Chapter 374 – Training and Autumn Leaves

“Then—here I go.”

Mercedes rode the Earth Dragon as she raced through the air. Holding her longsword horizontally, she charged straight toward the Aqua Golems floating in the sky. The Aqua Golems prepared to counter by firing Water Bullets at Mercedes or extending water swords from their hands.

The Earth Dragon deployed a Shield beneath its feet, dodging the incoming Water Bullets with sideways leaps while—splitting apart. Thanks to the magic stones imbued with the light element, it could now utilize Mirage Body, albeit with somewhat simple movements. Well, you could think of it as little more than a decoy to disperse Miasma Bullets.

In the instant the barrage thinned and split, the main body and its clone charged straight in.

By using a wind Barrier to reduce air resistance and Levitation to eliminate its own weight, the speed of its Charge exceeded expectations. In no time, it closed in on the Golem and sliced through its torso with a blade enveloped in Fighting Spirit.

Other Aqua Golems showed signs of preparing to fire Water Bullets at Mercedes, but their forms momentarily wavered, nearly causing them to fall.

It was supporting fire from the Sonic Cannons on the Sirius. These were round, mirror-like devices mounted on the sides of the hull. Each cannon could be aimed up, down, left, and right, covering a relatively wide area.

Taking advantage of the supporting fire, Mercedes and the Earth Dragon didn’t miss the opening in the Aqua Golems. Raising their swords while splitting into main body and clone again—they simultaneously performed a Form Shift. The head of a nearby Aqua Golem went flying.

The Horizontal Sweep attack came not from Mercedes’ raised sword, but from the Earth Dragon swinging its tail. They had even incorporated a Feint using the main body and its clone.

As Mercedes launched her attack, Sonic Cannons showered the Golems to cover any openings. Before being surrounded, Mercedes and the Earth Dragon ran through the air, putting distance between themselves and the Aqua Golems before turning to face them again.

“How was it?”

“It’s good. I think this is an excellent Magic Tool.”

When I called down from above, Mercedes—who had returned to the deck with the Earth Dragon—nodded with satisfaction at the feel of the new Magic Tool. While not as versatile as the Mirage Body I use, by preparing several Forms suited to different situations, it could be applied even during actual combat. Well, it’s ultimately just a Feint—something to reduce the chance of being hit or to land a restraining blow to gain an advantage in battle, so what really matters is the user’s skill.

On the port side and beneath the ship, Elliot, Chester, Elmer, and the others were still training while riding Hippogriffs and Wyverns. I was astride the Lindwurm, overlooking the overall movements from directly above the Sirius.

For places like beneath the ship that couldn’t be seen directly, we were controlling the Golems using Caduceus and Balor to conduct the knights’ training.

The movements of the Aqua Golems were designed to simulate combat with Demons. That’s why they used techniques like Miasma Bullets and Miasma Swords. We were simultaneously conducting training for supporting fire from the Sonic Cannon gunners, with the content being to charge in against opponents whose Flight Technique had been disrupted.

And training was also taking place in the sky above the ship—right before my eyes.

Thud—kicking off a Shield with a loud sound, an oval-shaped object shot out with tremendous force, mowing down an Aqua Golem as it passed by. While countering an attack from the side with a Water Bullet using a Crystal Bullet, it twisted its body and charged in as if reflecting off something. With its large Claws, it tore apart another Aqua Golem.

The one conducting aerial combat training with the Aqua Golems was Corulis. It moved through the sky at speeds like a giant cannon shell, skillfully using earth projectiles and shields, looking like a fighter aircraft capable of Close Combat.

“Wow, well done, Corulis!”

Corulis, called to from the deck by Auria, turned its head and waved toward the deck.

Auria and Princess Stephania waved back, looking quite happy.

Hmm. But I think it’s about time to wrap up the training for now. I too descended to the deck with the Lindwurm and Corulis.

“Good work, Corulis.”

Princess Adriana was feeding Ore to Corulis, who had landed on the deck. Meanwhile, Elliot, Chester, Elmer, and the others also returned to the deck one after another.

“So, how was it? If you noticed anything using the new Magic Tools, please let me know.”

I asked for their impressions once everyone had gathered.

“No, the clone Magic Tool is fascinating. This has kind of… made studying movements, rather than just training, enjoyable,” Elmer said, and the others nodded in agreement. Yeah, I understand that feeling.

“This new Weapon—if you can land a hit properly, it should be quite something,” Chester remarked while looking at his spear. This one was a prototype from Alfred.

“I think Alfred would be happy to hear that.”

“I’ll have to thank him when we return.”

This spear could envelop itself in a whirlwind-like gale, enhancing its destructive power upon thrusting and its ability to Deflect enemy weapons.

It was made possible by incorporating wind magic stones… but well, it’s meaningless if the wielder is unskilled. The timing of activating the gale also depends on the user’s skill. The Aqua Golem that took a hit was shattered to pieces, so it definitely has considerable power.

“Thanks to the Magic Tool, I could really feel the significant increase in flight speed. If we didn’t have Levitation, some might even faint,” Elliot added.

We’ve equipped Saphir and the Wyverns with various Magic Tools to increase their flight speed, such as reducing air resistance or eliminating their own weight.

The Lindwurm, enhanced through Circulating Ki, can reach speeds enough to keep up with the Sirius at full throttle… At this rate, everyone should be able to fight while moving alongside the Sirius at considerable speeds.

Although Elliot was likely raising a concern, he delivered his impressions somewhat cheerfully. It seemed like he was actually enjoying the sudden increase in speed and having fun flying… probably not my imagination.

The members of the Demon-Slaying Knight Order also seemed to be enjoying the increased speed, much like Elliot, nodding thoughtfully in agreement… Well, that’s reassuring. They’re a group with good motor skills to begin with, and they’re already starting to master the Forms incorporating clones during training.

“I’ll compile the feedback on the Magic Tools and pass it along to Alfred. I’d like to increase the variety of clone Forms as well.”

“Thank you, we appreciate it.”

The members of the Demon-Slaying Knight Order all bowed cheerfully in unison. Until just now, we had been cruising at a slower speed, but with everyone back on deck, the ship’s speed increased slightly.

Hmm. Well, since training is over, I’ll relax a bit on the bridge.

Returning to the bridge, control of the ship was handed over from Old Sigmund to Elliot. Elliot’s skill with magic control is quite impressive. We’re cruising smoothly and quietly at a good speed.

“The road—it continues straight ahead, right?”

“Yes. The highway over there leads to a different place. If we’re on the right path, we should see a river and a bridge.”

“Ah, I see it. That’s it, right?”

Ashley and Elliot exchanged words.

While this is the first time for both Elliot and me to head south, Princess Stephania has apparently visited Grand Duke Debonnis’s territory before. We’re proceeding by spreading out maps and a compass on the bridge desk and checking the terrain as we go. The scenery flows by so quickly that whenever we see a fork in the road, we all verify it together. Well, we’re flying where we can see the highway, so serious mistakes are unlikely.

“My, my. Air travel certainly has a way of making one’s heart leap, doesn’t it?”

“Touring the ship is fun.”

While drinking tea and relaxing, a cheerful Auria returned to the bridge with Sheila. It seemed they had been using speaking tubes in various places to communicate with Princess Adriana and others on the bridge, or touring the various facilities inside the Sirius.

Yeah… I also… or rather, I think Kagehisa did that when he was little too. Exploring inside big vehicles like ships or trains.

Feeling like I’d returned to my childhood, I nodded thoughtfully while tilting my cup. As noon approached, Grace spoke up.

“I’ve prepared lunch today with light finger foods for everyone.”

“Ah. Is it already that time?”

Rosemary nodded and took several baskets out of her Magic Bag.

Inside were colorful sandwiches. There was a rich variety with bacon, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, and so on.

There was also karaage from the Cassowary we hunted inside the Blazing Fortress the other day… In other words, fried hippogriff. It’s a fire-breathing bird that sometimes wanders alone in the Blazing Fortress… Well, since few venture deep into the Blazing Fortress, it’s a rare ingredient even in Termwills. It’s a Monster you have to be careful with, as it’s temperamental and its kicking Claws are powerfully strong.

“You must be tired from training. I’ll take over the steering.”

“Ah, I’m still fine. Please, Lord Sigmund, you go ahead and eat first.”

“Hmm… Well, if you insist. Let me finish quickly so we can switch.”

“Thank you.”

Such an exchange took place between Elliot and Old Sigmund near the pilot’s seat. Marlene and Claudia were efficiently setting aside Elliot’s portion from the baskets. Notifications went out through speaking tubes to all parts of the ship. Personnel from various locations would come up to the bridge in shifts to have their meal.

While this is a journey with a purpose… the time to get serious is still ahead. The autumn leaves outside are beautiful… and the view is excellent from this height.

While admiring such scenery through the Crystal Panel, we had a somewhat picnic-like lunch with sandwiches and karaage. The Sirius carrying us advanced through the autumn mountains toward Grand Duke Debonnis’s territory.