Monsters of all kinds crawled through and out of dungeons. Some hunters were able to tame such creatures, which was weird, yet fascinating at the same time.

Although we call them monsters, there are some intelligent enough to learn and obey commands. However, this idea gave room to the possibility that some of the monsters we face might be far more intelligent than us.

"As I said, gryphons are incredibly intelligent," I added, undoubtedly feeling some empathy for the guy who battled in the Underworld like me. "So, if you let her go, she might come back on her own. After all, you're the one who fed and reared her."

I could tell he wasn't like the others I met here. Judging by the way he apologized on her behalf, he clearly cares about her and has been trying to figure out how to treat her. Whether the answers were laying in the Underworld wasn't something I knew, but what I did know was the fact that the beast tamer's intentions were pure.

He hasn't been tainted by this place yet, so there's still some time for him to back off without being dragged into too much trouble.

"Perhaps you're right..." murmured the beast tamer as he rummaged through his collar. Then he took out a key that was attached to a slender necklace. Yes, this guy was either ignorant or had no idea just how terrible this place could be. "I'm not sure whether anything you've mentioned can help, but I'm not going to deny you provided me with a different perspective."

I didn't say anything as he lowered the cage, then inserted the key into the rusty lock and twisted it.

"Do you know why I'm here?" he asked, slightly opening the door with an irritating noise. "To find an answer. But if my fear of abandonment harms Melody, maybe I don't deserve her in the first place. What kind of person would I be if I treated her as if she were a prisoner—"

Melody fluttered her feathery wings and flew towards the fake sun before the beast tamer could even finish. Despite their intelligence, it wouldn't be shocking to see her collide with some upside-down building. She was obviously stressed because she didn't get out of the cage too much, but I couldn't tell just how much it affected her.

As I already said, there are hunters and wealthy individuals who kept monsters as pets. There are no guides that can educate us on how to care for one, so even if a citizen wanted a monster as a pet and miraculously managed to acquire one, they wouldn't be able to properly tame it. And I was skeptical the government would allow that to happen. If any studies had been undertaken, we simply didn't have access to them at the moment.

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If I had the chance, I would certainly read the entire thing. I mean, it may sound childish, but who wouldn't want to ride a gryphon once they're fully grown? Or someone to help you regardless of the danger you're in. To me, that seemed like something pulled out of fantasy.

My thoughts aside, when the beast tamer saw how Melody departed without any hesitation, he crouched next to the cage.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked, my gaze tracing Melody's form. I couldn't figure out why he was acting so strangely.

Staring at the ground, the beast tamer growled, "Do you really need to ask?"

Not really, but as a formality, I still questioned, "Why are you so attached to her?"

I had obtained what I wanted and was ready to depart. Nothing was stopping me now, and yet, I still found myself hanging around, expressing interest in someone whose name I didn't even know.

"I'm not comfortable talking about this, but..." the beast tamer took in a deep breath, "...I think I don't mind if I share it. My parents died, and I've been living with my grandmother for a while. She too, passed away eventually. She was old... nothing I could've done about it," he paused, his expression focused on something I couldn't see.

"...Then I met Melody and decided to take care of her... from then on, you can guess what happened."

"Everyone just goes away and leaves me behind," he added in a whisper, then shook his head as if to get rid of some unpleasant thoughts.

This guy reminded me of myself in various ways than Lavender. On the other hand, I took a brutal thrashing while snooping around the Underworld. I had to admit he was quite lucky in that regard. I was almost a little bit envious of him.

"You should take a look above," I grumbled, having had enough of it as a shadow darted toward us.

His eyes widened as if startled by something, and then raised his head with a confused gaze and asked, "Melody?"

The gryphon, after slowing down with a flop of her wings, landed right on his shoulder. Then she curled herself around his neck like a scarf. It was an adorable sight, but I doubted that gesture would be possible once she grows up a bit more.

"Told you..."

Well, I wasn't convinced whether she'd come back or not, but doing something was always better than not doing anything. I'm speaking from personal experience.

"You were right..." said the beast tamer, running his fingers through her silky feathers. I wondered if it was okay for me to touch her as well. After all, I was the one who came up with the suggestion to set her free.

Jokes aside, it was heartening to know their bond couldn't be severed so easily.