Chapter 15: The Flying Town Girl

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/16/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

Ellie’s father’s shop was on the main street.
Probably the shop Ring was talking about.
I missed it completely, like an idiot.

Looking closer, the sign over the entrance has a leatherworker’s mark.
An old established shop, maybe. The building itself is quite old.
I push the door and go in: the distinctive smell of leather and oil.
And a stubborn-looking old man glares this way.

“Father, I’m home.”
“Ou, you’re back… oi, who’s that.”

Whoa. No social skills. Exactly a craftsman.
But I was a little surprised.
Ellie’s father is a dwarf.
Muscular and short, slightly reddish-brown skin, and a splendid beard.
He glares this way while working on his goods.

“Um, she helped me.”
“Haan? You got hassled again… miss, sorry. Thanks.”

His face breaks at once and he grins.
Yep. Scary-looking people really are all kind.

“I just happened to be passing by. More to the point, I heard you’re a leatherworker.”
“Ou. Around here, if you say leatherworker, there’s only me.”
“There’s something I’d like to ask for.”

I take the handguns hanging at my hips.

“I’d like a holster to put these in. Do you have one?”
“Aa? Mind if I borrow them a bit?”
“Go ahead.”

He looks over the handguns he received, one by one.
As he turns them, looking from different angles, his eyes gradually get sharper.
…What. Is there something bad about them.

“…You, these are magic tools, aren’t they.”
“Yes. Magic tools that fire bullets of mana… I think.”
“‘You think’?”

He glares, a bit dubious.

“These were sent to me out of nowhere. I came to the capital to hear the details.”

The old man gets a deeper crease between his brows, a difficult expression.

“I see. You, these are mana converters.”
“Mana, convert?”
“That’s right. They can condense the user’s mana and release it in whatever shape you like.
Not just bullets—swords, axes, lumps of mana. All-purpose machines.”

Hnn… meaning?
Not just that they can fire mana rounds?

“Uh. So in other words?”
“How do I put it… for example, you know the Hero ‘Gale Lightning’?”
“Well, only from picture books.”

The weakest Hero, I think it was.
Weak in strength, mana, and blessing, but they were always doing reckless things.

“Seems that one did the stupid thing of blasting mana out their back and punching through the sky. These can do the same.”
“…So I can fly?”
“Well, if you can master them.”

Hoh. Might be a little cool.
I mean, isn’t that super convenient.
Travel would get a lot easier. Good to know.

“What else could they do?”
“Depends on your ideas. But these look like they’d eat a fair bit of mana just to start up.”
“Ah. I wonder? I haven’t had trouble so far.”

Right, Glad said something about maybe having a lot of mana too.
I thought it didn’t matter because I can’t use magic.

“That so… ah, the holster, was it. I don’t mind making it, but it’ll take a day.”
“Eh. You can do it in just a day?”

That’s a surprise. I thought it’d take a week at minimum, normally.

“You’re my daughter’s benefactor. I’ll put it first.”
“You’re a big spender, mister. Can I leave it to you?”
“Ou. Come pick it up around this time tomorrow.”

He jerks a thumb, blunt, at the pillar clock behind him.

“Okay. And the price? About how much?”

Custom leatherwork… I don’t know the going rate, but it seems like it’d cost a fair bit.
I think I can handle a certain amount now.

“Aa? Don’t need that. It ain’t much trouble.”
“You can’t do that. You have Ellie too.”
“Then one silver for materials. I don’t need more.”

Hmm. I’m grateful, but does this man intend to do business.
But this person, once he says something he probably won’t listen.

“I ain’t taking more than that from my daughter’s benefactor.”
“…Then, please do it that way.”
“Received. Fu… my hands are itching.”

He just takes the measurements of the handguns and leaves me there, going into the back.
Hnn… well, whatever. I got to do what I wanted, too.

“Then Ellie, I’ll come again tomorrow.”
“Yes. I’m sorry about my father…”
“Don’t worry. He’s a good father.”
“…Yes!”

She smiles like a flower blooming. She really loves her dad.
I don’t have a father, so I’m a little envious.

“Then, see you.”
“Yes. Please take care.”

I pat her head and leave the shop. I head for the city gate on those feet.

∞∞∞∞

I look around. Nobody here, right?

“Ring, search the area just in case, is anyone there?”
“—Searching… no vital signs.”
“Yes. Shall we try a bit.”

I circulate mana inside my body. In the same rhythm as my blood, I feel mana flowing through me.
I feel more used to handling mana than before.

“Ring. Without using Sakura-Drive, can I fire mana?”
“—Affirmative.”

Ooh. So if I’m just using the handguns normally, I can do it without Sakura-Drive.

“Then, blasting a fair amount out all at once?”
“—Possible: Ready?”
“Okay. Try it.”

Muzzles down, I pull the triggers.
The erupting mana launches me, and my body is blown into the sky.

Uwahh! The acceleration is insane!
Every bone in my body is creaking, I can’t breathe!
And why is my vision dark!?

Uwahh… the picture-book Hero was doing this?
This really is a “stupid stunt.”

I land soon enough, but I can’t kill the momentum and I roll.
My head is swimming; I can’t get up right away.
I feel like I understand a cannonball’s feelings, just a little.
And that was scary. What was that, scary.

“—Ouka. Calculation complete. Permission to update the control program.”
“…It’s been a while since the mystery language. What, a control program?”
“—I have succeeded in creating a control program to perform appropriate mana control and body control during mana thrust.
An update is required to apply it.”
“……. I don’t really get it, but if you think it’s needed, go ahead.”
“—Verified.
—Sakura-Drive Control system, Update
—Installation Is Complete.

—Ouka. Please try once more.”

“Geh. Fly again? Fine, but…”

Muzzles down, one deep breath.
I pull both triggers. Same as before, I’m shot into the sky.

…Ooh? This time my vision is bright?
I thrust again, and my body doesn’t hurt, and I can breathe.
My view is high. The sky is close. The trees are below.

Ooooh!? Amazing! Am I flying right now!?
Hyahoo! The wind feels good!

“Amazing! You can do anything! As expected!”
“—Negative: from data analysis results. It was possible because Ouka’s aptitude values are high.”
“…Eh, what, are you embarrassed?”

This one can get embarrassed, huh.
I feel like it’s getting more and more human.

“—Answer declined.”
“Nihihi. For real. You get embarrassed too.”
“—Objection filed.”
“Sorry, sorry. Come on, shall we do a test flight. Let’s fly to the church!!”
“—Understood. Please watch your heading.”
“Copy that.”

I thrust mana with a don, and I ran through the sky.