518 Sky of Dream
Binota begged me with sparkling childish eyes.
The people around looked at him like he's a rare animal.
The captain ordered the soldiers guarding the spot to leave us here.
"I-it's always been my dream since childhood! P-please... would you... let me?"
"I don't really mind. As long as griffon is okay with it. What do you say griffon?"
I gave the ok and asked griffon for consent.
To which griffon responded by crouching down while crying, 'kue, kue~', which sounded like, 'Guess I've no choice~.'
"You got the ok it seems. I'll help you get on it."
Binota was overjoyed and started jumping around without a sound.
I wryly smiled at the pureness of this man.
I even felt a tinge of envy, wondering when did I lost my honesty.
(That's probably just how it goes to be an adult. Wonder if I still have some left in me?)
I lifted Binota by his soles up griffon's back. It was simple thanks to my monstrous strength.
But it would have been simple even without. This Binota guy is too light. He's way underweight.
"H-hyo! T-that surprised me. Eh, ah, I just have to climb my way up now... U, uu..."
Binota succeeded straddling on griffon's back.
And started crying out of joy.
"Uu, I'm really riding a griffon... This is the happiest day of my life... I can die content now..."
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I didn't expect this overreaction and decided to give him a bonus service.
"Griffon, why don't you take a stroll around these parts. We've a nice weather today, a sky stroll doesn't sound bad."
Griffon started flapping its wings. Binota wasn't the only one surprised at this. The captain who remained here as well.
"H-hey you!? Are you sure it's safe!? That griffon isn't going to run wild, is it? It won't shake Binota-kun off!?"
His shout drew the attention of travelers still waiting to enter the federation.
(Ah, I'm scared how much attention I'm getting... Bah, whatever goes.)
I decided to take it in strides instead.
Griffon didn't care about all the gazes pouring at it as it slowly ascended.
Then once they got so high you could only see them as a dot in the sky, griffon started descending like climbing down a spiral staircase.
It landed on the same exact spot it was at and crouched down.
"Good job, griffon. That was quite a splendidly calculated landing. Good boy."
I rubbed griffon's chin gently.
"...Am I dreaming? It was my dream to ride a griffon. But flying in the sky on top of that... I must have gone to the afterlife from this rapture. Am I even alive right now? This isn't a dream?"
Binota kept muttering to himself.
Griffon raised its upper half and let him slide down.
Binota slid on the lower half down the tail and landed his butt on the ground.
The captain took a sidelong glance of Binota as he fixed his gaze on griffon.
"...The shape of war will change if armies make use of this... This could be big..."
This captain probably had no concept of air supremacy. Not until he witnessed the griffon's sky stroll just now.
It's not my responsibility or problem though. Besides, griffons can't be the only option to fly.
But it probably hasn't been realized yet, or even exist. This is a fantasy world.
There should be plenty of tame-able magic beasts that can fly.
Though there's the issue of the budget required to manage and keep them. They'd be better off creating some magical flying machines instead.
(Ah, could this be a flag? I should stop delving deeper.)
I halted that train of thought as it wandered off to a certain fantasy of final.