Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 14: A powerful nation in the sky.
“To think you’d try to break my spirit as soon as we got here…”
“Yeah. I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”
No more needed to be said. If she was feeling better, that was enough for Vane.
However, they were still one person short. There was one member of the Heroic family who had just entered school this year and was not with them.
“Liz, What happened to that girl?”
“She was praying before we came out, so I think she’ll be here soon. Oh, Charlotte! I’m glad you’re lending a hand, but why are you still holding her hand?”
“Huh? Well, isn’t it troublesome if she gets lost?”
“Ugh! Are you treating me like a child again?”
“Before you start with the ‘childish treatment’ talk again, remember that you used to call me ‘Charlotte onee-chan’ until a few years ago.”
“I’ve grown up, too!”
The two ladies, two years apart in age, had been close like real sisters since they were young. Despite her tough attitude, anyone could see that Lizred was attached to Charlotte.
Amid the bustling conversation echoing in Windea.
“Now, what should we do?”
Kaito looked at Vane.
“There are many paths in Windea that aren’t made by people. They’re called natural fortresses created by nature. To reach the temple, we’ll have to find a way to get there somehow.”
“I understand. Let’s make sure not to do anything reckless.”
“Well, that’s the idea. Sometimes, you don’t know until you try, and it’s important to be daring.”
Kaito, who spoke enthusiastically, now held Airia in his hand.
Airia had chosen Kaito Leonrdo as her wielder. He had hoped that she would, and he also thought it was only right for the head of the Leonardo family which was his father, to wield her.
However, his father had insisted that Kaito should be the one to wield her. During the journey to the Leonardo territory, Airia had reacted only when Kaito had held her, and that alone had been impossible for anyone to ignore.
The door of the airship opened, and the last person appeared just after that.
It was clear that the offspring of the Seven Heroes were all here now, ready to embark on their journey.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Where Lemuria was docked was much lower in elevation, about a hundred miles lower than where Vane and the others were. Furthermore, it was parked on a rock face opposite to where Vane and the others were, so they wouldn’t easily meet face to face.
However, if they kept climbing, they would eventually be walking close to each other. The terrain here made that much clear.
“I’ll stay here and rest for a while.”
A conversation before going outside.
Lemuria’s interior was like a warm log cabin with rich brown wood paneling, creating a blend of high-end inn atmosphere. Other than the area around the fireplace and other machinery, it was comfortable to stay in.
The three of them were talking as they walked down the corridor toward the exit.
“By the way, Verlich… Can you fight?”
“Yeah. I’m not as good as you Ragna… but I think I’m better than your average adventurer.”
Dwarves were already known for their strength, and Verlich was particularly strong. Since there was little chance of monsters attacking inside Lemuria, even if they did, he could easily escape, so there was no need to worry too much.
Even Ragna, dressed as a traveling merchant, extended the gangway from the large entrance that even he could pass through. He was the first to step outside.
“You’re not planning on coming back every day, are you?”
“No. At first, I plan to operate not too far from here, so I’ll be back. After that, it’ll be complete wilderness camping.”
“And then you’ll go home?”
“It’s just a plan. I want to finish everything during the consecutive holidays because I’ll also be starting school. I’d like to keep it to one or two days, even if it drags on.”
“What are the prospects?”
“Of course, I’ll definitely manage something during the consecutive holidays.”
The reason Ren spoke confidently was not understood by Verlich, but Verlich appreciated Ren’s strength and resourcefulness.
“Then, I’m off.”
“Yeah! Be careful!”
Ren also left the gangway and set foot on Windea. This is the first time he was visiting such a remote place since the Baldor Mountains.
After repeating deep breaths, he said.
“Shall we?”
“Yes. First, we need to decide where to start exploring.”
“If it’s okay, may I make a suggestion?”
“Hmm.”
Ragna was a little surprised by Ren’s proactive attitude but immediately smiled.
“Go ahead; it seems like you want to continue.”
To respond to what seemed like Ragna’s approval, Ren took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ragna.
When Ragna opened it, he found several handwritten notes by Ren.
“It looks like a map of Windea. What are the red circles and numbers next to them?”
“It’s not a strategy… It’s just the order I want to go.”
“Why are you able to plan the route in such detail?”
“I gathered information from the Adventurer’s Guild and researched the distribution of plants that grow naturally in Windea in books.”
It was a complete lie from start to finish, but it was true that there were spaces in Windea with dense magic power. The sequence in these places depended on the special strains of plants that grew there, which thrived on the magic power in the air. This created an environment with concentrated magic power.
“I see. So you think there might be a Water Goddess’s item hidden in places like that?”
“That’s right.”
“In any case, this path is pretty much the same as what I had in mind.”
“So, Ragna, you were thinking about it too?”
“Of course. When I said, ‘Where to start?’ earlier, I was actually a little undecided about where to start. But with this, let’s proceed based on your ideas.”
The two of them started walking. They utilized unique methods of movement in places like Windea, sometimes using updrafts unique to Windea, exploring various locations.
After several hours, they saw a small spring nestled in the midst of lush vegetation between rocks. It was so small that only small animals could use it for bathing, and it was far too narrow for a person to enter.
“There’s something interesting here.”
In the spring, there was a crystal ball with a color reminiscent of early summer greenery.
Ragna reached out and effortlessly retrieved it from the water. When he held it, green wind-like patterns moved within the crystal ball.
“It’s a wind crystal. The fact that it was deliberately submerged in Windea’s water suggests a strong affinity between the two. It seems like there’s some connection between them.”
Ren’s goal was to collect these Wind Crystals, one of the complicated steps leading to the Water Goddess’s Ring. Moreover, it wasn’t certain that there would always be one where Ren drew the mark. It was just somewhere out there, which meant that several of them might end up being wild goose chases.
“While we search for the Water Goddess’s item, shall we also collect Wind Crystals?”
“Let’s do that. These are like fossilized crystals that have crystallized over the years due to the surrounding magic energy. They have value as assets, but they’re not some kind of holy relic, so I don’t mind taking them. They might come in handy for something.”
Suddenly, the nearby trees swayed irregularly, and several pairs of shining eyes appeared in the shadows. The two of them realized that monsters had appeared.
“Ren?”
Without saying anything, Ren stepped forward in front of Ragna.
“It’s my job. Ragna-san, please look for something else.”
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
With the Mithril magic sword in hand, Ren took aim at the monsters that seemed like they were about to attack.
By evening, they returned to Lemuria with the Wind Crystals they had gathered. After taking a bath in the ship’s bathroom, they had a late dinner in a small living space connected to the helm.
“Hey.”
Verlich, who was on duty at Lemuria, spoke up.
“How was it today? The monsters that come out here are around D-rank, right? Did you encounter anything noteworthy?”
“Surprisingly, we encountered absolutely nothing.”
“Absolutely nothing to the point where there’s nothing noteworthy.”
As they ate, the two of them said without hesitation.
“Well, you two are pretty amazing.”
However, they never let their guard down, and that’s why they were able to respond immediately. After filling their stomachs with dinner and replenishing their energy, Ren, who had bathed, spoke after a short break.
“I’ll rest in preparation for tomorrow.”
“I’ll do the same. I want to go to sleep right after recording today’s results. How about you, Verlich?”
“I’ll check on Lemuria’s condition first.”
Verlich, who was in charge, was also busy managing Lemuria.
About ten minutes later, Ren, who had returned to his room, lay on his back on the bed and looked out the window near his bed.
There were no lights of civilization, but the starlight seemed closer than the nights spent in Erendil.
As Ren gazed at the fantastical scenery, he said, “I wonder how everyone is doing.”
He thought about what Licia and Fiona were up to before going to sleep.
The first night passed like this.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
On the second day, they spent a similar amount of time, and by the evening of the third day.
They had collected a sufficient number of Wind Crystals, so Ren was able to relax as well.
“We’re running out of places we’ve marked.”
While talking, they set up their campsite, pitched their tent, and lit a fire. They sat on convenient rocks as they prepared dinner.
When Ren looked to the side, he could see the crimson sky being swallowed by the night’s darkness. This area was already at a high altitude in Windea, and not only were the clouds close, but they occasionally flew right past.
The wind was strong, and beautiful streams gushed from various places.
“We’re quite sunburned. By the way, Ren, what were you looking at the sky for so long?”
“I’m sorry. I got lost in the scenery around here.”
“I understand your feelings. I often do the same.”
While savoring the grilled meat, Ragna showed a gentle expression.
“Traveling is wonderful. It allows us not only to witness the unknown but also to forget everything and become one with nature.”
“Is that your reason for being a bag traveler?”
“Yes.”
Saying that, Ragna pointed to the sky and said, “Look over there.”
Far above in the distant sky, so far away that it was impossible to imagine the distance from here, Ren strained his eyes and finally saw a faint shadow.
It was very hard to discern, blending into the color of the sky.
“Did you see it?”
“I see something floating, but…”
It was a bit hard to see, so Ren squinted his eyes. He asked for an answer only after clearly understanding what that shadow was.
“What is that?”
The answer was brief. As Ragna rested his chin on his hand, he replied
“—It’s the Sky Continent.”
A faintly visible floating land in the vast and distant sky—a sky nation. The phenomenon of the Glacier Crossing that was related to last year’s incident. It occurred when the flying Sky Continent came to the skies of the Elven continent’s northern region.
Since then, the Sky Continent had continued to float, visible from Windea as well.