Arifureta After III Tortus Travel Journal ⑥
–
A huge object was floating in the world of azure where the light of the sun was pouring down.
Hajime’s artifact, the airship Ferner. It was flying as though gliding above the sky where clouds that looked like cotton candy were floating sparsely.
Originally they planned to use gate to teleport until the city of Horuad, but the wish of Shuu and others 「This is a rare chance, so we want to try flying in the sky of another world」 resulted in this.
「UOOOOOOOOH」
「HOAAAAAAAH」
It went without saying who was the people who were making those strange voices. It was the Nagumo spouses. They held on the handrail on the rear deck and leaned their body forward to gaze at the superb view of another world. As for the strange voices, it seemed it was because they were deeply moved.
And then, although the other weren’t raising strange voices like those two, the Shirasaki spouses, Hatayama Akiko, and the members of Yaegashi family were also similarly feeling moved seeing the other world’s sky, mountains, plains, and the European Middle Ages styled cities and villages that sometimes came into view.
The scenery that they were seeing right now itself was moving, but it was also added with how they were staring at the surrounding area outside the plane that was moving in high altitude. The experience that was impossible to get in earth made them couldn’t help it to feel excited even though they were adults.
「Son! You are amazing!」
「Son! You are the best!」
「Well, thanks.」
Shuu and Sumire rotated their upper body and snapped up a thumb up to behind them. The synchronization in their words and action made one wondered whether they had made prior arrangement beforehand. Though for Hajime, his parents were already like this since he became aware, so it was already too late to wonder about that.
Hajime smiled wryly at the delight and action of his parents. Tomoichi asked him then with a bit of excitement.
「Hajime-kun. What’s with this avant-garde hull? How about the propulsive power? How can something this big is flying even though it has this kind of shape? Or rather, in this altitude we aren’t having trouble breathing or even feeling the slightest breeze……」
Hajime’s wry smile deepened at Tomichi who looked like he would press his question further even now while explaining.
So to speak, Ferner was moving by adjusting the gravity neutralization effect and the gravitational direction from the gravity stone. More accurately speaking, the airship was “falling” rather than “flying”.
So to speak, the propulsive force came from magic power, as long as Hajime was on board, he could freely move the ship no matter where he was. There was a barrier put up so the wind pressure could also be adjusted, and so on.
Also, about the avant-garde hull――the shape that was like manta fish was because of Hajime’s preference. Things like aerodynamics and the like, he didn’t give a damn about those things, so he said.
「No, how should I say it, it’s really fantastical huh……」
「Fufuh, Otou-san, Otou-san. Hajime-kun is amazing right?」
「……」
Tomoichi-san fell silent morosely. His daughter circled to in front of him and pressed for answer, but he turned around and drove her out from his vision. When Kaori circled around once more, he turned around. Tomichi, turn-. Kaori, turnn-.
The Shirasaki father and daughter was turning and turning and turning.
It was the persistent offense and defense of the father and daughter, but seen from the side it only looked like a super close parent and child. The atmosphere was naturally getting filled with warmth and smile.
Tomoichi was sending a gaze that was filled with demand for help! To his wife.
Kaoruko was making a gaze as though she was looking at difficult people while her gaze turned toward Hajime. It seemed she left it completely to him. Please change the topic okay! Her gaze said.
Hajime shrugged in acknowledgement and after showing a pondering look for a bit, he grinned widely.
「Oi, Tio.」
「Mu? ……Aa, I see. Kuku, I doth not mind.」
Tio was quick on the uptake. The two of them really had mutual understanding of each other.
Everyone’s gaze was turned at Hajime and Tio, at the same time the two of them started walking together to the edge of the deck.
「Yue, take care of the ship’s handling.」
「……Nn. Have fun.」
Yue laughed ‘fufu’. Sure enough, it seemed she had completely grasped the intention of Hajime and Tio. She poured her magic power into Ferner and accepted the control of the ship while smiling gently.
「Tou-san, I’ll show you an astounding fantasy scene after this. It will be a fantasy among fantasy that anyone will absolutely admire if they are a man.」
「What? Hajime, just what in the world are you planni――」
Shuu didn’t even hide his excited face after hearing his son’s words, but the next moment, his expression became frozen.
Because Hajime and Tio jumped off the ship.
A single hop from Ferner, really casually.
「Heh?」
「Eh, huh?」
Shuu and Sumire were dumbfounded with mouth gaping open. Tomoichi and others were also in a daze with their mouth staying open.
But, the next moment they raised a shocked yell ‘WAAAAAAAAH!?’ and rushed forward toward the deck’s handrail.
Yue and others the wive~s were completely calm. Despite that they didn’t notice that fact at all and they leaned forward while holding on the handrail to look below in order to search after Hajime and Tio who suddenly leaped to their death.
It was right at that moment.
――’GURUAAAAAAAAH!!’
A grand and majestic roar that stirred the air hit the ears.
Shuu and others spontaneously jerked and backed away while trembling.
Ahead of their gaze, a giant jet black shadow passed through from below to above.
Akiko and Kaoruko unconsciously fell on their butt from the impact of the view. The shadow that was causing that by rushing in the sky was of course,
「Dra, dragon!」
Shuu’s emotional and shocked voice echoed to the surrounding.
He already knew. That she was able to transform into dragon like what came out in book or game. He had also seen it for real before.
Although, this was the first time Shuu and Sumire saw her flying in the sky freely like this. In the end they had only seen her figure transforming on the ground.
Above Ferner that was gliding in the sky, Tio in the black dragon form was circling around elegantly.
The jet black dragon scale that was shining from the sunlight reflection was very beautiful. The large wings that were catching the wind and the huge body that was full of impact were tremendously majestic.
One more roar surged out as service. This time it was accompanied with a scorching breath attack.
The eyes of Shuu and others who were looking up from the deck of Ferner were emitting a shine that didn’t lose to the sunlight. They were letting gout voice of excitement that sounded similar like a roar.
Tio circled around above them one more time before flying parallel to Ferner with smooth gliding.
「How’s that, Tou-san? Great right?」
Hajime said that while unusually sticking out his chest looking incredibly proud. He was standing imposingly on Tio’s back with his arms folded while grinning.
「I’m totally jealous-. A man’s romance is right in front of meee-」
Shuu hit the handrail in frustration repeatedly. He was also kicking the ground with a vexed look.
Hajime laughed cheerfully seeing his father looking like that. Then he told Tio to land on the deck.
「It seems Tio doesn’t mind, so how about Tou-san and everyone else also ride on her back? Flying on the sky riding on a dragon’s back in another world will be a nice memory of a lifetime you know?」
「……Tou-san has never felt so grateful like today, for having a son like you who have a dragon wife. Please let meee!」
「Tio-chan! Actually I had the thinking that someday I want to ask to ride on you! Please」
『Fufu, it wouldst be mine pleasure if it’s Hahaue-dono and Chichiue-dono. The others art also like family to me, so come up without worry, because I wouldst guarantee thy safety.』
The voice of Tio that was directly resounding inside their head seemed to make Tomoichi and others to be convinced for real that the majestic black dragon near them was really Tio. They nodded up and down in high speed speechlessly.
Like that, Shuu and Sumire rode on Tio first and Tio leaped up to the sky once more.
Just when it seemed they looked a bit scared, as expected from the parents of Hajime, the spouses’ tension was at max right from the start. Shuu was even hopping up and down on Tio’s back while yelling ‘hyaho~i’.
『……Fumu』
「Hm? What’s the matter Tio?」
Hajime sharply noticed Tio letting out a voice that sounded deeply emotive and asked. Then, Tio spoke with a voice that sounded vaguely in agony.
『No, it’s nothing big. Being stepped on like this by Goshujin-sama’s parents art quiet pleasant in its own wa――』
「Hmph」
『HIGYAAAAAATHANK YOU VERY MUUCHH!』
Goshujin-sama’s fist that impacted hard until the internal organs smashed on the back of the perverted hopeless dragon. The hopeless dragon-san smoothly spoke out her gratitude even while screaming.
The terrific impact caused the altitude to drop with a jerk and the body balance crumbled.
「――ah」
Shuu fell leaving behind that voice. Like that 「aAAAAAAAAAA~~~」 a trailing scream resounded through the sky.
Hajime made a face that said 「Ah, damn it」, while beside him Sumire screamed 「DEAAAAAARRR~」. And then, a silver flash rushed at the corner of their vision.
A beat later.
「Geez-, Hajime-kun, what are you doing! Otou-san almost turned into a stain in the ground just now!」
Kaori flapped her silver wings to fly up while carrying Shuu in her arms from behind.
Shuu who experienced skydiving without parachute was muttering 「Thank you very much, thank you very much-. Living is wonderful……」 while his eyes were half rolled back.
「Well, even if he become a stain on the ground, if it’s Kaori then it’s recoverable……」
「Don’t treat Otou-san like a broken doll! Geez……treat life with care, you know?」
Although there was limitation to a certain degree, the demon king-sama’s group had basically risen above death. Even Hajime himself was starting to have thinking like 「It’s fine, it will only be death for a bit. It will only really be for a bit」 taking root inside himself.
*Flap flap. Flap flap.* The silver wings that actually didn’t need to be flapped at all to fly were flapping adorably due to habit and Kaori returned Shuu on Tio’s back.
The moment it became obvious that there wasn’t any particular problem, Shuu stared fixedly at Sumire who was laughing while holding her stomach while raising his voice toward Tomoichi who was on the deck.
「Tomoichi-ku~~~~n! It’s just like you saiiid, Kaori-chan is~, certainly an angel!!」
「That’s right isn’t it! Kaori is an angel! Kaoriii~, that was amazing~! You did great! But, Otou-san’s life has shrunk by fifty years here, so please don’t suddenly jump off anymore~」
It seemed that Tomoichi-san would soon run out of life span.
『Chichiue-dono, I beg for thy forgiveness.』
「No no, that’s fine. I was getting a bit too high spirited. And it was also really thrilling.」
「Pupupu~, dear, you went 『Aa~~~』 in real life! Ahahahah」
Laughin unreservedly at her husband’s shameful sight was Sumire quality.
Shuu cleared his throat to cover up his embarrassment while attempting to shift the topic.
「The great labyrinth we are going to right now is also a really thrilling place right? That free diving was a good side entertainment.」
「I think the thrill of a great labyrinth is different from just now though……」
There, Hajime who was also smiling a bit like Sumire made a slightly worried expression.
「Tou-san, Kaa-san. As I thought, I think it’s better to only visit the surface floor and Oscar’s hideout in Orcus. Fighting against monster is……it’s more gruesome than Tou-san and others think……」
「No, Hajime. We came here because we want to know the track that you followed. I want you to show us what kind of path you were walking.」
「……」
Although, Hajime wondered how much he should show them. In his opinion, the happening before he fell into abyss and the survival after he encountered Yue would be fine to be shown.
That was as long as the two of them, and also Tomoichi and others didn’t give up from the bloody battle.
However, the event at that time when he went through the change of his mind……
He flatly refused to do something like bragging of his misfortune. There would be no point of him purposely showing the bloody and nauseating event. If they wanted to know about the path that he walked, he thought that it would be enough to start from after his encounter with Yue.
But, would Shuu and Sumire be convinced with that much……
It would be great if it went well and they let the censoring passed. Hajime was thinking of such thing for a while.
『Kuku. Even Goshujin-sama who was always quick and decisive art also a parents’ child. I couldst see thou straying in various things before thy parents.』