Chapter 40

I was the one who decided to take the griffin into the palace.

The envoy of Lady Natalie seemed relieved to see the griffin, which they had been at a loss with, now showing affection towards me.

“Lady Letitia, thank you for taking the griffin. Thanks to you, we can fulfill Lady Natalie’s wishes.”

“Oh, the way you put it, it sounds like Lady Natalie was the one who sent the griffin to me?”

“Yes. Lady Natalie herself gave the order, thinking it would be good for the griffin to live with a master it could respect.”

Lady Natalie herself gave the order.

Until now, she seemed like a puppet controlled by the Dearths, but now that the puppeteer has stepped down, Lady Natalie might have started to act on her own will.

The envoy of Lady Natalie left with a look of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

And Goo-sama also left the forest in a hurry.

Left behind were the griffin, chained, and a servant who had been in charge of the griffin’s care at Lady Natalie’s residence.

I immediately began asking the caretaker about the points to be careful of when interacting with the griffin.

“This griffin, you can see the two tufts of decorative feathers on its head, right? That’s a male characteristic. Females either don’t have decorative feathers or have very small, short ones.”

I looked at the griffin.

The decorative feathers protruding from the back of its head swayed gently in the wind.

The fact that only males have decorative feathers reminded me of the characteristic of many bird species where males have more showy plumage.

………I wonder if griffins are classified as birds or mammals.

The head looks like that of a bird of prey, and I’ve heard that their reproductive method is oviparous, so they might have more bird-like characteristics?

Since they are mythical creatures, Earth’s biology probably doesn’t apply, but it’s something I’m curious about.

With this question in mind, I reached out to the griffin.

To avoid startling it, I gently stroked its neck, and the white feathers tickled my palm.

Despite its fierce appearance, the touch was soft and fluffy, with a gentle feel.

Compared to the fluffy fur of a wolf, the feathers felt lighter and airier.

The fluffy feathers, warmed by the sunlight, were slightly warm.

Thanks to the griffin lowering its head a bit, I was able to enjoy the feel of stroking it with both hands.

“Thank you, you’re so gentle. What’s this one’s name?”

“The name, Lady Letitia, you can give it any name you like. A griffin that has found its master is happy to receive a name from its master.”

The fact that it’s happy to receive a name means it fully understands the concept of a name.

The last time I met it at night, it was aggressive, but it seems to be a very intelligent creature.

“Name………male griffin………………”

Guri, would have the same initial as Goo-sama, so I rejected it.

“Griffin, Griffin………Fon. How about Fon?”

“Kyaa!!”

The griffin, now renamed Fon, chirped happily in a high-pitched voice.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

For now, I decided to have Fon stay near the wooden crate that had been brought in.

Following my instructions, Fon folded its wings and sat down in the wooden crate.

Its obedient posture was as adorable as a dog in a doghouse, but it seemed a bit cramped for its size, which was larger than a horse.

I wanted to build a new home for Fon as soon as possible.

Using magic, it should be possible to build a griffin house, but……

“I should get the king’s permission first………”

If it’s a size for Fon, it would be as large as a human house.

Even though the palace was given to me, it would be better to inform the king.

Besides the griffin house, there are other topics I want to discuss with the king, such as Lady Natalie’s treatment and, if possible, his thoughts on the chiffon cake.

Just as I was thinking this……

“Lady Letitia, a letter has arrived from King Glenreed.”

That evening, a letter with the royal seal of the sword and wolf was delivered.

The letter stated that the king would like to have a conversation at the castle the next evening.

It wasn’t telepathy, but it was a timely invitation.

Fortunately, I’m free tomorrow evening.

Actually, I’m generally free in the evenings.

Someone might ask if I’m not busy during the day, but I have the noble mission of brushing the wolves, or not.

“Tomorrow evening would be perfect.”

I had a plan for tomorrow morning.

That is……

“Nya-nya!!”

The next morning, in my room.

‘Let’s go!!’

Strawberry, the gardener cat, was meowing with enthusiasm, a stark contrast to her usual low-energy, sunbathing self.

“Nau-nau-na~”

“Okay, okay, Ichan, just wait a moment, okay?”

Ichan is a nickname for Strawberry.

Her real name is Strawberry, so Ichan. It’s a very simple nickname.

Laughing at Ichan’s urging, I stood up with a small basket in hand.

My first destination was the potted plants by the window.

“Thanks to Ichan, they’ve grown beautifully red.”

“Nya-nya!!”

Ichan meowed as if to say, “That’s right!”

The strawberries, bathed in the morning light, shone like red jewels, looking fresh and delicious.

It was the start of the strawberry picking season that Ichan and I had been looking forward to.