“Hipopo Brothers! All stop!”
I give the order from atop an Hipopo brother after checking if there aren’t enemies around us. We’re in a somewhat open area not far from the castle.
“Princess Lily, what should we do? Do you want to go in with me?”
I turn around and check on Princess Lily, who is clinging to my back.
She’s taller than me, but she’s all scrunched up with her arms around my waist and holding on tightly, like a kid. It’s actually pretty hard to move.
If I was as big as her… That really is a blessed physique for a sword user. It’s pretty frustrating. I got a peek at her skills with the sword earlier when she was with Ahri, and they seem as good as before. That means her problem is psychological, the hardest kind to solve.
This is what I think while I wait for her to respond. I keep hearing thuds, and they get louder the closer we get to the castle.
“Hum…”
“I’m willing to swing my sword while guarding you.”
I declare while holding up my dear jet black sword.
I guess it really is no good. Although it would be good for the future if Princess Lily, who was once lauded as the sword princess, stormed the castle and showed herself holding her sword high.
“Then princess, holding me like this is actually making it a little hard to move. Can I ask you to move to the front and hold on to this Hipopo brother?”
Princess Lily’s expression changes. She sits up, looks around at the Hipopo brothers, and then looks down at me.
“Knight Kalin, can I fight too?”
“That’s for you to decide, princess.”
Princess Lily closes her lips tightly and looks down.
“I want to fight too.”
Hou… She still has that royal spirit inside her. It looks like I was right to make up a reason to leave her chaperones, Zoroa and Lismist behind.
Risking your life brought us a nice result, Ahri. Hold on until Rust and Roa get there.
“Understood, Princess Lily. Then ride that one. I will protect you with the sword I pledged to this kingdom. Swing that sword against the enemies of our kingdom to your heart’s content.”
I point to one of the Hipopo brothers. I’m pretty sure it’s the one Roa likes, and named Charil.
“Charil, let Princess Lily ride you.”
“Bumobumo.”
“So you’re Charil? Nice to meet you.”
“Bumo.”
Princess Lily hops down, and I raise my sword after checking to see if she can ride Charil.
“Well then, we are charging into the castle. Hipopo brothers, forward!”
Their yells echo all around us, with the considerably quieter Princess Lily also shouting.
We then begin our charge towards the castle.
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The Author is a master of the true art of juggling cliffs, and their onhangers.