Chapter 169
Thoughts from All Sides
Emily, the White Gryphon, was displeased to hear that David would not be accompanying her on this trip. She nudged his arm and tugged at him, flapping her wings against his body.
“Sigh…”
David walked unsteadily, bothered by her pulling him along. “Don’t do that, Emily… don’t do that…”
Although Emily wasn’t using much force or hurting David, her mother, Angelica, a majestic White Gryphon, immediately flew over. She lowered her body and let out a deep, heart-shaking growl like a lion’s. Emily grudgingly released her grip.
Seeing her daughter let go, Angelica grabbed Emily by the base of her wings and dragged her aside, swatting her head with her claws. Whenever Emily tried to escape, Angelica would lightly but firmly flap her wing, pushing her back. Only when Emily was thoroughly chastised and cowered into a ball did Angelica slowly amble away.
Emily’s father, a much larger White Gryphon, stood silently beside the Grand Guardian, watching the scene unfold without moving or speaking.
Gryphons grew up, trained, and fought alongside their human partners. After decades of such companionship, their personalities would increasingly resemble that of their human partners. The primary mission of an aerial cavalryman was to raise their gryphon. They would die relatively quickly, but the gryphons they raised, with their long lifespans, would live on.
Pure-blooded White Gryphons were powerful and intelligent, blessed by the Silver Crown Dragon. Favored by the Path of Authority, they were born with wind elemental mana, capable of controlling storms and lightning. They could even learn multiple human languages and scripts, proving to be more intelligent than many humans. However, like other extraordinary creatures who couldn’t dream, they were unable to advance deeply into the Path. Yet, the intimate bond between gryphons and their partners allowed them to “piggyback” on their partners’ advancements, drawing power from the Path and growing together. This symbiotic relationship was akin to that between humans and manticore in desert regions.
“You need to discipline her, David,” Angelica said to David with a hint of displeasure. “You pamper Emily too much. This will lead to bad habits.”
“When she tries to hurt you in any way, you must loudly say ‘no.’ Otherwise, she’ll always dismiss it, thinking you don’t actually care. You need to explain to her what she can and cannot do – even if she’s impatient, you must make it clear. You are her partner; she will respect your opinion.”
Beasts typically engaged in roughhousing as a form of hunting practice, but proud pure-blooded gryphons disdained such rough play. They could train their bodies and use various skills with an intelligence comparable to humans. Although gryphons could only speak fluently after reaching adulthood, they could understand and perceive much earlier. They simply couldn’t express themselves verbally. Young gryphons, with their developing intellect and greater proportion of bestial nature, were more mischievous. Emily was akin to a human child just starting elementary school – at an age where they might carelessly injure others or play too rough with siblings and companions. Gryphons at this stage were actually the most dangerous, as these innocent “children,” with their innate abilities, could easily tear apart an Extraordinary of the Third Tier. In the wild, such education was the parents’ responsibility, but nowadays, it was usually undertaken by their human partners.
“I really don’t mind her biting me…” David’s heart softened as he looked at Emily, who was sulking in a corner. As he was about to comfort her, Angelica saw his intention. She bit down on the back of David’s collar and yanked him upwards. A surge of air lifted David, allowing him to float up lightly before being safely caught by the White Gryphon who had taken flight.
“Let’s go, Philip,” George said in a deep voice as he saw Angelica catch David. “113 Green Vine Avenue.”
“Understood,” a similarly steady and deep voice replied.
Angelica spoke with a gentle tone, though her words were not entirely friendly. “Nadia, please help discipline Emily. She dares to bite David; is she planning to eat someone next?”
Emily whimpered, clearly understanding. Unable to speak, she anxiously circled.
“Leave it to me. You two go,” Nadia nodded, adding with concern, “Take good care of David, Ange!”
“No problem, sister,” the White Gryphon replied.
The next moment, storms raged, and hurricanes howled—Gryphons’ claws could grasp the strings of the wind. Despite their massive size, they could fly at incredible speeds with ease. With minimal wing flapping, they vanished in the blink of an eye.
Seeing her mother leave, Emily nuzzled Nadia affectionately, emitting soft “woo-woo” sounds. Nadia was not harsh. Unlike her scolding of David, she merely chuckled and lightly tapped the young gryphon’s forehead. “So you know how to act cute now? You know you did wrong? Will you do it again?” With each question, she gently tapped Emily’s forehead. Nadia knew Emily wouldn’t harm David, but a warning was still necessary. Emily licked her fingers, then lay down beside Nadia, exposing her belly. Even as a juvenile, Emily was about five to six feet long when lying down, like a large lion, but affectionate like a kitten. Nadia rubbed the soft fur on her belly with both hands – a belly so soft it could support her entire upper body. Then, she chuckled and stroked Emily’s chin.
“Come on, let’s go eat. The Silver and Tin Hall sent fresh lamb today. George saved one for you,” Nadia patted Emily. “You’re growing, so eat plenty.” Emily’s spirits immediately lifted. She agilely stood up with a flip and followed closely behind Nadia.
Meanwhile.
Princess Isabel, who was in class, felt a sense of worry after hearing the news that morning. She listened to a music theory lesson she already knew well and looked out the window.
It wasn’t that she was worried about Eivass. While she did have some concern, her primary emotion was trust. Isabel believed Eivass would return safely. What truly unsettled her was Yulia. Fortunately, Yulia had already been brought to her home; otherwise, she might have been in trouble that day. Eivass might return, but with Yulia added to the equation, it was uncertain. And Yulia clearly adored her brother and appeared so delicate. If she learned of Eivass’s misfortune, she might faint.
What should I do? Perhaps I shouldn’t tell her the truth… But how long can I hide it? If I keep her at the Royal Palace, the child will become suspicious, won’t she? After all, she’s so intelligent. She’ll wonder if something happened to Eivass, and why he hasn’t come to pick her up for so long. What will I say then? Isabel stared at the azure sky, lost in thought, desperately deducing potential scenarios and contemplating how to handle different situations and respond to questions.
In the Silver and Tin Hall, Yulia sat obediently in Isabel’s room, reading a book. Janes sat on the floor nearby, drawing with interest. She had intended to paint a portrait of Yulia, as the child was remarkably cute, even by elven standards. However, Yulia was a guest. Janes worried she might get bored, so she let her read while she sketched Yulia’s profile, which was also quite attractive.
She had heard Yulia was a Phantom Demon Egg, but upon closer inspection, she didn’t seem like one. Yulia’s perpetual frailty had given her a fragile sense of alienation from the world. She sat quietly, yet it felt as if she were in another realm. She seemed to exist only through reflections in a mirror. This sparked an idea for Janes. She decided to paint Yulia. It had been a long time since she had truly painted anything.
As for Eivass’s safety, Janes wasn’t worried at all. When she first heard of Eivass’s predicament, she had already searched through portraits in various locations. Knowing who Eivass was close to, she visited Bishop Mathers’s home. As expected, she found Eivass there. Then, she contacted Meg and the President of the Lloyd Society. By then, she had a good idea of Eivass’s plan. Meg might not have been panicked by Eivass’s disappearance; the old woman was shrewd and merely liked to play dumb. In Janes’s view, she likely intended to use this opportunity to put pressure on the Round Table Hall, with the Lloyd Society as her best tool. However, having seen everything, Janes intended to say nothing and do nothing. At most, she would mention it to Sophia, telling her not to worry too much. Queen Sophia had been interested in the young man for a long time—because of his achievements, his name, and also because of Isabel. Janes’s only concern was Yulia. It was this young girl who was hard for Janes to see through; her shattered demeanor made her true thoughts impossible to discern. But what did it matter to her? She was, after all, traveling to Avalon, and having a good show to watch was even better.
“I hope they don’t damage the painting when they start fighting…” Janes muttered inwardly. If the portrait were damaged, she wouldn’t be able to witness the live broadcast.
Yulia, engrossed in her book, was contemplating something else entirely. She wasn’t worried about her brother. Through a faint connection with the Butterfly, she could vaguely sense Eivass’s general direction. However, if Isabel became anxious, how could she comfort her without disrupting her brother’s plan? She had to come up with a solution before Isabel returned home. Yulia fell into deep thought.
A bit late, but the update is complete!
Thanks to Nuanyang1314 for the Silver Alliance! Thank you, Grand Lord Nuanyang, for the reward! Meow!
