Chapter 75

"Ah, I did it. What should I do?"

Shelka, seeing Bram sprawled out like a dead frog, muttered in a daze.

Shelka, who had been chasing us with repeated feelings of shame and anger, seemed to have calmed down a bit after accidentally blowing Bram away with a wind spell, who had nothing to do with it.

Bram, though he is a bit of a disappointment, is still the eldest son of a baron's family.

Even if Shelka is a duke's daughter, it would be bad for her reputation to say that she knocked him out with a wind spell!

I can't really say anything, considering I skipped the duel. Well, my reputation was already nonexistent, wasn't it? It wasn't a formal agreement, so it should be fine.

Eric and I exchanged glances and then said dramatically,

"Miss Shelka should take care of him."

"Right, right."

This way, we can naturally distance ourselves from Shelka. So naturally.

If Shelka, who has calmed down now, can be reasoned with, that would be great.

"... Hmph, you guys are trying to run away, aren't you?"

Shelka, perhaps immediately seeing through our intentions, looked at us with a piercing gaze.

Still, she must be frustrated that she has to take responsibility for knocking him out.

But why am I being glared at so much when all I said was "Right, right"?

I think Eric looks much more annoying.

"You did it, so you should take responsibility, right?"

Ha. This is clearly Eric provoking Shelka.

This is enough to make Shelka angry...

"Hey, Alfrid! Have you been grinning and mocking me this whole time?"

"It's a serious face, I tell you!"

For some reason, I was scolded. I don't get it! Eric was the one provoking her.

"Well, this guy is just a slacker. His face is all relaxed too."

"Alright, Eric, let's duel."

I picked up the wooden sword that Bram had dropped and immediately took a stance.

I need to settle this with him once and for all.

I kind of understand how Bram felt when he challenged me to a duel.

"Stop it. Don't point the wooden sword at someone's face. It's dangerous. Half of it was a joke."

"Is the part about his face being relaxed a joke?"

"Rather, Miss Shelka. You should take care of him, right? He came by carriage. He should be fine, right?"

Eric gently deflected my wooden sword and casually dismissed my words. This guy.

"I know."

For the moment, I leaned Bram against the wall and returned the wooden sword to his thigh.

The people around us had already regained their composure and started walking again. They are quick to move on.

Not long after, Shelka's carriage arrived at our location.

We had been using magic in a public place, so it wasn't hard to find us.

If you asked someone around here, they would probably tell you right away. We were quite noticeable.

However, since we used a narrow side street, the carriage had to take a detour.

Then, the maid we saw earlier got out of the carriage and came over.

Glancing at Shelka, she looked uncomfortable.

Stopping in front of us, she bowed slightly.

"I apologize for the trouble Miss Shelka and Miss Lanna have caused this time."

Due to the dignity of the duke's family, she didn't bow deeply, but her sincere apology was evident.

"Hey, Riel!"

"Miss Shelka, using offensive magic in the city is prohibited except in emergencies. You understand that, right?"

Shelka, seeing the maid's apology, spoke in a flustered voice, but was silenced by the maid's firm tone.

Good. This person has common sense.

She probably also serves as a tutor for Shelka and Lanna. Shelka, unlike before, couldn't even raise her head.

"But, but, my underwear was... seen..."

"Since Miss Lanna was the cause of this, a slap would have been enough to deal with it, I suppose."

Eric and I, thinking we might get slapped, took a step back.

If that happened, all the men around us would get slapped. The scene of each man getting slapped one by one would be quite surreal.

"Would you have done that, Riel?"

"No, I would punch with a fist. But my maid's uniform is a long skirt, so it would be impossible, I suppose."

This maid might really do it. She gave off that vibe.

Looking at her, there was no way to lift her skirt even if she tried.

Maid Riel carried the unconscious Bram on her shoulder and headed for the carriage.

It was like carrying a bag of rice.

Despite her slender build, Riel's steps were light, showing no sign of the weight.

How much strength does that slim body have?

As I watched Riel in amazement, Shelka turned to me.

"Ah, right. Be careful on your way back... Fried."

"Back?"

When I asked, Shelka only smiled mischievously and let her hair flow.

"That's a dangerous thing for a duke's daughter to say. By the way, who is Fried?"

"No, I have no idea."

I think I heard it before, but I don't know anyone named Fried.

Including nicknames. And the only person I can think of who might attack me is Bram.

Thinking about Shelka's cryptic words, we were both lost in thought when Lanna's face appeared at the carriage window.

She probably got scolded by Riel, as her eyes were teary and a bit red.

Still, when she met our eyes, she smiled and waved at us.

She's really cute. I hope she doesn't grow up to be as violent as her sister.

We waved to see them off, and the carriage slowly drove away.

"Well, the play is supposed to start in the evening. It's still early, but it's not a bad idea to get there early. We can take a shortcut using that side street."

While saying this, Eric tried to head back to the腐 area.

Ignorance is truly terrifying.

"Wait! It's fine to take a longer route using normal roads! This place is dangerous!"

If we stay here, who knows what might happen.

We should act as if we are young, innocent girls in this place.

"Hey, stop pulling! You'll stretch my clothes! It's just a shortcut. What's the problem? Are you afraid of the dark?"

Eric, who had shaken off my arm, smiled foolishly for some reason.

What an idiot. There's a far more terrifying world in that place than darkness.

"No! There's something even more terrifying than that—"

Thinking I needed to explain to avoid that place, I started to speak, but was interrupted by a woman's voice.

"There he is! That boy!"

"He looks so much like him! I didn't think he actually existed..."

"Those sleepy eyes that seem to invite men. There aren't many boys with eyes like that!"

"It's definitely him. Lord Fried!"

"Is Lord Sion not here? I wanted to see the pairing."

In front of Eric, there were women from the腐 area.

"What? Inviting men? Pairing? What are those women talking about?"

Though ignorant, Eric sensed some danger and became cautious.

"Ah! I wanted to get away from here quickly! Come on, Eric, this way! Let's run!"

"O-oh?"

I grabbed Eric's hand and started running.

The腐 people behind us were cheering, but there was no time for that. We needed to escape as quickly as possible.

We've been running all day...

I just wanted to stroll around the capital normally.

◆

"Hey, what's going on? The people are so small..."

Eric said, his voice trembling.

Knowing the terror of the腐 people, I immediately put some distance between us and used a shield to escape into the sky.

If we stayed at a moderate height, we would be spotted just by looking up, so I went quite high. From below, we should look like dots.

"Hey, we won't fall, right? We'll die if we fall."

"It's fine, it's fine. It's a proper spell. It's an extension of the shield we used earlier."

Eric, on all fours, tentatively tapped the shield at his feet.

Despite my assurance, his face didn't improve.

We confirmed its strength when escaping from Shelka, didn't we?

"R-really, really? If we fall from here, we won't survive!"

"You're such a worrywart. Look at this beautiful view. It would be a waste not to enjoy it."

"Can't you make the platform bigger? If I slip even a little, I'll be in the next world!"

To calm Eric, who was fussing beside me, I made the shield larger. It should be about the size of a six-mat room, which should be fine even for a scaredy-cat like Eric.

Watching Eric stand up, trembling like a newborn foal, I turned my gaze forward.

The circular layout of the capital, with a river cutting through it. From above, you can see how large it is.

The roofs of the buildings where people live are neatly lined up along the streets. The main streets, which stand out, lead to the square where we met.

My inn is probably a bit further up from there.

From here, Coirat Village... is not visible. It's blocked by the city walls and mountains.

The wind is a bit strong and chilly, but the view from above is amazing.

When I return to Coirat Village, maybe I'll have a picnic in the sky.

The bento eaten in the sky must be delicious.

At that time, I'll invite Tore and Asmo... No, I'll leave Asmo out. He won't break it, but thinking about winter makes me uneasy.

People and carriages are entering and exiting the city gates in large numbers, and here and there, soldiers and knights can be seen running around.

The most eye-catching building is probably the grand and majestic Misfit Castle.

I think we're quite high, but we don't seem to reach the height of the castle.

I want to see the castle from above, but if we go any higher, Eric might pass out, so I'll stop there.

Besides, looking down on the royal family might be considered disrespectful.

Thinking about what's inside the castle, I enhanced my vision with magic.

I saw an old man in a grand outfit walking proudly down a corridor on the third floor, followed by several people.

Is that the king?

Just as I thought, a middle-aged man with a crown on his head was sneaking down a corridor on the second floor.

What? Is that suspicious man the king? He has a crown, very high-quality clothes, and the same blonde hair as Princess Coudelaria.

But the king is said to have many wives, so I can't be sure.

Then, as I moved my gaze, I saw a girl in a room at the end.

I was suddenly curious and fixed my gaze on her.

It's not that I focused on her because she was a woman.

I've seen many women, like maids cleaning the garden or female knights on guard.

But this girl, looking out the window, seemed to be staring at me.

Her deep blue eyes, peeking out from her silk-like blonde hair, were so beautiful that I almost stopped breathing.

She was wearing a blue dress that reached her shoulders.

Thanks to the complementary colors, they looked even more vivid.

Her features were well-defined, but her mouth was slightly open in surprise, which ruined the effect a bit.

Enhancing vision with magic is quite difficult, but she must be skilled in magic manipulation.

I waved my hand, and the girl tentatively waved back.

She must be seeing me clearly.

It's quite a distance, so with average magic skills, she would only see a blurry image, but she's not average.

It's uncomfortable to be stared at for too long, and if someone calls me, it will be troublesome, so I'll leave soon.

"Hey, Eric, let's go down."

"O-oh. Finally. How are we going to get down?"

Eric, still pale, asked with a forced smile.

"Of course, we'll run down."

◆

In a room of Misfit Castle.

There, the third princess, Rayla, sat in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the sky.

No, to be precise, at the people in the sky.

"Can people walk in the sky?"

"No, that's impossible."

Rayla's unexpected words, as she quietly gazed out the window, made the pink-haired maid laugh.

Her gentle eyes added to the motherly quality of her smile.

"It's rare for you to make a joke, Rayla."

"No, Salya, it's not a joke."

"Alright, I'll make some tea now. Your throat must be dry, right?"

Rayla turned her wheelchair and tried to explain, but Salya went to the wagon in the room with a smile.

The relationship between the third princess and the maid was more like that of a mother and daughter.

"Still, Salya?"

Rayla called out, but Salya was humming as she prepared the tea. Thinking it was pointless to speak, Rayla turned her gaze back to the window.

Focusing her magic on her eyes, the dot in the sky gradually became clear.

There, the boy who had waved to her earlier was clinging to another boy.

Rayla couldn't understand what they were doing up there or how they were walking in the sky, but she thought they looked happy.

What kind of view do they have from there?

As the third princess, and with her legs not working, Rayla couldn't move freely or run around. She envied them deeply.

Have I ever laughed like that?

—If I could be like that.

Thinking this, Rayla looked down at her legs, which she couldn't move at all.

No matter how much she tried to move them like her hands, her legs wouldn't listen.

It was as if they weren't part of her body, refusing to follow her commands.

She thought she had given up, but she still couldn't accept it.

Maybe it was because she saw them playing so happily.

Rayla looked up at the sky again, as if to shake off her dark mood.

Did the boy use magic to get up there?

The boy who recognized her from that distance must be a powerful mage. The other one, she couldn't tell.

To see the people in this room clearly, one would need to enhance their vision with magic like Rayla.

The square platform they were standing on was probably a non-magical 'Shield' spell, as Rayla speculated. Most people who use magic would know that much.

Did they use it as a platform to get up there?

She had heard of research on using shields as platforms for movement, but it failed.

Running while maintaining strength, size, duration, and precise spatial targeting. The magic consumption is enormous.

She had seen court mages and the head of the knight order use it as a platform in battle, but only for a moment.

Was this boy surpassing court mages, or using a completely different method? Rayla couldn't tell.

If he was using an unconventional method, as she suspected, he must be an extraordinary talent surpassing court mages.

"Here's your tea."

"Ah, yes. Thank you. Just put it there."

Rayla turned to Salya and replied.

Then, when she looked back,

"......What? ...They're gone...?"

There was no one there.

The sun shining on the capital and the endless blue sky.

It was as if there had never been two boys there at all.