Flying Magic

Author: Ryusui
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2121hw/17/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

The viewers got bored of the scenery, so I sped up. From the Spirit Forest to the town is about the distance of a horse running a full day, apparently. I got there in about an hour, and even then everyone seemed bored.

‘After you sped up we couldn’t even tell what the scenery was lol’
‘All we could do was talk…’

“Hmm… Next time I won’t stream during travel.”

I can’t say the travel itself is important, and showing just inside the town is fine too.
Anyway, arrival. I’m flying fairly high, and a big town is visible below. A large wall against magic beasts surrounds the town, with gates at east, west, south, and north.

“Which gate should I use. The closest one okay?”

‘No’
‘It’d be obvious you came from the Spirit Forest. How about the south gate?’

“South, then.”

I gain altitude so I can’t be seen from the ground, and head for the opposite side.
Looking down from up here, you can tell it’s a really wide town. There’s a big building in the center, I wonder what that is?

‘Whoa. This is fantasy, huh’
‘What’s amazing is that a town that big has no power lines’
‘Unthinkable from modern Japan’

Japan—or rather the other world—was nothing but power lines. I think there were power lines no matter where you looked. I think science is more convenient than magic, but the power lines were really in the way.
What’s going to happen with this world. Even without science, there’s magic. Even if you can’t use magic itself, there are things like magic tools. Enough that I can think there’s no room for science to come in at this point.
I thought about that, but it doesn’t have much to do with me. Things will be what they’ll be, they also say.
While I was thinking that, I reached the south gate on the opposite side.

“Ohh…”

Not exactly a long snaking line, but people and wagons going into the town without a break. Wagons coming out of the town too. As you’d expect of a trade town.
All right, I’ll try going in too. For now, maybe I should go down in front of the south gate?
If I drop all of a sudden some people will be surprised, so I descend slowly. Ah, people are starting to notice me here and there. They’re pointing. Someone who looks like a gate guard noticed too, and is staring this way slack-jawed. Do your job.

‘Boss! A suspicious person from the sky!’
‘All right, shoot them down’
‘Why lol’

If I get attacked out of nowhere I’ll hit back, you know?
Yeah. I’m gathering attention somehow. Before I knew it nobody’s moving. Everyone’s frozen looking at me. What do I do, I don’t know what happened.
I land slowly on the ground. Still gathering stares. Um, what am I being asked for? I don’t intend to do anything bad, okay?
Ah, maybe this black board is suspicious. Of course.

“I’ll dismiss the comment board. Some comments will still reach my ears directly.”

‘Roger’
‘Obviously’
‘The usual mysterious tech’

It’s magic, not tech.
I dismiss the black board and check the surroundings again. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone’s still looking. What do I do about this.
While I can’t decide my next move, soldiers come running from the town. They aren’t carrying anything like weapons. You could call them unarmed.
The soldiers who ran over are two. Both stop in front of me and stand at attention.

“Excuse us! You appear to be a renowned Lady Witch; what business brings you to Getisleia!”
“Mm… Getisleia?”
“Yes! The name of this town!”

The town’s name is apparently Getisleia. A long name. Learn from Japan.

‘What’s a renowned witch’
‘Is Rita-chan famous?’
‘If Rita-chan, who’s never left the forest, is famous, it’d be Master’s doing’

Mm. I see. Might be a lead on Master. I should ask.

“You know me?”
“No!”
“Mm…? Then what’s the renowned part?”
“Because you were flying!”

Wait.

‘If you can fly you’re competent or something?’
‘From the soldiers’ reaction, competent doesn’t even cover it’
‘All right, everyone, let’s recall Master’s old words’
‘Flying magic is the most basic of basics, was it lol’

No, yeah. I thought it was weird. I did. Because for something basic, it was pretty hard. I can fly freely now, but the time it took to learn was overwhelmingly longer than anything else.
What’s basic about that. When I see him I’ll get mad.

“Lady Witch?”
“Mm… It’s nothing.”
“I see. Then, um. What business brought you here?”
“Hmm… Just sightseeing, and looking for someone while I’m at it. By the way, can I ask something too?”
“Anything.”
“Why are you, um, being so polite? I’m a child, you know…?”
“A witch’s age is not necessarily as they appear. If you can fly through the sky freely, one can easily imagine you spent a long time in diligent study.”
“…………”

‘Rita-chan’s making some incredible face lol’
‘Like she hates it, or like she feels guilty lol’
‘But actually, subspace, was it? We don’t know how long she was in there…’

That’s the thing. Not far off, or rather. I am an elf, and if you count the time I spent in subspace I think it adds up to a fair amount.
But that wasn’t diligent study of magic so much as research into things I was interested in. Earth, and Japan, and sweets. So, um, yeah. Being told it was diligent study… I don’t think it was that much.
Well, whatever. It’s not a misunderstanding that would cause problems, and explaining is a pain. More than that, there’s something I’m curious about.

“Can I go into the town?”

Getting this much attention, I thought it might be hard. Soldiers even came out specially.