The next morning.
I slipped out of the room without waking Raphtalia, who had stayed up late studying, and went to check on Filo.
It'd be a problem if she starved to death, and besides, I didn't have much else to do.
I'd finished brewing the potions yesterday, so all that was left was gathering herbs.
"Gwah!"
A rough cry greeted me when I reached the stable.
I looked, and her body, which had resembled a bun, had changed—her legs had stretched out long, and so had her neck. She kind of looked like an ostrich now.
Quite the transformation. She was growing in a way completely unlike any bird I knew.
She was about chest-height. Not big enough to ride yet, though.
Grrr...
She seemed hungry. That was why I'd headed to the ranch first thing to buy some feed.
It was a bit tough on the wallet, but still cheaper than buying equipment.
To grow this much in a single day... it felt almost absurd.
"You haven't even been alive for a day yet."
"Gwah!"
Filo nuzzled up against me, and a smile naturally slipped onto my face.
It wasn't that I'd suddenly developed some great love for animals or anything.
I was just getting excited about what I'd have her do once she was fully grown.
She was going to be a substitute for a horse carriage, after all—I wondered just how much money she'd bring in... My chest swelled with anticipation.
Oh, and her feathers had changed again. Looking closely, they'd become a mottled mix of white and cherry blossom pink.
While I was at it, I had her absorb the feathers into my shield.
The conditions for the Monster Tamer's Shield III have been unlocked.
Monster Tamer's Shield III
Abilities locked... Equipment Bonus, Growth Correction (Medium)
Hmm... so it didn't require blood after all? Then maybe I could try cutting Raphtalia's hair again and having her absorb it.
Filo was supposedly just born, yet she was running around energetically and playfully tugging at me.
"Gwah!"
She wasn't a dog, but I threw a stick far off into the distance and played fetch with her.
Her legs were fast—she caught the stick before it even hit the ground and brought it back.
She was remarkably intelligent.
Kukuku... it seemed like fortune had finally turned my way.
Anyway, I spent the time until Raphtalia woke up playing with Filo.
Pets like these were a kind of stress reliever, weren't they?
"Hmm... Master Naofumi is wearing a refreshed smile like I've never seen from him before."
When Raphtalia got up and came looking for me, she mumbled with a somewhat sour expression.
If anything, it was closer to an evil grin.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Gwah?"
Peck, peck. Filo gently nudged Raphtalia with her beak.
She was probably trying to make physical contact.
"Sigh... fine, I suppose."
Raphtalia smiled and stroked Filo's face with both hands.
"Gwaaa..."
Filo narrowed her eyes in pleasure and snuggled up to Raphtalia's hand.
"Now then, which area should we explore today?"
"Let me see... How about heading to the southern grasslands? It would help save on Filo's feed costs."
"Mmm... yeah, that works."
That area was overgrown with weeds, and herbs were plentiful. I agreed it was a good spot.
Our current goal was earning money for decent equipment, after all.
"Alright, let's head out then."
"Gwah!"
"Yes!"
Well, something like that. We headed off to the grasslands at a relaxed pace and fought some monsters. Our levels went up a little.
Naofumi: Lv 25
Raphtalia: Lv 28
Filo: Lv 15
Since we'd been focused on gathering herbs and collecting Filo's feed, today's harvest was a mixed bag.
We defeated various monsters and unlocked shield conditions, but at best we only gained +1 or +2 to stat bonuses.
...Still no shield that unlocked intermediate crafting recipes.
That evening.
Filo had grown into a magnificent Filolial.
"That's fast..."
Both the innkeeper and the ranch owner were shocked. No matter how you looked at it, this was way too quick.
It was probably because of the Growth Correction (Small) and Growth Correction (Medium) effects.
"...If only I'd noticed the ink when I bought Raphtalia..."
"Ahaha..."
I wondered if Raphtalia wished she could grow like that.
Creak...
A sound like bones cracking echoed through the air. Was this what a growth sound was like?
"Gwah!"
Now big enough to carry a person, Filo sat down in front of me.
"You going to let me ride?"
"Gwah!"
As if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Filo chirped and turned her head toward her back, indicating I should climb on.
"Then pardon me."
No saddle, no reins—was that really okay?
That was what I thought, but if she was telling me to get on, I might as well. My shield made me sturdy enough.
Even if I fell, I'd be fine.
The ride was... not bad, thanks to the feathers.
As long as I kept my balance, there didn't seem to be any problems.
"Gwah!"
Filo stood up with a lurch.
"Whoa!"
My field of vision shot up considerably. So this was what it looked like riding a Filolial.
I'd never been horseback riding, so I had no way of knowing, but there was something deeply moving about traveling on the back of a living creature.
"Gwaaaa!"
The moment Filo let out a thrilled cry, she broke into a run!
"O-hey!"
"M-Master Naofumi—!"
Clatter clatter clatter!
F-Fast! The scenery flew past behind me in the blink of an eye. Raphtalia's voice faded into the distance in an instant.
Clatter clatter clatter!
Filo must have wanted to test herself. After completing a quick lap around the village, she stopped in front of the stable.
Then she sat down and let me dismount.
"Are you alright?!"
Raphtalia ran over to me, looking worried.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine. But wow, she's fast."
Filo, seemingly not tired at all, began preening her own feathers.
I was surprised at how fast she'd turned out to be. I might have made a great purchase.
"Well then, let's call it a day and head back to the room."
Someone grabbed the collar of my armor with a firm grip.
I looked down—Filo had latched onto my collar with her beak.
"What's the matter?"
"Gwaaaa!"
She cried out in a tone that almost sounded like she was about to cry, stopping me in my tracks.
"Hmm?"
Oh well.
I moved to leave, and she grabbed me again.
"What is it?"
"Gwah!"
Filo cried out with a slightly petulant stomp of her foot.
"Um... not tired of playing?"
Raphtalia asked, and Filo shook her head.
Could she understand words?
"Lonely?"
The monster had the audacity to nod with a self-satisfied air.
"Gwaa!"
She spread her wings and started putting on a show.
"That's all well and good, but..."
I had no desire to sleep in the stable, and I certainly couldn't bring such a large monster into our inn room.
"Why don't we stay with her here until she falls asleep?"
"Mmm... fine, I suppose."
She was big, but she was only two days old. Leaving a newborn alone in the stable overnight felt like too much, even for a monster.
That day, Raphtalia and I studied this world's writing system together in the stable.
Filo watched us quietly from her nest, well-behaved for once.
Creak...
"Aaah... I really wish there was a shield that made reading easier!"
If such a shield existed, I hoped it'd show up soon.
"If it hasn't been found, there's nothing you can do about it. I don't think relying on legendary shields for everything is good for you, Master Naofumi."
"...Raphtalia. You've gotten awfully sharp-tongued."
"That's right. So let's study together—learn the writing system and magic side by side."
...Damn.
There was no such thing as an easy way out, was there? Praying that this effort wouldn't all be for nothing, we continued studying in the stable until Filo drifted off to sleep.
After that, we returned to the room, and I attempted a new potion recipe with the herbs I'd gathered.
...The results were—well, let's just say I hadn't decoded the recipe, so I'd rather not talk about it.