CH 180

“Princess Lily, I, Rust, a vassal of the Admiral house, who is loyal to the royal family, cordially invite you to take a trip through the sky.”

I briskly approach her, and hold out my right hand while taking a knee.

If I have to invite her anyway, I might as well make her acknowledge Kalin. If Princess Lily takes my hand, she will basically be recognizing Kalin Admiral as a loyal subject.

“…!”

I can hear Kalin gulping. But despite everything, Kalin is still a noble, and doesn’t interfere.

The knights that came with Princess Lily are also silent, and as the atmosphere grows increasingly more tense, she grabs my hand with a smile on her face.

“Thank you for the invitation. Now let us go to the sky.”

I stand up, with the palm of my hand still touching Princess Lily’s left hand, and something troubling crosses my mind.

I have no idea how to ride Seilook…

I think I could get through it with scrolls hidden in my pockets and sleeves, but that might be bad, so I’m hesitant to do that. I don’t think it’d be good to wrap a member of royalty in vines and lift her…

I picture that in my mind, and shake my head. And then, my bond with Seilook brings me images of what’s apparently the correct way to ride it.

I follow these images by grabbing Princess Lily’s hand and taking her next to Seilook’s back legs.

Seilook bends its legs and sits down. The tip of its tail starts coiling itself, and becomes just the foothold we need.

We get on the foothold Seilook made for us, and I feel my body going up.

Princess Lily cheers. Sounds like she really just likes heights. I remember her riding beast, and figure that makes sense, as we approach Seillok’s back and its two sets of wings.

Princess Lily hops onto Seilook’s back while the tail foothold is still moving.

The only flat surface on Seilook’s back is only large enough for one sole, but she skillfully balances herself, and turns around.

“Hurry up Master Rust!”

She yells, but I wait for Seilook to stop moving before carefully getting on its back.

There’s only space between its two sets of wings. I have no choice but to sit behind Princess Lily, who is now sitting with her legs out the sides.

Seilook tells me to hang on. There’s actually some sort of lump in front of me, so I reach over and grab it.

Princess Lily places her head on my upper arm, and the smell of flowers tickles my nose.

“I’m ready.”

“…Yes, Seilook.”

Seilook responds by flapping its wings, before soaring to the sky with us on its back.