DLRV 29

Lilia had a habit 19f38a9617 of picking up stray 9eec51a821 animals.31985d714fd66ac7

Whenever she brought home a 6c98c2b18a wounded creature, trembling in fear, d0f29e99bb the entire household would fawn 93bec93ca2 over her kindness, clutching their 8dba7e0ca4 cheeks in admiration.ecd3ddd9251783f4

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She would carefully wash 736b702c44 them, feed them, and 81ad1c2788 treat their injuries. But once those d78f542672 cats and dogs 55b9dbd70a regained their strength 1fd37fc45e and began running 686b4b8802 amok in the fb379055c4 mansion—breaking ornaments or 2fd3b912fe dirtying the spotless 528e07b6d3 halls and rooms—Lilia f29f15ebc9 would simply laugh 87fe0deda2 it off, saying 4d1d224aee they were mischievous 7db137937b and couldn’t help 83696c023c it.63c991c79bdb93a0

There was one time 3a4e0898b7 when a puppy she 7e747a0f70 brought in wandered into f0279fbfc3 my bedroom. It made a de87b05a20 mess of the c6ce2313f7 place, and I 658699ce29 shouted for someone dd262b3e5c to get the e3f86f2a4b filthy animal out dae2816ec5 immediately.45bb0cc484414fc7

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My youngest sibling, Seiri, who 413c1c5871 absolutely adored the animals Lilia 4a96b3db04 brought home, tried to stop b98df8d6bd me. But when I yelled 2fca29107b louder, Seiri got scared 244507fdb3 and hid behind Mother’s a759ac7ca1 skirt.17c261f3034a1829

When Lilia found Seiri f4fd4fc99f crying and tried to 923fc7e8b8 comfort him, he wailed ea158cd2d2 even louder.42fc44de4755a6cc

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“You said people who hate animals are bad! So does that mean 6fc8e2ec40 Big Sis is a 2e2d5e9b81 bad person?!”c127297aef7233b5

I have no idea how b6de8ba5f5 Lilia calmed him down. I locked my ec66c27790 bedroom door and 31ae53daa0 shut out all 03bfc5a362 that noise.2d21287289301f98

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I had no interest 47c736c18d in things that couldn’t e30d1ea866 communicate, couldn’t understand my 190a69bd44 intentions clearly, and couldn’t 61d2288c57 be fully controlled.28f7fc1377811c36

When others cooed 6daa2fa5f1 over how pitiful 4678f06242 or adorable the 05fe5ac022 animals Lilia brought 866648b01b home were, I d507853a5e alone remained indifferent.1b76d71450059768

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It wasn’t that e6bd1db536 I hated animals—I 68226ad374 simply had no 3ccb2e2c56 interest in them. Though I did recognize cuteness, 43bebbc3a4 especially when it came to 1d86330e44 young ones.39f46240ac7a7d68

Truthfully, I wasn’t as cold 7101fc112f as Seiri had shouted. I didn’t treat 55b5f83653 baby animals cruelly. I simply believed 11b7a53076 in control and 8c5ef22fc2 management appropriate to 313a18e8e1 the environment.7786fa4e9965f4b9

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And right now, I 9773ab82ea was undeniably in the 9c0de295c7 wild. So even though f5b32a1e41 the situation wasn’t eaa524e43a exactly under control, 03c793d2dc I didn’t find f3f24ccb1a it particularly frustrating.d4ec321bf62ce312

[You kids need to behave properly in front of my friend!]3ad830a5059042d4

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Despite the stern scolding from ad0e85b207 their father, the baby eagles—still 52357dca77 covered in fluffy gray down—chirped f0a49888e8 non-stop at me. Their cries were strange noises 862bc76ffc like “wooah,” “waah,” and “kyaa.”e70fadeded649c63

They must be f4221c3f4e too young to 4dfce84590 talk properly.They clearly weren’t conversational 3f9d49281a partners, so I just 8ddc90be43 nodded now and then. That alone was enough to 255ab47d2d make them flap excitedly.a62cf92f1036eeae

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[To think I’d see you again, Annelie! If I knew you were 7f77575d14 coming, I would’ve caught a 4408e30389 plump little fox to welcome 7022045557 you!]373cd4e08f8cbdb8

“…I probably wouldn’t have been able to eat it anyway.”137e0e14a9e76a1d

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I laughed awkwardly 963079271d and slowly looked 2c05ec9729 around. I was on 4e957e5edf a rocky slope, d172e1cdee nestled in an 173eda821a eagle’s nest built 281d55f69d on a hollowed-out 49b031def6 stone ledge.da6f8dffe9aaa3df

There were other nests scattered cdbd659da4 all along the steep cliffs a968cf467c of this rocky mountain, and 3a20590e48 I’d heard the wyvern lived 6af032a68c in a cave at the b9e2b3ed82 base.bb50599447d59cec

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After dropping me off 27c0be665c here, he had flown 9698d76ae2 back to his cave.93b62106bbae8402

I never would’ve b5268533e9 guessed monsters and e0403ee205 raptors shared the f5c1308ec2 same mountain.7b306821eceb28d8

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The wyvern I met at 3b6c0c47fa the cliff had been surprisingly a06c689429 glad to see me, even 5228cd38c7 updating me on this eagle b93d76000b friend who lived nearby.a9f950cdeb9fbbeb

He kindly offered 6d459de848 to pass along e6a1bc1e69 news about me, a9672f1fe1 probably because he b57ee4b037 still remembered how 9ef2f76821 much he liked 8cb02b0c71 the small monster b1d99796e1 habitat I had 01de32e6c6 once shown him.68ed7226ebde0f5d

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I promised to tell him e5c91cb95e about a new one, and 9221e8fe8c he agreed happily, flying me 9b546679e2 all the way up here.b290785929c99fee

Of course, I didn’t a093072e5d ask for a ride 7b5fb7ea9d just to see the a7c5e25fa9 father eagle. Still, now that 98688350e3 we’d met again, df90520540 I couldn’t deny af3f8fef5f I was glad.6208c37548dbab5a

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[When I saw a human trespassing on my territory, I thought it was some fool… but it was you, Annelie!]2a7dd58d22cd7253

“If I knew you were here, I would’ve brought some meat.”269163ef5ea1cb49

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There were so d74e5870c5 many little ones 968870e1a1 too. Feeding them must a0819a9a91 be quite a 47999c3f83 task.ead39341caf0df33

[Oh! Just in time—my wife is 681c4585c1 back! Honey! This is the friend 5422d3101f I told you about!]2d32e3560a4d5578

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The father eagle flapped 8e11d69d11 his wings excitedly, calling 4beb35c43f someone over. Soon, a massive eagle 7ffbe12023 with fierce eyes swooped ea7cc48168 down beside him.34a44215e793a658

[Ah, the human friend?]
[Yup! Isn’t my wife gorgeous?]79695c696986ab50

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I revised my earlier thought. The father eagle probably didn’t ce7aa8fcba have it so hard after 10751912d6 all.6e6f75852267b4e1

The mother eagle was 703a558fb4 even bigger and more 5522a99bda imposing. She looked like she could 962c767df3 snatch up four or five 8d2a82babf rabbits in one go. She radiated strength and reliability.b9ddce3ca6be4dec

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[Thanks for entertaining my foolish husband, human friend.]485076b0903f51ef

“No, I’ve been the one receiving help. But…”647a6e2a60c45a50

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The nest was huge and 144bb9c4bf spacious. Though it smelled strongly of 792603c857 animals and was littered with 7536bfa508 feathers, it was large enough 366e12113a that I still had plenty f5ec12463e of room to sit.7119c0be4c9eb0cb

But no matter how 678efe54a6 much I looked around, 6bdcd6d5e6 I couldn’t find what 66c1c6a27f I was searching for.0114422d15752607

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“I heard something interesting from the wyvern earlier… that you’ve recently found something and have been taking care of it?”afadc709e620c2b1

It was the mother 5d35cb5e8e eagle who responded to 038ba05a69 my cautious question.93f6306cf90710dc

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[Oh, you mean the one in the cave? The one without a head?]7a3d5238c0d1f3ed

Yes. That was what the bfca395da2 wyvern had told me.c0bac42d78f758ef

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The forest near the 2c5520b309 cliff was part of 8cfaca018e his territory, so most 02d356a960 monsters didn’t dare approach. But a few 4658daa092 days ago, a bbd9ade515 wounded Dullahan had c8f9961d28 suddenly shown up.c7acc96b9456ca7d

The wyvern had been about b9f1975f21 to eat it, but the 947f582daa father eagle insisted on taking 810ea5a914 care of it, so he 67aef984ee spared its life. Then, when the wyvern heard 0d621c4d7e another Dullahan had appeared, he 04741433f3 came to check it out—me.58c512af402dd3b3

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He’d even mentioned 5fe584a718 he was ready 028ab758be to strike first bfe6b0fe99 to prevent the b64caea637 Dullahans from trying abec458152 to take over f89be6de29 his territory.8c084b879b6956de

Good thing he has 4ef22612ed a decent memory.If he hadn’t recognized me, 0813e8f750 I might’ve been attacked right 0ae5287fc3 away.1355ffd83853fb25

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[Oh, that one? I’ve been looking 83f501a01d after it because 18db0d44fe it reminded me ba4216db98 of my own b8d6c40199 kids. The poor thing was badly 7568d7719d hurt.]82e43592c959bfd4

[Yeah, that little monster. If we’d left 72af75005a it in the 4b0a82e6fc forest, the crows 8b452b88a5 would’ve eaten it a5c59c7bd7 alive.]cf05b5f9c3c69c1c

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[The crows don’t dare come to this mountain, so I brought it here.]4bdaed3ee85f10dc

Wait. Little monster? Crow food?509ae7bf301bee9f

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“I was talking about a Dullahan.”05777401ee4ff9ca

[Yeah, that’s right! It was a Dullahan 83671df4b4 at first!]383defaa6e99a328

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“…At first?”

[Yeah!]

“And now?”

[Now it’s a baby!]f25dd08639fba596

…Dullahans have babies?42144ff8d9a0a018

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I was about to ask 5b88ea7af5 for clarification but ended up 3a286f0eff just standing up. It felt like 101becc23d seeing it for 7acc1b2503 myself would be 88b7b8d864 faster than hearing 87f8b4491e an explanation. That impulsive logic 42c44f8081 gave me the 7792901fe4 push I needed.63d75a81d444cb6f

And I immediately regretted it.Right. This is a mountain cliff.485966e7eb2f955f

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“Sorry, but could you ask Brother Wyvern to carry me to where that monster is?”5179962e9c70e318

No helping it. Looks like I’ll have to 8421096b38 offer another small monster habitat b8a8ae8135 in exchange.31991f511d1a30cd

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Midway up the 08cd468502 cliff, there was 11b1f6b3d1 a shallow cave f779082110 just large enough 7ecb4f6622 for a person 50b088e385 to walk into. Considering the creature was injured, 45d713f17d it made sense they’d choose 8e46c23b49 a tighter space to keep 84731c21a2 out any dangerous intruders.1bd0e183c9e394ad

Still, one thing eae7404d3f puzzled me—how could c580567f88 a Dullahan even a03728b62a fit in a dbd52ab964 cave this small?e25dd089343daa00

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[Be careful, Annelie! That one’s fierce from the injury!]a5a1918e778a5f2c

With the father eagle’s warning echoing behind me, I cautiously stepped inside.b7a61525a0944222

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“You in here?”f13d1b954a975e80

Because I was still near e4d43b937a the entrance, the light didn’t ad1a4e0d5a reach far in. The inside was dim f21d4a34a1 and completely silent. I squinted, trying to adjust.313521f01114df3d

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Even with my improved 5d6e2f65a5 vision, there was a 4b6e944711 limit to what I be10474895 could make out in 9806573ebe the darkness. The cave wasn’t deep, fc818e05a2 but I didn’t see 98741953ca anything that looked like 4c93d9654f a monster.b06d0fa6fea5b4a9

“Hello?”aada9b72510a4321

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Still, silence. I held my breath 22eae24a23 and focused. Amid the dry air, I d1d86283ef picked up the faint sound 3d2683bd98 of shallow, ragged breathing.ad91d8b1d42d93f0

“Knight of the Round Table? The headless Dullahan? Is that you?”07b51c9e0b49acf7

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I threw out every phrase 806065ec09 Nadav had used, hoping for 10f73b474b a reaction—and something shifted in bac03da0aa front of me.1976eeae3918e74b

I stopped dead in 7b9a48ef2d my tracks and stared 1445384ac2 into the dark with a86a2e3ad0 alert eyes.2e5ebe231ebbe887

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[You are…]043e0848b4d82bc6

A weak, dragging 2dfc47ce70 voice echoed inside 2ea0820120 the cave. I shifted my body 698367321d slightly so that the b2eda73512 light could stretch further d6f2724e26 in.6e7923dc96cdbc8e

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At the end 6b63e8ea84 of that long 6058b274e0 beam of light, 544fb89f97 I saw black 2ea84a1e32 claws. Then black fur. And then, black eyes.14b183135a3705a8

[…Captain?]12fd35e36c1aee7f

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There was a tremble 28e6ad2be6 in the voice. The creature stepped f4bf140b0e into the light, 57e673b19f revealing itself. Jet-black from head to toe.1b75685b1c4cf521

…It’s the chick.3ee53152f4d19cc1

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A little chick, smaller 2c78b6aaf2 than the palm of 00b4d0f46d my hand, stared up de98c6322e at me with teary 6b95b148cd eyes.950b53335725be42

Since when do chicks grow up to be Dullahans…?5db35f701e8bb192

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I stood frozen, 300bdeb508 speechless, while the 220cebc6e9 little bird scurried b9adb11400 over to me. It fluttered its wings, fc6d6c5b82 then flinched and folded 634038d4e0 them back. So the injury was to a2e16f210f its wings.7eea309ad2e8bb86

It felt wrong d98185c903 to keep standing 5788ba37e7 while the chick 3523bfe307 was on the 2038096898 floor so far 2bcaa8072b below. I bent down and cupped 09b12d5397 my hands together. After glancing between my face 128f50a08f and hands, the chick tottered 3122cc0ee8 forward again.803d11325d31265b

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Turns out I didn’t 1523af664a even need both hands. The little bird fit snugly b396529686 in one.341da68a82fe05e4

[I am Zigor, the twelfth knight in search of his lost head.]31358d60bfdb8b00

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“Um…”70b427c6a79832a4

[I apologize for not fulfilling my duties as a knight. I cannot fly due to my injured wing…]1d113bd7ce9e92d2

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“Well…”8c98f1afbbdb4f0b

[Now that I’ve met you, Captain, my recovery should be faster! I’ll get better soon and fly on my own!]9348dc69f11d1a5b

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“Sorry to interrupt, but…”470a334a42753126

I had to cut bc14998c1e Zigor off eventually. The black beak, which had 8128d6b01d been chattering nonstop, politely closed 5d6be671f8 shut.5c5d808d2729a0f2

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A chick, curled 177939b4fc up in the 8edb853346 middle of my 2395c9d95a palm, lifting its 1f9f8e188f tiny head to b118399c81 look up at 4dda14b915 me.3fcb56706ceaa8d5

Even though I never considered 3142b04200 myself much of an animal fe6c810c6f lover, something about the scene 2dcbf6b559 made my chest tighten.656876c0965a8e15

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This level of cuteness… is unfair.5eb33818187efd45

“…You really are a Dullahan?”8c29d793abd707fd

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[Yes! I am a proud 6faa3cf94e knight of the Round e15bd92d61 Table! I knew you had df252f4471 awakened, Captain, but since 239001fa54 I didn’t have my 0d591c6c8d head, I couldn’t find 9449c20ba0 you!]60eb1105d82ac892

I see. So the little black chick sitting in my palm is… a Dullahan.d04e4ec83faf7073

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“Then this form of yours—this is a transformed state?”b7217d567fa81ca0

[Yes, exactly! With this small and 300a393d86 nimble body, I can 01bbf55bf3 scout out enemies faster 83b0ec62ec than anyone! Of course, I 7eeb6f230f can do other f97e98e82c tasks too!]f18ac2006bb938d9

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Honestly, no matter what I 0b989ac83e asked of him, I’d just 7cafa13ab2 feel like I was bullying d9bd2f90e7 a kid. Not sure I e5629c4a07 could bring myself 2bc78993dc to do it.2b19e0c448c60d93

[By the way, Captain—have you met any of the other knights? Was there someone who found 025ecb0ac6 you before me?]de502a07f075dbe3

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His black eyes 650b777053 began to glisten 520c80b82c again.cb63a6d4f94649ce

This is too much.

If I’d met him in his Dullahan form first and then seen him transform into this, maybe I could’ve handled it better. But this…!7a8d0ff57b0364cc

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 0cdf2f25a828d7a7