CH 260.2

After a short but productive meeting, the old warrior, Count Rosehip, and the mature Viscount asked for another drink.

「We have returned from our regular patrol. The perimeter of the city is clear in all directions, we have found no abnormalities」

She straightened her back and reported with a graceful salute.

The reason why her expression is stiff despite her beauty is probably because there are two people in front of her, the 『The Knight Commander of the Imperial Army』 and the 『The Knight Commander of the Rose Knights』, who are said to be the pinnacle of pilots.

「Good work. I’m counting on you for tomorrow too」

The captain of the white lily was about to return after receiving the mature Viscountess’ reply. There, she heard the sound of a chick and looked for its source.

Her expression stiffened as she turned her face to Count Rosehip’s crotch.

「….Do you perhaps know what this thing is?」

The captain of the white lilies regained her composure when the mature Viscountess asked her after she noticed her change. After showing a slightly troubled look, she opened her mouth.

「If it’s okay, may I take a closer look at it?」

Count Rosehip was the one who replied. He turned his chair around to face her, folded his arms high, and leaned back against his seat.

「Of course, you may touch it too if you like」

Taking a breath with a tense expression, the white lily captain crouches down and brings her face close to Count Rosehip’s crotch.

The white chick who uses his crotch as territory doesn’t run away, it only blinks and looks back at her curiously.

「Pardon me」

When the white lily captain extended her index finger, the white chick grabbed the tip of her finger with its paw.

She lifted her finger and looked at the white chick’s hind legs. Seeing it looks like a cat’s leg, she takes a small breath.

「This is probably a『Griffon』」

She lifted her finger up further and tickled its belly with the index finger of her other hand. When the white chick closed its eyes and released her finger, the white lily captain withdrew her finger and looked back.

『Griffon』

It is a species of spirit beast. It is said to have the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion, and flies in the sky and can shoot attack magic from its mouth.

It appears in the legend of the human race, the 『Spirit Forest War』.

It is said that it tore apart a Knight of the human race who invaded its territory with his claws and blew it away with wind magic.

「This guy is?」

At the old warrior’s unconvinced voice, the white lily captain insisted with red cheeks.

「Please look at these young but keen eyes like an eagle’s」

Because of her hobby, she had a lot of knowledge. That was why she was so confident.

「You call this keen eyes?」

The mature Viscountess murmured and then silence took over the place.

The gryphon chick that looks like a white ball of fur, looking around with her crinkly black eyes and the captain of the white lily who was sniffling and looking passionately at it.

Not long after, the gryphon chick poke the place under its feet with its beak. It probably thought the bulge under the fabric was a giant worm sandworm lurking in the ground.

「Muu」

Everyone else was silent, except for Count Rosehip, who took a surprise blow on his tip.

***

The sun, which had set in the west, emerged from the other side, bringing with it the morning.

I took a walk in the garden forest, breathing in the still cold air.

「Morning, Imosuke」

The leader of my familiars, a caterpillar, lifts the front of his body to greet me from the branch of the medicinal tree. I then turn my gaze at the turtle swimming in the pond.

「Zaratan, did you get any more strange calls after that?」

“No problem”, the turtle-shaped great spirit beast nodded. He seems to have taken all possible measures to prevent unwanted mail from the elves.

「Where’s Dangoro– Hm?」

There was a hint that he was coming towards me, but it stopped midway and a wave of confusion came at me. After that came a call for help.

Wondering what was going on, I went to the place where the wave came from and found a dung beetle struggling in the root of the medicinal tree. Apparently he was trying to crawl out of the ground and the chestnut moth got caught in the roots.

「As expected it’s impossible to dig into the ground with those spiky armor, isn’t it?」

I rescued the dung beetle while being careful not to get the thorns stuck. Then I put him back on the ground and spoke to him.

The 『Chestnut Burr Armor』 which he usually keeps with him and wears only on special occasions. But now, he doesn’t want to take it off for some reason.

When I asked him why, he sent out a small wave that could only reach me.

「….I don’t think they’ll underestimate you even if you’re not wearing that armor」

I whisper back to Dangorou.

Not only the Heavy Lancers, but also the Twisted Horn, Capricorns have a horn as their name suggests. It seems that this was bothering him.

He said that as a person in charge, he needed to look more dignified.

「Look at Zaratan, he doesn’t have thorns and horns like them, right?」

The great spirit beast who was also said to be the guardian of the Spirit Lake. For the Heavy Lancers and the Capricorns, he seemed to be an existence that they had to be careful of if they wanted to approach him.

When I told him this, he looked a little relieved.

(I don’t understand why thorns or horns are so important)

A deer with antlers so huge you started to worry about its neck, or a crab with one oddly large pair of pincers. It may be important to them, but that doesn’t apply to humans like me.

(No wait, maybe not necessarily)

When it comes to humans, it’s probably something like a woman’s breasts or a man’s crotch. What if we look at it that way?

In the case of men, the owner of a two-handed sword will feel more superior than a knife wielder who thought themselves as inferior.

Men think like that on their own, there’s no room for women’s opinions in this one.

(Could it be…)

It’s not a weapon to fight an enemy, but a tool to determine superiority or inferiority among the same sex. If you think of it that way, it’s understandable.

A knife-wielder who stubbornly refuses to hear the words of a woman who tells him that he is worrying too much. On the other hand, there’s a two-handed sword wielder who feels overconfident with his weapon and says something like, 『Don’t be shy, you like it don’t you?』, even though the woman said she don’t like it.

The women are exasperated, but I guess it can’t be helped if the value standard is already rooted instinctually.

(It’s probably the same when someone says 『I like women who have no breasts』to a woman, but she doesn’t believe him)

I crossed my arms and nodded.

If the rank in the herd is decided by appearance, there’s no need to actually beat each other up. Maybe this is one of that 『wisdom to survive as a species』.

(If we had to fight seriously every single time, we would all get hurt and worn out)

I was convinced by my own theory.