Chapter 97

Amelia's entire body is covered in pure white feathers and fur.

She has a majestic eagle's head with long, slitted eyes and a sharp beak, fluffy chest fur, sturdy front paws with sharp claws, beautiful wings, and the lower body of a lion with a long tail, making her the strongest griffin.

When we first met, she was so small that I could pick her up.

Perhaps because she had just been separated from her mother, she was very clingy and would cry "Kwekwe!" whenever I was out of sight.

For Amelia to now be standing on her own and participating in operations as a combatant...

"Ugh, Amelia~"

Overwhelmed with emotion, I hugged her neck.

She has grown so much that I can no longer pick her up, but I tried to show her all the love I could.

"Good luck! I'll be cheering for you!"

"Kwekwekwe~"

Amelia, you're amazing. Saying "Leave it to me!" like that.

You've grown up. You've become a fine griffin. I'm really happy.

Then, Gar arrives.

"Gar, please take good care of Amelia."

He nodded firmly.

Gar also has a request for me.

"What is it?"

He hands me something wrapped in cloth. It's a bottle containing Sura.

He says he wants me to take care of it because it would be bad if it fell.

"Understood. I'll take good care of Sura!"

I take the small bottle containing Sura from Gar.

Sura, inside the bottle, makes a hand-like shape and waves it at me. I wave back.

The bottle has a string attached, so I hang it around my neck.

Gar mounts Amelia.

He looks so regal. Holding a spear, he looks like a proper griffin soldier. He looks so cool.

With everything ready, we resume our journey.

I board the dragon carriage.

The interior is surprisingly spacious. The ceiling is high, and there's no sense of claustrophobia.

I sit next to Deputy Captain Berry. Next to me are Liette and Urgas. In front of me is the captain, and next to him is Zara. The seating arrangement is decided by the captain.

When the captain signals to the driver that we're ready, we take off.

The sound of flapping wings can be heard, and the carriage gently lifts off.

I unconsciously grab Deputy Captain Berry's arm out of fear.

"Risris, there's nothing to worry about."

"Y-Yes, thank you."

Liette, who is sitting next to me, seems fine. Urgas is also calm.

Still, I'm surprised.

I thought the flying carriage would be bumpy, but I hardly feel any vibrations. It might even be more comfortable than a regular carriage?

The dragon carriage glides smoothly.

Album, who had been hiding in my bag, finally pokes his head out, perhaps realizing that the dragon carriage is safe.

"Pancake girl, are you not scared?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's surprisingly comfortable."

"I'm glad!"

Album, who had come out of the bag, sits on my lap.

"Hey, Album, why don't you come over here?"

Zara, smiling, invites Album over, but—

"Your smile is kind of dark, so it's good..."

What does Zara's dark smile mean?

I glanced at her, but she looked like her usual beautiful self.

"Oh!?"

Album, sitting on my lap, reacts with a start and lightly jumps up.

Flustered, he moves from my lap to Liette's, but she rejects him, so he ends up on Urgas's lap.

"Album, what's wrong with you?"

"The contents of that bottle, it's a spirit!!"

"Spirit? You mean Sura in the bottle?"

"Yes! Oh~ I was so surprised~!"

Sura is a spirit? I thought she was an artificial slime.

I lift the string and peer into the bottle.

"Hey, Sura, are you a spirit?"

A question mark shape is formed inside the bottle.

It seems Sura is also confused.

"Come to think of it, Father mentioned something about a certain magic kingdom announcing research on artificial spirits, but I don't remember the details."

"I see."

Artificial spirits are apparently rare creatures, with few successful cases in the world.

"If that's the case, we shouldn't tell anyone about this."

"I agree. The magic research institute is particularly obsessed with spirits."

Liette suggests we consult with the marquis.

Indeed, this is not something we can handle on our own.

For Sura and Gar's peaceful days, we need to keep this a secret.

"So, Album, you can't talk about this."

"Okay, I understand."

Sura and Album don't seem to get along, as Album avoids coming near her.

He sits on Urgas's lap, complaining about how hard a man's lap is. What a rude thing to say. Urgas is laughing, so it's fine.

It's lunchtime, so we decide to eat in an open area.

I give fruit to Amelia first, as she worked hard.

It seems there were no problems with the flight with Gar. That's good.

After Amelia finishes eating, it's our turn.

Deputy Captain Berry distributes the knight squad's rations, which come in black bags. One bag is one meal.

I open the heavy bag with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

Inside are biscuits, a jar of vegetables and meat, cheese, smoked meat, and a piece of chocolate.

It's designed to be eaten without a fire. I see.

I pray to the gods and say grace.

I start with the biscuits.

"Let's eat, uh!!"

When I bite into it, it makes a "crack" sound. What is this, a rock!?

The captain is calmly crunching the biscuits. What kind of jaw does he have?

Deputy Captain Berry takes a bite, frowns, and then chews it again.

Gar's canine teeth seem to have no trouble with the biscuits.

Urgas is eating with tears in his eyes.

Zara seems to have given up and is rewrapping the biscuits in paper.

Liette, seeing everyone's reactions, doesn't touch the biscuits.

I give a biscuit to Album, but he seems to be checking if it's really food by flipping it over, as it's incredibly hard.

Next, I open the jar of vegetables.

Are they pickled in vinegar? I pinch a piece and put it in my mouth.

"---So salty!!"

The vegetables are soaked in salt water.

What is this, a quick way to get salt? Unbelievable.

The meat is marinated in olive oil, but it's greasy and made from cheap, low-quality meat, so I have no appetite.

The cheese is crumbly. The smoked meat has a cloth-like texture. I've never eaten cloth, but...

The chocolate is powdery. It seems to have something mixed in.

Everyone's expressions become increasingly gloomy.

Urgas mutters.

"It's just plain bad. I used to eat this... but..."

"Mel's cooking is so good that the contrast is terrible."

Even Zara seems to have given up on the rations. She barely touched them.

Liette hasn't even opened hers. Seeing everyone's reactions, she seems to have lost her appetite.

Only the captain is different. He finished even the powdery chocolate.

"Hey, you guys, eat properly. If you get hungry halfway through and can't move, I'll kick you out."

The captain, not a bandit, glares at each of us and utters a threatening word.

However, it's difficult to eat this.

I just thanked the gods for the food, but my body is rejecting it.

I can't help but remember my first expedition.

The bread and dried meat Urgas made back then were all terrible— and then I realize something.

Could these rations be made more palatable with some adjustments?

I immediately ask the captain for a moment.

"Excuse me, Captain, can I have a moment of your time?"