The Harpy Matriarch
1029 Words
"They're coming~," a woman said as she gazed toward the approaching force making its way into the mountain range. Her eyes lingered on a certain figure seated behind a Death Knight—wrapped in a black cloak, exuding an air of quiet authority. She turned to the half-elf beside her and asked, "Want to go meet him, Valeesa?"
"…No," the half-elf replied, also observing the cloaked man intently. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "Now isn't the time. Let's go."
With that, her form gradually faded away, dissolving into the very air itself, disappearing into the depths of the harpies' mountain home.
"Hey, at least take me with you!" The human woman beside her sighed in exasperation. Seeing no response, she rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fine, I suppose this is a good chance to speak with Ira anyway."
No sooner had she spoken than a slender hand emerged from the empty space, resting gently on her shoulder. Her body shimmered, becoming translucent before vanishing entirely from the material plane.
Just before she disappeared, she cast one last, lingering glance at Ira.
This prodigious young man had overturned many conventional beliefs about professions in an astoundingly short time. She was eager to see what kind of person he would eventually become.
She had learned a bit about his past—monsters, the Empire, betrayal… but such things were ultimately inconsequential. As one's power grew and lifespan lengthened, those old memories would occupy less and less of one's mind.
Eventually, all that remained was the pursuit of something interesting. Anything else… was simply too tedious to bother with.
"…What's wrong, Ira?"
Hearing Shilina’s question, Ira didn't immediately answer. He had sensed something—a presence observing him from afar. And whoever it was, their mana signature was far beyond what ordinary beings could possess.
He had felt this kind of gaze before—back when he and Queen Cassiopeia had snuck into the World Tree to steal the World Spell. Back then, he'd felt at least a dozen such presences watching him.
Though no one had actively tried to stop them, Ira had still been scared out of his mind.
Thinking back to that event, Ira instinctively touched the World Spell pendant hanging from his neck. After a moment, he shook his head and replied, "It's nothing… I was just surprised by how many harpies there are."
As they neared the mountains, the sky above teemed with harpies, their graceful forms soaring through the air. They had the upper bodies of beautiful women, their arms replaced by powerful wings. Their legs, however, were avian, and feathers adorned their hair near their ears.
Watching as some of the harpies circled the Death Knights, bowing respectfully to Satania, Ira even noticed a few younger harpies curiously peering at him. A thought suddenly struck him.
"Shilina, I have a question."
"Hm?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ira asked, "Are there male harpies? And considering the gender ratio among succubi… Tika must be having a pretty rough time, right?"
"…"
Shilina wasn't sure whether to commend Ira for his tactfulness or scold him for his bluntness.
Shaking her head with a sigh, she answered, "There are male harpies, but due to their gender imbalance, life is indeed… difficult for them. Most of the time, harpies attack males from other races to reproduce."
"…That sounds very dangerous," Ira commented. "Though I suppose, depending on the man, it might not be such a bad fate…"
"If they survive," Shilina added dryly. "Some of them are kept as breeding stock, used by the entire harpy flock until they die. Others are killed outright. Sometimes, they're even eaten…"
Ira: "…"
Suddenly, the curious glances some of the harpies were giving him felt significantly more ominous. He could only offer a silent prayer for himself.
"Succubi, on the other hand, operate differently," Shilina continued. "They rarely prey on their own kind."
Guided by the harpies, the group dismounted and entered a cavern nestled within the mountain range.
Interestingly, the harpies' social hierarchy was the inverse of human societies. The higher a harpy's rank, the lower their dwelling was located on the mountainside. Presumably, this was because living lower down made it easier to travel outside.
A regal-looking harpy greeted them at the entrance. She nodded in acknowledgment to Satania, Shilina, and the black-flame Headless Knight before turning to Ira. The moment she saw him, however, she froze.
A second later, her expression turned to one of sheer vigilance as she took half a step back.
"Ira?! Ira Elcaras?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
The harpy matriarch's sharp gaze flickered to the others, searching for an explanation. It seemed Shilina hadn't yet informed her about Ira's situation.
Evidently, the harpies were still unaware of Ira's defection.
"My apologies. It's a bit complicated," Ira said with a helpless smile.
So… the black-flame Headless Knight's name was Lortia? It sounded like the kind of name you'd give to a ceremonial knight—someone meant for display rather than battle.
No, it was unfair to judge a warrior based on their name alone.
"To put it simply, Ira is now the prince's tutor," Shilina stated concisely before getting straight to business. "We're preparing to purge the centaur, lizardmen, and gorgon traitors. While our insect warriors, Headless Knights, and Black Knights are sufficient for the task, we require aerial support to guide our Lesser Imps in battle. That’s why we need your harpies."
"…"
The harpy matriarch was momentarily stunned. Her sharp eyes flicked between Ira, Satania, and Lortia, as if trying to confirm that none of them were joking.
Once she realized they were serious, her expression became one of sheer disbelief.
"Wait… so you're telling me this bastard—ahem, apologies—so Ira is actually fighting for us now?"
Her words were blunt, carrying a wild, untamed directness.
(High emotional intelligence: "a refreshingly candid nature.")
(Low emotional intelligence: "a complete savage.")
"More or less," Ira replied with a small nod.
"…Well, s**t! We're unstoppable now!"
—
As it turned out, every monster leader reacted the same way upon learning Ira was on their side.
- Writer
