And so, preparations for our departure were complete. It had taken all of thirty minutes. Sylpha was as efficient as ever.
"Alright, looks like everyone’s ready to roll."
Birgitte nodded with satisfaction as she looked over our group gathered in the square before the castle gates.
"But Big Sister Birgitte, I don’t see a carriage...?"
Albert asked, glancing around the empty plaza.
"Don’t be a dummy. The academy’s a long haul, y’know. How many days do you reckon it’d take if we went by carriage? Just hold your horses. They should be here any—ah, there they are! Hey! Over here!"
Birgitte waved her hand toward two giant wolves racing toward us, kicking up thick clouds of dust as they approached.
"Hiii! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Riding on the back of one of the beasts was the Sixth Princess, Alieze. She was my older sister, and she loved animals so much she could practically share her heart with them.
"Ril, Shiro, stop please."
The Lesser Fenrir, Ril, came to a halt at Alieze’s command. Beside it, my own tamed beast, Shiro, came charging straight for me.
"Woof!"
"Hey there, Shiro. Have you gotten bigger again?"
The Bearwolf, looking like a massive ball of fluffy white fur, happily licked my face. I swear, the creature grew every time I saw it lately.
"Wait... has Ril gotten bigger too?" Ren murmured, looking up at the other wolf.
Indeed, Ril’s frame seemed significantly larger than before as well.
"Ril and Shiro are the best of friends, so they’re always frolicking and playing together. They just kept growing bit by bit until they ended up like this. Tee-hee, I suppose this is just one form of love," Alieze said with a peaceful, bubbly smile.
"They likely grew stronger and larger by constantly sparring with one another," Grimo noted.
"A magical beast’s growth is heavily influenced by its environment, after all," Jiriel added in an admiring tone. "It must be the combination of a worthy rival and the constant exposure to Master Lloyd’s mana."
Birgitte stepped forward as the familiars finished their analysis. "Glad you could make it, Alieze. We’ve been waitin'."
"I see," Albert said, nodding as he reached a realization. "You intend for Ril and Shiro to transport us. These two should certainly be able to carry us all with speed."
Shiro and the others were incredibly fast. Given their increased size, they could easily carry the entire group.
"Exactly. We went to the trouble of keepin' magical beasts; we might as well make 'em earn their keep. Come on now, what’re you all gawkinn' at? Get on already."
"Understood. We’ll be in your care, Ril, Shiro."
Albert patted Ril’s flank before climbing onto its back.
"I’m counting on you, Shiro."
"Woof!"
We followed suit, burrowing into Shiro’s thick, warm fur.
"Whoa! So fast, so faaast!"
Ren cheered as the scenery outside blurred into a streak of colors. We were relaxing inside Shiro’s fur, protected by a Breeze Barrier I had deployed to keep the wind out.
"You’re being too rowdy, Ren. It is unseemly," Sylpha scolded.
"Okaay..."
Ren sat down properly at the reprimand. Sylpha used to be much stricter with her, but she had grown a bit softer lately now that Ren had become more reliable.
"To think we have reached Golugen Canyon already. This pace is truly remarkable."
"Yeah, at this rate, we really might reach the academy in half a day."
"Um... Golu...?"
Seeing Ren tilt her head in confusion, Sylpha sighed and pulled out a map.
"Golugen Canyon. Look, right here. It is a massive valley that spreads out to the east of Saloom."
"Whoa, you’re right! It’s huge!"
Ren stared at the map in surprise. Golugen Canyon was a Great Canyon said to stretch for over a hundred kilometers, and it was famous enough to be counted among the One Hundred Treacherous Passes.
"Furthermore, because Wyverns inhabit this area, bridges cannot be built across it. Consequently, travelers have no choice but to hire experienced, high-rank adventurers and navigate the few routes where the terrain is relatively gentle. It is a notoriously steep and dangerous path. ...Ahem. Of course, as long as we are here, I will not let a single monster lay a finger on Master Lloyd."
"Woof!" Shiro barked, as if echoing Sylpha’s vow.
Wyverns were a species of dragon, the strongest class of monsters. Their scales were said to be so tough that they repelled all conventional weapons and were immune even to magic. I wondered just how durable they actually were. I really wanted to test them out for myself.
"No, no, no, no. Before Master Lloyd’s mana, a Wyvern’s scales are no better than wet paper—hardly different from a Goblin’s skin, really," Grimo remarked.
"Precisely," Jiriel agreed. "Please stop comparing yourself to common, mediocre mages. The world would be in danger if you did."
Their retorts felt like a bit of an exaggeration. There was no way a Wyvern and a Goblin were on the same level.
As we were talking, Sylpha suddenly stood up. "Speak of the devil."
Peering out from the barrier, I saw a massive swarm of Wyverns flying toward us from the front. Oh, this was perfect timing. With this many of them, surely nobody would notice if I used a few as test subjects.
Just as I was about to weave a spell...
"Master Lloyd, I shall go outside to intercept. Would you mind releasing a portion of the barrier?"
"O-Oh, sure..."
Sylpha had beaten me to the punch. What a disappointment. I reluctantly snapped my fingers to open a hole in the barrier, and Sylpha leapt outside.
"To maintain a barrier while releasing only a specific portion of it... such a feat would be impossible without a profound understanding of magic. As expected of Master Lloyd," Sylpha muttered to herself as she thrust her arm into Shiro’s fur.
After rummaging around for a moment, she abruptly pulled her arm out. Grasped in her hand was a massive black sword that looked like a jagged hunk of iron. Sylpha swung the heavy blade effortlessly before resting it on her shoulder.
"I am not particularly fond of greatswords, but... even if they are lower-class, our opponents are of the dragon species. Ordinary swords would likely fail to bite into them."
An intense bloodlust began to radiate from Sylpha. Despite how she held it, her posture made it clear that she was already in a combat-ready stance.
"A-Ah, that’s the one from Master Dian’s workshop!"
"Yes. I received it before our departure. He said it would be necessary for hunting dragons."
I recognized it too. It was a prototype from when we were manufacturing the Great Magic Sword for the Golems. I had wondered who could possibly use such a cumbersome weapon, but I should have known it would be Sylpha.
"Here I go. Dragonslayer."
Sylpha unfastened the chain bound around the blade. As the Dragonslayer was fully unsheathed, its metal gave off a dull, heavy glint. She swung the sword, twisting her entire body into the strike.
At her incredible sword speed, a slash tore through the air with a roar like a thunderclap. The lead Wyvern was sliced clean in half and plummeted. The Wyverns behind it were also cleaved in two or blown away by the shockwave, falling from the sky one after another.
"Langris Style Greatsword Arts: Dragon Fall Cut."
Sylpha murmured the name of the technique as she decimated the swarm with a single blow. Generating a flying slash required immense speed and precision, especially with a weapon that large. Sylpha really was amazing.
"Heh, it seems the Wyverns have fled in fear of Sylpha-tan’s sword."
"Don't be stupid, there are still a few coming our way!"
A few Wyverns that hadn't been deterred by the first attack were diving toward us. Alright, this time for sure, I’ll... Just as I started to weave my magic, a different phenomenon occurred.
"Ga... ah...!?"
With a choked groan, a Wyvern fell toward the ground. Its eyes were rolled back, and it was foaming at the mouth. Beside me, Ren had her eyes narrowed, weaving her mana and releasing it into the air.
"Ooh! That’s the Wings of Poison Scales! It’s Ren-tan’s finishing move—anyone who inhales the scales she deploys in the air instantly faints!" Jiriel shouted excitedly.
Watching the Wyverns drop like flies, my shoulders slumped. My prey had been stolen again.
"...I, uh, sorry about that," Ren said, noticing my look.
"It’s fine. More importantly, you’ve really improved, Ren—"
"Kyaaaaaah!"
As I was giving Ren a half-hearted compliment, I heard Alieze scream. Looking over, I saw a separate swarm of Wyverns surrounding Ril, the wolf Albert and the others were riding.
"T-This is bad! The one Master Albert is on is being attacked!"
"Tch... from here, Ren’s poison or my sword would catch them in the crossfire," Sylpha said, her grip tightening. "In that case, I shall have to jump over there and—"
"That’s too dangerous, Sylpha-san! You can’t jump between them at this speed!"
Finally! It looked like neither of them could intervene. Now was the time to test the durability of a Wyvern’s scales. Carefully, so I wouldn't be caught, I prepared to activate a tiny bit of magic... when a bubbly voice rang out.
"Kyan! Honestly... you’re all being far too naughty. Tee-hee."
Looking closely, I realized the Wyverns’ eyes were glued to Alieze. They were nuzzling against her and letting out sweet, affectionate chirps.
"They’ve... taken a liking to her."
"They certainly have," Sylpha agreed, her killing intent vanishing into thin air.
Ren and Sylpha watched the scene in blank amazement. I had forgotten that Alieze was unnaturally beloved by animals. Even so, to make Wyverns that were actively attacking her defect so instantly... she was far too reliable.
So much for being one of the One Hundred Treacherous Passes. Honestly, the least it could do was try to live up to its reputation.