Heavenly Castle

A country that rules the west side of the southern part of the continent, the Imperial Country of Fleida.

Nearly half of the country, which faces the sea, are rich in marine resources and they have a gentle and cheerful personalities because of the warm climate and rich food condition.

There’s a big river in the northern part which is adjacent to the Blau Empire and very few people resides there due to large monsters living in that river. However, both resources and population are numerous in the western and eastern parts of Imperial Country of Fleida which are facing the sea, and the agriculture flourishes in the center because of the small branches of rivers.

Because of such characteristics, the Imperial Country of Fleida never had an active relationship with the surrounding countries and has built a culture different from the Blau Empire and the Azul Kingdom………

…… Receiving a very discreet explanation, I look at the screen while nodding vaguely.

「Hmm, certainly, the city on that hill is unique.」

When I said that while watching the red city which located above the small hill, Ayla smiled sweetly.

「Taiki-sama. That is a fortress that protects the eastern part of the Imperial Country of Fleida. The Imperial Country built the big fortress by making use of its abundant resources and many population. It may looks flat, but I am told that that rampart is as high as the eyes could see.」

「Have you ever been there?」

「The Azul Kingdom and the Imperial Country of Fleida are neighboring countries, but there’s a large forest extending up to the vicinity of the sea and there is not much interaction because it can not be reached unless one passes through a small cliff of about two carriages wide. Those peddlers and adventurers seems to be coming and going occasionally, but unfortunately I have never been there……」

While glancing sideways at Ayla who smiles wryly, I nodded and become convinced.

「Well then, let’s try to watch the fortress of the Imperial Country of Fleida for a bit.」

I began operating the camera and zoomed in on the fortress, an image like a rectangular gate was projected. There are rows of carriages and people like merchants, and there are soldiers near the gate.

It’s soldiers in light brown armor which match the red fortress.

Somehow, I feel like all of them are saying something while looking at the camera, but it’s probably my imagination. This time, we are traveling while hiding the flying island in the clouds, so they should not be able to see our figure.

「Yeah. If there’s a human size, that wall is likely to be several tens of meters. That’s impressive」

After pulling myself together and inspecting the fortress again, this time I change the image from the gate to the city.

When I went through the gate, a space like a wide courtyard spreads out and at the back there was a two-story rectangular building with a watchtower lining up like a wall with no gaps.

When I went over that building, this time there’s a crowded street. The street is crowded with people and carriages and I can see their lively appearance.

「Eh? Why does it looks like the native clothes of India?」

「India?」

The people who are being showed in the screen are wearing colorful fluttery costumes. The material wraps around the body, beautiful cloth with embroidery.

While I’m analyzing the clothes, Ayla pointed at the screen from my side and opened her mouth.

「It’s not just their clothes, but the buildings are also unique.」

「Buildings….. Oh, that’s true. Are they stuck on the upper floor? No, I wonder if there are something like passage or bridges?」

I agree to Ayla’s comment while zooming in the image.

The main street is wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to go back and forth side by side, but the lane that extends to the left and right are quite small. There are also many bridges like a sky bridge that connects the buildings on that street. There’s also a place which similar to a veranda surrounding the circumference of the building.

「It’s interesting. It’s a three-dimensional town structures. Eh? This area here is only wooden buildings, isn’t it?」

When I muttered that, Ayla points at the center of the city.

「Only the rampart, the outside buildings where the soldiers lives and the feudal lord’s building in the middle are made of stone. The Imperial Country has less stone compare to the other countries, so it seems that they built it with woods except for the important facilities.」

「Ooh, I see. The shape of the buildings are also unique and interesting.」

And, while we are having conversation, the people who are walking on the street started to look at the camera in our direction while opening and closing their mouths.

「What’s happening? It’s like everyone is looking at us, but….」

「Did the island appeared from clouds?」

「Yeah……?」

I said that to Ayla while looking at the three other screens. Only the front screen is a distant view camera, but the other three are showing the images of the west, north and south of the fortress. The view of the white misty island is being showed in the screen and there’s no doubt that it is in the clouds.

「I wonder if the island is sticking out a little from the clouds? But, considering all of that, it feels strange that every single one of them will notice us…..」

I wonder what is happening right now?

After I said that, both me and Ayla tilted our heads.

【Eastern Fortress】

One of the fortresses unique to the Imperial Country of Fleida which encloses the city inside the fortress, the Eastern Fortress.

Any hostile person who wants to break in will have to go through the large rampart to enter the city, and then they have to break through the courtyard and the solid barracks which are full of soldiers, so the citizens were becoming ignorant and carefree idiots to some extent.

—–It’s definitely not easy to attack this wide and strong fortress.

The citizens believes that strongly.

Actually, the strong monsters inhabiting the large rivers in the northern part, and the large monsters lurking in the large forest and sea in the eastern part can be dangerous, but it’s a reality which not worth worrying about for those who are born and raised in this land.

Due to that kind of circumstances, the territory of Imperial Country of Fleida is rich and generally safe from foreign enemies, and there were few criminals such as thieves.

In such a peaceful and slow everyday life, a foreign object suddenly mixed in.

「Wha, what the hell is that!?」

Someone shouted and some people raised their voice and pointed at the sky.

A round black object is floating in the sky. That object quietly hovers in the air and occasionally moving slowly.

That object which advancing as if looking down from above the main street, has a hole like an eye which peeking down and a combination of animal bones. It’s creepy.

「Is, is that a monster?」

「It’s faint, but I can also see something like wings.」

「Is it an insect type?」

「No, no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t look like it’s alive.」

The confused citizens are interested in that object, but they didn’t feel fear.

Its size is about half of a person and it has no fangs or claws. Its body is hollow and the sky is visible from the gaps.

A soldier is probably stronger if they fight.

It’s recognized to that degree.

However, some people differed, and raised their voice loudly and appealed to be cautious.

「Someone should inform the feudal lord right now! Perhaps, this must be a new golem of the Blau Empire! It might be sending some sort of signal to the spy!」

「They probably don’t have that kind of golem」

「Spy of the Blau Empire…… that old fart, his head is strange.」

Through the noisy main street, that object goes forward without worrying about anything.

Its destination is the big castle located in the center.

Towards the object, the soldiers came rushing while leading a man wearing black clothes and a turban.

While mounting their horses, they looked at the black object which is floating, stopped their horses and got off.

「Practitioner-dono! Look at that!」

When the soldier said that and pointed at the sky, the man called Practitioner rubbed his eyes with a sleepy face.

「Hmm? What do you mean ‘that’?」

He murmured that in a voice mixed with yawn and moves his mouth with ‘munyamunya’.

Then, he floated up to the sky.

Calmly approaching from the back of the direction where the black object is heading, he observe it at a close distance.

While looking at the object that makes a small noise as if swinging the air nonstop, the practitioner sits cross-legged in the air and holds his chin.

「…… No, really, what is this?」

A soldier calls out from the ground to the practitioner who raised a question.

「Practitioner-dono! Did you discovered something!?」

「No, even if you said that……」

While muttering a small reply to the soldier’s words, the practitioner stares at the object with ‘jii’.

「…… I don’t even know what it’s made of. No, there’s definitely someone who made it? I think it’s definitely not a new monster that flies with only bones……」

The practitioner was wracking his head while muttering, but that object suddenly changed its movement, so it made him nervous.

The object that was just advancing to the front, drew a gentle arc and ascended even more.

The practitioner reach out his hand to the object which leisurely revolved above the practitioner as if observing him.

The moment when he turned his palm up, a wind arises as if rushing around the practitioner.

「…… I can’t understand anything, but should I try to collect it for the time being?」

The practitioner said that and looked at the object which slowly revolves above his head.

That circular object, or the ‘Drone’, which revolving with its four propellers, was just silently flying around the practitioner.