Volume 1 Chapter 14 (1/2)

Chapter 14: The Royal Kingdom of Celestellia

Part 1

As I advanced above the prairie with rass that received the light of sun wilted aith a gentle sparkle and a sound si stream

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes

The opposite side of the grasslands

Located there was a country surrounded by walls

Just how far does it spread out I wonder I did think about circling around the walls with et back before the day darkened, so I gave up

What's ate was just before me, so there was no need to intentionally fly around it

I advanced forward for a short ti the scenery, and then I descended from my broom

The gate guard came out and silently bowed

”hello and welcome, Witch-sama Excuse me, but may I hear your name?”

This was the usual inspection for entering the country

”It's Elaina”

”How long will you be staying?”

”I think I'll leave within three days”

”And your Witch's Name?”

”The Witch of Ashes”

”Witch of Ashes?” The gate guard stared at me

”Huh? What is it?” I think he became puzzled

”Ah, no It's nothing Excuse me”

The gate guard, who had fixed his appearance, withdrew from my front

It seems the questions ended with that I payed one silver as a fee for entering the country and passed through the gate

”Welcodom of Celestellia”

While receiving such words behind my back

Part 2

I was put on guard because of its for with liveliness

Royal Kingdoe name

People were coround patterned like interwoven bricks Happy-lookingeach other The elderly having a stroll Just about everyone was immersed in daily life

I walked

The tall buildings were lined up on each side of the road and ropes were going between the It see their laundry

As I took a deep breath I felt a sweet fragrance There was a vase by one of the s The beautiful flowers of various colors could be seen to be shi+ning

A lovely toas spreading beforeto make me lose my sense of time

As I walked ai building On that building which was so big that made me think whether it was a Royal Palace, a clock toas standing It seee, and as it was obstructed by iron fences, I wasn't even able to draw near it

I looked at the clock tohile strolling along the fence

Then, I discovered the entrance

‘Royal Magic Academy’

That's ritten on the gate, so it must be such a place

So such institution also exists there was nothing as kind as this in my country

I'm quite envious for the kids of this country

I'htly interested about the interior

Would it be fine to enter?

Should I just go in?

Let's go in

I set rounds

”Hey, you What do you think you are doing?”

Then after walking only a little, I was stopped

My shoulders got firht

”Only authorized people can enter here It is fine to look froo into the premises, okay?”

Turning around, there was a robust ht suit It appears he is a gatekeeper

””

”Oh?”

After dropping his sight to e

”Pardon ive my impolite speech”

”It's okay”

I shook of his hands and started advancing towards the school once more──

”I'o inside”

I was stopped

”Ah, so it's no use after all?”

”No use”

”Even for a Witch?”

”The order was to unconditionally keep outsiders fro”

”Whose order was that?”

”It was the order of the noble Witch-saes this academy”

”Haah”

”I'e about the ways of teaching leak out outside, because she can't bear the act of being in countries”

”Then, would it be fine if you just closed the gate?”

”We can't have that either The noble Witch-sama is supposed to arrive at this school anytime now”

”Haah”

Reluctantly, I left

Bad luck

It's too early to search for an inn right now

I continued to loiter around the country

This country is enjoyable just by walking

””

Looking up, there were broo above every house And they didn't see on broo above the houses in zig-zag

I realized that they were newspaper deliveryup a newspaper there

As I walked down the main street, I arrived at a street with stalls

Fruit stores, greengrocers, butchers, and so on were crowding the both sides of the road

There also appeared to be the bakery-san There was a ”Freshly Baked” signboard on it There's no lie greater than this Because it was all crusty

”Excuse me, bread please”

The granny with good spirit sently

”It's one copper”

I took out a copper coin from my purse and handed it over to her

The granny grabbed one loaf and shoved it into the bag Did you grab it with bare hands?

”Here you go Thank you for buying”

”Yeahthank you”

After accepting the bread, I strolled the stall street while biting into it The bread that was clearly not freshly made was hard as a rock

While walking with bread in hand, I got out of the street stall district

Then, the figure of a Magician appeared oncewith the shopkeeper of a cafe

”I want to deliver this to Amana-san's house on the western district Transport it with caution, okay? Because it contains an important lunch in it”

”All righty!”

”Will it really?”

The lance and slowly rose up, then flew off to somewhere

I see, so he's doing delivery by using broom

It appears that the Magician population of this country is quite high

I also understand the reason of there being an acadeic

Not only delivering things like luggage and newspapers, there were also Magicians who transported people They were flying in the sky while fastened in the luggage carrier of the broo people alone was i in pairs It see the operation of the brooht with Magic

There were Magicians not just in the sky but also on the ground

On the shoulder of the main street, there were those who entertained people by deic

People who ic and did drama plays

People who offered exciteic (by producing things like snow)

Every Magician was lively

By the way, there's so that has been on my mind

I do think that it's a good thing that these Magicians were living full of smiles, but isn't that difficult?

So I decided to ask

Asking about soht?

”Excuse me―”

I found a square of the district by chance

I called out to the Magician woure she is a Mage) as sitting on the bench and was reading a book

”Hm? What is it?”

The woentle expression

”I' on my mind Can you inform me if you don't mind?”

”Oh led and revealed a s I know”

After pausing a little, I said

”Don't the Magicians of this country find it difficult to fly in the skies?”

She bent her head ”Difficulty with flying? No, there's nothing like that?”

”Even though such thing exists?”

I pointedin between tall buildings With clothes hanging on it

As she looked at that, she muttered 'Ahh'

”Well, that's so made intentionally”

”Intentionally?”

”Yes──There are a lot of Magicians in this country, right? So, it's hard to fly that way”

”?”

I don't get the

”Oh my Was the explanation insufficient?”

”Please give me a bit more details”

She put the book beside her and said,

”When you are flying with broom, the ht? So everyone wants to fly as low as possible”

”That's correct”

I assented to it

”But if everyone flies at a low height, it will get congested Theyto avoid a passing by Magician There being s about same level of risk”

Ah, I see

”So, in order for the obstructed by ropes and clothes, right?”

She said with a smile

”That's right In this country, it was thought that Magicians should be considerate for the people who can't use Magic”

”Were there no Magicians who complained about it?”

”Won't you understand that if you take a look at the state of this country?”

Part 3

Taking out my broom, I flew in the air

It's not like I fleith so the scenery from above as well

”Wow”

In the sky, the scenery was quite different from the one on earth

Roofs of various tinges like red, blue, light blue, or yelloere lined up at exactly saht it would've been really nice to ad on the roof

It ood to search for an inn to stay at for today from here on

I flew around at random

Greeting passer-by Magicians, returning waves to the kids aved ata pleasant moments like that

That reminds me

In the country I visited before, didn't I abruptly collide with a girl all of a sudden I wonder what she's doing alright now? Is she still undergoing training in order to become a Witch in her birthplace?

””

I stoppedby broom, I stayed still in the sky

Because I beca about Saya-san of course it wasn't because of that

Rather, it was because they appeared before my eyes that I remembered about her

”Umm, what?”

A pair of boy and girl appeared in ht

Black pants, or rather, a skirt, worn underneath blackfrom the neck

If you looked at their chests, it would becoes

”hello You are the Witch of Ashes right?” the boy said

”Ah, e are the students of Royal Magic Acadeirl said

Royal Magic Academy

I see, so that academy that didn't let me in

”And what business do the academy students have with me?”

”U?”

The girl said such thing with hesitation

It's extremely suspicious

”For what reason?”

”No, as I said, without asking anything”

”I refuse”

I gave immediate reply

”Eeh! Why!?” The boy became excessively surprised

”I don't really want to, so I refused”

Althoughwith the? Doesn't that make it double suspicious?

No way, no way

”Umm, but”

”Let me hear the reason first I’ll decide whether to follow you or not after that”

I resolutely said this to the girl who clearly see

”That's impossible”

”Then, it's impossible for me as well”

The boy butted into the conversation ”Please so you, Miss Witch of Ashes! Please folloithout asking for a reason!”

”Again, I said I wouldn't if you don't tell me the reason, didn't I? You are persistent”

I feel like eren't ress

The conversation would just continue without change if we keep it goinglike this

Shall I escape?

Let's do it

As I changed the direction of ent business,” I told a lie

Then, on the side opposite of them──

”Eeh―?”

I tried to advance towards the opposite side

However, the Magicians once again obstructed my path In addition, they were several etup than the other two

Oh no, what's happening? It became more and more ridiculous

As I looked left and right, I saw people with the sa near me one after another

I was quickly surrounded By the roup

They were about twenty in number

”Hey, you guys Let's play with cooperation froht” ”If all of us do it, ill catch her, probably” ”Un” ”Understood” ”Don't oes for you”

The students moved slowly

While I was in a state of co I clearly understood──At this rate, I'll be caught

I have no idea ould happen if I was caught

””

I slowly descended my broom slowly, and then,

”Ei!”

Hitting the broom, I did a fast takeoff

While holding the tricorne in one hand so that it wouldn't be bloay by the broom that suddenly dashed into the sky with full power, I flew about above the district

In short, I escaped

Looking back, I saw the students shouting so towards me

Thus, the curtains to the chase with unknown objective opened up just like this

However, it appears that the difference between the ability of a Witch and Mages was, after all, too big

””

Although they persistently chased after er It's also a just matter of time before I shake them off completely

However, even if I shook them off, my movement was completely visible in this beautiful scenery It would be quite obvious as to where I escaped

So then, what should I do?

Let's do this

”Tou”

I lowered my altitude, turned towards the horizontal direction, and flew slightly below the roofs of houses I saw the ropes going between the houses As I passed through, the entangled clothes started to sway

At this altitude, being obstructed by the roofs, I won't be seen from a distance

If they lose ain

Looking back, there were still several students persistently chasing me around There were supposed to be about twenty in all, did others give up?

However, I realized that wasn't so as I turned to face forward

There were shapes of several students on the path I was supposed to advance They were facing towards this way and flying