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The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War ~And Thus, I Became The Strongest Knight Disciple (β) in The World~-Chapter 392: 16 Year Old Inglis and the Highland on Distance Sea
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The vast expanse of the clear blue sky stretched endlessly in front of them. But when Inglis turned her gaze downward, a different shade of blue greeted her β the deep, mesmerizing blue of the ocean. freew ebnov el
Inglis and her friends had embarked on a journey from Chiral, the Royal Capital of the Charalia Kingdom, and were now traversing the sea. Their destination was the stronghold of the Duke of Art, one of the Three Archdukes of the Highland and the father of Special Envoy Theodore and his sister, Rene (Cyrene).
Their mission was twofold: to seek healing for Eris, who had been wounded in her weaponized form during a confrontation with JeldegrΔ«va, the Duke of War, and to secretly consult with a Highland technician about restoring Rene to her normal state.
For Inglis, however, there was an additional, personal anticipation β the hope that the Highlandβs defense weapons might malfunction and provide her with an unexpected challenge. After experiencing a thrilling battle with JeldegrΔ«vaβs formidable prowess, she couldnβt help but wonder what kind of excitement the Duke of Artβs technological marvels might offer.
βHnngh~! The sky and the sea are both such beautiful shades of blue. Itβs so refreshing! Iβve never seen everything so blue before! Right, Glis?β Rafinha stretched comfortably on the deck of the flying battleship, which had arrived from the Highland for their transport.
βYes, Rani,β Inglis replied with a smile. The scenery was indeed a rare and mesmerizing sight, one she hadnβt even experienced in her previous life. It was a spectacle worth beholding.
βYou are most correct, it is a lovely sight, isnβt it?β Lieselotte agreed, nodding appreciatively.
βYes, it is, butβ¦β Leone glanced at Inglis, seemingly hesitating to say something.
ββ¦Well, you shouldnβt worry about it. Youβll lose if you care too much,β Eris interjected as if reading Leoneβs mind. Eris, Leone, Lieselotte, and Rafinha were all aboard the Star Princess, which they had managed to bring onto the ship.
Meanwhile, Inglis, appearing as a child of five or six years, was busy lifting the Flygear with both hands, flexing and stretching her knees as she conversed with Rafinha. This was her typical practice routine, sparing no moment for training, although it must have looked quite peculiar to see someone so small engaged in such an activity.
βBut itβs been a few days already. Itβs about time we got there, right, Miss Vilma? We were supposed to arrive by now. How much longer? What hour, what minute, what day of the week?!β Rafinha inquired, turning to the Highlander Knight standing nearby.
The knight, a beautiful woman with lustrous blond hair marked by a stigma on her forehead β a sign of her Highlander status β had hair just below her shoulders, slightly shorter than usual for a woman. This gave her a gallant and stern aura, complementing her striking appearance.
Appearance-wise, the Highlander Knight Vilma looked a bit younger than Eris but slightly older than Inglis and her friends. However, given the longevity of Hyrule Menaces and Highlanders, appearances could be deceiving, making it hard to ascertain their true age.
Vilma, dressed in heavy jet-black armor, looked ready for war at any moment. As the captain of the Highland battleship that had come for Eris, she projected an aura of authority and readiness. Special Envoy Theodore couldnβt accompany them, having duties in Charalia, but Vilma, summoned by him, was presumed to be approachable.
Yet, Vilma remained silent, disregarding Rafinhaβs enthusiastic inquiries.
βMiss Vilma! Can you hear me?!β Rafinha persisted.
βYouβre making too much noise, donβt talk to me so casually,β Vilma retorted with a glare.
βEeeh~. But youβll be our guide in the Highlands, right? We should try to get along since weβll be together for a while!β Rafinha maintained her positive attitude, undeterred by Vilmaβs dismissiveness.
Vilma, though blunt and distant, didnβt demean or ridicule them, an attitude somewhat friendlier than typically expected from Highlanders. Thus, Rafinha continued her attempts at conversation.
ββ¦.β
βA~ahh, youβre terrible for ignoring me! Hey hey hey, Miss Vilma, youβre terrible I said!β Rafinha protested, trying to engage Vilma in conversation.
βShut upβ¦! Youβre the terrible one! Youβre making a child carry all of youβ¦?! This is pathetic, are you surface people all so barbaricβ¦β¦?!β Vilma retorted, her voice tinged with disbelief and disapproval.
Vilmaβs indignation was evident as she observed Rafinha, the Star Princess, and Inglis. She appeared to misconstrue the situation, assuming it was a form of punishment imposed on Inglis by the others. In reality, it was simply part of Inglisβs regular training routine.
βYou donβt get it, out of everyone on Midland, Glis is the odd one outβ¦! She said it wasnβt heavy enough, so weβre helping herβ¦!β Rafinha explained.
βI mean, I can see how misleading it looksβ¦β Eris added, sighing.
βWhy donβt you get on as well, Miss Vilma? Youβll understand that there is nothing to worry about, and it would help my training with the added weight.β Inglis suggested, eyeing Vilmaβs heavy armor as a potential training aid.
βI-, I would never do such a horrible thingβ¦!β Vilma swiftly declined.
βYou can answer my question then~ Come on, tell us how long until we reach Highland?β Rafinha pressed.
ββ¦weβre almost directly below the rendezvous point. All thatβs left isβ¦β Vilma began, but her words were cut off as the Flying Battleship entered thick clouds, obscuring their visibility.
βOnce weβre above this wall of cloudsβ¦weβll be there,β Vilma concluded as they emerged from the clouds.
βWaahβ¦! So weβre finally there. I wonder what itβs likeβ¦!β Rafinha exclaimed excitedly. ππ«π²π²ππ²π―π»π¨ππ²π₯.ππ¨πΊ
βThis is fun, right Rani? I canβt wait to see what kind of awesome weapon of mass destruction will attack usβ¦! It is the home island of the Duke of Art, after all, Iβm sure his technological prowess surpasses what we saw with Lord Jillβ¦!β Inglis mused, anticipating potential challenges.
βCome on, weβre not here to wage warβ¦! Besides, Iβm more interested in the food and snacks in Highland, and what kind of clothes are in style!β Rafinha added, her thoughts drifting to more peaceful aspects.
βThis isnβt a vacationβ¦!β Vilma rebuked her.
At that moment, as Vilmaβs words echoed, the hazy view suddenly became clear. The Flying Battleship had just pierced through the wall of clouds.
βWhatever. This is the home island of the Duke of Art, Illuminus. Seeing it is a privilege for those from the Midland!β
Vilma pointed ahead, her voice tinged with pride. Yet, only the endless blue sky stretched above a sea of clouds.
βEhβ¦? But, Miss Vilma, thereβs nothing thereβ¦?β
βHah, typical of you Midlandersβ¦β
Vilmaβs face lit up with the glee of a successful trickster.
β?β
βItβs all camouflage. Our home island can merge with the sky, concealing itself completely. This showcases our superiority in technology, surpassing all in the Highland, including the Foundersβ Church!β
βWow, thatβs incredible!β
βAnd still, it appears as though thereβs nothing to gaze upon. What a paradoxical sightβ¦β
βYouβre right. Itβs vastly different from what exists on the surface.β
Rafinha, along with Liselotte and Leone, marveled at the display. It was their first glimpse into the technological might of the Highlands.
ββ¦Miss Eris, do you sense the flow of mana?β
β? No, but isnβt that expected?β
βIt may be, yet it feels unusually weakβ¦ Miss Vilma, are we truly in front of a piece of the Highland?β
βRidiculous. Weβre almost at our rendezvous point. Or are you insinuating that Iβm misleading you? Thatβs absurd.β
βNo, not at all. I just want to confirm there are no unexpected issuesβ¦β
As Inglis spoke, a report arrived from another Highland soldier, his identity hidden behind a full suit of armor.
βExcuse me, weβve lost communication with Illuminus.β
βWhatβ¦?! But weβre right at the edge of the camouflageβ¦!β
βThereβs no response from the camouflage magic either.β
βWhat did you sayβ¦?! Are you implying that Illuminus isnβt actually hereβ¦?! Then whereββ
Crash!
An enormous splash erupted, its sound seemingly reaching for the heavens, leaving Inglis under the illusion that the water had ascended to great heights.