They trembled huddled together, unable to run out even seeing their mother.
Fortunately, all three seem okay.
The wyvern mom landed almost crashing into the ground.
And spread her injured wings to embrace her babies.
Only then did the triplets peep and cling to their mother’s bosom.
Get them on and escape. That must have been all the wyvern mom was thinking.
However, their appearance was too noticeable when viewed from the sky.
Something thick dripped from above.
Splat.
It was bloody vomit mixed with saliva.
Thick blood splattered along with meat chunks that had been in the stomach for who knows how long.
I slowly raised my head.
Up there, Chugota was clinging to a white stone pillar.
Her once white body was covered in black bruises, and blood kept dripping from her mouth and nostrils.
Her whole body was already soaked in blood she had spat and bled.
Three heads extended from her body hanging upside down.
One had its neck horrifically twisted, but was still glaring this way.
“Gugugugu-”
“Kuuuu.”
“Guk, kuuk,”
A somehow twisted cry that seemed to hate the entire world.
I could finally be certain.
‘That wyvern is mad.’
She was clearly a truly mad wyvern.
Even if a monster, strictly speaking a beast, should quickly flee after getting so injured and barely saving its life.
“Kwek, kweeek!”
Why is she charging this way again?
Flying while crashing into stone pillars was clearly madness.
The triplets clung to their mother while making a fuss.
The wyvern mom flapped her wings hard trying to take off with her babies.
‘Hoo.’
Chaos.
Still, it’s still bearable compared to the chaos experienced so far.
Especially, better than that time.
When monsters fought chaotically in front of the World Tree’s roots.
Better than when the centipede mom cried out searching for her lost babies.
‘…’
I hope the same thing doesn’t happen again.
At the point the wyvern mom finally took off carrying us.
That’s why I jumped off.
Need to divert Chugota’s attention.
And need to reassure the wyvern mom so she can retreat with her real children.
By showing that I’m strong.
「Using Gigantification lv1.」
Using Gigantification.
「You have completely mastered ‘Gigantification’.」
「Gigantification lv1 has become Gigantification lv2.」
Good timing.
Experience with Gigantification accumulates.
I also definitely learned that just getting bigger isn’t everything.
There’s a size I can handle.
Enough to jump high.
Maintaining sharpness for teeth to dig into enemy’s skin.
And also.
Big enough that mad wyvern won’t dare ignore me.
I became gigantic.
Chugota saw me.
“Kieeeeek!”
The mad queen howls.
She changed direction and collided with me.
==
「From the aftermath of Mr. Lovanton’s interview about surviving the wyvern nest」
…And so the interview could be safely concluded.
It was a commotion caused by triggering the doctor’s trauma.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Though it wasn’t something to just laugh off, my respect for the pitiful scholar hadn’t faded.
Whatever the case, above all he was someone who survived staying in Chugota’s nest for over a month.
It was natural for him to have several mental scars that wouldn’t heal.
I handed Dr. Lovanton hot chocolate and honey bread.
He took the chocolate without hesitation, wrapped in a blanket.
And rather made a generous offer.
L: Ask if you have any questions. You can include it in the interview or not.
R: Ah…
L: It’s an apology for showing unseemly behavior.
Actually, I did have something to ask.
About the specific journey of escaping from Chugota’s nest.
Uniquely, Dr. Lovanton had given several different accounts about that journey.
What was the truth?
That was stimulating my curiosity.
L: I knew you’d be curious about that.
Lovanton took out a bottle of liquor from his chest and mixed it into the hot chocolate.
L: Whether what I say is truth or lies is up to you to decide.
R: I’ll listen.
L: Chugota’s strength and ferocity had caught the Empire’s attention.
R: Ah… the Empire?
Because the Empire was involved, this story is only being told now in aftermath form.
L: Do you know that the Emperor at the time dreamed of a Wyvern Knight Order? Said he wanted to create a Wyvern Knight Order to protect his daughter the Imperial Princess.
R: I heard the Water Emperor did.
L: So they targeted the offspring of the most excellent wyvern in the mountain range. Chugota had four babies. They probably planned to kidnap all four. Though I don’t know if they originally intended to steal eggs.
R: Then perhaps…
L: Whether they sent rangers or used magic, I don’t know. But they succeeded. They kidnapped all four babies in one night. I woke up to Chugota’s howling.
R: Did you see the kidnappers?
L: Probably. I saw humans scattering in four directions below.
R: They didn’t save you though.
L: No, they showed a bit of mercy. They sprayed me with potions while I slept. How else could I have made it back alive?
Whether true or not, it was an explanation that fit.
Such help would be needed to survive having one leg cut off and shoulder pierced through.
L: Chugota flew off to retrieve her babies.
R: Then…
L: She was amazing too. She finally brought back her babies. Flew back carrying pale white babies.
Dr. Lovanton tiredly rubbed his face.
L: But none came back alive.
R: Ah…
L: More precisely, the first one she brought back was still breathing. But it died while she was retrieving the second baby’s corpse. Chugota cried so grievously it could split ears. She must have loved her children? When she brought back the third baby’s corpse after three more days, her appearance had changed.
R: What do you mean her appearance changed?
L: Evolution, what else could it be? However… she changed hideously. Her head split and she grew two more eyeballs. Whether it happened to find her babies, I don’t know… She left to find the fourth baby.
I asked if she found the fourth baby too.
L: Don’t know.
It was an unexpected answer.
L: I think more than ten days passed after she brought the third one but she didn’t return. By then my wounds had healed so I escaped from the nest. Haven’t seen her since.
Dr. Lovanton’s hand holding the chocolate cup trembled.
He laughed nervously, kuk kuk.
L: Who knows, maybe she went completely mad and is still searching for the fourth baby. That would be quite a sight.
Dr. Lovanton didn’t open his mouth after that.
That was the end of the interview.
==
Chomp!
Gigantified, I bit Chugota’s shoulder.
Shook shook, I definitely injected deadly poison.
Though I waited for the fierce battle to follow.
Lick, lick.
Chu and Go started licking my head while bleeding.
‘What the.’
I couldn’t understand what situation this was.
