"Wow!"

　Apika exclaims at the huge presence over two meters long that suddenly came flying out of the sky. 　
　Still, even though the voice was full of astonishment, there was no sign of fear, perhaps because Aepika still knew little about the horror of monsters.
　...however, the threatened monsters in the village of Goto near the Celemus Plain are the kind of undead monsters such as zombies and skeletons.
　The Gryphon Seto, who had just flapped his wings down from the air, would not have felt threatened by strangers.
　Seto is many times bigger than his child, Apika, but he could not have felt threatened by the way he approached Ray the moment he came down and rubbed his head with a happy throat.
　If there's anything like thieves or other attacking monsters, naturally Seto will be wary of it.
　But now around Sett is his favorite partner, Ray, and only one little child.
　It was impossible to be wary of Seto in that situation.

"Grull".
"Oh, I'm sorry I left you alone," But it's not bad to fly in the sky without me once in a while, is it?"
"Gruly!"

　Ray's words make me cry and look away.
　As he looks, Ray pats his head with a small smile.

"Look, I'm sorry," That's why you came out of the village, isn't it? For the time being, I'll play with you until evening, so please make yourself feel better."
"Glu?"

　Ray nods as he caresses Seto's neck, saying, "Are you really reflecting on meanderingly.
　Just as it is, I look from Seto to Aepika, whose eyes are shining next to me.

"Grull?"

　Perhaps Seto noticed Ray's gaze and turned to Apika and whistled.
　Aepika was momentarily surprised by the gesture, but with round eyes she looked down upon her and then turned to Ray and opened her mouth.

"Well, my brother," May I stroke you, too.
"Oh, it's all right as long as you don't go wild. What, Seto?"
"Glu".

　At Ray's words, Seto bowed to Aepika's easy caress position, purring.
　Aepika gently reaches for that kind of head.
　The first thing I touched was the fluffy, smooth feel of the plumage.
　Aepika smiles at the feeling she wants to touch forever.

"Wow, wow, wow... you know, brother." What's her name?"
"Set. It's Gryphon's Set."
"Set... Set!"
"Glu?"

　Noticing that he called his name, Seto leaned his head slightly and turned his round eyes at Aepika.
　meet one's eyes fixedly with Aepika
　Will he be scared by any chance? I thought so, but that worry disappears quickly.
　Aepika's face turned into a smile.
　It would have been impossible if you had known the common sense of monsters around here.
　Patting Seto on the head but smiling, Ray looks around and picks up a branch of a tree on the ground.

"Apica, look at it?"
"What? What?"
"Well, just leave the set for a moment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
"Grull!"

　Ray must have understood what to do with the branches of the tree in his hand. take a step or two back, gurgling joyfully

「……」

　Aepika watches such a situation with a mystified expression.

"Here we go, Set! Get it!"

　He spoke sharply to Seto and threw the branches of his tree into the distance in a big arc.
　Goto is built on the meadow partly because of the necessity of cultivating fields. In such a meadow, Seto runs swiftly after the branches of a tree thrown away.
　He was a four-legged sailor without wings, but his speed was far higher than that of a regular army horse.
　He kept kicking the ground, and in spite of his hard-to-run body, the eagle's forefeet, he kept chasing the branches of the tree...

"Grunt!"

　leap with a sharp cry
　They succeed in gnawing the branches of trees in the air.

"Wow, that's amazing! That's amazing!"

　At Seto's appearance, Aepika exclaims excitedly.

"Right? Then you want to try it next time?"
"Oh, is that all right?"
"Oh, I hope you'll get along with Sett. Actually, it would be interesting to have a flying disc."

　I remember playing with my dog on a flying disc when I was in Japan. But there's no way there's such a thing in this world.
　Or perhaps a wooden plate can be substituted for the shape itself, since it is not so complicated.

"Flying disc?"
"No, it's nothing. ... here's Seto back. It's your turn now."
"Grull!"
"Oh, yes. Ready, set. Here we go!"

　Receiving a branch of a tree that had been gnawed by Seto's viper, Aepika throws it wide after a few steps of running.
　Maybe it's because I'm still a child Aepika. The thrown branches of the tree flew far out of sight of the place they were aiming for. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-

"Gurling!"

　Seto chases the branches of the tree with a cry.
　Being a child, a tree branch thrown cannot be thrown so high.
　Still, the speed at which it drives through Seto is fast and successful in catching the tree's branches before they fall to the ground.

"Grull".

　a set of thorn-billed branches that are passed to Aepika with a purring voice
　The round eyes demanded praise and praise.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Seto, that's amazing. I can't believe I'm going to fetch the one that went that way."

　Aepika caresses the head with her little hand, which she puts down with a smile and makes it easy to stroke.I wonder if a few minutes had passed.
　Released from Seto's head, Aepika's eyes sparkle toward Ray.

"Well, brother," Can I do it again?"
"Well, Seto has been in a tight spot lately. Play to your heart's content."
"Yes!"
"Grull".

　At Seto's throbbing voice to play with, Aepika throws another branch of the tree branches.
　This time, unlike before, it flies in a mountainous fashion to the target.
　A set that runs through the earth as before and is gnawed by a clump while it is in the air.
　Epica throws a branch of a tree over and over again, and Seto accepts it.
　I wonder if twenty minutes have passed. He repeated it with all his might, if only to throw a branch of a tree. It was only natural for a child, Aepika, to have a limited strength.

"Oh, oh, oh... I'm tired." Sorry, set. Let me take a break."
"Grull".

　Aepika's words set her eyes on Ray for a moment.
　When Ray nods, Seto lies on the grass and pulls the lion's tail around Aepika's body, leaving it with his weight.

"Wow... I'm so happy." Is that all right, Seto?"
"Glu".

　Of course, on Seto's body, Aepika rests on his body and enjoys the smooth texture of his hair.
　Eventually, two effects, fatigue and comfort, made Aepika breathe while hugging Seto.

"Grull?"

　Seto leaned his head slightly and looked at Aepika, but eventually turned his head to Ray, who was watching him a little further away.
　As he looks at Seto with such confirmation, Ray nods with a small smile and heads down to Seto, who is lying down on her own.

"Glu".

　Leaning against Sett's body on the other side of Aepica, Ray looks up at the sky with a deep breath.
　I was flying in this sky on a set until just a few hours ago, but a different thought came to my mind.
　a blue sky that seems to stretch high enough white clouds bulging like cotton candy
　I feel the heat peculiar to summer, but it's probably because I'm in the grass and the wind is blowing in my own way. I don't feel the humid heat that I feel in the streets of Gilm.

(That's probably why Aepika can sleep like this.)

　There will also be differences in places within the same kingdom of Milliana. The kingdom of Mileana is a great country, but its area is vast.
　When you look up at the sky like that and think in your head in the wind, you'll be tempted by the wind.
　I slept soundly in the magic tent at night, but it seemed that I couldn't compete with this cheerfulness.

"Well, Set... in a little while... wake me up."
"Glu".

　Ray's consciousness fell into darkness as he listened to Seto's response to the call.





"... Huh?"

　Open your eyes with a sense of rapid consciousness.
　I saw a few figures approaching me.

"Grull".
"Set... I'm sorry."

　I realize that it was Seto who woke me up, and I talk to him.
　The evidence was that Seto's tail had grown close to Ray's body.
　Coming up to us is a familiar face. There are Goto villagers who first blocked Ray from entering the village, and next to him is Luchard.
　But what he had on his face was not a keen stare... but a look of some sort, but a wry smile.

"What's wrong with your merry face?"
"Well, I'm not as good a man as you are anyway."

　Stop on the spot, complaining about Ray's words.
　After all, Seto must have been responsible for stopping.
　However, there is something gentle about Seto other than the gaze of fear and awe.
　It wouldn't have anything to do with Ray or Apika's pillow.

"No matter what you say," It's only natural to look for a child because he's disappeared from the village, for some quick-witted people were saying that Mr. Ray had taken him away."

　Ritchard tells Ray so and turns his eyes to the man who complained.
　He must have felt uncomfortable looking at Luchard. A man opens his mouth as if to mislead.

"It can't be helped, actually, that the priesthood had disappeared, and that Aepika had disappeared." No one would think I was taking a nap outside the village."
"Well, I can't deny that, indeed," I wanted to play with Seto for a moment. There's nothing particularly urgent to do."

　Ray stroking Seto's head as he looks towards him, leaving his weight in his body.
　In response, a pleasant sound of throating echoes around.
　If I had heard the sound of my throat now, without knowing anything, I might have been terrified.
　But when Ray stroked and squinted comfortably, I couldn't hold anything of fear or awe.
　In fact, the villagers find themselves looking at them with a gentle eye.

"Well... what? What's the matter?"

　The sound of Seto's current throat must have echoed through his body. Apika looks around, rubbing her eyes.
　And I was frightened to see Luchard and other adults in the village.

"Apica. Didn't you tell me not to go out of the village?"
"Well, that's..."

　The words that came out of Luchard's mouth made me look down.
　When Ray saw it, he breathed in a small sigh.

"I'm sorry, but I'm the one who took Aepika out of the village. Don't scold me too much, will you?"
"... Ray. It must be true that you took him out. But I've always told Aepika that you must not go out of the village. To others... the problem is that Ray, who has just come to the village, easily broke it. I'm sorry, but this is a village problem. I want you to look at me in silence."

　Luchard says so and walks slowly towards Aepika.
　Aepika, too, rises away from the hastily leaning set and approaches Lucard.
　Putting his hand straight up... Lucard's hand popped on Aepika's head.
　He probably thought he'd get some sort of punishment if he didn't get hit... Aepika's eyes are wide open and she looks at Luchard.

"Well, Ray was there, and I wasn't worried about the safety of Aepika. But my father and mother were worried that Aepika had disappeared after work. Make sure you apologize properly.""...yes,"
"All right, I hope you understand," Then shall we go back to the village? I'll tell them not to get angry."
"Yes!"
"Ray's bad, too. Apika caused trouble. Maybe it's because I don't have children of my age in the village...

　Ray shakes his head to his feet as he turns his gaze to him and asks so.

"Well, I've lost my time, too," It's just right in a way."
"Well, then, if you don't mind playing with Aepika in the future?"

　He had broken up with Seth, and went back to the village, talking about things he could not have done in the daytime at Lucard's house.