“It’s too sudden…”
“Haha, well, it’s just like Aoi…”
Strauss held his head with one hand, while Eliza looked at me with a wry smile. I had gathered them in the academy courtyard and explained the situation, and this was their reaction. Shenley and Court were watching us with undisguised surprise, while Aile, Liz, and Belle were excited, mistaking it for a vacation.
We were seated around a table at the edge of the courtyard, with me, Strauss, and Eliza in chairs, and Shenley and the others lined up behind Strauss and Eliza. I would have liked to bring Rocks and Felter along too, but Rocks was apparently busy with monitoring the Wintervaley Council, and Felter had been staying in the mountains and forests for training ever since losing to me. It seems he’s determined to master the body strengthening magic I taught him and become strong enough not to be a burden. I think he’s plenty strong already, but he has a stoic personality.
By the way, Hiram, the prince of Maple Leaf, strongly refused to return home for some reason.
“To Maple Leaf…”
Shenley murmured with a complex expression. Next to her, Court folded his arms and furrowed his brow.
“Given my position, it’s a privilege to go to Maple Leaf, but…”
While these two were giving off an indescribable atmosphere, Aile and the others had already started exchanging information about the trip.
“What were Maple Leaf’s specialties again!?”
“I think silk and cotton products, high-grade tea, and spices were famous.”
“I heard the churches are as grand and magnificent as castles!”
Aile was getting excited, and Liz and Belle were joining in the conversation cheerfully. Looking at the three of them with concern, Court opened his mouth.
“This is also about magical academy exchange, so we shouldn’t treat it like a vacation.”
At this pointed remark, Liz and Belle quickly apologized, but Aile furrowed her brow, looking unsatisfied. It’s natural, given that she’s at an age where she wants to have fun.
However, Aile and the others are nobles of Court-Highland. They can’t act like ordinary children.
“While I’m at the place called the magic research lab, you can go sightseeing with Sensei Strauss and Sensei Eliza if you’d like.”
“Really!?”
When I gave my approval, Aile turned around energetically. As I nodded, dazzled by her radiant smile, Eliza tilted her head with a wry smile.
“Looks like it’s decided that we’re going too.”
Eliza murmured, and Strauss silently lowered his chin.
They might have some complaints, but they’re kind, so they’ll probably come along. So, I conveyed my gratitude in advance.
“Thank you very much.”
“…So it is decided after all.”
For some reason, Strauss’s face became even more solemn.
“I’m sorry. I’ve asked headmaster Glen to arrange substitutes for your lectures, so please don’t worry.”
“No, that’s not the issue…”
“I understand it will be educational, but over a month is quite long…”
Strauss and Eliza’s shoulders drooped at my explanation.
“…Sensei Aoi. There’s something I’m concerned about.”
Court called out with a difficult expression.
“What is it?”
“You said the schedule is about a month, but wouldn’t it take over two months including the round trip? In that case, our lectures…”
As Court said this worriedly, I nodded deeply to reassure him.
“Don’t worry. The travel time itself will be just one day.”
Upon hearing this answer, not only Court and Aile, but also Strauss and the others all tilted their heads in unison.
We gathered at the castle gate and turned back to Glen and the others who had come to see us off.
“Well then, it’s only for a month, but we’ll be going now.”
As I said this, Glen opened his mouth with a fierce breath.
“N-no… No! I-I should accompany them too…!”
Glen excitedly offered to join, but Speyside, standing next to him, stopped him.
“If you’re worried, I’ll go in your place. Headmaster, please stay here…”
Speyside, also somewhat excited, held Glen back.
I thought their behavior was strange, but looking closely, everyone around them was similar.
“…When you return, I’d like at least a hint about that magic,”
said Foar, and the other faculty members nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Indeed, were magic users who could fly really that rare? Thinking this, I began to cast my spell.
Focusing on bundling the wind, I increased its density. I entwined the wind around the top and bottom of the carriage box, maintaining minimal strength, creating invisible wings of magical power.
It took about five seconds, but soon the carriage rose as if it had lost gravity.
At that moment, voices echoed from inside the carriage.
“Ah, ah, ah, it’s rising! It’s really rising! Oh! I’m witnessing a historic moment…!”
“No way, really…!?”
Crown and Alabaster shouted, sticking their faces out of the carriage window to look at the ground. Inside, Strauss and the others were smiling wryly at Crown and Alabaster’s backs. Not just Strauss and Eliza, but Court and Shenley had similar expressions.
“…Well then.”
After slightly bowing to the noisy group, I used the flight magic on myself and leaped onto the driver’s seat of the carriage.
“…Quite a flashy departure,”
Strauss said with an exasperated look, poking his head out of the carriage.
“We could have used a smaller carriage, but everyone brought more luggage than expected…”
Hearing my reply, Strauss blinked and then let out a short breath.
“…That’s not what I meant, but nevermind.”
Strauss mumbled with a sigh and retreated back into the carriage.
Perhaps he meant leaving Alabaster’s subordinates behind? That couldn’t be helped.
I had considered flying a larger ship, but decided it would be too conspicuous in the sky.
There shouldn’t be a problem since I got permission from Alabaster to leave them behind. Or maybe he meant Crown, who had been shouting like a child and leaning out of the carriage window.
“Well, I’ll ask about it later,”
I looked up. The sky was blue and clear. We were already near cloud level, and the horizon looked slightly curved.
“It’s a good day for a trip, isn’t it?”
I said, gently lifting the corners of my mouth.
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The clouds rushed by behind us.
Due to our altitude, there were no birds or similar magical beasts in sight. Only dragon species flew at this height. Occasionally, they would fly close enough to almost collide, but when I used lightning magic as a deterrent, they hurriedly fled.
All the wind was converted to propulsion, so not much strong wind reached my driver’s seat. Occasionally, when a gust of wind hit us sideways, I could feel a gentle breeze caressing my cheeks after passing through the thin wind barrier I had created.
“…The sky feels nice,” I murmured softly, narrowing my eyes.
Strauss poked his head out of the carriage window with an exasperated expression.
“…How can you look so calm while maintaining such powerful magic?”
“Once flight magic stabilizes in the air, it becomes quite energy-efficient to maintain. The initial lift-off and acceleration phases might be a bit challenging, though.”
“That’s an understatement… Well, there’s no point in saying more. Crown has been noisy inside the carriage. I came to ask how long until we land.”
Hearing this, I returned my gaze to our destination.
“Let’s see. According to the map Alabaster lent me, we should have already crossed the border… Probably about two hours until we arrive?”
I answered with a bit of extra time, and Strauss’s expression became blank.
“…Two more hours, huh.”
Strauss’s tone dropped. Perhaps it was too slow? However, I had adjusted the speed to ensure comfort inside the carriage. It wouldn’t be good to exhaust ourselves by pushing too hard, as we might not be able to handle unexpected situations.
“We’ve already been traveling for about two and a half hours since leaving the academy. If we hurried, we could arrive in three hours, but I’ve reduced the speed to arrive in about five hours to avoid overexertion. Just a little more patience.”
I gave this reply to encourage Strauss. Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he nodded silently and quietly returned to the carriage.
Soon after, voices could be heard from inside, and a large hand grabbed Crown as he tried to stick his face out the window, pulling him back inside. Apparently, after hearing a clear time estimate, Crown had tried to cause a commotion to look at the scenery. It’s good to be lively.
Once everyone was gone, I lowered my gaze back to the landscape below. Unlike the view from the ground, the sky was a deep, rich indigo, and the scenery of seas, mountains, and plains combined into a single work of art. Among the rich nature, there were long stretches of roads, beautiful towns, and small villages, providing an endless variety to admire.
Come to think of it, I wondered how Owen was doing. Seeing the nature-rich landscape reminded me of the mountains where we used to live. Well, it wasn’t as urban as this place with visible roads and towns, but rather a truly remote area with only mountains and forests.
Since he had dedicated his life to magical research, Owen was probably still secluded in the mountains.
Thinking about such things, I enjoyed the peaceful scenery and leisurely savored the journey through the sky.
Looking at the cityscape and terrain, I confirmed we were near our destination.
The wide, long river reflected the slightly reddened sunlight, shimmering with an orange glow. Right beside it was a beautiful, pure white cityscape. The surrounding city walls appeared to be normal stone, but they had an air of magnificence, combining both grandeur and beauty.
The uniformity in the color and shape of the buildings suggested that the city was built with considerable planning.
The city jutting out slightly towards the riverbank might be to maximize the use of the river. If so, with the sea visible in the distance, the Holy Empire might have developed shipbuilding technology to a considerable degree, even if not quite a maritime nation.
As I began our descent towards the city, thinking it was about time to call out to those inside the carriage, faces appeared at the window as if sensing my thoughts.
“Oh!? Is that really the Holy City?”
“I-impossible!? In just half a day or so… No way!? It really is!”
Crown shouted as he stuck his face out, and immediately after, Alabaster appeared in the same window, astonished. Despite being cramped in the carriage for hours, they were still quite energetic.
“We’ve already begun our descent. Please wait a moment.”
Upon hearing this, Alabaster, who had been looking dumbfounded, furrowed his brow and looked at me.
“…Hm!? Oh, that’s right, did we pass through the border fortress? Well, since we’re here, we must have… Hmm, I did say we could pass through without permission, but to think we’d fly over… We might cause confusion if they don’t know our whereabouts…”
“We can just send a fast horse from the Holy City to inform them! More importantly, this amazing magic! Look inside the carriage! Strauss and the others aren’t surprised at all! If anything, the students are enjoying the sky journey! Do you understand what this means?”
“Enough! You’re too loud, Crown! I understand perfectly well! If this were used in war, it would be a terrifying threat! It might even surpass large dragons…!”
“No, that’s not it…! Why don’t you understand, old man!?”
Crown and Alabaster shouted at each other, leaning out of one side of the carriage window. On the other side, Aile and Liz were leaning out so far they seemed about to fall, looking at the ground below and cheering.
“Aoi-sensei, amazing! We’ve really arrived at the Holy City already!?”
“The Holy City is so beautiful! I can’t wait to walk around the city!”
As the two excitedly raised their voices, Shenley and Bell peeked out from the gaps, also admiring the scenery outside.
Perhaps because of all the commotion, more people on the ground began to notice us as we approached. The road was bustling with lines of people coming and going, with various races visible.
It would be difficult to land on the road.
Deciding this, I chose to land in an area just off the road near the city gates. The commotion grew closer, and some people pointed and shouted at us.
“…This is troublesome. I’m not very good at standing out,” I muttered involuntarily.
From inside the carriage, I heard a voice say, “Hey, who are you to say that?” as we descended.
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