Chapter 60

"Whoa...!?"

The place I arrived at using the movement technique was, for some reason, on top of a tree.

It's hard to see in the dark, but it seems that the three of us landed skillfully on a thick branch.

The leaves rustled and brushed against my body, causing an itchy sensation.

"I'm falling!"

"Why did you move us to such a place, Milfylia!"

Hyliris, who is humanoid but has a good sense of balance, lifted me up and saved me from falling off the branch.

Kugarugu also seemed at ease, as if being on a tree was no problem for him.

"I don't know! But—"

I aimed to fly towards the one-eyed knight, so he must be nearby. Thinking this, I looked down at the ground,

"Mil!?"

Kicks, who was at the base of the tree, looked up from about five meters below.

The leader, sub-leader, and Tina were also safe, sitting around a campfire.

Among them, the one-eyed knight was standing, looking up at us. He seemed to have already been healed and was moving as energetically as usual.

Father's water had disappeared, but the snake was still there, with Mother's fairy perched on its head.

"One-eyed knight!"

"Ah, wait!"

Overjoyed, I leaned forward, causing me to fall straight down from Hyliris's arms.

"Mil!"

However, the one-eyed knight caught me skillfully, and I was unharmed.

"One-eyed knight! Are you okay now? How's your back? Does it hurt?"

I wagged my tail excitedly and asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. The wound is completely sealed. It's a mysterious power. Mil must have called the water spirit, right?"

"Because I caused you to get hurt... It must have been painful, right? I'm sorry."

"Pain is nothing. I'm glad you're safe."

Hearing this, my tail wagged so hard it felt like it might fall off. I licked the one-eyed knight's cheek, feeling relieved that he was safe.

"Mil, who is she...?"

The one-eyed knight gently turned his face away from my tongue, which I tend to do when I'm happy or excited, but if I persist, he subtly moves away.

Avoiding my "air licking," the one-eyed knight looked at Hyliris, who had landed on the ground.

"I am Hyliris, the wind spirit."

"Wind...!?"

"Yes. The one who attacked you earlier was my fairy. I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Hyliris said apologetically. When a spirit apologizes like this, humans can't help but forgive them.

"To meet so many different spirits in just one day is something that usually takes a lifetime."

The leader said excitedly to Kicks,

"Mil, what's going on?"

The sub-leader asked me, looking puzzled.

After I explained what happened on Snowlea Mountain, Kicks asked Hyliris without hesitation.

"So, you weren't related to Captain Sarell?"

"It's not me!?"

Tina, who was standing next to Kicks, elbowed him.

However, Hyliris didn't seem to mind how she was addressed.

"Sarell..."

Hyliris, who had been thinking, then the sub-leader asked her about the attack earlier in the day.

"You attacked us earlier with those all-black-clad humans. Were you working with them?"

"Those human men."

Hyliris had been fighting Mother on Snowlea Mountain, but she was connected to her fairy, so she knew what the fairy saw and heard.

"I don't know those human men."

Hyliris's fairy had been following Kugarugu and me for a long time before the first attack, trying to figure out how to tease us.

After we entered the city of Gorda, it found a group of humans who were also targeting us. Those all-black-clad men.

They didn't notice Hyliris, but since their target was the same, it seemed like they were acting together by chance.

"But the attack on the road was just a coincidence."

The timing of the all-black-clad men's actions and Hyliris discovering the stone in my treasure mountain coincided.

"By the way, I thought I had heard the name Sarell somewhere before. It was a name those men often mentioned."

"Really?"

"Yes, I was a bit irrational at the time, but I remember. I couldn't hear the details clearly, but it seemed they had a plan to kidnap Milfylia and Kugarugu and take them to a man named Sarell."

At this point, the leader interjected.

"Spirit, you may not remember human names or faces, but have you ever met a man named Sarell? It was about three days ago, in the Dairamon Valley."

Hyliris tilted her head and thought for a few seconds before she seemed to remember something.

"Oh, yes! I did meet him! I recognized the name because he had introduced himself before."

Hyliris snapped her fingers and continued.

"Since I left my nest, I haven't decided on a permanent home and have been traveling to my favorite places around the world. Dairamon, right? The deep valley there is one of them. I think it's close to Hylg's home, which is nice."

Hyliris blushed slightly.

"Anyway, I had just returned to that valley... I returned because I had lived there for a while about eighty years ago. But back then, I don't think the locals noticed me. This time, however, I was seen, and the lord was informed. A group of people came to visit me. The lords asked me to stay in the valley permanently. It seems humans are happy when a spirit lives in their territory or country. They think they can rely on us in times of need."

She tilted her head innocently and said,

"But I'm easily bored and love freedom, so I told them I wouldn't settle there. I also didn't like the lord. The humans were disappointed and left. Among them was a man named Sarell. I think he was the lord's... brother? Or a child? Anyway, he was a relative of the lord but seemed to have a weaker position. I remember he was thin and weak, unlike the plump lord."

The leader asked, just to be sure,

"Did that man Sarell visit you alone later or try to negotiate with you?"

"No, he didn't."

Hyliris answered confidently. It seemed that Captain Sarell had nothing to do with Hyliris.

However, it seemed he had made an unnecessary comment three days ago.

"But that man Sarell told me about Milfylia and Kugarugu."

"About us...?"

"Yes. You know, when you push and it doesn't work, you pull. I had been 'Hylg-free' for about four years, so I didn't know about Milfylia and Kugarugu, who were born during that time. But in the conversation, Sarell mentioned that the spirits in this country, Hylg and Snowlea, have a child who is only a year old. I misunderstood and thought they were a couple, and I got jealous. So I sent a challenge to Snowlea."

The sub-leader, leader, and one-eyed knights looked at each other.

It seemed that Captain Sarell had been the one who triggered Hyliris's actions.

If he hadn't said anything, Hyliris would have eventually learned about Kugarugu and me, but if Father and Mother had been there, they could have corrected the misunderstanding immediately.

However, because the information was passed on without them, the situation escalated.

The all-black-clad men might also be acting on Captain Sarell's orders, and if Hyliris's actions were also due to his words, he might not be a good person.

Thinking this, Hyliris straightened up and raised her index finger.

"Anyway, I think those suspicious men who seem to be Sarell's subordinates haven't given up on kidnapping Milfylia and Kugarugu. As an apology for causing trouble, I'll scout them for you!"

As she said this, Hyliris transformed into a bird.

It was slightly larger than a dove and a bit darker in color, but the colorful pattern was the same.

However, the tail feathers and crest were longer and more showy than the fairy's. The chest feathers were fluffy, but the head and back felt like they would be smooth to the touch.

After she flew away, various colors like yellow-green, blue, yellow, silver, and orange lingered in the air for a few seconds.

If I said it looked like the trail of a slug sparkling, would that be a bad analogy?

But this would be quite noticeable, whether in the day or night. It's not suitable for scouting.

When I told Hyliris this,

"It's okay. I'm the wind, so I can be cold or warm, strong or weak, and change in any way. For scouting, I'll tone down my presence and stay quiet. Is that better?"

She made her body almost completely transparent.

The outline, eyes, and beak were faintly visible, but the forest behind her could be seen through her.

This way, she wouldn't be noticed by the enemy unless they were looking for her carefully.

"But Hyliris, are you sure you're okay? You're tired, right?"

While wandering on the ground, I looked up at the transparent Hyliris flapping in the air.

"You're worried about me! But scouting is no problem! I'll be back!"

Hyliris winked and disappeared into the depths of the night forest.