The next day, Noah hopped off the carriage driven by a special unit member.

“This isn’t a place where a child should come alone… Young master, you should really come with your lord—wait, just a moment!”

Before the special unit member could stop him, Noah scurried up to a knight holding a halberd.

He bowed politely.

Though he greeted the soldier respectfully, the helmeted guard merely glanced down at the child without responding.

So Noah bowed again, even more deeply.

“…State your name and affiliation.”

“Noah. I’m staying at Lady Calliphe’s annex at the Offensa Marquis household.”

The guard’s expression turned bewildered at the child’s deadpan face and precise speech.

“Uh, um… What is your purpose for visiting?”

“I have something to ask Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

The place Noah had visited alone was none other than the grand entrance of the magnificent imperial palace.

The imperial guards let out a scoffing laugh at his bold statement that didn’t match his appearance.

“You came to see Her Highness? By yourself?”

“Yes.”

Yes? He’s speaking informally. Should I scold him harshly and chase him away?

But having guarded the imperial palace gates and encountered all sorts of high-ranking troublemakers, the guard acted cautiously.

‘Despite his introduction, he might be a child from a significant family.’

Looking up, he could see the carriage the child had arrived in at a distance.

The carriage was emblazoned with a crest of a pine tree and wolf.

‘House Ortega?!’

The carriage with its elegantly engraved emblem was one that Lynen had prepared for Calliphe and her close associates to use freely.

Unaware of this, the imperial guard became respectful toward the child.

“Ahem. Young master. Do you have an appointment to meet with Her Highness the Crown Princess?”

“Nnnno.”

“Ah, you don’t. Would you like to submit a request for an audience then?”

“Will I be able to meet her that way?”

“Yes. If you submit a request, you can receive a date for an audience about a month from now.”

A month? Noah’s eyes widened.

By then, the Harvest Festival would be in full swing.

Though reluctant, Noah had no choice but to ask the adult before him for help.

“Then… please help me, mister.”

“How could I possibly?”

“Because you’re an amazing person who guards the imperial palace.”

Amazing?

While the imperial guard certainly held a respected position, nobles often dismissed them as mere “doorkeepers.”

But hearing himself called amazing by a child from a ducal family didn’t feel bad at all. So he decided to give a special little hint.

“Hmm. I’m sorry, but I don’t have that authority. However, um… if you come again just before sunset, you might unexpectedly have some good fortune…”

He knew that the Crown Princess sometimes secretly left the palace in disguise.

It was premium information he had known but never revealed to anyone until now.

“Okay. I’ll come back a little later then.”

Bow.

Noah politely bowed and returned to the carriage.

And so, visiting twice a day for three days, Noah built a rapport with the guards.

As word spread about the adorable young master, Noah soon began receiving snacks from other guards as well.

Even the captain of the guard came to know about this.

“Haven’t you been going out lately? It seems there’s a young nobleman waiting for you.”

He was also something of an accomplice who half-turned a blind eye to the Crown Princess’s secret outings.

“I am not someone who can be seen just because someone wants to see me.”

Lucilia irritably watched as her physicians and clerics treated her arm injury.

Following the instructor’s advice, she cared for the injured griffin, but the creature grew increasingly ferocious.

Lucilia’s body accumulated more and more wounds.

“Many wish to see me. They always come with glittering gold and silver, asking for even more in return.”

“Of course, I know that. But this visitor came completely empty-handed.”

“What?”

Lucilia turned around with an expression suggesting only a complete fool would do such a thing.

The captain of the guard smiled.

“The visitor appears to be a child of about seven or eight years old.”

“A-A child? How lamentable the imperial guards have become. Even children can come and go as they please.”

“Strictly speaking, he hasn’t come and gone. He’s never crossed the imperial palace gates.”

Lucilia glared at the guard captain who kept correcting her words.

But at the same time, she felt curious.

So after her treatment finished, pretending to have other business, she examined the area near the palace gates.

There she saw a black-haired child talking with a guard.

‘It really is a child!’

Whatever they discussed made his previously expressionless face break into a bright smile. It looked very cute.

“…So who is that child?”

“He’s a ward sponsored by Calliphe Offensa, I’m told.”

The guard captain, who had conducted a brief investigation about the child, answered.

Lucilia immediately frowned.

“Ha, so instead of coming herself, she sends a child to spy on me? How remarkable.”

Just as she spoke ill of Calliphe, Noah’s gaze turned in her direction and their eyes met directly.

Despite being at such a distance that eye color couldn’t be distinguished, somehow the gaze felt intense.

“…!”

Lucilia quickly turned her head and pretended to be walking by.

“Your Highness?”

“Hmph, there’s nothing more to see.”

Though she said this, she startled herself.

‘I avoided his gaze? And against such a little kid?’

It must be a silly thought. Anyone would be surprised! It’s absolutely not because she felt intimidated!

Lucilia stubbornly refused to look back.

Thinking that the little child would never have a chance to meet her.

* * *

Noah had been very busy for several days.

After classes ended, he would make excuses about visiting Mihail or pretend to take naps, then secretly head to the imperial palace.

It was Noah’s perfect disguise, though discovery remained only a matter of time.

But fortunately for Noah, Calliphe stayed very busy.

“To the side, to the side, no! I said turn left! You birdbrain!”

“SCREECH!”

She had to practice griffin riding.

Though she had gained the griffin’s submission, flying skills were another matter. Calliphe wasn’t very good at horseback riding either, so she had no time to rest from training.

‘There’s a month left until the Harvest Festival. The Crown Princess will visit before then, and if I can’t fly properly, she’ll be disappointed and leave.’

So she had to master it perfectly.

“Don’t blame the griffin. Apply pressure with the leg in the direction you want to go. Raise your gaze. Tilt your upper body slightly and it will understand.”

Lynen, who had become her instructor and safety officer, stayed busy as well.

As Calliphe had requested, he trained her rigorously. Consequently, Calliphe, who initially struggled just to maintain her posture on the griffin, could now perform light flights.

She still needed more practice with changing directions, though.

“Calliphe. Come down for now.”

Lynen held up a small orb toward her in the sky.

It was a premium imaging orb produced by the Magic Tower. A magical tool that could replay recorded content as three-dimensional images.

Having recorded the recent training, they could examine the problems in detail.

“Got it! Let’s go, griffin.”

Calliphe nodded and pulled the reins to command descent.

Lynen watched as the griffin gradually lowered its altitude and flew toward him.

That’s when it happened.

WHOOSH. Lynen’s gaze shifted to another part of the sky.

A black dot visible in the distance.

‘Another raven monster.’

He had expected something might come to investigate after they brought the griffin and made such a commotion.

Lynen picked up a small stone and flicked it toward the raven.

WHIZZ!

The tiny stone, enveloped in aura, became a powerful arrow capable of deeply embedding itself even in a solid stone wall.

Just as that arrow was about to pierce the monster raven.

“…!”

Something suddenly darted out and snatched the monster raven in its grasp.

It was the griffin Calliphe was riding.

“SCREECH!”

Detecting an intruder in its territory, the griffin had rushed to punish it.

In the end, the monster raven turned to ashes and scattered, but.

THWACK!

“SHRIEK!”

The griffin, hit by Lynen’s aura instead, began to fall.

“Kyaaah!”

“Calliphe!”