CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 108: MONSTER BIRD

Just then, something caught his eye in the sky.

"Oh, look," he said.

Owen bounced up and joined him at the window. They both stared upward. There, in the sky, several large bird-like creatures were flying, They were fighting mid-air, screeching and flapping wildly attacking one bird. the one bird dropped down fast, crashing somewhere in the forest.

"Stop the carriage!" Axelius shouted.

A knight on horseback quickly rode up to the window. "What is it, Young Master?"

Axelius held his stomach. "My stomach hurts."

The knight nodded seriously. "Understood," he said and signaled the coachman. The carriage came to a stop.

The knight opened the carriage door. Owen had bounced up over Axelius’s head, and Axelius ran out into the woods.

"Please don’t go far, Young Master!" the knight called behind him.

Axelius waved a hand without looking back. "Yeah yeah!"

Owen followed, letting out a small sigh. "You’re really acting like a kid, you know?"

Axelius looked over his shoulder. "It’s not acting like a kid. It’s called discovering! It’s fun!"

They reached a small open area between the trees. On the ground lay the injured bird-like creature. Around it were several more of the same kind, squawking loudly and circling. Their feathers were dark, almost black with a strange purple shimmer. Their eyes glowed red, and their beaks were long and curved. They looked like crows, each as tall as Axelius’s knee.

Owen narrowed his eyes. "Those are Grakels. Forest scavenger monsters. They’re not very strong, but they attack in groups. Be careful."

"Hey!" Axelius shouted.

The Grakels turned toward him and screeched. He grabbed the katana from Owen.

The monsters took flight at once, rising above the trees—then dived toward him, one by one. Axelius didn’t back away. He grinned and spun the katana once in his hand.

The first Grakel dived—he ducked and rolled forward, slicing upward cleanly. One dropped, screeching.

The second and third came from both sides. Axelius slid low between them, his blade glowing faintly. He spun, slicing both in one sweeping arc. A fourth tried to grab him from above, but Axelius jumped and twisted mid-air, using the side of a tree to push himself off—then slashed downward as he landed.

More feathers flew in the air as the remaining Grakels scattered. Axelius landed with a small huff, standing straight with the katana resting on his shoulder.

"Too slow," he said with a smirk.

Owen caught up, arms crossed. "Show-off."

Axelius grinned. "Hey, I’m having fun. That was a warm-up."

Owen looked at the fallen creatures and shook his head. "Try not to attract every monster nearby, alright?"

"No promises," Axelius said, smiling brightly.

The remaining Grakels let out a few more warning screeches, then flapped their dark wings and flew away, disappearing above the trees and leaving the injured one behind.

Axelius wiped his hands and returned the katana to Owen’s inventory slot with a satisfied smile. He walked forward and crouched beside the fallen creature, observing its white feathers, which shimmered slightly under the sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Oh," Axelius said as he leaned closer, his eyes shining with interest, "it’s an albino Grakel."

He gently grabbed the monster by its wing and carefully lifted it, standing up with the creature cradled awkwardly in his arms. Its body twitched, but it didn’t resist.

"It’s still alive," he added, a small grin appearing on his lips.

Owen came closer, keeping his distance from the bird’s sharp beak, and said calmly, "Ahh nature. When something is different—like this one, it gets treated differently."

Axelius glanced down at the bird in his arms and smiled wider, eyes twinkling with amusement and something else—maybe a plan forming in his head.

"Hehehehe..." he chuckled. "I’ve always thinking of taming a monster that can fly. Hmmm... I shall call you... Crow! You look like crow anyway." He laughed proudly at his own naming skills.

The albino grakels then glow sign that it have been tamed.

Owen sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Idiot... Grakels eat corpses, How are you going to feed it? Yeah, Once tamed they can be feed by Mana/life essence but You can’t just—"

But before Owen could even finish, Axelius burst into laughter again, louder this time.

"Then I have another method for disposing of bodies!" he declared, spinning once with the pale bird still held in his arms.

"I’ll make you stronger, Crow," he whispered with a grin. "And then you can have your revenge on those who bullied you."

"Now come on," Axelius said cheerfully, already walking back toward the carriage with the pale Grakel in his arms. "Our journey just got more fun!"

With a flick of his fingers, Axelius unsummoned Crow, and the pale Grakel disappeared into a small flash of mana light, returning to his storage space. Just as the glow faded, he heard the voices of the guards calling out to him from a distance.

"Young master! We must go!"

Axelius waved lazily toward their direction. "Alright, alright! I’m coming!"

He jogged back through the trees, Owen behind him, and they both returned to the waiting carriage. With a soft jolt, the wheels turned once more, and the journey continued.

After what felt like hours, the tall, elegant gates of the Grand Duke’s estate finally came into view. The horses slowed down as the carriage passed through the wide marble archway, and the main building stood tall and proud in the distance, its windows glowing with golden light.

When the carriage stopped, Axelius stepped down and was immediately greeted by a line of maids and butlers in uniform. They bowed in perfect unison as the doors opened.

"Welcome back, young master," Millie said with a bright, practiced smile, stepping forward with her hands neatly folded.

Axelius nodded once, pleased. Millie, now standing beside him, walked with a sense of confidence and pride, matching his steps as they entered the estate.

"Hmm," Axelius hummed with satisfaction, glancing left and right. "I see that you all have learned."

Owen raised an eyebrow behind him and crossed his arms. "Who wouldn’t? Every time someone doesn’t greet you properly or talks behind your back, they get slapped as punishment."

Axelius chuckled lightly, clearly not denying it.

As they passed through the main hall, his steps slowed and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"We should go to the library," he said suddenly, rubbing his hands together. "I will build the first ever car in this world! Hahahaha!"

His loud, ambitious laughter echoed off the walls, sending visible chills down the spines of the maids and butlers lined up nearby. Some of them exchanged nervous glances, unsure if he was joking or serious.