Ch. 63 - Air Travel

The clouds were rapidly flowing past us.

Due to our altitude, we saw no birds or similar magical beasts. Only draconic species flew at this height. Occasionally, they flew so close that we almost collided, but when I used lightning magic to threaten them, they hastily fled.

All the wind was converted into a driving force, so the strong gusts didn't reach the driver's seat where I was sitting. When a sudden gust would come, I could feel the gentle breeze that had passed through the thin wind barrier brushing my cheek.

I narrowed my eyes and murmured softly, "The sky feels nice."

Strass poked his head out of the carriage window with an exasperated expression. "How can you remain so calm while maintaining such a grand spell?"

"Once stable in the air, maintaining flying magic costs much less energy. The initial process of floating up and increasing speed may be a bit difficult though."

"There's no way it could just be a bit difficult… Oh well, there's no point in saying anything more. Anyway, Crown-dono has been quite noisy in the carriage. How much longer until we land?"

I turned my gaze forward and answered with some leeway, "Well, according to the map borrowed from Alabarta-san, we should have crossed the border already… Perhaps about two more hours?"

Strass's expression became blank, and his tone dropped. "…Two more hours."

Maybe it was a bit too slow? However, the speed was adjusted to ensure comfort inside the carriage. If I pushed myself and became tired, it would be problematic if something happened, so an energy-efficient flight should be fine.

"It's been about two and a half hours since we left the academy. If we rushed, we could have arrived in three hours, but to avoid overexertion, we're taking about five hours. Just be a bit more patient," I replied to cheer up Strass.

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he nodded silently and retreated back into the carriage.

With no one around, I turned my gaze to the scenery below. Unlike the view from the ground, the sky was a deep, indigo blue, and the combined scenes of sea, mountains, and plains looked like a single piece of art. There were also long, winding roads, beautiful towns, and small villages amidst the lush nature, making it a sight that never bored me.

I enjoyed the serene scenery and leisurely savored the journey through the sky.

Looking at the cityscape, I confirmed we were near our destination by the terrain.

The wide, long river reflected the slightly reddening sunlight, glittering in a bright orange. Beside it was a beautiful, pristine city. The surrounding walls appeared like ordinary stone walls but exuded a grand and majestic aura with both enormity and beauty.

The unified color and shape of the buildings suggested meticulous planning.

It seemed that this city wasn't originally a settlement that became a capital but was rather built specifically to be one.

The city was constructed right by the river, likely to maximize its utility. If so, the Holy Empire might have developed shipbuilding technology, even if it wasn’t a maritime country.

As we began our descent towards the city, I considered calling out to the carriage, but as if sensing it, faces appeared from the window.

"Oh! It’s really the Holy City!"

"No way?! In just half a day… Whoa?! It's true?!"

Crown popped his head out and shouted, and Alabarta appeared from the same window, astonished. Despite being cramped inside the carriage for hours, they seemed lively.

"We've started our descent. Please wait a moment," I informed.

The astonished Arabarta frowned at me. "…Huh?! Did we already pass the border fort? No, since we're here, we must have…! Hmm, I did say we could pass without permission, but to think we'd fly over… It might cause confusion if our whereabouts are unknown…"

"Just send a fast horse from the Holy City! Besides, this astonishing magic! Look at the inside of the carriage! Strass-dono and the others aren't even surprised! The students are enjoying the journey in the sky! Do you understand what this means?"

"Ugh! Shut up, Crown! I understand well enough! If this were used in war, it would be a terrifying threat! Worse than a large dragon…!"

"No, that's not it! Why don't you get it, old man?!"

Crown and Alabarta shouted at each other, leaning out from one side of the carriage. Meanwhile, Ayle and Liz leaned out from the other side, almost falling, cheering at the view below.

"Aoi-sensei, it's amazing! We've really arrived at the Holy City!"

"The Holy City is so beautiful! I can't wait to walk around inside!"

Shenley and Bell peeked through the gaps and also gazed at the scenery excitedly.

As we got closer to the ground, more people began noticing us. The roads were crowded with various races.

It was difficult to land on the road.

I decided to land at a spot near the city gate, away from the road. As the commotion approached, some people started shouting and pointing at us.

"This is troublesome. I didn't intend to stand out so much," I muttered.

From inside the carriage came a retort. "Hey, how dare you say something like that?"

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