansion in the northern forest. Although it is connected to the Forest of Demons, no one can live there."

The Devil's Forest, which occupies one-fourth of the Orausteria Kingdom and two-thirds of the Beriard Territory, is a vast forest.

The forest is home to many creatures with magical powers, such as magical beasts and fairies, and it is said that demons also come from there.

I was surprised when I saw it on the map recently. Beriard is a very large territory.

"Because demons live there..."

Before finishing the sentence, a storm-like strong wind struck, and a large shadow descended from above.

Sheriel tightly closed her eyes and tensed her body, fearing the worst.

"Sheriel, come over here."

Protected firmly in Didier's arms, Sheriel opened her eyes hesitantly and saw a giant bird slowly descending.

It was a bird about the size of a compact car, far surpassing Kurumi.

"So this is a griffin. I've never seen one before."

"It's a good specimen. It flies so fast that you won't even be able to keep your eyes open."

The griffin folded its wings with a thud. Its brownish-orange body was adorned with fluffy white feathers that spread from its neck to its chest, resembling a scarf. It was quite adorable.

...A huge bird, it's amazing.

"Magical birds are big... Kurumi seems small now."

"The griffin is a type of magical beast. It has four legs, right? It's considered a winged species of magical beast."

Indeed, it had sturdy, beast-like legs with sharp talons.

If it has four legs, it becomes a magical beast. Ahh, it's so cute.

"May I touch it?"

"Aren't you afraid? If you approach slowly, it should be fine."

"Sheriel, be careful."

Didier seemed unexpectedly uncomfortable around animals.

"I'm fine," Sheriel declared softly and slowly approached the griffin.

The griffin glanced at Sheriel as she reached out her hand and obediently lay down on the ground. Sheriel interpreted this as permission to touch.

She gently placed her hand on the feathers around its neck, which turned out to be even softer and warmer than she had imagined.

"Oh, Sheriel, it's dangerous to get so close to its face... Hey, griffin! If you dare to even scratch Sheriel, I'll make you our dinner tonight!"

"Really, brother!... Can magical beasts be eaten?"

The griffin and Didier locked eyes, glaring at each other.

I wonder if the griffin can understand words too.

"Well, sometimes they are eaten. It's different from livestock, though."

The griffin, startled by Hermes' words, looked at me with moist eyes.

What an insensitive bunch of people!

"Uh, sorry! It's okay! I won't eat you! Oh, sir, doesn't he have a name?"

"A name? I've never thought about it. You can call it whatever you like."

It sounded like a line I've heard somewhere before, but since I had the chance, I decided to give him a name.

Hmm, what should it be?

"Since you're a griffin, let's call you Guri-chan!"

"Isn't that just a shortened version?"

"Guri-chan, it's a nice name, isn't it? It's easy to understand."

Guri-chan purred and squinted his eyes, so I'm sure he's happy. I hope so, at least.

Being able to interact with such a clever and large animal, I could never have done that in my past life. Just this alone makes me grateful to be born in this world.

...Huge animals are the best.

"Sheriel, were you about to say something earlier?"

"Oh, what was it? ...Right, do demons also live in the Devil's Forest?"

"Live, that's a bit different. Didier, do you remember how demons are formed?"

Didier continued to glare at Guri-chan threateningly and answered smoothly.

"There are two ways for demons to come into existence. One is when the fear and anger felt at the moment of death become a catalyst, and the corpse becomes the nucleus. The other is when one is infected with impurity while alive and falls into darkness while amplifying that impurity. Both ultimately take on an ugly form, abandoning the shape of a living being and becoming something akin to a mass of impurity."

I don't quite understand.

I remember learning that deranged magical beasts turn into demons, but isn't that the only way?

"Perhaps it was too soon for Sheriel. Demons, rather than living creatures, are not so much 'living' in the forest as they are generated and guided by impurity to descend upon towns."

"So, do all dead magical beasts become demons?"

I don't want Guri-chan to become a demon. I clung to his neck, sinking into his feathers, which gently enveloped me.

"If they die due to natural causes or conflicts among magical beasts, their corpses won't remain as nuclei because they will be devoured, and impurities of that magnitude will be purified by the land even if left alone. Occasionally, it's possible that those who lost in boss battles within a herd may hide and die, turning into demons."

"Is it also possible for them to go mad while still alive?"

"Unless they are high-ranking magical beasts, their intelligence is not enough for them to go mad. Going mad while still alive is mostly a human thing."

"So, Guri-chan will be fine then. Wait, do humans also turn into demons?"

"They do. After all, it is humans who generate impurities."

Ah, so that's why Beriards, who are resistant to impurity, are allowed to do as they please.

I should have paid attention during Professor Margot's class, but maybe I didn't understand it...

"There aren't many cases where it reaches the point of abandoning the human form, but the extermination of such cases is also included in Beriard's duty. ...Come to think of it, there was someone in the past who was researching the transformation of humans into demons."

Hermes narrowed his eyes with nostalgia.

Oh, there are always people like that. Those who get obsessed with dangerous experiments, causing harm to others, and eventually cornering themselves into a state of frenzy. It seems that such ideas exist in every world.

"Ah, I also read a document about that recently. It was someone from a branch family of Beriard, right? It was quite interesting."

"It was indeed a fascinating case. It's been a while since the main family took action. But it happened one hundred and thirty years ago..."

Beriard, huh...

She didn't even have the energy to make any remarks. Sheriel immediately pushed that information to the back of her mind.

I have Guri-chan, so everything will be fine. Warm life. Kind heart. There was no crazy Beriard in my world.

While they were probably having a competition of who was the craziest among the old Beriards, Sheriel was basking in the sun with Guri-chan, finding solace.

That night, influenced by the discussion about demons during the day, I found it unusually difficult to fall asleep.

Tomorrow, I'll definitely tell Mother about it, I complained in my mind, heading towards a window with a lily-of-the-valley to check if Guri-chan was safe.

Guri-chan wasn't visible, so I wondered if he had gone back to the Devil's Forest again. I started feeling anxious at the thought of him facing danger in the forest.

By the way, the weather is good tonight, so that black cat might come to play. I opened the window slightly with that in mind.

"Oh, you scared me. It would've been nice if you had called me as usual."

As if waiting, the black cat silently jumped in.

"Arro"

"Kitty, you seem to be out tonight, but during the day, there's a griffin named Guri-chan in the garden, so be careful."

"Nya"

"You might get eaten, you know?"

"Nya~"

"Yeah, you're a good kitty. By the way, can I tell you something? About my big brother..."

Once again, Sheriel spent the night venting her complaints to the attentive black cat.

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