From Sidera, the royal capital of Sorx lay to the northwest.
As Ji Liz took flight, we could see the dim outline of the horizon to our left, still faintly glowing with twilight.
That pale, fading light would soon be swallowed by darkness.
The sky above was already deep black, the stars beginning to twinkle.
Ahead of us stretched a vast expanse of night.
「…Flying in this kind of darkness, are you really alright, Ji Liz?」
「Hmph. Dragons have far keener night vision than humans. Though of course, things do look different than they do by day. Even so, I will not lose sight of our path. Rest easy.」
「I see…」
His sense of direction and distance must be beyond anything I could comprehend.
After all, he had once flown all the way to Alfheim without so much as a compass.
「To us, it’s nothing but darkness. Even if I enhance my vision, I can’t make out anything below.」
For a moment, I had wondered if we might spot Yuni-san and the others as they traveled by lizard-drawn carriage, which could have made things a little awkward when we overtook them.
But it turned out to be an unnecessary worry.
I had no idea how far we had already flown from Sidera.
It felt like we were moving at an incredible speed.
「We are flying quite fast. The wind may start to strain against the barrier of air. I doubt you’ll fall, but if the gusts get too strong, you should put up your own ward.」
「Got it. Thanks.」
Now that he mentioned it, I could feel the shift in air pressure—or rather, the G-force.
Ji Liz must have been flying at a much more leisurely pace whenever he took us back and forth from Sidera before.
「The stars are beautiful.」
Mother murmured as she gazed up at the night sky.
「Yeah. It was clear all day today. The rainy season’s coming soon, so we might not get to see a sky like this for a while.」
「This reminds me of last year, when you and Mint played in the rain.」
「Oh yeah. That actually felt really nice. Maybe we should do it again.」
If I focused my eyes, I could just barely make out the distant horizon through the darkness.
The sun had vanished completely, leaving no lingering traces behind.
The western sky had surrendered entirely to the curtain of night.
「Bark… kwaa.」
「You’re as laid-back as ever.」
「Chocola always curls up like that whenever he’s on Ji Liz’s back. I wonder if it’s just that comfortable.」
「The spot he’s in right now is shaped just right to fit his body perfectly. It’s his favorite spot.」
「Kuuun…」
When I ruffled his fur, he shifted slightly in response.
Ji Liz let out an amused huff. 「I see, I see.」
But his voice sounded a little distant.
The wind had picked up, making it harder to hear even with magic-enhanced communication.
「Ji Liz, doesn’t flying at full speed tire you out? Are you sure you’re okay?」
「You humans can run for an entire day without exhaustion if you use magic, can you not? It is the same for me. In fact, since I rely solely on magic, it may even be easier than it is for you.」
As we continued our idle chatter, a sense of exhilaration welled up within me.
Gazing at the stars, relying on the faint moonlight to glimpse the distant horizon.
Soaring through the pitch-black sky.
Letting my heart dissolve into the night.
Feeling the flow of air against my skin, the pulse of magic in the atmosphere.
The speed of our flight contrasted by the gentle rhythm of the dragon’s back.
The hardness of the scales beneath me, yet somehow comfortable.
Cool and smooth to the touch, with the steady warmth of life beneath the surface—
It was peaceful. And it was fun.
「Night flights really are something else.」
「Fufun, right?」
Ji Liz sounded quite pleased with himself, making me chuckle.
「Kuu…」
「He’s completely relaxed.」
I decided to leave Chocola to his peaceful nap.
「Mother, are you contacting Her Majesty?」
「Yes, just letting her know we’ll be arriving soon.」
I glanced over my shoulder to see Mother adjusting the crystal communicator.
And then—
「There it is. The lights of the royal capital.」
「You’re right. It’s hazy compared to the cityscapes of Japan, though.」
「Even so, among human cities, it is likely one of the largest on the continent.」
「It’s hard to grasp the scale from this far away…」
The scattered lights, like fireflies clumped together in the darkness, gradually sharpened in clarity as we approached.
As the city’s shape became more distinct, the vast circular outline of the capital revealed itself.
A great wall encircled it entirely. Judging by its size, it had to be at least three times larger than Sidera.
That was just my rough estimate—Sidera, nestled beside a forest in a crescent shape, was harder to compare directly.
「I’m slowing down and descending. Good thing it’s nighttime—we won’t be causing a stir among the townsfolk.」
「Last time, you and Mother arrived in broad daylight, didn’t you?」
「Yes, but back then, I was too preoccupied with Mint to worry about how conspicuous we were. Apparently, the entire capital was in an uproar afterward.」
「Yeah… that makes sense.」
The flight of the dragon race was a form of magic. It was silent, with only rare instances of wingbeats. They could take off and land vertically without stirring up any wind. That was why, at night, they could descend into the royal palace’s courtyard without the people of the capital even noticing.
And sure enough, that was exactly what happened.
As Ji Liz descended, the details of the capital came into sharper focus. At its heart stood a grand and imposing structure—the royal castle. It was the very image of what one might picture when thinking of a 『royal’s castle』.
Compared to the castle of the Elf Nation of Alfheim, this one was far more extravagant. Even in something like this, the differences in national character and philosophy were apparent. Elves had a natural preference for simplicity. Since their city floated in the sky, they had no need to compare themselves to other nations. But here, there was likely a desire to appear more impressive than neighboring countries. Perhaps the design itself needed to be something the citizens could take pride in.
Before I knew it, we had already arrived.
The courtyard, carved into the center of the castle, was vast. It held fountains and flowerbeds, yet there was still ample space for a dragon to land and rest its wings. Adjusting his position with practiced ease, Ji Liz descended in a grand yet effortless motion, touching down lightly on the ground.
「Thanks. Sorry, but could you wait here for a bit?」
「Yeah. I shall rest, so take your time.」
As Mother guided us down, she landed in the courtyard.
I hesitantly followed with Chocola in tow—this was starting to feel nerve-wracking.
Was it really okay for Mother to act like she owned the place?
The courtyard was empty. I could sense a few presences inside the building, but no one was watching us.
Had the area been cleared in advance? Or was this just how a royal castle was at night? I had no idea, but…
「Let’s go. This way.」
「O-okay…」
And so, with no one to greet us, we stepped into the silent, empty castle.
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