Chapter 7
“SAFE TRAVELS, Miss Mira.”
“Squeak squeak!”
“I’ll be back before you know it.”
The morning after her day off with Mariana, Mira had a leisurely breakfast and prepared for her journey. After saying goodbye in front of the tower, she mounted Pegasus and turned to gaze upon Mariana and Luna once more before departing for Alcait Castle.
***
Mira arrived at the castle before noon and swiftly ran up the stairs to Solomon’s office, where she rapped on the door. She barged in without waiting for an answer.
“Is it finished?!” she shouted.
Solomon’s hands, which were tidying his stack of documents, stilled as he grinned. “You’re just in time.”
As planned, the wagon’s maintenance check and final adjustments were completed yesterday. Now it was ready to depart at a moment’s notice. Solomon apologized for not being able to take her down to the workshop himself—he had a meeting, which meant he wouldn’t be able to see Mira off in person.
“I’ll give you my thoughts on the wagon and plenty of travel stories when I get back.”
Stories? Boasts? Who could tell which Solomon would be subjected to. Mira grinned fearlessly as she left the office. She made straight for the workshop where her new wagon awaited.
***
Mira trotted along the red, gilt-embroidered carpet lining the castle’s hallway. It was finally time. Her heart leapt for joy as she ran for the carriage garages like a child on Christmas.
As Mira approached the boundary between the castle and the garages, an artisan seemed surprised to see her tiny form sprinting through a workshop full of burly men.
“Good morning!” The man turned to Mira and greeted her in an extra-loud voice before she could say anything. The sheer volume of it made her shoulders twitch, but she quickly gathered herself and greeted him in return. And it didn’t end there; drawn by his shout, other men began to gather and offer their greetings too. Mira ran a gauntlet of waiting well-wishers. The men had planned the signal to announce her arrival so they could all see their masterpiece flying off into the sky.
“…Morning.” A little overcome by their enthusiasm, Mira greeted them weakly.
“You’re about to launch, yeah?!” Dag, manager of the craftsmen, emerged from the crowd and looked at her expectantly. The others awaited her answer with bated breath.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Then let’s get it ready!”
There was a smattering of applause, and all the craftsmen scattered off in different directions to make the moment happen. They weren’t just going to watch—they were preparing to gather data, too. While the men all put their sweat and passion into their work, Mira left the workshop and walked out to the garages.
Anemometers to measure wind speed, cameras to capture the moment it launched, and other technomantic devices had been set up in front of the garage. As for the wagon itself, the men had pushed it into an open area.
“Go on ahead, Miss Mira. It’s all ready.”
“Ah, you have my gratitude.”
She looked up at the new vehicle—this mobile home slash secret base—that belonged solely to her now. The way its white body gleamed in the sunlight, its clean design, and its similarity to an armored car gave it the air of a chariot piloted by a goddess of war.
Mira looked at it proudly and wondered what to summon.
Hrmm, perhaps Garuda is best after all. Any others would probably cause…panic. Cleos always uses Garuda, so they ought to be used to seeing it by now. Let the people see what they already know.
Mira made her decision. A pillar of light stretched up from the magic circle, and wind began to blow out of nowhere, heralding the appearance of the brilliant beast-bird. It was a fair bit bigger than Cleos’s Garuda summon, and its royal authority and phosphorescent light made the artisans stop and watch with mouths agape. All of them were reminded of the true power of a Wise Man’s pupil.
“Garuda, I have a request for you. Will you hear my plea?” Mira asked.
Garuda looked her in the eyes, then lowered its head to her level as a show of respect. Mira knew that it was ready to obey her order.
“Good baby. Now, I would like you to carry this while I ride inside it. What do you think? Can you do it?” Mira stroked Garuda’s beak and gestured with her eyes to the nearby wagon.
Understanding her words, Garuda lifted itself and easily picked up the brace atop the wagon with its beak to gauge its weight. The wagon was about the size of a normal carriage, but it was lighter due to its materials. Still, Mira had to ensure that the summon could carry it safely.
Garuda placed the wagon back down and turned back to Mira. It gave a slow affirmative nod. A refreshing wind blew through the area. Garuda had accepted the job.
“I leave myself in your care.”
As Mira finished speaking, Garuda spread its powerful wings. It looked confident, so Mira boarded the wagon without worry. Meanwhile, the artisans had recovered from their shock and were recording everything, careful not to let any data slip by unnoticed. They wanted data on Garuda as well, as it would be the one carrying the wagon.
It was a Japanese-style wagon, so Mira took off her shoes and entered barefoot. She felt the woven reeds of the tatami with her bare feet, grinning at the springy softness. She padded up to the driver’s door at the front and poked her head out to give Garuda his orders. She noted the shafts that were used if the wagon needed to be drawn by horses. Those didn’t matter now.
“We’re off to the Forest of Seasons. From here, it will be…that way.” She pointed Garuda in the general direction. The wind grew stronger as the great bird prepared to take flight.
Having seen Cleos’s wagon take off many times by now, the craftsmen knew from the powerful winds that liftoff was imminent. The loud shouts rang out over the wind, even as they continued to diligently take notes.
“Miss Mira, take care on your trip!”
“Careful out there!”
“Yes! I’ll see you again before long!” Mira peeked through the window and waved, happy this kingdom was full of such wonderful people.
Garuda flapped its wings and launched itself upward, using its talons to hold the wagon tight as it ascended into the sky. The artisans cheered, watching the wagon until it became no more than a white speck in the heavens.
***
“We won’t be able to cover the distance in a single day. If you get tired, don’t hesitate to rest,” Mira called out to Garuda and looked down.
From this high in the sky, Alcait Castle looked like a toy model. Having finished her instructions, she ducked back inside the wagon’s main room. She took a deep breath of the welcoming scent of tatami mats. Struck by the incredible view from the window, she almost forgot to exhale.
Things look very different this way.
When she rode on Pegasus or Garuda’s back, she had a panoramic view of all directions. The wagon window was very different. From inside the room, the limited view from the window looked like a painting. Because she could change her posture and viewing angle whenever she chose, Mira decided that this was the most luxurious view of all so far.
For some time, she did nothing but savor the view and sip sweet berry au lait, all the while searching for that castle in the clouds and thinking to herself.
***
When she finished her first sweet berry au lait and put it down on the kotatsu, she noticed the booklet on the corner of the low table. It was the owner’s manual. Mira picked it up and opened it.
It even comes with illustrations. How thoughtful.
Each function and use of the wagon was listed in great detail in the manual. She decided to go all-out and attentively read the entire thing—she planned on using the delightful vehicle for a long time to come, after all.
Mira looked through all the different components. The manual stated that the hanging lamps burned mobility stones as fuel, and the kotatsu also burned mobility stones to heat itself. The booklet even included instructions on adjusting the light and heat.
As for the little pot of mist weed, the manual said that it was ideal to water it once every three days, and that it should occasionally be given charcoal ash. It could also photosynthesize using lamplight alone.
The manual also contained detailed notes regarding additional furniture installation and earthquake-proofing. It seemed the craftsmen had thought of everything.
***
Before she knew it, the red light of sunset had stolen into the wagon. Mira put down the manual and looked up at the antique-style silver lamp hanging right overhead. After reading the entire thing, she now knew it was a technomantic creation. Luckily, she had already procured plenty of the mobility stones needed to fuel it in Nebrapolis.
Mira stood up, slotted in a mobility stone as described in the manual, and fiddled with the light switch. At once, a warm-colored fire sprang up in the lamp, which reflected off the silver hood and divided the upper and lower halves of the room into light and dark. A warm, green hue dyed the Japanese-styled interior of the wagon. Impressed by the illumination, Mira continued to fiddle with the light and observe how it changed the ambiance.
When she happened to look down, she spotted the mist weed, which had begun emitting the mist alluded to in its name. This phenomenon, too, had been mentioned in the manual. Unlike other plants, mist weed did more than just create oxygen—it could also convert noxious gasses and toxins into harmless substances. This was all done through photosynthesis. The mist was proof that the purification process was working.
Recalling more notes from the manual, Mira turned over the kotatsu’s tabletop. Shapes and figures were carved into the bottom, allowing it to function as an improved refinement desk. The design was based on notes Mira had given Solomon a long time ago. There was a single sheet of paper stuck to the center of it
This ought to help you make magic stones during your travels. Make some extra for me too, I’ll need them.
- Solomon
Mira frowned, tore it off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her empty bottle of sweet berry au lait.
The nerve of him. Still…it is quite convenient.
Previously, Mira had spent entire flights hanging on for dear life. Now, she was free to move and had plenty of time to relax. With that in mind, she sat at the refining desk and took two items from her Item Box: a demon horn and the pearl of lightning she’d won during her fight with the Gargoyle Keeper. She got to refining.
Demon horns could accumulate extreme amounts of mana and had many uses. To Mira, most of those uses were totally unnecessary. What mattered to her was that they could be turned into refining stones. This one yielded fourteen of the magic pebbles.
These demon horns really are efficient.
Normally, one would combine multiple jewels to make a single refining stone, but one horn could create multiple high-quality stones at once. She could hardly think of any better uses. Anything else actually seemed like a waste.
But ultimately, this was merely preparation. Mira began refining using a pearl of lightning.
After some time and concentration, she created three advanced lightning-attuned magic stones and two advanced blasting stones. Once upon a time, Danblf had massacred populations of Gargoyle Keepers for those useful pearls of lightning.
As for the blasting stones, she had learned that they could be used not just as traps, but also to seal magic. With that in mind, she made a few extra as insurance. These packed more than five times the power of the ones she’d used against Caerus. Clutching one of her new, powerful blasting stones in her hand, Mira’s lips warped into a dark grin.
If anyone seals my magic and thinks they’ve won, they’ve got another thing coming. Hah, I can just imagine the shock on their faces!
She put the remaining materials back in her Item Box and let out a long, tired sigh as she looked out the window again. The sky was already draped in the curtain of night. Amid the endless sea of stars, the moon and its halo seemed to hold up all the galaxy. It was like a big eye watching over the world, shining brighter than all the stars in the sky.
The lamp lit the wagon so brightly, Mira had totally missed the arrival of the night. She checked her system menu to find that it was almost 8:00 p.m. That was enough work for the day! She looked outside again at the dark, vast grassland below. It rippled as it was blown by the wind, showing shadowy glimpses of green here and there. Beyond, she saw a long, broad river that resembled a dragon creeping along the earth, its scales glittering in the moonlight.
Mira called out her orders, and Garuda landed next to the shining river.
***
Mira exited the wagon and listened to the calming sounds of the river, the trickling of the water reminiscent of rainfall. At the same time, the fresh scent of grass tickled her nose. These were sensations one never encountered in the city.
After breathing deeply for a spell, Mira turned and reached out a hand to touch Garuda.
“Well done today. Are you tired, friend? Rest well,” she said.
Garuda made a quiet, throaty noise and spread its wings wide in response. It seemed to be saying that the flight was an easy one. Mira smiled in relief and dismissed the enormous bird.
“Now…” Mira muttered, looking around the moonlit grasslands. She began walking toward the river.
After taking care of some pressing business in the river, she summoned a Holy Knight to keep watch while she returned to her wagon. Once settled inside again, she took out the deep-fried sausages covered in tartar sauce that Mariana had packed for her in a food basket before her departure. Several other baskets onboard were full of Mira’s favorite foods. She stuffed her cheeks and smiled blissfully.
With dinner taken care of, Mira gazed through the window at the moonlit flowers. Thanks to the wagon, she could enjoy free, comfortable leisure time anywhere she wanted.
Perhaps I ought to train a little.
At a loss for anything else to do, she stood up and exited the wagon.
The grassland was devoid of people. All that lay around her were the smells of earth and plants and the sounds of wind and water. Amid the silent landscape, the rustling of Mira’s clothes and her soft exhales rose like bubbles and faded into the dark. These sounds were repeated multiple times, getting more and more intense until they were finally punctuated by the whoosh of something cutting through the air.
Mira lowered her fist, exhaled, and moved to her next stance.
This was martial arts training that would support her use of Immortal Arts in close-quarters battle. Back when she was Danblf, Mira had done this often during travel via Floating Island. Lately, she’d been slacking due to not having many opportunities to practice, so now was the perfect time. She’d learned these techniques from Meilin, a fellow Wise Man who had martial arts drilled into her at her home dojo since childhood. Mira never bothered to remember what these techniques were called, though they were apparently quite famous.
By this point, Mira had realized that her skills were getting rusty, so it was time to review the basics.
I’m getting a little hot.
By the time she’d finished the third kata, Mira realized that she was sweating from the exertion. She looked around and saw that nobody was nearby. The only things watching her were the distant sky and moon, and the speechless Holy Knight.
Deciding that a little nakedness was no problem, she took off her technomancy robes and resumed her training, now in only her underwear to let the cool wind touch her skin. After finishing her katas, Mira launched into her proper training, which was based on the universal standard in this world. These moves were made to match sages’ abilities.
She got her body used to leaping off the ground and running atop the air again. As she went through her training, Mira remembered her new technique: partial summoning. She could use partial summons as footholds, like she had during the battle against the Gargoyle Keeper.
Mira continued training with that in mind.
***
Mira dunked herself in the cold river, washing the sweat from her heated body. Once she was done, she grabbed the underwear she’d left on the riverbank, dried herself with a towel from her bag, and returned to the wagon. When she entered the welcoming little Japanese room, her fatigue turned to satisfaction, then sleepiness.
“Mm?”
As she reached for a new set of underwear to get ready for bed, she stopped. All the underwear in her bag had been changed out. She’d given the bag to Mariana back at the tower to have her laundry done, and it seemed her aide had taken the liberty of providing her with a new intimate wardrobe.
Ngh. It’s all absurdly…cute.
Mira picked the least offensive, most comparatively plain underwear she could find. A difficult choice, since they were all extremely girly.
“Not much I can do about it now.”
It wasn’t entirely terrible. When she wore the thin, lacy underwear, a lascivious grin spread across her face. Clad in her new underthings, she lay out her futon and wrapped herself in the blanket’s soft embrace. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.
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