Four Ikemen Chapter 76

76 To the Lake

 

Dy turned his heels around after saying something shocking, we returned to the surface while urging me as if he’s walking me off.

 

[Dy, wait!]

[I won’t. I’m going to Zohana Lake.]

[You going means that I will have to go as well! And, if I’m going then Alf and the others are going to come along as well so we should at least discuss it- uwaah!?]

 

The demon who came out above ground held me by my knees and flew out through the window. After putting me down in the courtyard that’s beautifully furnished with greeneries and flowers, he whistled.

 

A shrill *pyui* sound dissolved into the sky, a flapping sound followed right after.

 

Alf who has caught up to us has his mouth open in shock and Ragna cheers.

 

[This is…]

[Goodness! Is that a griffon?]

[It’s a legendary monster, and despite it being such a rare beast that there’s never been one who has seen it, why does it appear in the middle of this city!?]

 

Ciel explained while being shocked and I understood the beast’s identity.

 

It was a beautiful beast with hair that shines golden and brown wings on a body that seems undaunted even if the five of us ride it.

How should I put it, it looks damn strong. It looks like nothing will be left of you once you get stabbed by that golden beak.

 

The griffon circles in the sky and descends to the garden while creating a breeze.

Its large build blocks the courtyard and the people in the courtyard scream and run away.

 

Dy waited for the descended griffon to fold its wings tightly and he jumped on its back while carrying me.

 

[I’m going to Lake Zohana. What are you guys going to do?]

 

Dy asked Alf and co in a seemingly calm state.

 

He’s surely not calm on the inside, if it’s his usual mischievous self, ‘Shall we do it like this~?’, or so Dy will half-jokingly put up a question.

 

To call such a legendary beast without wasting a breath, he must be at his wit’s end.

‘What are you thinking!’ Or so I feel that we will be scolded by Westin later.

 

[So you don’t have the time to explain the situation. Got it, I’m going to go with you, too.]

[I’m also going.]

[I can’t possibly allow Rei to be put in danger.]

 

Declaring each of their remarks, they hopped on to the griffon’s back.

The griffon who let us on its back let out an ear-piercing ‘pyuii~i!’ cry and flew to the sky.

 

The griffon cut through the wind and flew at a tremendous speed. The scenery flows by very quickly and the giant lake approaches before our eyes.

 

It has such a size that calling it a sea won’t be refuted.

The lake that’s filled abundantly with water as much as that it would be leftover if one were to sink a whole city in it, has its opposite shore at the foot of the mountains visible from here.

 

Just what on earth is in here…? Dy and the others said that his younger brother was being sealed in a crystal or something, but I can’t grasp the discussion as to how it’s come to be.

I want to speak but the wind is too much so it’s impossible, and since I’m scared of interrupting the imprudent Dy, I thought of watching over the course of events for a while.

 

The griffon dropped its altitude once we arrived beside the lake that has some woods in some places and I desperately held onto its wings so I don’t get thrown off.

 

[Uwaaph!]

 

I was about to be sent flying by the impact when its feet touched the ground but Ragna grabbed the scruff of my neck and prevented me from getting thrown off.

 

[Tha, thank you.]

[Umu, Rei doesn’t need to thank me.]

 

By the time we’re getting off the griffon’s back, Dy was already rushing towards the lake’s depth a step ahead of us.

We also quickly went after him so we don’t get left behind.

 

[Hey, that’s…]

[A crystal pillar?]

 

Alf picks up my mutter. At the end of the rubble trail that continued across the lake, a transparent pillar sticking out from the lake was diagonally resting on the pile of rubble standing up.

 

The crystal pillar has white and cloudy parts in some places, and although I could tell that there was something inside of it, I couldn’t judge what it was from a distant view.

 

Dy ignored the gravity and flew above the water surface. We also tried to fly using our magic and wings but there’s something like a barrier that’s obstructing us so it didn’t go well.

 

[Does the effect of the interference magic used by the soldier before also exist here? No, since Diremolo can move, is it a different cause… Anyway, if we can’t fly then we must go there by different means.]

 

We had nothing to answer Ciel’s question so we helplessly decided to take a roundabout path until the rubble path.

 

The demon who made it before the crystal ahead of us addressed whatever is buried in it and poured his magic power in.

 

Could it be that Dy’s little brother is over there…? We impatiently advanced towards the large lake’s depths.