I didn’t really want to feel a sense of empathy over something like this, but in some ways, the Gryphon and I were in similar situations.
Of course, if I were to nitpick, my situation was definitely better. In this world, I had many friends and a place I could call home.
Regardless of what happened elsewhere, I had somewhere to return to. And it wasn’t some recent find; it was the place where I had spent my childhood.
Saying that the location was the Imperial Palace meant it was far from ordinary, but technically, my “childhood” wasn’t actually that “childish,” which was a tad off-point. Still, if you ask me to point out some nostalgic places within the palace, a few come to mind.
Before enrolling in the academy, Alice was in a position where she seemed to unilaterally get annoyed and jealous of me, but that didn’t mean our relationship was the worst. I was being considerate of Alice to a degree, and she was somewhat aware of it too.
If I expressed this kind of sentiment in front of her, I would get a response like, “What are you talking about?” but… in some way, Alice was in a position to act like a little sister to me.
And even now, given that she insists on calling me her “older sister,” I could say she’s still acting a little sisterly.
…If only I had no ability to turn back time and had not escaped then, what kind of life would I be living now?
At least the Gryphon was being used because of that power, but I might not have been even that. I could have been treated as a disposable tool after using me a couple of times. I could very well not exist in this world anymore.
Even if I had survived until now, unlike that Gryphon, I probably wouldn’t have had anywhere to call home, nor would there be anyone who considered me family or a friend, leading a lonely existence.
In that sense, I felt an affinity for the Gryphon. And because of that, it was not a feeling I wanted to experience much.
“If you want, it’s fine to call this place home.”
Saying that felt a bit funny. It’s not like the Gryphon would use the word “home.” It can’t even talk like a person in the first place.
But it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t speak the Gryphon’s language. I don’t even know if it has a concept of it.
If this Gryphon has never experienced living among other Gryphons, then maybe this one is the same. Perhaps it understands human speech better than its own kind.
…Thinking that way just made me feel even more sorry for it.
Trying to ensure that that thought didn’t show on my face, I continued speaking.
“However, if you think of this as home, it would be problematic if you keep acting as you please. Since we are living together in the same home, there’s a certain etiquette we must maintain.”
The Gryphon simply stared at me. Its head was still far above my line of sight, and it didn’t seem like it had any intention of lowering it, but for some reason, I felt that its ‘looking down’ vibe was somewhat diminished.
“It’s not acceptable to fly off and eat the animals of the nearby farms. If you do that, it would create problems for the people living here.”
It’s not just about the livestock getting harmed. It’s easy enough to pay for the damages, but mending the hurt feelings is quite difficult.
Even if compensation were offered afterward, it wouldn’t change the fact that the livestock it raised was taken. Moreover, if the very culprit of the theft is the symbol of the Empire, the damage to reputation would surprisingly be significant. That’s why Alice has been careful in managing the Gryphon’s feed since that incident.
“And if you consider me as… family or an ally, please show some courtesy to my friends as well.”
I looked up at the Gryphon, which was silently observing me.
“If you can just abide by that rule, this place will always be your home.”
I didn’t quite know how long the Gryphon lived. Given that there hasn’t been much research on its biology, that’s understandable. It could very well be a creature that lives over a hundred years.
I’ve heard that several universities within the Empire are trying to contact us to study Gryphons.
Since it’s a creature raised by a Crown Princess, they can’t exactly dissect it, but it seems they want to conduct various experiments… well, if we consider it family, they shouldn’t be doing such things.
“…”
The Gryphon, after listening to my words until the end, looked down at me quietly, then slightly lowered its head.
I decided to take that as a sign that it understood what I was saying.
“Alright then.”
And I, like the Gryphon, also slightly bowed my head.
*
“I’ve heard that Gryphons are proud creatures.”
“It seems their sense of pride is different from that of humans.”
It was the first day of the cultural festival—a day before the last day of the year.
It had lightly snowed last night, but today the sky was clear.
I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
If it had snowed, no matter what, I wouldn’t have thought about flying in the sky. I was already sitting on the Gryphon’s back without any protective gear, and if I met snow there, it would’ve been not only cold but terrifying beyond imagination.
My visibility would be poor, my clothes would get wet and heavy, and if my gloves got soaked, my hands would freeze, making it impossible to hold on properly.
But because of that, I probably wouldn’t have felt the need to fly in such cold weather. The clear sky made me think about soaring like this instead.
Dressed in a thick winter coat and even wearing a furry cap like a pilot in an airplane, Jennifer looked at me and chuckled.
“The student council president must have been rambling.”
“That was what I took to heart.”
“I see.”
After hearing me, Jennifer looked up again to see the Gryphon.
While it was often sitting like a loaf when at the palace, now it was standing firmly on its four legs, looking down at both of us with a serious gaze.
But still, having spent quite a bit of time together, I knew exactly why the Gryphon was standing there.
There was no soft straw spread beneath us now. After all, we were on the roof of the academy’s main building.
That’s right. The Gryphon just disliked lying on a hard, cold surface.
Though it had never directly shown that attitude, the Gryphon always chose places that were sunny and had a soft floor to sit on. If it wasn’t, it would definitely be standing.
Still, even if it was a Gryphon, being that picky is a bit troublesome… well, it was indeed a Gryphon, but it had been raised by humans and was still being cared for by humans.
Even house cats and wild cats have very different lifestyles.
“So… um.”
Jennifer started to say something but then closed her mouth. Then she wore a thinking expression for a moment before asking me.
“So, what’s this Gryphon’s name?”
“Eh?”
“That ‘Gryphon’ is the species name. Nobody calls their pet dog just ‘dog’ when they have one.”
“….”
Oh… is that so?
Now that I think about it, I’ve just referred to it as ‘the Gryphon’ and didn’t even think about giving it a name. After all, this was the only Gryphon I could see in the Empire, and I didn’t really call it by name anyway.
But… thinking about it, maybe it would be better to name it?
When I looked up at the Gryphon, it also had a slightly puzzled look on its face as it was looking at me.
“…I haven’t decided yet.”
“Is that so? Well, I’m not its owner, so it’s not really my place to say anything.”
Jennifer shrugged and looked down toward the bottom of the building.
“It seems quite a few people have gathered. It’s probably going to start soon.”
“It seems so.”
I thought it was the case too. Students lined up, and there was a guest seat prepared in the back.
I could see the headmaster coming out to the podium placed in front of the lined-up students.
“Well then, I’ll start preparing.”
“Hmm, my father is looking forward to it. It seems it’s quite an emotional moment for him to directly see the symbol of the Empire in his lifetime. Even though he could have personally come and seen it, it’s likely he sent me here because he didn’t want to see it until he can see me soaring.”
Incidentally, it seems the headmaster was not present during the enrollment ceremony. He had already retired from the military, but the name Winterfield carries quite a bit of weight. It seems he went back to the military for a while in case the autonomous region tried to move.
“Since the Sword Saint is accompanying you, I’d like to hear the rest of that story soon. I’m curious about what kind of discussion took place between the two of you. It seems it must have been a pretty tough conversation, right? From how you’re dragging it out like this.”
“…….”
Ignoring Jennifer’s playful remark, I walked up to the Gryphon.
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