Chapter 18 - Griffins

In Front of the Low-Level Dungeon Door

After stepping out of the dungeon's teleportation gate, I turned to the ones waiting outside.“Come on, let’s keep moving. Miss Ranya still looks full of energy.”

They replied in unison,
“Yes...”

As we walked away, I glanced back at the dungeon’s natural teleportation gate, a faint sadness lingering on my face.

Activating the rune—[Mana Sight]—I observed the area.

The mana was scattered... unfocused. There was no path, no flow like what you'd see when someone casts magic.

Even after stepping outside the teleportation gate, it was the same. No traces of a magic circle or formation.

It was as if the entire structure—the gate, the walls, everything—was magic itself.

Thick, untouched stone. Not a single scratch on its surface.

Strange... it doesn’t feel constructed. It feels... born.

As I was still lost in thought, Greta suddenly spoke up,
"Relax, Prince. It looks like they’ve stopped watching us… for now," she said cheerfully.

Hearing that, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Finally..." I muttered calmly.

Then a thought crossed my mind.
I turned to Greta and asked,
"But… did you send the letter already?" I asked, slightly uncertain.

Greta answered without hesitation, a confident look on her face.
“Don’t worry—they’ll receive it. No doubt.”

Hearing that, I nodded and said calmly, "I see… Alright."
Meanwhile, I turned to Renya—her eyes filled with hope.
"Can you finish it soon?" I asked, glancing at the piece of wood she was shaping into a component I needed.

Without even looking up, Ranya replied in her usual flat tone, still focused on the piece of wood she was carving.

“Impossible. What the Prince wants… requires precision.”

Her expression didn’t change—not even a blink.

As we continued down the road, Greta suddenly pointed to the sky ahead.

“Look, Prince… a wild griffin.”

I glanced up, spotting the majestic creature soaring above the trees.

“Hoh… is anyone hunting it?” I asked, eyes fixed on the griffin with growing interest.

“Some do,” Ranya replied calmly, still carving away at the piece of wood in her hands. “But most tend to protect them.”

“Heh… why’s that?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the griffin as it flew gracefully across the road above us.

Ranya answered without looking up, still diligently carving the material in her hands.

“Prince… rather than hunting them to extinction, it’s better to find their nests and take the eggs. You understand what happens if they’re raised tame, right?”

The Prince’s eyes lit up with realization.

“Oh… an air force.”

Greta chuckled softly at my response, clearly amused.
"Not an 'air force', Prince… we call them the Griffin Knight Company."

Greta added with a hint of amusement, “But honestly, the term ‘air force’ sounds pretty good too.”

Hearing that, the others around us nodded in agreement.

Curious, I asked,
"So... how many do we actually have?" while looking at Greta with interest.
Greta tilted her head slightly.
"Griffins?" she asked, looking at me.
I nodded.

“Not many,” she replied, resting her hand under her chin as she thought. “Last I checked, there were only about seven stationed near the border. I don’t know about other regions.”

I glanced over at Ranya, but she simply shook her head. Whether she didn’t know or just didn’t want to say, I couldn’t tell.

Not long after, we finally arrived at the second rest camp.

After finishing my rest, I stood up and stretched.
“Let’s move on to the next dungeon,” I said, already packing my things and heading back along the path.

Along the way, I noticed it was rare to see monsters near the road. Maybe it was because this was one of the main routes—and still relatively close to the capital.

As we walked, Greta suddenly commented, “It’s better to hunt in moderation,”
—clearly referring to the first day of our journey, when we went a bit overboard hunting rabbits.

When we reached the intersection leading to the dungeon, I spotted a horse-drawn carriage ahead. At first glance, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary—carriages often traveled along this main road.

But lately, things had changed.

A few days ago, Renya mentioned with a slightly gloomy expression,
"A merchant once saw goblins lurking by the roadside."
She paused briefly, then continued with a hesitant tone,
"Even though their nests have been cleared out many times..."

Since that report, only mid- to high-level adventurers or merchants escorted by heavy guards dared to pass through here.
Everyone knew: the more victims goblins claimed, the faster they reproduced.

Thankfully, the kingdom responded swiftly. Warnings were issued, and search parties were dispatched to prevent a full-scale outbreak. If caught early, goblin hordes could still be contained—or wiped out completely.

The last incident happened about a month ago.

Since then, patrols had been scouring the area, trying to locate the nest. I even remembered a mid-level adventurer we ran into along the way. He’d asked with a wary look,
“Have you seen any goblins around here?”

Just now, a carriage passed by—one adorned with the crest of nobility.
But strangely, it was only guarded by a handful of people.

“Are they tired of living?” I muttered, watching the lavish carriage disappear into the distance.

Hearing me, Ranya replied in her usual lazy tone,
“Prince… that symbol belongs to Margrave Roderic. There might be some mid-level, maybe even high-level adventurers inside.”

As we veered off the main road and pushed through the overgrown path leading to the dungeon, I glanced back toward the carriage and said skeptically,
“Is that so? But judging from how those guards moved… they looked like beginners to me.”

There was a hint of confusion in my voice, and the unease lingered.

Ranya, who heard me, replied flatly,
“Maybe the expert is inside,”
—just as she casually slashed to the side, her blade cutting clean through a snake that had lunged at her from the bushes.

“Hmph... like that, huh.”
I muttered, staring at the snake lying dead, split clean in two.

Shaking off the thought, I turned my attention forward and continued down the narrow path toward the dungeon.

When we arrived, I immediately entered the dungeon with Ranya. As usual, the others waited outside.

The inhabitants inside were what you'd expect—giant rats, kobolds, and giant spiders.
While heading straight toward the boss room, I kept looking around, just in case there was a hidden chest or two.

But no luck.
Not a single one, all the way to the boss door.
I sighed.
"Yeah… luck really is a factor too, huh?"
I muttered with a resigned tone as I kept walking forward.

Arriving at the boss’s door, I found myself staring at the intricate carvings again, completely drawn in.

Before I could say anything, Renya sighed and muttered, “Prince…”

But I had already moved.
Without hesitation, I slashed and stabbed the wall beside the door.

5 minutes later …Not even a scratch.

I stared for a moment, then sighed in defeat.
“No scratches at all, huh…”

Giving up, I lowered my sword and said, “Go,” as I pushed open the boss room door.

Inside, waiting for us, was a large Alpha Direwolf—its fur darker, its fangs longer—alongside three other direwolves flanking its sides.

“Do you need help?” Renya asked calmly from behind me.

I took a step forward and replied,
“…I’ll try first,”
My voice not quite as confident as usual.