Episode 28
As soon as the departure ceremony ended, someone strode over to Kallen, who was standing next to me.
He was a slender man with red hair, a fine face, and a lean build. He looked familiar. Prince Adrian, the royal hostage from Tegal. A fellow from the Ruby Palace.
Adrian knelt in front of Kallen, kissed the gloved back of her hand, then stood and placed a flower crown made of freesias and daisies on top of her helmet.
“…Um, Your Highness? Wh-What is this?”
Kallen looked completely flustered.
“Please return safely. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Without giving her a chance to respond, Adrian turned and walked away. Kallen just stood there, flower crown precariously perched on her helmet, looking utterly stunned.
The others cheered and teased Kallen.
“Wow, who knew you had someone swooning over you in the palace?”
“No way! I didn’t know Kallen had it in her!”
After getting a kick in the shin from Kallen, they finally shut their mouths.
I was also watching the situation fondly, when Nathan led a black warhorse with a steel-plated faceplate to me.
“This is the gentlest among our horses. His name is Roti.”
“Hi, Roti.”
As I slowly approached and patted his muzzle, Roti let out a gentle snort. It felt like he was welcoming me, and that lifted my spirits.
“Please try getting on.”
I walked to the horse’s left side, stepped into the stirrup, and sprang up onto the saddle.
The sudden elevation startled me. It was a warhorse, after all—far larger than any horse I’d ridden before.
Quickly, I gripped the reins tightly and steadied myself.
“Alright, Roti. Let’s go.”
As I gently pulled the reins, Roti gave a soft grunt and began walking forward.
Antonio, who was already on his horse, motioned for me to come over.
I smiled and nudged my horse in his direction, but just then—
Something small fluttered in from the wooded garden and landed on my shoulder.
“Polka?”
Peck. Peck, peck. Polka jabbed at the epaulet on my jacket with her beak.
[Biscuit. Give me biscuit.]
“Oh, the biscuits are in my inner pocket. Hold on, I need to keep my balance right now. I’ll give you some later.”
Just like the owl and the hawk before, Polka also shimmered with a soft white light. It was a clear sign—she meant me no harm.
“What are you waiting for?” Antonio called, glancing back at me.
I urged Roti to pick up the pace.
But then I felt something stirring near my chest.
Startled, I looked down to see Polka nestled inside my jacket pocket. Peck, peck-peck, rustle—the sound of a biscuit bag being ripped open.
“You impatient little thing… I said I’d get it for you later.”
I’d packed the biscuits in hopes of befriending other birds along the journey.
Birds fly high and see far. I’d need to win their favor to borrow their scouting eyes.
[Where are you going? I want to come too.]
“Oh, I forgot to say goodbye. Polka, I’m going far away now.”
[Far is okay. If Josephine’s gone, I have no friends.]
Her voice came from inside my pocket. It sounded like her usual tone, but for some reason, it tugged at my heart.
“It might be dangerous, Polka. I’m going to war.”
[War? Like fighting?]
Polka peeked her head out of my jacket.
“Yeah.”
[No more reading books together?]
“…Probably not as much as before.”
[I’ll come. I’ll hide when you fight.]
“Who are you talking to?” Antonio asked, glancing around.
“Oh, it’s this sparrow in my jacket. She wants to come along. But it’s dangerous. It’s not a vacation.”
He glanced at the little bird peeking from my chest.
“Let her do what she wants. As long as she stays out of battle.”
[Yahoo!] Polka chirped gleefully.
I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but having one friend along made me feel a bit more at ease.
We followed the main road through the imperial city. I took a deep breath.
The rich summer scent of grass filled my lungs.
A gentle breeze tousled the hair by my ears. The tickling sensation was oddly pleasant.
We passed through the bustling downtown, then through neighborhoods lined with red-roofed houses.
I soaked in the sights, feeling the joy of freedom.
After about three hours of riding, we exited the capital. The others began dismounting and stripping off their heavy armor.
“Ugh, thought I was going to suffocate.”
“Why did we have to wear this clunky stuff just for a ceremony?”
Eventually, Antonio also got down and removed his pauldrons, chestplate, and helmet, loading them onto a packhorse.
“It was to make an impression. Since we’re now officially recognized as a knight order, the royal court wants us to look the part.”
Once out of his armor, Antonio wore a simple tunic and trousers. His broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs were clearly visible.
I was reminded of the first time we met—when I jumped into a lake to rescue a man built like that.
Even now, it still felt foolish.
“Do we have to wear the full armor again when we return to report?”
“If it really bothers you, I’ll do it alone then.”
The others sighed in relief. The gleaming armor was apparently quite heavy and uncomfortable.
Luckily, I was only wearing a light jacket with leather pauldrons, so I didn’t feel the need to change.
We mounted up again.
Antonio, who had been ahead, slowed his horse slightly to match my pace.
“You’re riding better than I expected. Just a bit stiff in posture.”
“It’s my first time on a warhorse. It feels too tall.”
“Relax your hips and ride naturally. That way, the horse will be at ease with you too.”
“I’ll try.”
“…There’s a spark in your eyes now.”
“Huh?”
“Your eyes. They’re more alive.”
He didn’t wait for a reply—he simply sped up and returned to the front.
I didn’t know how to respond anyway, but my face grew hot. I hadn’t realized he’d been looking at my eyes so closely.
I watched his broad back.
Even on horseback, he looked as relaxed as if lounging on a sofa—unlike me, who was stiff with tension and gripping the reins with sweaty hands.
“What did the captain say earlier?” Kallen rode up next to me.
“Oh, just told me to loosen up and ride easy.”
“Pfft. That doesn’t sound like him.”
“…Why do you think I’m lying?”
“Ugh, that man never talks like that…”
“It’s about a week’s ride to Kashiya, right?” I changed the subject, feeling a little guilty talking about Antonio behind his back.
“Yeah, roughly that.”
“What kind of monsters are we dealing with? The paper just said flying beasts.”
“There’s not a lot of knowledge about monsters on this continent yet, so the reporters wrote it vaguely. From what the messenger said, it sounds like hippogriffs. Eagle head and wings, horse body.”
“…That sounds strong and fast.”
Just imagining it was terrifying. I wondered what I could possibly do in this mission.
To be of any help, I’d probably need to keep receiving magical energy from Antonio and strengthening myself…
But I wasn’t sure if we’d have the time while constantly on the move.
“Yeah, hippogriffs have excellent flight and ground mobility. They’re fast, with razor-sharp beaks and claws. Ground troops have a hard time handling them. But it’s weird. They usually don’t attack people.”
“Huh? I thought civilians were being attacked?”
“That’s what’s strange. Hippogriffs see themselves as vastly superior to humans. They’ve got serious pride. Even when humans provoke them, they usually just ignore it and fly off. They think we’re beneath them.”
“…So it might’ve been the humans who provoked them first.”
“Oh, except during egg-laying season. Then they get really aggressive to protect their eggs.”
Kallen spoke with the knowledge of someone experienced in monster hunting. The rest of the unit, including Antonio, were probably just as well-versed.
With them, I felt like I could become stronger.
My chest burned with determination.
I thought of all the days I’d spent listless, feeling abandoned.
Now that I had joined them, I couldn’t afford to retreat.
I made a vow to myself: I will become stronger. No—I have no choice but to.
