「I, I’ve done it. What should I do…」


  Seeing Bram lying down like a dead frog, Shelka muttered in a daze.

  It was ‘that’ Shelka, the one who has been pressing us from behind out of shame and anger, but now that she has blown Bram, someone who really had nothing to do with the past incident, it seems to have made her regain her composure a little bit.

  Though Bram is such an unpleasant person, he is still the eldest son of an Earl family.

  The young lady of the Duke house Shelka, hit Bram with a wind magic, making him lose his consciousness!　That would be a stain in their name.

  Though, it’s not something that I could say since I abandoned a duel. Uhh no, it’s not as if I have any reputation from the start right? And it’s not an official agreement or anything, so I’m sure it would be fine.

  Eric and I exchanged glances, and said with exaggeration.

  「I think miss Shelka should take care of him.」


  「That’s right.」


  This will then allow us to naturally get away from Shelka. That’s right, naturally.

  I’m sure we should be able to communicate with Shelka, now that she calmed down.

  「……kuh, you guys wanted to run away, huh.」


  Maybe she managed to see through our intention right away, Shelka sharply stares at us.

  Even so, I guess it’ll be quite vexing since Shelka is the one responsible to make him lose consciousness.

  Even so, I only said 「That’s right」, why did you keep staring at me?

  If you talk about face, I think Eric has a more annoying look on his face here.

  「You’re the one who did it, so you should take responsibility, right?」


  Haha. It’s obvious that Eric is provoking Shelka here.

  And as expected, Shelka pouted……


  「Wait a minute, Alfried!　You’ve been making a fool of me with those foolish face of yours since some time now, right?」


  「It’s a serious look that I had!」


  I was angry for some reason. I don’t understand it myself!　The one who provoked her is Eric.

  「Well, this guy is like that. He’s a guy that looks slovenly by nature. So his face is kinda loose.」


  「Yosh, Eric let’s have a duel.」


  I picked up Bram’s dropped wooden sword, and immediately took a stance.

  I really need to get back at this guy for once.

  I feel like I understand a little about the feeling when Bram challenges me to a duel.

  「Stop it. Don’t point that wooden sword at me. It’s dangerous you know. I was just half-joking.」


  「So you’re just saying that it’s a joke that my face is loose?」


  「Rather than that, miss Shelka. Please take care of him alright?　You got a carriage with you anyway. It’s fine if it’s just that, right?」


  Eric gently brushed away my wooden sword, then calmly and easily dismissed what I said. This bastard.

  「I know!」


  For the time being, I let the passed out Bram lean against the wall, return the wooden sword and place it on his thigh.

  The surrounding people had already regained their usual calmness and started to walk away. These people are so quick to change their ‘pace’


  Not long after, Shelka’s carriage arrived before us.

  She’s been using such strong magic in public like this, of course it’s easy for them to know where we are currently.

  If one were to ask people around, they would immediately tell our location. It stood out that much.

  It’s just that, we’ve been using the narrow side street, so the carriage might have to take a detour around the place.

  Then, the maid-san I saw some time ago alighted from the carriage.

  When she glances at Shelka, her face looks ill at ease.

  And then she suddenly stopped right in front of us, and gave a slight bow.

  「I would like to apologize for the troubles caused by Shelka-sama and Ranna-sama this time.」


  Maybe it was because she also has to maintain the Duke house’s reputation, she can’t bow too deeply to us,but I can feel how sorry she was at the troubles caused by the two of them.

  「Wait a minute Riel!」


  「Shelka-sama. Except for a time of emergency, it is prohibited to use aggressive magic in the middle of the city. You also know about that, don’t you?」


  Seeing the maid-san apologizing to us, Shelka became flustered, but then she was silenced by the voice of the maid-san that doesn’t allow her to make any excuses.

  That’s a relief. She’s someone that has common sense.

  She might be someone who is also responsible for Shelka and Ra-chan’s education. Unlike the Shelka from before, the current Shelka is no match for her.

  「B, but, m, my underwear……」


  「The cause of that incident this time is Ranna-sama. Well, I also saw my lady’s underwear, so maybe I should receive a slap I guess…」


  When Eric and I thought that we would also get slapped, we took a step back.

  That would mean that she would slap all of the men in the surroundings who saw it… The sight of people getting slapped one by one would be quite surreal.

  「If it were Riel, will you do that?」


  「No, If it was me then I will hit them like *bam*2. But, oh well, my maid uniform is a long skirt anyway, so that’s would not be possible.」


  I think that she can really do it if it’s this maid-san. She gave out this certain atmosphere around her.

  I don’t get the chance to see the wind blowing her skirt up, even at a glance.

  The maid Riel put the fainted Bram on her shoulder and headed toward the carriage.

  She looks like she was carrying a rice bag on her shoulder.

  Riel-san is a woman with such a slender figure, but it’s as if she doesn’t feel his weight in her steps at all.

  Just how much power does such a slender figure carry…


  When I was being taken aback as I looked at Riel-san, Shelka turned around in our direction.

  「Aah, that’s right. Please be careful on your way back okay?　……Freed」


  「Way back?」


  When I asked Shelka what she meant by that, she only replied by giving me a mischievous smile, with her hair fluttering in the wind.

  「She doesn’t look like a young lady from a Duke house uttering such disturbing words. By the way, who is Freed?」


  「Uh, it’s also the first time for me to hear that name.」


  I feel that I’ve heard about it since some time ago, but I’m sure that I don’t know anyone with the name of Freed.

  Including those with such a nickname. And if I were to consider people who would attack me, then I can only think of Bram.

  When we were wondering about the hidden meaning within Shelka’s remark, Ra-chan shows her face from the carriage’s window.

  Maybe Riel-san got angry with her, since her eyes are a bit red and teary.

  Nevertheless, when Ra-chan’s gaze met with us, she still smiled and waved her hand.

  She’s really cute. If possible, I would like for you to not become as savage as your sister.

  We saw them off, as the carriage slowly left.

  「Well then, the play was supposed to start in the evening. The sun is still high in the sky, and we still have time before it starts, but there's no harm in arriving earlier. If we take the shortcut using the previous side street.」


  My god, what the heck is wrong with Eric, he wants to go back to those wickeds’ area.

  The ignorant are truly troubling.

  「Wait!　It’s fine to take the roundabout way, let’s just use the normal street. 　It’s dangerous here!」


  If you were in this kind of place, you wouldn’t know what would happen to you.

  We have to conduct ourselves by acting as if we are young girls in this place.

  「Hey, don’t pull! 　You’ll stretch my clothes!　We’re only taking a shortcut… What are you complaining about?　Are you afraid of dark places?」


  Eric shook my hands off, misunderstanding what I said and laughed at me.

  This damn idiot. I’m telling you that there are worlds out there more terrifying than that dark place.

  「That’s not it!　There’s something even more terrifying than tha――」


  In order to avoid going to use that street, I thought that I had to explain it to him, but then I was interrupted by women’s voices.

  『There he is!　That boy!』


  『He really looks similar!　Don’t tell me, he’s real……』


  『Those listless eyes that feels as if they’re inviting a man to attack him… There are no other boys who have those kind of eyes!』


  『There’s no mistaking it. It’s Freed-sama!』


  『I wonder if there is also Shion-sama here?　But I wanted to see them in coupling』


  There were women from ‘that’ area, standing there at the place where Eric is facing.

  「What? Inviting? Coupling? What are those women saying?」


  Despite his ignorance, it seems that Eric also felt a danger to himself, making him wary.

  「Ahー!　Really!　That’s why I told you to leave this place quickly!　Oi Eric, this way!　Let’s get out of here!」


  「U, uh?」


  I took the confused-Eric’s hand and started running.

  Behind us, those wicked people are screaming in joy, but it can’t be helped. We have to put our priority to run away with all of our strength.

  I really did nothing but run away today………


  Even though I just wanted to walk around the royal capital normally.

  ◆


  「O, oi. Wha, what’s going on here? The people are so small………」


  Eric said with a trembling voice.

  Knowing the dreadfulness of those wickeds, I immediately put some distance between us, and then I used Shield in the shadow of a building.

  Then we escape to the sky.

  If I were to do it poorly, then they will discover us just by raising their gaze, so I climb up quite high. Even if people below us were to look up, they will only see us as black dots in the sky.

  「Hey, we’re not going to fall down right? We’ll die if we fall from this height you know.」


  「It’s fine, it’s fine. It's a good magic. It’s an application of Shield magic that I used earlier.」


  Eric who is on his hands and knees fearfully hit the Shield I made below our feet.

  Even though I already assure him that it’s safe, his complexion doesn’t get any better…


  If you were talking about its strength, you have already experienced it when we were running away from Shelka right.

  「Re, really, really fine!? If we fall from this height, then we definitely will not be able to survive you know!」


  「Such a worrywart. Look, it would be a loss if you can’t enjoy the view despite such a good scenery right?」


  「Can’t you at least make a wider Shield!?　If it stays as it is, it’s another world if our feet slip even a little! 」


  I increase the range of the Shield since Eric is being noisy right next to me. It should be around six tatami mats, if it’s this wide, then it will be fine even if it’s the scaredy-cat Eric.

  After confirming Eric’s appearance of standing up while trembling all over like a newborn foal, I turn to look in front of me.

  The street of the royal capital spread out in a circle. And there’s a river cutting across the royal capital. Seen from above, it is clear that the royal capital is surprisingly big.

  The roof of the houses where the resident lives are lined up in an orderly manner along the street. The streets that look especially big are the main streets, and at the center is the plaza that we used as a meeting place.

  I wonder if the inn is located a little bit higher around there…


  And as expected, Koryatt village……can’t be seen from here. It’s completely obscured as it is blocked by the rampart and mountain.

  The wind is a bit strong and carries with them the autumn chill, but the view seen from above is amazing.

  When we get back to Koryatt village, shall I go on a picnic in the sky…?

  The bento we ate at lunch will surely taste delicious.

  At that time, with Torr and Asmo……… Uh no, let’s not take Asmo. It wouldn’t break even if he got on top, but somehow I feel uneasy when I thought it would be winter at that time.

  There are a lot of people and carriages coming from each gate today, crowding around the place, and you can also see people who look to be knights and guards running around here and there in some part.

  But nonetheless, the most conspicuous building is the Misfrit Castle, boasting its huge size and majestic appearance.

  I thought we’re already quite high in the sky, but it turns out that we’re still not as high as the castle in height.

  I wanted to see the Misfrit Castle from above but when I tried to increase our altitude more than this, Eric looks as if he’s going to faint so I stop it.

  Moreover I wanted to look down on the royalties. Guess it will be a lèse-ma?jes?té then.

  I’m curious about what’s going on inside the castle, so I strengthened my eyesight using magic.

  When I do that, I see an old man wearing important-looking clothes walking in the third floor’s passage of the castle in a prideful manner, attended by several people behind him.

  Is that old man the King-sama?

  When I was thinking like that, I saw a middle-aged man with a crown on his head sneaking through the passage on the second floor.

  What? Is that suspicious ossan11 the real king?　The one with the crown on his head wears clothes that look really good in quality, and he also has the same blonde hair as Princess Kudelia.

  No, but it is said that the King have a lot of wives so I think it’s not good idea to guess.

  Then, as I turn my gaze away, I see a girl inside a room at the edge.

  I suddenly felt curious, so I fixed my gaze to that place.

  I didn’t keep staring at that place because there was another woman in the room.

  If it were women, I already saw a lot of them, from maids working in the castle, sweeping the garden, wiping the windows, to the female knights in guard duty all over the place.

  But among them, I feel that the girl that was staring outside the window is clearly staring this way.

  Her deep blue eyes, reminiscent of the deep sea peeking from between her silk-like golden hair, are so beautiful that they can make someone gasp in astonishment.

  Although I can only see up to her shoulder, I can see that she was wearing a blue dress.

  Maybe because the color of the dress goes well with her eyes, the both of them make her all the more attractive.

  She had a beautiful face, but she currently has a surprised look on her face with her mouth half-opened, making her good looks a bit ruined.

  It is actually quite difficult to strengthen your eyesight using magic, but maybe she is good at manipulating magic power…


  When I waved my hand to her to confirm it, the girl timidly waved back.

  As expected, it seems that she can clearly see us.

  Since there is quite a distance between us, it is actually possible to see each other indistinctly even if your magic power manipulation skill is average, but it seems that this girl is not your average girl.

  It’s uncomfortable to be stared at this much, and it would be troublesome if she were to call someone, so then shall we run away now…


  「Oi Eric, we’re going down.」


  「O, ou. At last. So how do we get down?」


  Eric, who still has a pale face, asked me with a stiff smile on his face.

  「By running to the ground of course.」


  ◆


  Inside a certain room in the Misrfrit Castle.

  Inside the room, the Third Princess Layla is sitting on a wheelchair as she looks at the sky in a daze.

  No, to be exact, she’s looking at a person in the sky.

  「People could walk in the sky?」


  「No, that’s impossible right?」


  The female maid with pink hair found Layla's shocking words - as she looked at the sky quietly - to be amusing as she smiled.

  Maybe because of her gentle looking eyes, coupled with her smile, making the maid feel like the embodiment of a motherhood.

  「It’s quite unusual for Layla-sama to make a joke.」


  「No Sariya , it’s not like that.」


  「Yes yes, I’m going to make some tea now. You’re feeling thirsty right?」


  Layla skillfully turned her wheelchair around, trying to correct the misunderstanding, while Sariya went to the tea cart which was placed inside the room with a smile on her face.

  For a maid and the Third Princess of the kingdom, their relationship is close.

  It’s as if they are a mother and daughter.

  「You’re right, but… Umm, Sariya?」


  Sariya is still preparing the tea while humming, even though Layla is calling for her. Layla thought that she would not be able to talk with her right now, so Layla turned her line of sight to the outside through the window for the second time.

  When her magic power gathered in her eyes, gradually, the black dot in the sky became as big as a pin and more clear in her eyes.

  At that place was the boy who was waving his hand, but now there is another boy clinging to him.

  Laylala had no idea what those boys were doing, or how they walked in the sky, but she thought that those two boys were only having fun…


  What kind of view could they see from that place, she wondered.

  Her social status as the Third Princess. Due to her disability, Layla who can’t walk or move around freely thought that she was really envious of them.

  Have she ever laughed like those two, she wondered.

  ―― I wish I could be like them.

  Thinking like that, Layla lowered her gaze to her legs which she couldn’t move entirely by her own will.

  Even if she tried to move her just like her own hands, they didn’t listen to her at all.

  As if it will not accept any order given by her, as if only that place is not part of her own body.

  She was about to give up on it just as usual, but as expected, she has not given up on it yet.

  Maybe because she saw those two playing around happily…


  As if trying to shake off her gloomy mood, Layla looks up at the sky again.

  Did those boys climb up to that place using magic?

  The boy who saw Layla at that distance is definitely a magician. She doesn’t know about the other one.

  If one didn’t strengthen their eyes using magic power like Layla, then it is impossible to properly see the people in this room.

  As for that square thing that became their foothold, Layla guessed that it was probably the non-attribute magic 『Shield』. Even if the one who saw him is not her, as long as they have anything to do with magic, then they will know about it.

  But then, does it mean that they use that foothold to climb up until that height…


  She heard that there's research regarding the utilization of Shield magic as a foothold to move, but she heard that it was a failure.

  While running, one has to decide the strength, size, then maintain it, not to mention that one should have an accurate grasp of space as they activate the magic successively. It consumes a huge amount of magic power.

  She had seen the Royal Court Magician and the Knight’s Leader use them in battle, although it was rare for them to use it, and it was for a moment at best.

  So maybe that boy is even better than the Royal Court Magician, or maybe he just uses a completely different method, Layla did not know.

  Suppose that she followed that train of thought and it was true, then it would be an absurd method, and the boy would have an outrageous talent surpassing the Royal Court Magician.

  「Here’s the teaー」


  「Ah, un. Thank you. Leave it there.」


  Layla turns her face to Sariya and answers.

  And then, when she turned her gaze back,

  「………………eeh?　………they disappear…………?」


  There was no one over there.

  The sun illuminating the royal capital, and the blue sky spread to the horizon.

  It was as if those two boys were not there in the first place.