Chapter 107 - Chapter 10: Flight Experience Session
After being seen off by the maids, I headed to the garden with the Queen and Gladys-sama to meet up with Paul-san. When we went to the courtyard, the meeting place, Paul-san was having a bonfire with an elderly couple.
"Queen-sama, Gladys-sama, I'm glad you could come."
"Paul-sama. Likewise, thank you for having us."
They were talking with smiles, including the elderly pair.
"You all come here too. Let me introduce you to these two."
The two introduced were the former King Henry-sama and the former Queen Eleanor-sama. They were of the Seven Heroes. The six led by Henry-sama defeated the Demon Lord, and their companion Eleanor-sama became the Queen.
"The Class of 175? If you're from the Nakanohara orphanage, then you're students of Catherine and Jennifer? Are those two doing well?"
"Y-yes! They are doing very well!"
Our backs straightened in unison. Two living legends had suddenly appeared.
"Don't be so nervous. We're just an old man and an old woman now."
"Oh, I don't recall becoming an old woman."
"What, how cold. Am I the only one being treated as old?"
A husband-and-wife quarrel started out of nowhere.
"Now, now, it's fine, isn't it? By the way, His Majesty the King and Roberts-sama haven't arrived yet."
When Paul-san intervened, Henry-sama made an overtly displeased face.
"This won't do, making guests wait. Their upbringing is lacking. I'd like to see their parents' faces."
"Here you go."
Eleanor-sama showed him a hand mirror.
The Queen burst out laughing, and Gladys-sama and we desperately held back our laughter.
"Since your shoulders are shaking, I guess it was so-so."
"I thought it would get a bit more of a reaction, though."
"Let's try harder next time."
Apparently, they were trying to get a laugh.
"It might have been better with one more trick."
The bold mage gave her opinion to the heroes.
"What kind of trick?"
Surprisingly, he took the bait.
"I mean, you've gone to the trouble of being shown the mirror, so it's a waste to just end it there, right?"
"A waste? What should I do?"
"Can I borrow the mirror?"
She took the mirror from Eleanor-sama. I wondered what she was going to do, and then she suddenly thrust it at Paul-san with a "Here!"
Paul-san made a handsome face in front of the mirror, smoothed his hair with his hand, and boasted, "I'm good-looking today too."
"I see! What happens after looking in the mirror is important!"
"I didn't think of this. This is certainly better."
Both of them were impressed. The Queen was holding her stomach and laughing at the sight.
"Right? Even if you can't get a laugh, it's bound to leave them stunned, and it's easy to take a moment before the other person reacts. With variations of a single line, it can be used in various situations."
"Umu. I've learned something!"
And they were thanking her.
"Here!"
Beatrix thrust the mirror at him.
"Oh, um... nunu, you suspicious fellow. Who are you!"
He was bewildered for a moment but recovered immediately.
"Pass! That's good. As expected."
He looked happy to be praised by Beatrix.
"Here!"
This time she pointed the mirror at Eleanor-sama.
"Who's calling me an old woman? Even I, if I do this, could have one more romance..."
She was desperately stretching the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes with both hands. She had pulled off a bold move unworthy of a former Queen.
Mary and Lyudmila clapped and laughed loudly, Gladys-sama's eyes went round as she covered her mouth with her hand, and the Queen, laughing, hurriedly went to stop her, saying, "Mother-in-law..."
"That's the best one today. Perfect!"
When praised by Beatrix, she made a boastful victory pose toward the former King.
"Kuu, just you wait until tomorrow!"
It goes without saying that everyone laughed at the sight of the former King clenching his fist with a look of sheer regret.
While we were laughing, the King and the others arrived. One more person had been added to those we met last night.
"You seem to be having quite a lot of fun."
"You're finally here. I got tired of waiting."
"Father and the others were too early. We are on time."
The King pointed at the sun. Indeed, it was still early. No, they were too early.
"Was that so?"
When he looked at the Queen, she nodded.
"Then the joke I prepared was wasted."
"Were you doing something again? Priest Jeanne, everyone, I'm sorry for making you deal with my father and mother."
"No, no, thanks to them, we had a fun time."
When the Queen and everyone else nodded with smiles, the former pair puffed out their chests proudly.
The person I was meeting for the first time was Hughes, Captain of the Royal Guard. I didn't quite know what he did, but he must be the head of the guards or something.
I gave my "pleasure to meet you" greeting. Silently, he knelt on one knee and pressed the hand wearing the ring to his forehead. It was the real deal. I was startled. He stood up silently, bowed, and moved behind the King. There were indeed dignified people too.
"By the way, I hear we can fly in the sky today."
"Yes, Father. It seems Paul has devised a way to fly using [Wind Barrier]."
"I can use [Wind Barrier] too. Please teach me the method. I want to be able to do it too."
"Yes, Hughes can use it too, so I intend to have him learn it and instruct those among the Kingdom Army mages who can use it."
It was decided to do it immediately.
Using the smoke from the bonfire, Paul-san made a bowl.
"You bend the [Wind Barrier] to make the shape of a bowl."
"I was taught how to bend the [Wind Barrier] by Bishop Catherine, but by any chance, did Eleanor-sama start it?"
"Oh, you figured it out. Long ago, Catherine and I researched various applications of magic together."
They were fellow heroes. They must have been able to do all sorts of things.
The three of them changed the smoke-colored [Wind Barrier] into the shape of a bowl. When Eleanor-sama did it with all her might, a huge bowl about the size of a hut was created. It might be able to hold about thirty people. I wanted to try riding it, but since it would be in the way as it was, it had to be remade.
"First, I will move it like this."
All three moved their raised hands up, down, left, and right. Eleanor-sama did it easily. Hughes-san was awkward at first but gradually became able to do it.
"I see. So we ride in this."
Everyone raised their voices in admiration.
"Now, we actually get into this bowl, but by releasing part of the bowl, the compressed air blows out, and the bowl moves by that reaction."
For example, if you release the bottom, it goes up, and the bowl rises. Smoke was puffing out from the bottom of the bowl.
"I see, that's interesting."
They seemed to have already grasped the knack. The former Queen began to move the bowl freely. Not only that, she was making it spin in the air.
"As expected of the Hero Eleanor. You're much better at it than I am."
"What are you saying? In magic, the one who leads the way is the great one."
Hughes-san was having a bit of trouble, so it was decided he would continue practicing, and the first group went on a sightseeing flight.
"Then, will Eleanor-sama fly with her own magic?"
"No. I'll be given a ride at first. It would be terrible if I failed."
There was no way she would fail, but she probably wanted to let Paul-san have the spotlight.
First was a trial. Paul-san flew over the palace with the former royal couple and the Class of 175.
"Oh! This is impressive."
"Yes, truly. If there had been such a method, we might have had an easier time during our active days."
Active days must refer to when they defeated the former Demon Lord.
Looking down, everyone was looking up with surprised expressions. When I waved with the former royals, they waved back.
"Actually, last year, we had an aerial battle with Gargoyles."
"Oh! What happened?"
"As you might guess, I had my hands full just controlling this thing, and Jeanne and Beatrix over there defeated them with magic."
"Oh! That's amazing. How impressive."
"No. We can only use basic magic, so we couldn't do anything great."
"There's no such thing as high or low level. The will to defeat them is what's important."
"Umu. As expected of Catherine and Jennifer's students."
"Yes, truly. How reliable."
Continuing slowly, we came right over the statue of Dune. Looking from above, a strange pattern could be seen in the pond.
"Henry, what is that pattern in the pond?"
"Umu. I've only just noticed it myself."
"Perhaps it's something you can't see unless you're in the sky?"
In the middle of the pond were double circles, with a dot-like circle in the center. It must be Dune's home. From there, a line-like thing was drawn straight to the shore, but I didn't understand the meaning of that part. Was it the shortest distance?
"It seems the bottom of the pond is shaped like that."
"Does it have some meaning?"
"I don't know. After all, this pond was built by the First King. Since there are no records, no one may know."
The First King was an acquaintance of Dune. If he had other spirit acquaintances, he might have known various secrets.
"Um, excuse me, is it okay?"
"What is it?"
"Do you two know the Hand-holding Song?"
"Yes, we know it."
Both of them nodded.
"In that song, I think there are lyrics that can be interpreted as water in the north, fire in the south, wind in the east, and earth in the west. Isn't this garden surrounded by those four?"
"What, really?"
"Henry, why don't we check from the sky?"
"Right. Water in the north is the pond. Fire in the south is... the sacred fire at that shrine?"
In the direction he pointed was a shrine next to the palace entrance.
"Wind in the east is..."
"Isn't it that hill?"
When I told Eleanor-sama, she agreed, saying, "That's certainly true."
"Then, earth in the west is... that cave..."
The former King hesitated. Was there something there?
"Is there something there?"
"Yes, there is indeed a cave. But it's just there, and no one knows what it's for. It was left by the First King's instructions, and there's just a stone tablet standing like a monument."
"Is that inside the palace?"
"Yes. It's at the western edge. There's a staircase leading underground inside a small hut at the edge of the training grounds that usually doesn't stand out at all."
"Paul-san..."
When I tugged on Paul-san's sleeve, he nodded. I couldn't explain it well beyond this.
"Henry-sama. If the Hand-holding Song is related to the Four Great Spirits, then the palace is surrounded by things representing those spirits. It's probably a barrier protecting the palace. And if the pond with the statue representing the water spirit represents the lake in Nakanohara where the First King lived in his youth before becoming King, then can't we infer to some extent the places where he might have met the remaining three spirits?"
"Hmm, it's not unthinkable, but..."
An answer wouldn't come immediately.
"Um, the statue by the pond was looking at the hill. There might be something there."
"Henry, let's go over the hill just like this."
"Right, Paul, can I ask you?"
"At your service!"
"This is getting interesting."
"Yes, it reminds me of our active days."
When I told Eleanor-sama what I noticed, she immediately took action. Her vibe was similar to the Headmistress's. As expected of a companion, her curiosity was probably strong.
Paul-san increased his speed and headed toward the hill. It was no longer a sightseeing flight. Beatrix tugged on my sleeve.
"Hey, this might become a big deal, are you okay with that?"
"I hadn't thought about it..."
"Well, fine. It looks interesting, so I'll go along with it, but I don't know what will happen."
It couldn't be helped now. It turned into something like a mystery hunt, but the former royal couple seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I had no choice but to go as far as it went.
When we looked at the trees growing on the hill and the rocks lying around from the sky, they were like an arrow pointing to the shrine of the sacred fire. Next, when we went to the shrine, a single line was drawn on the roof, and at the end of that line were the training grounds and a small hut. There was nothing on the roof of the hut, and in the end, the conversation turned to the idea that there must be something on the stone tablet inside the cave. And then the sightseeing flight ended.
While Paul-san was taking the rest of the people on their sightseeing flight, Eleanor-sama practiced and became able to fly in a bowl by herself.
"Now we can fly whenever we want."
"Umu. How about it, you two? I intend to go to that cave after this; won't you join us?"
"Sure. It sounds interesting."
"That's the spirit. Let's take Paul too."
"If the other two say they want to go, can you take them too?"
"Yes, I don't mind. Let's solve the mystery together."
"After all, you're Catherine and Jennifer's students. I'm counting on you."
Jennifer-sensei was a set here too.
"What kind of relationship does Jennifer-sensei have with the Seven Heroes?"
As usual, she was blunt.
"Jennifer is... Catherine's disciple."
"Y-yes. It's hard to explain, but she's like a disciple. She used to belong to the church in the Royal Capital. We often talked together."
"She was being educated by Catherine along with my two sons. So she has a deep relationship with us too."
I see. So that's why the King and Roberts-sama know Jennifer-sensei.
By the time Paul-san returned from the sightseeing flight, everyone was in a state of excitement. It was their first flight experience in their lives. They were all praising Paul-san as he struck poses. Before long, Hughes-san also became able to do it, and the three of them were flying in the sky in bowls or moving through the air in the shape of chairs or saddles.
"Shall we go tell Medioland about this next time?"
"Is that okay?"
It was natural for Gladys-sama to question Roberts-sama's words. it could be a secret weapon.
"I don't mind. Right, brother?"
"It should be fine. It's already becoming a rumor in Nakanohara, isn't it? There's no point in hiding it now. If they don't know, teach them."
Come to think of it, Paul-san had been flying all over the place, so there was no secret.
"How about it? Why don't you all go to Medioland?"
"Is it okay?"
When Beatrix took the bait, even Mary and Lyudmila's eyes sparkled. They were definitely planning to go.
"I don't mind. It'll be more interesting if we all go together."
"How many can go? There are eight of us."
"There were the guards and the town hall staff. That's no good. The other side might get wary. Rat exterminators should be fine."
There's no such job, but the meaning got through.
"There's a hunter."
"Hunters double as scouts, so no one except Paul."
The rest: one magic tool shop clerk, one stray priest, one agricultural researcher—one pharmacy clerk is out, and the blacksmith is out too.
"So that's three? Me, Jeanne, and Lyudmila."
"Yay!"
Lyudmila was jumping for joy.
"Wait a minute. I'll do rat extermination too."
Mary suddenly spoke up. She had hated it until now, and yet here she was.
"No. If you start doing rat extermination just because you want to go, everyone who wants to go will start doing it."
"Ehh, but I've never been to a foreign country. And it's the place where Gladys-sama was born, right? I definitely want to go! I want to see the place where Roberts-sama and Gladys-sama met."
Mary, having been told no by Beatrix, started throwing a tantrum. Moreover, her purpose was just sightseeing.
"We're not going for fun."
"Then what are we going for?"
"...What are we going for?"
She asked Roberts-sama and was laughed at loudly.
"Rat extermination at the fortress. Apparently, they're swarming in the basement and causing trouble. When I said I knew some professionals, they asked me to introduce them. If you do it, I'll take you to the palace too."
It's not that rat extermination is our profession, but there's no doubt that the most important job in monster extermination is rat extermination.
"What will you do?"
"I-I'll do it. I'm a mage, after all."
"Even so, the magic you use is water, right? How are you going to exterminate rats?"
So far, we haven't used water magic for rat extermination. It would be one shot if she could use ice magic of Angelica-san's class.
"I-if I use holy water..."
"Holy water is expensive. Unless there's a priest who can use high-level magic, it'll be a huge deficit."
"P-Paul-san. Do you know anything?"
"Sorry, but I'm not good at applications of water magic. Ask Angelica."
She slumped her shoulders in disappointment. Angelica-san is in Nakanohara, so we can't ask her now.
"Then, Mary, please design several women's outfits for me to dye in the Eastern Plains. Let's see. Let's make it three. However, you must participate in the rat extermination."
To my surprise, Gladys-sama offered a helping hand.
"Is that okay?"
When I looked at the Queen, she nodded. Since there were maids, there was already a handicap. Roberts-sama also said, "That's fine," and gave the OK.
Mary was the one who was moved. She approached Gladys-sama while crying, and at the same time she was embraced, she fainted again.