Nighttime in the palace was serenely quiet.

Aside from the occasional footsteps of guards and the whimpering of small animals, we enjoyed a relatively undisturbed atmosphere.

The stable that held the wyverns was at the opposite corner of the garden, so Sistia and I had to travel a fair amount of distance. I originally wanted to just fly there and be done with it, but Sistia insisted on going by foot. She said she wished to enjoy the nightly atmosphere together.

For what’s worth, since royalty in this kingdom were elves, naturally, they were keen on catering to the plants and flowers as it reminded them of their forestial roots. The roads inside the palace were also a way of reminiscing the woods, as they were just small, smooth rocks placed densely on grass ways.

As a result, every section of the royal palace had a part dedicated to growing various floras, ranging from rare plants taken from the forest to exquisite flowers that only bloomed once in a hundred years. Some sections of the palace were so interwoven with plants and trees, its purpose beyond a garden was sometimes forgotten.

A guest visiting this palace for the first time would have a great time exploring every inch and every creature in this miniature forest, but for me, I had seen them almost everyday to the point of memorizing where exactly a certain type of plant was located.

Still, that did not make my night walk with Sistia less enjoyable.

We just calmly walked together without a word on the rock pathways. Every twist and turn, we would face an elaborately textured marble fountain that marked the way. Each intersection of the palace would have a fountain conveniently placed like this, each molded into a distinct shape from others. They were designed to avoid getting lost in the vast palace.

After walking for a while, we finally reached the stable where the wyverns were kept.

A couple of guards was dozing off at the entrance, upon seeing us, they immediately bolt upright with their hands in salute position.

“All hail Her Majesty Anastasia!”

“All hail Her Majesty Anastasia!”

“...”

“You may rest.”

Upon hearing my words, the guards had their hands off, but they were still standing straight like a utility pole … why would I bring something from my old world as comparison anyway? 

Nevertheless, the men in front of me seemed a little fidgety. 

“Anastasia-sama wants to take her wyverns out for a test ride. Are they ready to be deployed?”

“As of now? Y… yes, Sistia-sama! We always take good care of them to prepare for any sudden attacks! So they are all well-maintained!”

Sistia slightly raised her eyebrows.

“Very well, then take two of them out. Anastasia-sama and I will go together.”

The guard seemed even more nervous.

“Just two of you mistresses? Sorry for my rudeness, but if the queen wanted to go outside of the palace, I have to report this to the head guard...”

“There is no need. We will just fly for a few minutes, it won’t be too far from the palace.”

“But Sistia-sama...”

“I said there is no need! Or, are you defying the queen’s order?”

Sistia eyes’ started to glare daggers at the guard.

“Hiiiii! I’m sorry, Sistia-sama!”

The guard’s legs shook violently. It looked like he was going to snap like a dry fig at any moment.

I could only let out a sigh, Sistia’s temper has been very unstable at times. It had always been the case since we stayed together.

“It’s alright, Sistia.”

I turned to the guard who was about to crumble under nervousness.

“Ivan … your name was Ivan, right?”

Needless to say, his face which was laden with fear now went wide in shock.

“Anastasia-sama, you remember this lowly servant’s name?”

“Of course, I remember everyone’s names in the palace. You are like a big family to me, after all.”

I gave him a big warm smile.

“Hic ... to think my name, who was only a mere commoner, could be remembered by her majesty the queen … I’m so happy I could die right now… hic ...”

Having his tension released, the guard started sobbing uncontrollably. The sight of a buff grown man crying was not a pretty thing to behold, so I quickly turned to the other guards.

“And you, Ares, Vasso and … Markos, am I right?”

Apparently they were also in shock. It just, they did not express it passionately outside like Ivan, they just stood straight and went into salute position again.

“Yes, Anastasia-sama! We are members of the 20th Wyvern Rider Corps! May the blessing of our god unto you and may your reign last a thousand year!”

Such passion...

Deep inside me, the me in my past life silently admired these guards. I could never achieve the level of masculinity these men exuded.

“Very well. You could rest now.”

I paused for a moment, then continued speaking.

“20th Wyvern Rider Corps. The wyverns you rode are our national treasures. They are the weapons that have led us to victory, and I hope they will continue to do so. Being the riders of such magnificent creatures shows the amount of trust this nation has on you.”

“Wyverns are a strategic resource. As the leader of this nation, it’s one of my foremost duties to ensure our security, and the status of our most important weapons played no small part. I only wish to personally inspect the wyverns for this reason, are you gentlemen generous enough to satisfy this request of mine?”

The guards took a gulp, then after a small pause, they all exploded in a most solemn salute.

“Very well, then Sistia and I will be off. May our kingdom last for a thousand years.”

“All hail Her Majesty Anastasia! May our kingdom last for a thousand year!”

The men all saluted with fire burning in their eyes.