Chapter 45

"A-sa-da!"

"A-sa-da!"

"Kyu-Kyu-Kyu!"

"Ahh, Asada"

Yesterday, I went to bed too early and woke up in the dark. It couldn't be helped, as I was both mentally and physically exhausted from the intense events, like the battle with Rich and the contract with Sylph. However, the time before sunrise seemed unbearably long.

I had planned to fly in the sky once the sun came up, but the time passed so slowly that even after getting dressed and finishing breakfast, it was still pitch dark. Sylph told me to calm down a bit, but I couldn't contain my excitement.

Before going to bed last night, Sylph warned me that I might fall during flight, which scared me. But she said she would help me, so I decided not to worry. All I had to do was wait for the sun to rise and then fly.

Wishing for the sun to rise as soon as possible, I spent a restless night. I think it's understandable that my excitement would be uncontrollable when the sun finally came up.

"Shall we set off right away?"

"Yeah. Sylph, thanks in advance."

I couldn't contain my excitement. It felt like the night before a school trip when I was a kid.

"Everything will be fine, so try to control your magic calmly."

She scolded me as if I were a disappointing child. Well, I can understand why she would look at me that way if I were acting so excited as an adult, but I wish she would look at me more kindly.

"Got it."

When I tried to calm myself down and responded, Sylph cast a spell on me without incantation. A wind enveloped my body, and I floated up gently.

"Now that you can control your magic to fly, try it slowly. Don't use too much magic."

Following what I learned yesterday, I tried to let the magic flow into the wind cocoon and imagine blowing wind backward.

"FA-GYAAAAAA!"

The scenery rushed past me at an incredible speed, and I didn't know what was happening. My mouth was shouting involuntarily. What should I do? As I was confused, the wind suddenly stopped, and Sylph caught me.

"Um, ah, what happened?"

"Yuta, you suddenly flew at high speed. I told you not to use too much magic, didn't I?"

"I understand that, but I haven't used magic much except for daily spells, so I don't have a good sense of it."

I had a baseless confidence that I would be fine, but it was shattered in an instant. It was really scary.

"...You'll just have to practice. Let me handle the flying, and you can practice controlling your magic?"

It was scary. It was really scary. My heart was pounding. But knowing that I would be helped, I couldn't choose to give up.

"Sylph, is there a way to practice while flying?"

"Hmm. It will limit your freedom, but how about holding hands and flying? That way, I can interfere if you lose control."

It's like having someone hold the back of your bike when you're learning to ride. But if I do that, I won't lose control, and it will be good practice.

"Can you do that for me?"

"Alright. Let's go then."

Holding hands with Sylph, I was about to start carefully... but Sylph pulled me. I used too much magic. After being pulled and stopped a few times, it took about an hour to finally get started.

***

"That's it. Lean your body in the direction you want to turn and reduce the magic in that direction at the same time. Yes, it seems like you're getting the hang of it. Once you get used to it, you can turn without slowing down by increasing the magic on the opposite side."

"Phew. Thanks. I think I'm starting to understand."

Once I started flying, I realized that I could maintain a normal speed with minimal magic. It consumed much less magic than cleansing. It seems that just giving a trigger to the wind cocoon Sylph created was enough.

But at first, I used more magic than for cleansing, which is why that happened. No one would expect that the magic needed to fly would be so little. Sylph's wind cocoon is too high-performance.

However, there seems to be a significant difference in speed between flying with the wind cocoon and being carried by Sylph. I'll probably experience that when we go to town.

"Kyahaha. Yuta, come over here!"

"Okay, I'm coming, wait for me!"

I leaned my body to the left and reduced the magic. This made me turn and slow down, so I increased the magic to catch up with Bell, who was flying ahead.

"Yuta, you're here! Kyahaha!"

Bell and the others are helping me practice because I'm not flying well yet. It feels a bit embarrassing, like they're calling a child who has just started walking.

Next, Rain called me over, and I was patted on the head with her fins. Then, when Tulu called me, I was praised for doing well. I had planned to fly around with Bell and the others and return to the spring, but it's a bit different from what I imagined.

"By the way, Sylph, why can we talk normally while flying?"

I was so focused on flying that I didn't notice anything strange, but now that I think about it, it's odd that we can talk without shouting while flying.

"It's because we have a contract. If we try to communicate, we can understand each other. If Dine were here, Yuta's voice wouldn't reach her. But Dine would probably use magic to hear, so it wouldn't be a problem."

Having a contract is really convenient. I want to know what other conveniences it offers, but for now, I want to enjoy the sky. I practice various things while flying.

I can't do it on my own yet, but Sylph helped me with all sorts of fun things like spinning and somersaults. There's no wind pressure or wind blowing in my face, so it's less scary than a roller coaster when I'm calm.

"How is flying?"

"It feels amazing. But in the Land of Death, the scenery is a bit monotonous, which is a bit disappointing."

We're flying over the Land of Death, so there's almost no change in color. It's truly a barren land.

"I'm glad you like it. You'll enjoy the scenery once we reach the town."

"Is the scenery of the living land in this world beautiful?"

"Yes, it's beautiful. The places not affected by war, that is."

Spirits seem to be strict with humans who are at war. Well, the reason is clear when you see the Land of Death. But a rich natural environment... being in the Land of Death makes me crave greenery. I never thought about nature when I was in Japan, but now I realize how important it is.

"I don't want to get involved in war, but are there safe towns?"

Honestly, I don't care if there's a war as long as I'm not involved. But as someone who wants to see the world, it's a nuisance.

"There are wars in various places, but there are many locations and countries that are safe due to their geography."

"Then I'm relieved. I'm even more excited to go to the town."

"Hehe. I'm glad you're enjoying this world."

"Since it's another world, I'll enjoy it to the fullest."

But, the security in this world must be bad. What if I get attacked by someone? After fighting so many undead, I might be able to defend myself, but it wouldn't feel good.

"What's wrong?"

Did my worried expression show? Sylph asked with concern.

"While imagining going to the town, I thought about the possibility of being attacked by bandits or other bad people. There are bandits and such, right?"

"Yes, they exist. But in Yuta's case, you'll be fine as long as you're careful in town. You won't encounter bandits while flying. If you become an adventurer and take on escort missions or enter forests, there's a chance, but I can detect them and avoid them before you meet them."

"Then I'm relieved. Sylph, I'm counting on you."

"Of course. I'll do what I can, so you can relax."

Sylph, you're reliable. The place I transferred to was the worst, but maybe the encounter was the best.

"We're almost there."

It seems we've arrived while I was thinking. It takes three days to walk, but it only takes a few hours to fly, even if we take our time. It's too convenient.

"Ah, really. The rock wall is noticeable, but even a little water and greenery make a big difference."

From above, the spring sparkles, and the fields on the side are green, making it hard to believe this is the Land of Death.

"It's the result of Yuta's efforts. You can see your hard work from the sky, can't you?"

"Yeah, looking at the whole thing, I think I did a pretty good job."

Focusing on what I could do, relying on cheat items and spirits, and working steadily, I accomplished something pretty amazing!

"Hehe. I think you should be proud."

"Yuta, you did a great job."

Sylph and Bell, who were flying nearby, praised me. It made me feel good.

"I'm back."

Landing stylishly in front of the spring, something stuck to my face.

"It's, it's suffocating."

"Here, Tamamo. Yuta is having trouble."

This fluffy thing is Tamamo, right? I knew it.

"Tamamo, I'm back. Were you lonely? I'm sorry for being late."

She licks my face frantically while cooing. She's so cute, but I feel bad.

"Tamamo, thank you for watching over the place. Are the fields growing well?"

"Ku-ku-ku."

She nods confidently while wagging her fluffy tail. I didn't think foxes wagged their tails... but there's a little girl and a dolphin flying in front of me. It's too late to be surprised. With a flying little girl and dolphin, there's no reason to be surprised by a fox wagging its tail.

Since she worked hard, I'll give her a full reward. It's a win-win for both of us.

"Yuta, don't just play with Tamamo. Let's talk with the big sisters too."

Turning to Dine, I saw Nomos and Dolly looking at me. I need to greet them. I passed Tamamo to Tulu, who was eagerly waiting to hold her, and went to greet them.

"Everyone, I'm back. I defeated Rich and made a contract with Sylph."

"Welcome back, Yuta. Next, it's time to make a contract with a big sister."

"No, according to the conditions, Dine will be the last one."

"Eh? Why?"

Well, we can't make the waterway without completing Nomos's condition, and we need to go to town first to bring back soil and mix it. So, Nomos and Dolly first, then Dine.

"GAH"

I said "GAH" myself. It's just the order of development. Dine collapsed, saying, "I was supposed to be the second one to make a contract!" I'll ignore her and talk to Nomos and Dolly.

"Hmm. If the path to achieving the conditions is clear, there's nothing to say. Work hard."

"I'm looking forward to making a contract. Also, Tamamo was lonely, so please play with her."

"Hehe. I'll do my best. I'll try to spend as much time with Tamamo as possible."

It's still a harsh environment, but coming back here is quite calming.

Thank you for reading.

I received a comment that it should be "undead" instead of "undett." I'll fix it step by step. Thanks for the correction. I thought it was "undett" orz.