noveltune Chapter 292
Chapter 292
The hunting squad finally set out, even though their departure was slightly delayed due to various matters.
As the starry sky group created by Ari and Sylvia began to ascend into the air, picking up speed, the city that was visible below quickly shrank into a small dot and disappeared.
For a moment, everyone was gazing in the direction where the city had been, and as soon as it was no longer visible, people began to glance around, one by one.
“It’s funny that we’re saying this now... but we’re really flying in the sky...”
“Yeah, right....”
The faces of those looking around reflected a mix of slight fear along with a greater curiosity.
To put it more specifically, it was the reaction of first-time flyers. I found it a bit strange that everyone was reacting this way, but soon realized that it was completely normal.
This place, excluding the city, was a world tainted by magic.
There hadn’t been much of a need to travel long distances, so there likely wouldn’t have been any aircraft made either.
Therefore, aside from Sylvia, who had flown here once before to rescue me, it was only natural that today would be everyone’s first flight experience.
Once I realized that, I couldn’t help but understand everyone’s reactions.
I felt the same excitement when I boarded a plane for the first time for a business trip.
...To be honest, I was much more of a mess than they were.
Because when I first boarded a plane, I genuinely thought I needed to take off my shoes.
What could I do? When I asked the internet how to prepare for a flight, everyone told me to take my shoes off...
I was also new to business trips, but I had done some thorough pre-trip research so that I could play the senior role to my junior who was accompanying me, and although I managed to finish the check-in process without any trouble,
while taking off my shoes, I confidently said, “Got it? You take off your shoes when getting on a plane.” then everyone around me, including my junior, burst into laughter, which has left a trauma in me to this day.
Moreover, that guy, who laughed the loudest, teased me until the end, saying, “Hey, senior. I’ll take mine off too, so I won’t be alone; it’s less embarrassing, right?”
Just how funny it must have been for people to whistle and clap as they watched me get teased.
I really can’t figure out what would suit people so well to shout like that.
Did they think my disgraceful appearance, having lost the dignity of being a senior, was fitting?
How could they say such harsh things to a stranger... people can indeed be quite mischievous...
Anyway, someone must have taken a picture and posted it online because there was a time when “Barefoot Couple on Plane” became a joke among my friends.
Ahhh, just thinking back to that time is so embarrassing...!
As I kicked away that suddenly coming back memory of embarrassment in my mind, I gradually became accustomed to the view from above and heard people starting to chatter.
“Wow, looking at it this way, I can really feel that the area outside the city isn’t livable at all. Everywhere you look, it’s all clouded with magic.”
“...Still, from up here, it feels a bit different. Usually, I just pay attention to the demonic beasts flocking to the city, and I hadn’t really cared much about what the outside world looked like.”
Most of them, who had been guarding the front lines and had seen the area outside the city, reacted as if the landscape was terrible, covered by magic.
Occasionally, there were a few who showed a hint of intrigue among them, but that was extremely rare.
However, Florene’s reaction was quite different from theirs.
“I’m seeing... the world outside the city...”
Florene’s murmurs reached my ears.
With a fervent glance as she eagerly looked around at the world below, her eyes were full of wonder.
“It’s really vast out here...”
Vast, as Florene observed the large expanse of the world with her eyes.
For her, the outside world had probably been nothing more than a story from a book.
Even if she had understood logically that there was a world much broader than the city, this was likely her first time seeing it firsthand.
Just as I was momentarily confused by the existence of a beautiful elite single female magician who could rival a magical creature, Florene, who was flirting with Dwight, called out to the cheerful Marin.
“Hehe. Marin, doesn’t it feel amazing to see how vast the outside world is for the first time?”
“Ah... Me? Yes, it does.”
As Marin lightly smiled, watching their affectionate tamper with a gentle expression, she pondered for a moment before responding.
“Honestly, I don’t really know if it’s amazing, but there’s something I’ve always wanted to see from outside.”
“Something you want to see? What is it?”
“...The sea.”
“The sea?”
At the mention of the sea, Florene widened her eyes in surprise, and Marin softly murmured with a smile.
“Yeah, since I was little, I’ve always wanted to see it directly at least once. I’ve wondered if it’s really as blue and deep as the books describe. So, I know I shouldn’t think this way, but I can’t help but feel a bit excited about actually seeing the sea.”
“Hehe, so what! If you want to see it, you want to see it!”
“...Right? Hehe.”
Even though everyone knew the hunt was a serious matter, there was something strangely heartwarming about Marin’s smile, which couldn’t hide her excitement.
What could I say, it stirred up feelings long forgotten from childhood.
“...Speaking of which, I was so curious about what the outside world looked like when I was little. I had totally forgotten about that.”
“Yeah, right. I used to dream of going to the floating islands where the Joins lived... I had forgotten about that too...”
Maybe because of that.
In response to her words, the heroes, who until now had been indifferent to the scenery outside, began to share their own nostalgic anecdotes, creating a sentimental atmosphere.
At that moment, as I watched the people talking about the places they longed to see as if they were children, Sylvia smiled and asked.
“Scarlet, don’t you have anything you want to see? Somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit?”
“Me? Well, I don’t know... Nothing in particular comes to mind.”
Unlike everyone here, I had seen the sea a few times and had experienced flying in the sky on a plane.
...Well, there are places I’d like to visit, but they are now unreachable.
As I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders, unable to express this, Sylvia muttered.
“Hmm, it seems Scarlet lacks a childlike wonder.”
“What? Then what about you, Sylvia? Do you have something special?”
As her strangely provoking words made me snap back in question, Sylvia replied with a mysterious smile.
“Well, actually, I don’t have any particularly special places either.”
“What? Then you’re no different from me.”
“Haha, that’s not quite it. I’d be fine going anywhere.”
“Eh? What do you mean by that?”
As I tilted my head at Sylvia’s ambiguous remark, she stared at me with a bright smile and murmured.
“I’m confident I’d like any place I go with you, Scarlet. There’s nothing more exhilarating than embarking on an adventure with your closest friend.”
“...What? Is that so?”
I laughed as if I couldn’t believe Sylvia’s words.
To be honest, I was incredibly happy to hear that, but I felt too shy to let it show.
Thus, I filled the nostalgia that had once occupied my heart with the laughter of my newly formed friends.