Almadianos Eiyuuden

【”Ah, finally, I can see the capital.”】
【”Sorry for pushing you so hard. You can get some rest when we arrive.”】

Kurats expressed his gratitude for Frigga as he looked down towards the capital from the back of her griffon.
As for Felbell, she was already taking a nap on Kurats’ back before the group even landed.

【”Now then, I hope we made it on time…”】
『Did the report not say the one who harmed the king was that court mage?』

Kurats had a bad feeling regarding Bernst’s sudden question.

(Yes, that’s what it said… Is something bothering you?)
『…If that mage did indeed harm the king, why is it that I can feel the presence of a demon in the castle?』

Seeing a giant griffon approach the castle, the soldiers keeping guard were left bewildered.
They, of course, knew that Frigga favored using a griffon as her mount, but they were still in the middle of a war against Asgard.

【”E-Enemy attack—!”】

Coming with a griffon so early in the morning was a recipe for disaster.

From late at night to early dawn, the human brain has a tendency to lose its cognitive ability. This was why nocturnal attacks had a tendency to bring a degree of results no matter how vigilant the attacked party was.

The soldiers at the castle felt a sense of security from being so far away from the front lines. This sudden happening so early in the morning left their sense of judgement in shambles.

Even so, maybe thanks to their daily training routine, the soldiers on duty instantly readied themselves to fight.
Massive ballistas and magic canons were aimed directly at the griffon.

【”Oh, this is not good. Are they targeting us?”】
【”I see they are not even bothering to give any warning…”】

Thinking about the situation carefully, this was a natural outcome.
Normally, it was impossible for any retainer to visit the king without getting an appointment or sending a messenger first.
Moreover, there was no one in the Jormungand kingdom who had tamed a griffon.
Though they were not thinking of attacking it out of nowhere, the soldiers were still wary of the griffon. After all, it was a monster.

【”F-for the time being, should we go down? If they see we have no intention of attacking them, I’m sure they will quickly calm down.”】
【”It’s a little bit too late for that, don’t you think?”】
【”What?”】

Nothing is easier than to manipulate humans lost in a panic.
The king was down, the kingdom was in a state of urgency. This was coming along with the effect of early dawn and the tension of war.
Above all, even from this ditstance, all the soldiers could feel Kurats’ frightening aura, which was stimulating their survival instincts.
For Lucia, who was looking to stir up trouble a little bit more in the Jormungand kingdom, this was a golden opportunity.

(This an enemy! If you do not defeat this foe, you will die!)
(Shoot it down! Shoot it down! Shoot it down!)
【”Aim, set!”】
【”Elevation, set!”】
【”Orientation, set!”】
【”Ammo loaded, ready to fire!”】

Over 100 long-distance weapons of all sizes opened fire at once, targeting the griffon.

(Do not let the enemy get close. You have to protect his majesty the king!)
(Quickly! Quickly! Quickly!)

Though the situation did feel slightly abnormal, that feeling was not sufficient to stop the attack.
Driven by fear and by another being’s will, the guards’ commander lowered his right hand.

【”Fiiiiiiiiiiiire!”】
【”These morons are actually shooting at us!”】
【”Shelac! Dive down!”】

Though the griffon immediately obeyed, a nose dive was not enough to avoid the barrage of attacks.

『They are firing with everything they have in their first shot… That demon I detected must have done something. 』
【”Give me a break! Think they can mess with me? I’ll show them!”】

Saying so, Kurats suddenly stood up, forcing Felbell to move from his back and wake up from her nap at last.
The griffon was diving down like a plane performing aerobatic maneuvers.
The Fell bell that recalls the leaf drop when leaving, It clung to the foot of Kurats by one’s best.

【”Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!”】
【”Sorry, Felbell. Please bear with it for a little while.”】

Despite her reactions, Kurats had no time to comfort Felbell in this situation.
Before anything else, his priority was to deal with the incoming attack.