Day 18 – Morning, the camp, in front of the tent. Sadly, I didn’t have 「Flight」among my skills. And also no 「Launch」, or 「Tailspin」, or 「Crashing」. Everyone was waking up and washing their faces at the river. For breakfast we have fish. When we get away from the river mushrooms will become our only choice. If we can have fish now, we should. 「「「Finally! We are out of the woods!!」」」 Grasslands. It’s all covered in hills so it’s not plains. The view is better than in the forest, but one still can’t see that far. Farsight is also not too useful, since the hills are getting in the way. Do I have no other choice but to take another flight……? It was fun after all. Well, after the launch I immediately fell down, so it doesn’t really count as flying. Yes, a fall being the only thing following the take-off is a problem. Yesterday, even if I didn’t go into a tailspin and crash after losing the balance, I would’ve fallen anyway. Yeah, I didn’t think about landing at all. But I flew pretty well? Didn’t I?
Even 1000 years later, humans won’t be able to soar through the skies like that. Well, that is leaving out different worlds. What do I do about landing? Will a parachute work? No, a parachute needs a considerable height, or there won’t be any deceleration effect. I won’t be jumping that far. I also have no idea how to make one or materials for it. If only I had something that could work as a replacement for levitation magic, but for now, anything that can be useful for landing. Hmmm, I ponder, looking at my status. Walking, Movement, and Weight are for taking off. Packing and Mana Wrapping are for crashing. Hmmm, flying is also a form of movement, so Movement might give supplementary effects even during the flight, so it might be needed even in the air? Ah, if a parachute is no good, then maybe I can use Wind Magic to create an air cushion that would weaken the impact from the fall? Maybe I can even change the direction? Or rather, if I use it mid-air, won’t I be able to actually fly? Yeah, yeah, this might be it…… 「Heeey, Haruka-kun, are you listening?」 What if I dash with Air Walk? Into the sky? Could it mean? 「Listen to me!!!」
Whoa…… that startled me! What is it?! Listen to me?! I thought it was Galactic Diva[1. TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross universe] but turns out, it’s the president. Please, don’t ask me to transform during the flight. It sounds super painful. 「There is something strange over there? Seems to be? So I kept asking you to check it out with Farsight. Aall this time.」 「Hmm, someone is being attacked by monsters. An old dude and another old dude, and……? Someone in armor…… An archer and a mage? Errr? And someone else, 6 people in total.」 「Will they be fine if we don’t help them? Are they winning?」 The president is worried about some old dudes so far away that one cannot even see them from here. But I’m wary of them. Being humans and getting attacked by monsters does not guarantee that they are good guys. Imagine saving bandits just to get attacked by them? Actually, for the president and others, this scenario might be more dangerous than monsters. Knowing full well how dangerous it is, they unanimously exiled the wannabes.
In other words, no one tried to kill them. And after getting attacked in return, the geeks ran away. The other party was trying to kill or enslave them, yet they couldn’t take their lives. They are way too lenient towards people acting with malice. The only people allowed to do that, are those who have an absolute advantage in power, which wouldn’t allow enemies to hurt them no matter how they tried. The main reason why I tagged along with them to the town, is because humans are more dangerous than monsters. 「Haruka-kun, let’s help them. With a group of fastest people.」 「With this distance, we won’t get there in time by running, and what are you going to do if they are bandits?」 From what I was able to see, a dude with a sword, a dude with a spear, full-plate armor, long-haired archer covering behind an overturned carriage, a hooded mage, and some other person. Their attire isn’t bad, but it says nothing about their characters. I wouldn’t trust a noble just because they dressed well. There is no reason to help them. And the monsters are either wolves or dogs, not just dog-faced monsters. A pack of about 30 in size. And judging by their movements, they have Cooperation. Once the formation is broken, they are screwed. Even if we rush there with the fastest members, we still might have the tables turned on us, due to the sheer difference in numbers.
「Haruka-kun. If they turn out to be bad people and will try to hurt our friends, I will kill them. But, since we don’t know if they are bad people or not, I’d like to save them. But if it’s impossible for us, then I ask you, please, save them.」 Well, I knew she’d say that. If you are going to suspect everyone just because you don’t know them well, then it’s better not to go to a town in the first place. Since there would be no point in meeting other people. As naive as they are, they still seem to have a certain resolve. Well, if they are ready to act as not to regret later, and to reflect on their actions, it should be fine. That’s why I came along anyway. 「I’ll go then? Be on your guard. At all times.」 「Yes, I will definitely protect everyone here.」 I won’t make it in time by running. But dashing using yesterday’s quartet of Movement, Walking, Mana Wrapping, and Weight, I might make it in time. Or might not? I can only try. It just occurred to me, no idea if I will be able to actually pull it off. But I will make it in time, after all, it will take only one moment. I reinforce my body with Mana Wrapping on the run. Then, make myself lighter with Weight, and while still having Movement magic on, envelop myself with Wind Magic, and dash into the sky. Yesterday, I misunderstood it as being launched into the air, but in fact, I just dashed there. Otherwise, Air Walk wouldn’t be possible. It really took only a moment. Using Movement and surrounding myself with Wind I accelerate, kicking off the air. The speed rose to the extreme, and in the blink of an eye, the scene that I was watching through Farsight was right in front of me. Or rather, I can’t stop? Coming from a super low trajectory, I crash into the ground, getting about 10 dogs caught up into it. Colliding, tumbling around, getting blown away. Which reminds me, I didn’t think of a way to stop.
「Eehm, are you okay?」 「「「「No…… Are YOU okay?」」」」 Yeah, they seem to be okay. The wolves don’t look okay though. About half of them aren’t moving. A multi-wolf collision accident.
Since it took me only a few seconds to arrive at the spot that couldn’t even be seen with the naked eye, then my speed should be easily in 4 digits. Covering even 10km in 10 seconds means traveling at 3600 kilometers per hour? Eh? Faster than sound?! Wait, if I went over Mach, did it come with a sonic boom? The distance was easily over 10km, but I’m absolutely certain that it didn’t take even 10 seconds. Yeah, as expected… A collision at such a speed is fatal… For wolves. The wolves that were instantly blown to pieces and scattered around hit the other wolves with those splinters, tearing them apart as well. Meanwhile, the wolves that were just blown away, are barely breathing. Is this a shockwave? A thick cloud of dust is rising. Finishing off the remaining wolves with Wind Cutter, I approach the old men. 「Are you injured? Need a potion? Well, it’s mushroom flavored though?」
Looks like they had no injuries. I seem to be the most hurt one here. Yup, the very culprit of the crash accident. The mushroom potion is disgusting! ・ ・ ・ 「Let me thank you again, you saved us, thank you. As things were going, we were sure to get wiped out. I’m the leader of this party, Ofta. Thank you for saving my comrades.」 「Thank you, man. I thought we were done for. You are going to Omui town, right? I’ll return the favor there. I’m Gatok, I’ll also treat you to a drink.」 The old men are thanking me, lowering their heads. The full armor and the trio from the rear guard seem to be treating their wounds behind the carriage, so the two old dudes went to check on them. So there is a town. The town of Omui? O… Fu?…… The old man came from that town it seems. But I lack the communication skills to pull out additional information from them. I’ll leave it to the president and other girls’ girl power. The girls are running over here, but it will take a while. Even though they are so far…… Even though I’m not using Farsight, I can still see them swaying? Yup, and all of them glared at me from such a distance.
「That pack of Green Wolves was attacking merchants, so the guild put up a request. The info was saying there are about 6-8 wolves…… To think there was more than 30 of them, we were about to die for sure.」 「37 wolves. There was also one called Big Green Wolf, that one that turned into splinters first.」 「Are you serious? Even one Big Green Wolf is bad news. Those idiots at the guild, putting up such a request.」 The old dude with a spear is mad, very mad. Well, they almost got annihilated after believing intel from the guild. Can’t blame him. The carriage seems to be done for and the horse is dead. The wheels are ruined. I helped to push it upright, but it will have to be abandoned. 「We planned to attack, using the carriage for cover, but with the Big Green Wolf, it, of course, wouldn’t work, damn it!」 「AAah, this is a huge loss. What am I going to do about the bar tab?」 In the end, they decided to share the luggage among the six of them. I can’t expose Item Bag before strangers, so I quietly watch. Since I had nothing better to do, I put some health mushrooms on skewers, and after toasting and salting them, I handed them over. Even if they had no actual injuries, they are probably still damaged and fatigued. So, special for you, mushroom doping! I might be able to start a dubious business with this.
「So tasty, it’s my first time having such a mushroom. I feel more energetic?」 「Delicious, this is a Health Mushroom! Something so valuable…… Thank you.」 「Eh?! I’m really recovered? Are these so-called HP mushrooms?」 「Health Mushroom?! It’s true! The pain is gone! Thank you, lad. And this is on top of saving our lives, I can’t thank you enough.」 Everyone is very pleased with mushrooms. And it also seems to be something precious. Despite them growing in such large numbers. Aside from the two old men, everyone else were young girls. The full armored person turned out to be a model-like western beauty. The archer, who was shooting from behind, is a beautiful elf. Okay, the old dudes seem to be enemies. There should be no problem with killing them. 「Hey! Haruka-kun! What is going on? Did you just try to go into a battle mode? Why are you looking at Ofta-san and Gatek-san with a flat gaze!!」
I got scolded? As expected of the original owner of flat gaze. It took her only one glance to realize that I’m going into attack mode. The president’s Scornful Eye is not just for show! 「Oh, you finally caught up? Good job?」 「No, I was here for quite a while already? And I was also keeping my guard up, just in case?」 Yeah, she was vigilant of the old dudes. Standing behind my back. She was even emitting bloodthirst when Full-Plate Armor-san held my hand, thanking me. She was probably trying to protect me. It felt like that bloodthirst was directed at me, but that’s probably my imagination. And the town seems to be standing on the river. So it actually was there after all. The Geek Theory was correct. Okay, for now, let’s refrain from hunting them down. Omui Town…… The name is so difficult to remember. I’m sure I will forget it before we even reach it. The names of the old men also were hard to remember, but since I didn’t remember them, it’s fine. The western beauty in full armor is Akemi-san. Looks like she is fine with Kemi, or Ami, or whatever. Akemi-san, you say, she could work at a snack bar with such a name. Let’s visit it, I wonder if high school students are allowed to enter? 「Kyaaaa, she is so pretty! A real elf-san! A moving work of art!」is the elf, Kirikiru-san, who for some reason is very popular with the schoolgirls. The full-armor girl is also「Kya, so cool! Please shake my hand!」very popular with the girls.
The remaining two are the mage Yebgeek-san and Holy Mage Geventier. Both are cute, but it’s impossible. Absolutely impossible. Remembering the names aside, I can’t even pronounce them. Even their party members are calling them Eve and Tee, all of them probably can’t pronounce these names as well. They are chatting with the Uniform Vice Presidents Group while walking. And I’m stuck with 2 old dudes? There are 24 girls, and I get two old men? 「Hmm, after all, the names of this world all sound so alien, so they are hard to remember.」 Why is it? I feel 40 eyes glaring at my back? I might die from those stares alone if I turn around.