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Reservations
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“Okay, dash!”
“Being told that is all the more reason why I can’t leave you behind. Besides, onee-san is light, so it’s a-okay.”
I am currently strengthened by [Boost], but seriously, this person is light.
I keep on escaping while having my fill of Elf-san’s softness, but naturally the men are chasing after us.
“Stop right there!”
“Heh, don’t go thinking you can escape us with that burden on your back!”
They yell at me while running towards us, but I was deliberately maintaining a reasonable distance between us.
The pursuers seem to be following us closely, but perhaps the poison had begun to circulate: their movements had been, and still are, slightly awkward. While confirming my location, I think ‘it’s about time isn’t it?’ and stop.
“Haa……Haa……he’s finally exhausted?”
“No matter how much you scream……Haa……we won’t forgive you.”
No matter how you look at it, they’re the ones who are exhausted.
“You’re half-right, I guess? Leaving that aside onee-san, we’re going to fly so don’t bite your tongue, okay?”
“Here it is, ready and-!”
When I activated [Air Step] and jumped into the sky, a gigantic object came jumping out, mowing down trees as it did so.
“R-, ru–……my body!?”
“Help me please! I can’t move!”
It was ‘showing the way to hell for five~’. If you’re born again, be respectable people next time, you hear.
It’s because I have to give her the antidote, and if I don’t also treat her wounds properly, it’ll leave a scar. It’d be much too wasteful for there to be a scar left on her smooth, spotless and pure white skin.
Still, I think that normally a person wouldn’t be able to remain calm after being saved by a child and flying in the sky.
“…….hey. We’re flying right now, right?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s amazing, amazing! That flying in the air would feel this good…!”
I was wrong, and she was actually trembling with excitement? But boy, this elf-san is tough. Even though she went through such an experience, she’s in high spirits like a child over how good it feels to be in the sky. A part of me finds it hard to talk to her because of her beautiful looks, but when I’m shown this side of her I feel an affinity with her.
“Yeah……that’s right, I’m okay. Leaving that aside, you guys always get to relish this feeling, don’t you? I’m envious. ”
Just when I thought she was going to hug me, she suddenly turned towards empty air and started talking. Does she happen to be an elf that’s receiving radio waves or something?
When I realized it… there’s that unusual sensation again. This invisible sensation is like the activation of magic without an aria.
“We’ll descend soon.”
She’s embarrassed, and when I get questioned by her—with that timing—I located a flowing river that seemed to traverse the forest. As I couldn’t find any foreign enemies with visual check and with [Search], I promptly descend. The river enveloped with white pebbles and rocks commands a good view, so I would probably immediately discover any enemies if they came. I make elf-san sit on a rock and took out the antidote that I had put into the bag that I carried on my back.
“This is the antidote. Can you drink it by yourself?”
“It’s proof that your sensation has returned. I’ll also treat that wound of yours before the paralysis completely disappears.”
When I untie the hand towel wrapped around her wound and check the opening of the wound, the blood has stopped, but the opening of the wound is gaping. I wash the hand towel in the river and wipe away the hardened blood around the opening of the wound. It would usually be painful, but I’m doing this while the numbness remains because she wouldn’t feel any pain this way.
“My hand will be touching your wound for a little while, but bear with it.”
“Hmm, it’s a bit different but it is a healing method, I guess?”
In this world there are spells that heals wounds. Their attribute is of the water-attribute and they are spells that heal by covering the wound in water containing a healing effect. I had tried to learn it, but apparently my compatability with it was bad, so I gave up on it. However, I can do something similar to it.
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. But it was just something I did arbitrarily.”
“It’s Sirius. Isn’t it normal for the person asking to first name themselves?”
Sirius-kun, I was saved because of you. Thank you.”
She expressed her thanks with a big, gentle smile. It makes me happy being told that by a beauty. Thanks for the treat.
“Aah, I’m glad that we’re both safe. Shemifia-san……can I call you that?”
No, it seems that elves are a race with long lives, and she might be much older than I was in my previous life, so she’s not an ‘ojou-san’ is she?
“‘What am I?’, you can’t tell by looking?”
However, even if I’m asked: ‘what are you?’, I can only say that I’m of the human race. I was only reincarnated with the memories of my previous life; it doesn’t mean that I was endowed with things like unique abilities. This strength is the crystallization of the effort put into my habitual training. Even the spells are no more than something developed using particular principles.
“Even if I’m told something like that… I’m genuinely of the human race. I’m a child: so far, it’s been five years since I was born. ”
“Well, it’s because many things happened… It’s difficult to explain, how should I put it…”
Actually……I wonder why I reincarnated with my memories still intact?
“Aah, that’s not it, so don’t worry. Anyway, I’m a normal person of the human race, and this strength is the fruit of my habitual training. It’s like ‘people’s possibilities are infinite’.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“My chances of success were excellent, however?”
At that time, I made the decision to save her after observing all the people involved. It wasn’t for humanitarian reasons. I probably wouldn’t have helped Fia if she was some sort of a match for those five people.
Even though I said it seriously, just as I was judging whether she was dumbfounded, she loudly burst out laughing.
“Ha, ahahahaha! You wanted to get to know me and because I’m a beauty, is it? You’re the first person who has told me their ulterior motives with such comfort.”
“Hehe, even if I do say so myself, I’m glad that I’m a beauty. And that I was able to meet you.”
“That’s right, let’s be friends. No, I ask that you be my friend.”
I firmly shook her hand with my free hand. At last, I was able to make an acquaintance outside of Erina and the others.
“Now, now… that should do it, I guess?”
When I remove the hand that had been in contact with her wound, the wound that was there up until a while ago had disappeared as if nothing had happened. While admiring the section where the wound had been, Fia touched it.
“Even though there’s almost no magical energy response, it’s amazing. It’s the first time I’ve seen recovery magic that’s this soundless.”
“Eh? That you’re a no-attribute, you’re joking right?”
What I did was just pour my own magical energy into the other person, forcefully stimulating their magical energy, and causing their own self-regeneration to activate. The truth is that I created it to heal my own injuries, but it also worked on other people. It’s inexpensive and simple, and I call it ‘regeneration activation’.
And, just as I expected, she’s startled when she hears that I’m a no-attribute. Even the elves have the same opinion of them, huh?
“You flew in the sky didn’t you? I thought that you were of the wind-attribute and were flying with a spell that utilised the wind.”
“……How did you know that I used spirit magic?”
Your face has sort of become like a Noh mask, you know. Did I make things awkward?
And then, I was convinced when I touched her: that the sense of discomfort that I had been repeatedly feeling wasn’t from her, but is whirling around her with her as the center. I’m thinking that this uncomfortable feeling is the spirits, and most likely wind spirits.
“I can’t see them. But I feel a sense of discomfort around Fia, so I’m thinking that feeling is the spirits.”
“It’s my first time. However, that’s……”
That’s right, like my gun spells, spirit magic is too powerful. It was written on the documents that it was powerful, but after seeing the real thing, I think it’s beyond that. After all, there’s that resulting windstorm from using a small amount of magical energy to call upon the spirits. I get the feeling that if she got serious, she’d be able to cause things like a tornado at the level of a natural disaster.
“Although I failed, it was amazing wasn’t it? That’s why there are so many people who would try to confine me, so I’m hiding it.”
Certainly, if it’s that might, it’d be ideal for things like using it as a weapon.
“No, I don’t understand things related to spirits, but I do understand matters related to hiding one’s power.”
That’s right, this is probably some kind of fate. I’ll make this girl, who’s suffering alone, realise that she has a comrade.
“Eh……ah! You’re right, the spirits are certainly agitated. Wait, that’s!? ”
I turned my eyes up high into the sky, and a large object flying towards us was visible. That’s a living creature with wings sprouting out from the lizard body, and according to books, it’s also said to be a monster that is a subspecies of dragons.
“A wyvern, huh. By all appearances, only one is visible, but did it stray from its flock?”
“It’s a bit late for that. It looks like it has already detected us.”
While launching a high-pitched roar, the wyvern was coming straight towards us. I think it’s size is probably close to three times my own, but according to books, there are also bigger ones out there.
“A young dragon? Even so, it’s pretty big…”
“It’s okay. Please leave it to me.”
The wyvern has already drawn close enough to be right before our very eyes. I aim at the wyvern—who having found it’s prey, was trying to attack us by swooping towards us—and pointed my index finger at it.
“Are you ready, Fia? You’re spirit magic isn’t the only thing that’s powerful. I’ll show you that.”
“[Magnum]”
A magical energy bullet was fired from my fingertip; it was one that I had continued to fire many times over these past few years, resulting in greater precision.
Naturally, it shouldn’t be alive after that happens; the wyvern continued to glide in the air from the momentum of its swoop, and passing beside us, it fell to the ground.
“It’s one of the original spells that I can use. It’s power is as you can see, but what do you think, Fia?”
“As I thought, even from Fia’s point of view it’s amazing. That spell just now, don’t tell anyone about it, okay?”
“It’s depressing that there seems to be many groups of people that would exploit a child, isn’t it? See, Fia and I are together in this.”
It means that Fia isn’t the only one who is hiding her mighty powers. In other words, it’ll be fine as long as we have shared our secrets with one another.
“I see……yeah. Then, I’ll keep quiet about what just happened, so keep quiet about my thing as well, okay?”
Having realized my intentions, this time she gave me a natural smile.
While I waited for Fia’s recovery, I examined the wyvern’s corpse. As the head had exploded and blood is scattered about, I had to finish handling it before monsters gather.
“It’s not that anywhere would’ve sufficed, I just aimed at a soft part. I did so because, just as one would expect, the eyes aren’t covered by scales.”
“Aah, it certainly is impossible with that small knife. Okay, here, I’ll lend you this.”
What Fia threw over to me was a completely green shining knife. I had seen various knives in my previous life, but it’s the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful knife that seemed to excel in practicability.
“That’s because it’s light, durable, and is a knife made from mithril metal: a metal where one can easily pass magical energy through it.”
Just from lightly touching the unscratched surface of the patagium, I’m able to easily cut through it. I continue stripping from the wyvern while being astonished at that sharpness, and having finished its procurement, I stepped away from the wyvern in a satisfied mood.
“Well, thanks for lending me an amazing knife. I finished with ease because of it.”
“My bag is full from just the patagium. Any further greed on my part will hinder sky travel.”
Seeing that the durable patagium is this flexible, it seems like there are various uses for it; that’s why. As I’m folding the patagium and putting it on my back, Fia stared at me with a strange look on her face.
“You don’t have any greed, huh. The adventurers that I’ve seen would’ve stripped it to the bone for parts that would sell. Especially because a wyvern is a variety of dragon, it can sell for a high price… and yet…”
It seems like it would be lucrative if one were to sell it, but getting Dee to sell it for me would arouse suspicion on the origins of the materials, and that would be troublesome. That’s why I only secured several sheets of scales in advance: it seemed like it would be possible to pass that amount off as ‘something I picked up’.
“There are various difficulties with my situation, you see, and I can’t simply go and sell the raw materials. Fia, seeing as you’re the one who said that, don’t you need any?”
“Well then, let’s leave the rest as is. More importantly, how are you feeling?”
After Fia opens and closes her hands, and jumps up and down, she smiles, places her hand on my head and patted me. Hrm……being patted by a beautiful woman isn’t too bad.
“There’s a bit of numbness remaining, but it seems that there aren’t any problems with just moving around. It’s all thanks to you.”
“Yeah. Well then, I’m in your care.”
While still smiling, Fia came towards me with both of her hands pointed at me. I had intended to do that from the start, but I certainly didn’t think that it would be requested by the other person.
“I guess it can’t be helped. Alright then, I’ll carry you.”
“Even being trusted to that extent is an honour. Well then, ojou-sama, shall we go?”
And then, a cheerful Fia and I made light conversation while I continued to run through the sky.
“In our elven villages, there’s a custom of travelling to the outside world when one reaches a certain age. That time also came for me several years ago, and up until now, I’ve continuously been going around the world.”
“Heeh, that sounds okay. Although there are various difficulties and tough situations, travelling is really enjoyable. ”
I had heard that the elves were an insular race and seldom left the forest, but I didn’t feel even a speck of that sort of atmosphere from Fia; her smile looked as if she was wholeheartedly having fun.
“Fia seems a little bit different from the elves I’ve seen in books.”
“Haha, I don’t dislike that sort of personality.”
“Since it was Fia, wouldn’t you have been able to somehow deal with guys of that caliber?”
“They caught up to you, and you happened to meet me.”
“You calmly say embarrassing things, huh. Well…I feel the same way, however.”
It wasn’t that wide of a prairie, but it was a mysterious prairie where the appearance of monsters is not to be found.
“The forest on the other side of that prairie is the elves’ territory, and there’s a barrier to ward off people and monsters set up. This prairie is its borderline. ”
Apparently if I was to directly go towards it via the sky, I would be perceived as an enemy and be attacked, so we land on this side of the forest with Fia’s guidance.
“Here is fine. It’s because this forest is like my own yard.”
“Trespassers other than elves would be immediately detected by the barrier, and I guess you would receive a baptism of arrows. Even if you were to somehow deal with that, your sense of direction would be thrown out of whack and I don’t think that you would be able to reach the village.”
“There is certainly not much risk of that, but it’s because there is such a thing that the elves completely seclude themselves within it. I may be a little worried when I think of the future.”
Fia is smiling wryly, but she sits on a nearby rock without trying to enter the forest and she taps the spot beside her as if to say ‘sit down’. It’s still morning so there’s time to spare, and I also haven’t talked to her enough yet, so I sit beside Fia; she smiled when our eyes meet.
“At any rate, flying in the air was really enjoyable. In no time it all, it covered a distance that by all rights would have taken one or two days, and most of all, it felt good.”
“Hey, Sirius. We ended up completing the thing from before on the way, but I have a favor to ask of you again. Would you teach me the method to fly in the sky?”
“Even so, that’s fine by me. Up until now I have tried flying many times over, but I did nothing but fall and it wasn’t fun at all. ”
Apparently she had flown in the past by directly hitting her own body with the wind of the spirit magic, but rather than ‘flying’ that was closer to ‘being sent flying’, and she was lamenting the fact that without being able to float in the air, she did nothing but fall.
“I’m somehow able to save myself if I hit myself with wind right before I fall, but no matter how many times I try, it doesn’t go well. Even so, I can’t give up on flying in the sky. So please!”
Seemingly serious, she is asking with both of her hands together before me.
“If it’s something that I can do, then I’ll do anything. I can even be your lover when you grow up, if you want.”
“……As I thought, it’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“Practice? But didn’t I just tell you that—with the wind—I was just ‘sent flying’?”
“……Amazing, I sort of get the feeling that I’ll be able to fly now. But it sounds like controlling it is difficult. It doesn’t seem like I’d end up with just an injury if I made a mistake. ”
“‘Without being afraid of making mistakes’……huh. That’s right, all I can do is to give it a challenge!”
Having mustered her motivation, Fia immediately commenced her practice. As catching the wind while standing seemed difficult, she started prone on the ground.
“As I am now, I would look uncool from an outsider’s perspective, wouldn’t I?”
“That’s true, rather than my appearance, I should first prioritize flying. By the way……why are you moving?”
I was standing beside Fia, but I had moved slightly closer to the upper half of her body.
“I didn’t really want to say it, but the insides of your skirt are visible, aren’t they?”
“……Never mind that, just get started.”
While I was admiring her with a ‘yep, her controlling capability is quite something’, the strength of the winds continues to increase, and she finally succeeded in floating from the ground.
“I-, I did it! At last I’m flying in the sk—……ah!?”
Perhaps losing her vigilance in her delight, she lost control for a moment and the wind turned into a windstorm; in the blink of an eye, Fia was blown off high into the sky.
“Okay, I should go recover her.”
But before she falls, I fly up and rescue her. When I catch her in my arms, Fia excitedly clung to my neck.
“I flew at last! Thanks Sirius!”
“Of course, I’ll challenge it again. Because I’ll fly even higher this time. I might be inconveniencing you, but please take care of me.”
As soon as Fia steps down onto the ground, she resumed her practice. She repeats it numerous times, each time going higher, and she is becoming able to fly freely, but naturally, she was falling just as often. I rescued her every one of those times, and the number of times she fell had already passed the double digits, but she continued to challenge it without giving up.
“Not discouraged, you are…”
Instead, she was gleefully enjoying herself, being rescued in the air like a princess of stories. I admire her attitude of going full out and trying to enjoy herself.
In the middle of her practice, we had a break and decided to have lunch, but having hurriedly run away from those guys, she had no food on her. So I shared some of the sandwiches that I had, but she was deeply moved by the mayonnaise flavour that I had created and drew near me while breathing roughly through her nose, saying ‘please teach me the recipe’. I taught it to her because it’s not like it’s something that I’m hiding; however, because making it is laborious, go and make it to the best of your abilities, Fia. Although just in case, I did warn her not to eat too much.
And around about the time when she had even become able to land safely without me, it was about time for the the sun to start setting.
“Yeah, it’s a perfect success.”
It looks like Erina and the others would worry if I don’t return soon. When I was going to try and tell Fia that I was leaving and look at her, she had noticed that and was making a slightly sad expression on her face.
“You’re leaving……I guess?”
“……Sorry. I’m not allowed to come out of that forest for about ten years once I return from my trip. That’s why it’ll be impossible for a while……probably.”
“Yeah. Anything other than elves are unconditionally driven back, and it would probably be difficult for even me to cover for you if you entered.”
“Indeed. Even though we get along so well, what’s with the ‘problems of the races’! And what’s with the ‘rite of purification‘? They say it’s to purify the impurities of the outside, etc., but you surely don’t need ten years for it!”
While muttering and complaining, she is kicking the stones at her feet. She had become sulky for a while, but remembering something she bends her knees and leans forward, and matched her line of sight to mine.
“Although I’ve already said it many times… thank you very much, Sirius. I want to show you my gratitude somehow, but I don’t really have anything that I can give you…”
“I can’t let it go with just that. Is there something else that—……ah, this is it. You did say it was amazing, huh.”
Saying that, what she handed over to me was the mithril knife that she had in her possession. To be honest, I was thinking that I wanted it, but is it okay for her to hand something that looks this expensive to me with a *toss*? Moreover, on closer inspection, something like a carved seal is visible.
“Isn’t this the kind of thing that’s passed down from generation to generation? You can’t just give it to a stranger, right? ”
“……if you insist, I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Just this much is plenty, but if Fia will be satisfied if I do…”
Several seconds later……I felt a sensation of something soft from my mouth so I reflexively opened my eyes, and when I did, Fia’s face was right in front of me. As I was thinking ‘as I expected, she is a beauty’, her eyes opened and she separated from me with what seemed like an embarrassed laugh and a slightly red face.
“Jeez……even though I told you to close your eyes…”
“Oh!? You’re not surprised at all. Even though it was my first time……how unfair…”
“I thought it was surely a joke… Besides……what reservation?”
“……And you’re alright with that?”
“Really!? They won’t change so don’t worry~.”
Smiling ear-to-ear, Fia came and hugged me. If I think about it, Fia is a beauty , her personality isn’t bad, and I think she’s a woman that’s more than I deserve. It’s not bad.
“Well then, Sirius…… let’s meet again.”
“Yeah, I’ll be waiting, okay?”
In the end we shook hands, and while waving her hands widely, Fia vanished into the forest. I confirmed that her figure had completely disappeared, ran through the sky and set out on the return journey to the mansion.
I didn’t know what would happen from here on in, but I look forward to being able to meet her once again.