Noir

Elna and I followed Leo to the area near the stables.

There was a griffon from the Kingdom of Perlan there.

Around the stable housing the griffons, the griffon knights were weeping in grief. In stark contrast to them, a black griffon was rampaging strangely inside.

"Noir..."

The stable was covered by a special barrier that even a griffon couldn't break. And yet the black griffon was rampaging as though it might destroy the stable at any moment.

"It's lost its master... That one is grieving too..."

A nearby griffon knight said this with a dejected expression.

The knight's expression seemed to say that the griffon was just like them, but Leo denied what he had said.

"No... That's not it, is it, Noir?"

"Kweeeeee!!!!"

As if agreeing with Leo, it raised its forelegs and kicked the stable door.

Its violent behavior seemed closer to anger than grief.

The other griffons seemed somewhat agitated, but only this griffon seemed to be rampaging with a clear purpose.

"Leo. Can you track her?"

"I don't know. But apparently this one was left behind, yet somehow made its way to Leticia. If she's alive... Noir should be able to track her."

"You say it can track her, but no horse can catch a griffon, can it?"

Griffons are even rarer than wyverns. Of all creatures ridden by humans, they rank at the very top.

Their speed as they race through the sky surpasses even that of wyverns.

Even if Noir could track Leticia, it would be pointless if Leo couldn't follow the griffon.

But.

"It's all right. I'll ride it."

"Huh?"

"It's hopeless... You've really lost it..."

Elna muttered this while holding her head.

Well, I understood what she meant. Even in the kingdom, griffon knights were rare. To be chosen as a rider, one had to be acknowledged by the griffon.

"You know, Leo, that griffon doesn't look particularly docile to me."

"Apparently, it only takes to Leticia."

"I see..."

I couldn't help staring off into the distance.

If my memory was correct, Leticia had ridden a white griffon. Seeing that even Leticia, whom this griffon favored, didn't ride it showed just how difficult it was to handle.

Having a rider mount its back would make sense. Even so, there would be a difference in speed between a griffon with a rider and one without. Besides, there was no telling what route an uncontrolled griffon would take.

So riding it and controlling it was probably a good idea. The problem was that it wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"Why not leave it to another griffon knight?"

"This one surely wouldn't acknowledge a knight who rode another griffon. Besides... People might call me an idiot. They might call me a fool. They might say I'm being insensitive in a situation like this. Some might call me selfish, arrogant, or an egotist. Even so—I want to be the one to reach Leticia first. I want to be the one to tell her that everything is all right... Is that strange?"

"That's pretty strange. You're probably the only one who'd try to ride a griffon for a reason like that. Well, I suppose it's okay to be a fool once in a while."

It was an argument unlike the serious Leo.

Leo had always put others before himself—for the Empire and for its people. Maybe he was still doing this for Leticia, but he had let his own ego show in the process.

Some people would probably say that was a bad thing. But I thought it was fine.

It was more human to be a little selfish. Especially when it came to someone you'd fallen for.

He should be allowed a little selfishness.

"The question is whether it'll let a fool like that ride on its back."

"I think it'll just kick him and that'll be the end of it..."

"Who knows? Sometimes fools are stronger."

At my words, Leo smiled and opened the stable door, heading toward the black griffon.

"Kweeeeee!!!!"

The moment the black griffon saw Leo, its eyes flashed. It raised its forelegs high and tried to kick him away. Leo could have dodged if he wanted to. But then he would have had to leave the stable.

Unwilling to do that, Leo took the attack head-on with his sword's scabbard.

"I understand your anger... Your beloved master has disappeared... Of course you'd be angry."

Leo's body was pushed back inch by inch.

Their weights were different. Their natural strength was different. Leo had no chance in a simple contest of strength.

Even so, Leo didn't retreat a single step.

"I couldn't protect her... It's all my fault... But we may still make it in time... So lend me your strength..."

"Kweeee!!!!"

"This isn't a bad deal for you, either... We're going to save Leticia..."

Leo was pushed farther and farther back.

Elna finally reached for her sword, but I stopped her.

The griffon wouldn't acknowledge Leo as its rider if he accepted anyone else's help. This was a matter between Leo and the griffon.

"Al..."

"It's all right. He's—my little brother, and I'm proud of him."

Apparently deciding that this was getting nowhere, the black griffon backed off once.

Then it put a little distance between them and charged at Leo.

It was trying to knock him out of the stable.

Leo blocked that attack as well. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself, endured the impact, and shouted.

"I'm going to save the woman I love... Lend me your strength! Noir!"

With that, Leo headbutted the black griffon as hard as he could.

A headbutt, of all things. It was a savage attack, unlike Leo. Even so, it seemed to have worked.

Noir staggered back several steps, then glared at Leo.

But Leo met the black griffon's gaze head-on and forced it back.

It was the gaze of a king who would tolerate no defiance. Faced with that imperious stare, the black griffon slowly lowered its head.

"No way... Noir actually... bowed its head...?"

"It never acknowledged anyone..."

The griffon knights around them cried out in surprise.

Ignoring the knights, Leo brought Noir outside and mounted its back.

Then.

"Knights! Get ready! We're going to save your liege!"

"We can't make heads or tails of what's going on! What about Leticia-sama!?"

"She's alive! The way Noir is acting is proof!"

"B-but..."

"You have two choices: follow me and bet on the slightest chance, or crouch here in despair. Choose now! We don't have time to hesitate!"

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

There was something about Leo as he sat on the black griffon's back. It wasn't a matter of ability.

Maybe he would pull something off. Maybe following this man was the right choice.

Leo now radiated a reassuring confidence.

"...I'll come with you."

One griffon knight muttered this, then immediately ran to his own partner, a griffon, and began preparing.

Seeing that, all the griffon knights there sprang into action.

They knew nothing of the details. Even so, they acted because Leo's words held that much value.

"Brother..."

"Go. She's a saint who has saved many people. But there is no one to save her, because so few possess the power to do so. 'She's strong, so she'll be fine. She's important, so she'll be fine.' That's fantasy. Anyone would want someone to save them if help were available. So go. And come back as her hero, not the Empire's hero. Can you do that?"

"Of course!"

The moment Leo said this,

we heard a great many footsteps approaching from behind us.

We've been found out.

The castle was sealed off. That was the Emperor's absolute order. Escaping meant defying the Emperor's command.

Even a prince was not allowed to do so.

"Go. I'll handle the trouble here."

"...Sorry. I always cause you trouble."

"It's fine. That's what big brothers are for—to let their little brothers cause them trouble."

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm off."

With that, Leo took off into the sky together with the griffon knights.

Seeing this, the Imperial Guard knights who had come running over began to shout.

"Wait! Prince Leonart!"

"You are defying His Majesty the Emperor's orders!"

"Elna... Will you face the scolding with me?"

"Honestly... What a pair of troublesome brothers you are."

"Sorry for being such a troublesome childhood friend."

"Yes, you're troublesome and a handful. But... I don't dislike the reckless things you two do."

"Then, sorry to ask, but stop her."

"—Leave it to me."

With that, Elna disappeared in an instant.

She then blocked the path of one of the Imperial Guard knights who tried to pursue Leo.

"Do you understand what it means to stand in my way, Elna?"

"Of course, Commander Weitling."

Saying this, Elna met the gaze of a beautiful woman with long, honey-colored hair.

The woman's name was Alida von Weitling.

She was Laurenz's older sister and Lady Therese's younger sister.

She was the commander of the Imperial Guard, the Empire's strongest knight order, as well as the captain of the First Knight Squadron.

"Forgive me, Commander. The responsibility is mine."

"This isn't a matter you can take responsibility for alone, Your Highness, Prince Arnold. This is an act of defiance against His Majesty the Emperor."

"Perhaps. Well, for now, detain me. Even if you went after them now, that would be difficult, wouldn't it?"

"...Are you prepared for that?"

"Of course."

The moment I said that, an Imperial Guard knight was suddenly at my side.

Another was beside Elna.

I wouldn't resist. In any case, they'd take me to Father so I could explain myself.

This was actually convenient. Whether Father believed me would depend on what I said.

Now then, I'll begin my own battle.