Imperial VII-1

A magical four-wheeled vehicle soaring at high speed.

You might think the rushing wind is cold, but it isn't.

A layer of air tightly envelops the entire vehicle formation.

The temperature and air pressure inside remain constant, making it extremely comfortable.

Moving at high speed, yet at a sufficiently high altitude, the scenery shifts slowly.

"Beautiful, isn't it? The world is so vast."

"Unusual, is it?"

"Yes, I've never seen such a beautiful view before. It's amazing."

Lina was entranced by the shifting scenery.

Reaching this altitude, each of them showed their own reactions.

Some were afraid of the height; others marveled at the vast expanse.

As for me, I've finally gained some control over my magic energy.

When I lifted the magical quadracycle convoy, I had to manipulate such a massive amount of magic energy that I couldn't even speak.

As altitude increased and sufficient speed was achieved, lift generated on the attached upper plate, requiring only minimal air displacement.

Thanks to this, I could now manage simple conversation and observe my surroundings.

"Taro, how long do you think it would take to reach the empire at this speed?"

"Hmm, I can't say exactly, but maybe three hours or so."

"Three hours? That's incredible speed. Do you think you'll have enough stamina until then?"

"No problem. I'm using the ambient magic energy, so it lasts longer than you'd think."

"Is that so? Then there's no issue."

Alek said nothing more, gazing at the scenery.

Perhaps reflecting on his experience in the kingdom, he often seemed lost in thought.

War truly is a troublesome thing.

Silence flowed between them.

Lately, I've found myself thinking that even a brief moment of self-reflection is precious.

Maybe I shouldn't have published that paper on magic stones...

I know perfectly well that no matter how much I think about it, I won't find an answer.

Still, I can't stop myself from thinking.

If I hadn't submitted that paper, would that mad magic stone have ever been developed?

Would there have been no victims of magic transformation?

Would the war have ended sooner?

Of course, no matter how carefully we restrict the use of technology, we can't control everyone's actions.

Eventually, someone might have developed the same thing anyway. In that case, there was nothing we could do...

I keep going around in circles with the same thoughts.

Before I knew it, quite some time had passed while I was lost in these cloudy feelings.

I left the town of Hokka before noon, though the sun had already passed its highest point. In just a few hours, it would begin to shift toward the western sky.

Everyone seemed to have finished their initial reactions and were now doing as they pleased—some sleeping, others quietly gazing at the scenery.

We had crossed the towering mountain range separating the Empire from the Kingdom and were now within Empire territory.

Below us lay the Imperial Castle and the city of the Empire.

From above, it was obvious how massive the castle was.

"Alek, Lina, we'll be landing soon. Descend from the forest side to avoid causing a stir.

It'll be a bit shaky, so please wake everyone and tell them to prepare for the tremors."

They each replied in turn and immediately began their preparations.

Once everyone was awake, we slowly began our descent.

The ground soon came into view.

Fortunately, my house is located on the outskirts of town, surrounded by woods.

We should be able to land without anyone seeing us.

Hidden deep within the woods.

A large building, too big for a single person to live in, came into view.

It was once a nobleman's villa.

Too large to manage properly, but now it's perfectly convenient.

Shortly after, I landed in front of my home.

The strong wind from the landing shook the surrounding trees, creating a loud rustling sound.

Hearing the noise, a single human emerged from the house.

"Hey, what in the world is this? Is that Taro?"

"Oh? Who might you be?"

At last, the magic was dispelled, and my shoulders relaxed. After using magic for several hours, it was only natural to feel exhausted. Looking around, I saw Rina and Noel staring at each other.

What's wrong?

"You're the one who temporarily traveled with Mr. Taro, aren't you? I'm Rina Rolling."

Rina was the first to step down from the magic four-wheeler, greeting Noel.

"Noel. The one Taro rescued, right? Nice to meet you."

What's going on? Even though we've just met, I feel like there's some kind of electric tension between us.

Are you sure you're okay with spending the next while together?

"Anyway, Taro. What's with that guy?"

"What's this sound? What is it?"

The one who came out from my house was a rather disheveled Rilka.

"Mr. Taro?"

For some reason, Rina's gaze felt painful.

Hah... I finally made it back, and you're still going to make me suffer...

"First things first, let's get everyone inside the mansion. We need to clean the unused rooms before it gets dark—let's get moving!"

"That's fine! I had nothing better to do while waiting for Taro, so I already cleaned the whole place."

"Really? That's great. Sorry for the trouble."

"Already living in the mansion and even cleaned it up..."

Something feels off about Rina's demeanor. I should get her inside the mansion and let her rest soon.

I gently urged her to come in.

Even though we'd only been apart for a short time, I missed her terribly.

As we settled on moving in and assigning rooms, night fell.

After a light dinner, I relaxed at home for the first time in ages, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by various friends.

"Wh-what's going on?"