Side: Yuki
We spent one night in the village.
There were some villagers who were surprised by Wy-chan, but there was no particular panic. By the time the sun was setting, some of the children were even playing while riding on Wy-chan's back.
On the other hand, Vixen-san watched them with a look of genuine horror, apparently terrified that Dragon Knight Amanda—or the dragon itself—might get angry.
In fact, when a few children tried to draw near at first, Vixen-san instinctively moved to warn them away. But since Amanda had given her permission, he couldn't say a word. Perhaps he was imagining a scene where the entire village was reduced to a sea of flames, because he watched the whole thing unfold with a pale expression.
But that expression was soon about to blow away entirely.
『S-So this is what it feels like to ride through the sky!!』
Right before sunset, I had mentioned that the sky during this twilight hour—when day and night blend together—was truly beautiful.
Upon hearing that, Amanda asked if she could take anyone who wanted to go up for a quick ride in the sky.
Since we had already assessed the area's threat level and saw no major issues, we agreed on the condition that some of our group accompany them as escorts, and up into the sky they went.
"Waaaah, this is amazing!!"
"We're actually flying, right!? This is incredible!!"
As the children cheered in delight, Rurua and Eris offered gentle reminders with warm smiles.
"Let's calm down, okay? It's cold up here, so make sure your coats are bundled up tight."
"That's right. It would be terrible if you caught a cold tomorrow and worried your parents. So please make sure you're wearing enough clothes."
"""Okaaay!"""
In contrast to the children, the adults who had been afraid of flying were staring open-mouthed at the scenery they had never seen before.
"Chief, I... I've never flown in the sky before..."
"Nor have I..."
I was keeping the adults company, chuckling quietly to myself at their stunned reactions.
Well, it makes sense. In an era like this, the very concept of flying through the air simply doesn't exist for everyday people.
Naturally, Vixen-san was riding along as well, though he wasn't inside the cage.
Alongside Dragon Knight Amanda, he was seated directly on Wy-chan's neck.
Derieu was riding on the neck with them too, and her voice came through clearly via the voice-only call link.
『How is it up there in the sky?』
『I-It's magnificent!! Amanda-sama, I am deeply grateful for allowing me to experience something this precious!!』
『Nahaha! I would never have guessed you were the very same fellow whose knees were shaking uncontrollably just a moment ago!』
『I am deeply ashamed, Derieu-sama...』
『There is no need to feel ashamed. Even with your knees trembling, you took a step forward into the unknown. That, my friend, is true courage.』
『What deeply moving words... As expected of Yuki-dono's esteemed wife.』
"Derieu. The sun is just about to set. Tell Amanda to turn Wy-chan toward the sunset."
『Understood. Amanda! Turn Wy-chan to face the setting sun directly! You're in for a magnificent sight!』
『Yes, ma'am!』
『A magnificent sight, you say?』
『Indeed. Yuki called it a jewel of the world created by nature.』
Wy-chan slowly began to bank into a turn.
Exchanging glances, the rest of us urged both the children and the adults to look out toward the setting sun. Just as Wy-chan brought us face-to-face with the horizon, the moment arrived.
The exact instant of sunset.
The azure of the day, the deep indigo of the coming night, the faint shimmer of the emerging stars, and the fiery red sinking below the horizon.
In that single breath before night falls, day and night briefly intertwine.
No one uttered a word; everyone simply stared in silence. It was as though they were burning the sight of those two worlds blending together into their memories.
People in this world rarely have the luxury to pause and appreciate the quiet rhythm of nature—something so easily taken for granted.
Even back in Japan, taking to the skies purely to admire a view isn't something just anyone would think to do. At most, people might hike up a mountain or travel to the seaside.
Yet, while uncommon, such people certainly exist.
Not just in Japan, but all across the world, countless individuals cross oceans and take to the skies—not merely for twilight moments like this, but out of a desire to discover and preserve the breathtaking beauty remaining in our world.
* * *
Once the sun had fully set and the surroundings began to dim, we descended back toward the village.
The children stepped out while chatting excitedly, clearly thrilled by their aerial adventure.
The adults, on the other hand, dismounted in a daze... Vixen-san was no exception... He stumbled along, not because his footing was unstable, but as if he were walking in a dreamlike trance... The soldiers who had accompanied him were in a similar state.
...In fact, from an outside perspective, their unfocused gazes made them look downright suspicious.
Amanda and Eris had gone to attend to Wy-chan—though in truth, he didn't actually need any care. Derieu and Rurua headed over to clean out the cage.
Since Aslin and the kids were happily chatting with the village children, it fell on me to break the silence.
"I guess I'll go talk to Vixen-san first."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Yes, that would be best."
"...Nn. Understood."
"...As you wish."
Hm? Why are my wives acting strange too?
Cleana and Samantha were standing there looking equally dazed...
"What's wrong with you two?"
"Yuki-san, anyone shown a sight like that would turn out like this..."
"Indeed. We were captivated by what can literally be called a gem born of nature. Any ordinary person with standard sensibilities would be left spellbound for quite a while after seeing that."
"Is that so? Should I bring them back to reality?"
"No, they'll be fine. They're just deeply moved."
"Jessica is right. Let's snap Vixen-san and his men out of it ourselves. They're following behind us, so they'll come back to their senses on their own eventually."
"If you say so."
Ah, now that I think about it, didn't Ria and Jessica react the exact same way the first time I took them up into the sky to see a view like that?
Somehow I feel as if I have become jaded... No, I must have been moved by it the first time, too. I just can't remember that first time at all.
Anyway, putting that aside, I need to speak with Vixen-san.
"Vixen-san. How was the view from up there?"
"......"
No response.
He just kept staring off toward the direction where the sun had set.
What am I supposed to do with this?
As I pondered, tears suddenly began to spill from Vixen-san's eyes.
"...It was beautiful."
"Pardon?"
A handsome, middle-aged knight shedding tears while saying something like that...
Suddenly, he whipped around to face me.
"Yuki-dono!!"
"Yes!?"
The tearful knight snapped his head toward me.
Honestly, it was a little terrifying.
Then, he bowed his head deeply.
What is happening right now!?
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing us such a breathtaking sight! You men, give your thanks as well!"
"""Thank you very much!!!"""
The three soldiers snapped into deep bows alongside him.
"N-No need for that. There weren't many clouds today, so I just thought we might get a good view from up high."
"I see! Indeed, one could never witness such a sight from atop a mountain—likely due to the heavy cloud cover."
"Plus, mountains are covered in trees and infested with monsters, so people rarely get the chance to sit back and take in the view."
"That makes perfect sense. But flying through the sky... it is truly incredible. The scenery is completely different. It is magnificent... Ah, I must also express my gratitude to Amanda-sama. Even if it was Yuki-dono's suggestion, Amanda-sama was the one who actually flew the dragon. Men, with me!"
"""Understood!"""
With that, he spun on his heel and rushed over to Amanda, who was checking on Wy-chan, to deliver his heartfelt thanks.
"""Thank you so much for giving us such a precious experience!"""
"Fweh!?"
Amanda was caught completely off guard, startled by the sudden outburst of gratitude.
...What sports-club culture is this?
As I stood there bemused, Jessica murmured softly.
"As expected of Vixen-dono. He is a knight worthy of respect."
"Indeed. He expresses gratitude without hesitation and is deeply admired by his subordinates. Quite splendid."
Samantha agreed with her.
Well, yeah. I understand that failing to properly thank Dragon Knight Amanda could potentially be disrespectful to her.
But still... That was obviously gratitude from the bottom of their hearts.
From my perspective, Vixen-san was gradually changing from a distinguished, cool middle-aged knight into an emotional middle-aged man.
Leaving my personal impressions aside, night had fully fallen.
The villagers also thanked us before returning to their homes. It was a shame we couldn't give everyone a ride... Maybe we could stop here again on our way back and let the remaining villagers have their turn.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, most of the villagers returned to their houses, leaving only our group and Vixen-san's men in the square.
The village chief approached and guided us toward his home.
"Thank you very much for giving us such a precious experience today. Being taken into the sky by a Dragon Knight is something we will pass down to our descendants for generations to come."
"N-No, really, it's nothing that grand..."
"Compared to that, I am sorry that our hospitality is rather humble, but I hope you will enjoy the food our village has prepared today."
"H-Humble? Not at all! A-And the meat... wasn't it difficult to obtain?"
"Haha, thank you for your concern. It is true that the bird meat on today's large platter is not something we can obtain very often. However, after giving us such an experience, please eat to your heart's content if it suits your taste. The villager who hunted it today insisted that we use it for this meal."
Ah, right. Shortly after our aerial tour ended, I saw a young man sprint out from the cage area.
While I was talking to Vixen-san, he was running by holding some kind of bird—was that it?
Anyway, having been pressed that far, Amanda seemed to resign herself, reaching out to take a piece of the meat and placing it in her mouth.
"...It's delicious!!"
"I am glad to hear it! Please, everyone, dig in. As you can see, this bird is quite large, so there is plenty to go around."
Yeah, it really is huge.
A whole roasted bird the size of a full-grown adult human was resting in the back.
Only the locals who were used to seeing it would look at that and immediately feel an appetite.
It felt similar to those bizarre local delicacies you often hear about in rural areas.
Still, with Amanda acting as our brave poison tester, the rest of us didn't hesitate to reach out and take a bite.
The rich juices and flavor flooded my mouth.
"""Delicious!"""
Everyone, including Vixen-san and his men, voiced their praise in unison.
Man, no heavy spices—just seasoned with salt, and it tastes this good? Incredible.
Even Eris, who usually favors salads over meat, was prioritizing stuffing pieces of meat into her mouth.
I was tossing piece after piece of the delicious bird meat into my mouth as well, but as I bit into a particularly crispy piece, a memory subtly tried to surface.
...What is this?
What am I trying to remember?
It feels familiar... what does? The taste? Wait, is this a flavor I've had somewhere before?
Just then, I overheard Aslin and Filia chatting as they ate.
"This is so yummy! It tastes just like the stuff at the innkeeper's place!"
"It really does! It has the exact same feel as the innkeeper's fried chicken!"
"...Now that you mention it, it really does."
"Yes. Hearing you say that, I can definitely see the resemblance."
Labyris and Sheila agreed with the two young girls, and their words suddenly opened up a realization for me.
"Excuse me, Village Chief. May I ask you a quick question?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"This bird... is it only found around this village?"
"Well now... I couldn't say for other regions, I'm afraid. My apologies. However, as you can see, this bird is quite large. It doesn't fly, but its running speed is incredible, so not many hunters in the forest care to chase it down. Pursuing it often leads to getting lost or falling victim to other beasts and monsters."
"I see. So do you ever serve this dish to travelers?"
"Indeed. Whenever one of these birds is caught, the entire village celebrates—both for the good fortune and to honor the hunter who accomplished the feat. Naturally, if travelers happen to be staying with us at the time, we share the joy with them. On a few rare occasions, we've had travelers blessed with that luck. Ah, come to think of it, three of those times were the exact same person. He fell in love with the taste of this bird and started visiting our village quite often. If I recall correctly, he mentioned running an inn over in the Magic Academy city."
Bingo!
So the origin of that guy's fried chicken was right here in this village!
"I remember one day, he insisted on catching one himself and went along with the hunters. We warned him it was dangerous, but he wouldn't listen, which worried us greatly. To our utter surprise, he actually brought the bird back alive!"
"Captured it alive!?"
"Yes! And then he said to us, 'This bird is absolutely delicious. If you'll allow it, I want to take it back to my inn and introduce this flavor to my guests!'"
That guy went out of his way to capture it himself!?
Damn, I can't help but be impressed by his sheer dedication.
"Since he was the one who caught it, he was free to do as he pleased. Besides, having our village's delicious food spread elsewhere is a point of pride for us, so we happily gave our consent. Ever since then, he's been bringing us salt and general goods at extremely low prices, saying his inn's success is all thanks to us."
Amazing.
That innkeeper really is a true man among men.
Still, to capture a bird of that size... is he a former mercenary or something?
He certainly had a rugged, sturdy build... He also has quite a history with Headmaster Poppuri, so I suppose it shouldn't come as a total surprise.
"Speaking of which, you all came from the Magic Academy city, didn't you? Have you ever heard about his inn?"
"Yep! The innkeeper's fried chicken is super delicious!"
"It's the best in the whole city!"
Aslin and Filia were the first to answer with bright smiles.
"Is that so? I am very glad to hear it."
Having children answer with such enthusiasm was far more convincing than anything an adult could say.
Uncovering this unexpected connection between the village and the Magic Academy, we spent the rest of the evening enjoying lively conversation and good food until the day drew to a close.
* * *
The next morning, when it came time for us to depart, the entire village gathered to see us off.
"If you ever pass near our village again, please feel free to drop by. We may not have much, but we will welcome you with all the hospitality we can muster."
"Thank you very much. Rest assured, I will personally deliver the letter you wrote for the innkeeper last night."
I exchanged farewells with the village chief while holding the letter he had penned for the innkeeper the previous evening.
"Thank you. I am deeply grateful that you would grant the wish of a simple villager like me. If you see him in person, please let him know that we are all doing well."
"Of course. I will hand it to him directly. Please take care."
"Yes! Dragon Knight-sama, Vixen-sama, brave soldiers, and esteemed mercenaries—I pray for your safety along the road."
"Thank you! Stay healthy, Chief!"
"That bird was truly delicious. I almost want to go hunting for one myself, just like the innkeeper did. I will definitely stop by this village again! Please take care, everyone!"
With those parting words, we boarded Wy-chan and rose into the sky.
"Take care~!"
"Please come again~!"
"Take us riding on the dragon again sometime~!"
The cheerful voices of the villagers echoed from below.
"See you again~!"
"Until we meet again!"
My wives called back down to the villagers in turn.
Ah, now this really feels like traveling.
Is this the first time since coming to this world?
A trip completely detached from politics or troublesome affairs—just bidding a fond farewell to a village we happened to visit.
Ahead of us, we spotted the backs of the two soldiers who had ridden out earlier. Wy-chan closed the distance, allowing Vixen-san to call out to them.
"We shall proceed ahead to the royal capital alongside Amanda-sama! We leave the horses to you!"
"""Sir!"""
"Do not overexert yourselves on the road! Prioritize safety above all else! We shall meet again in the royal capital!"
"""Understood!"""
It turned out that once they met up with us, the plan was always to leave the horses with the escort soldiers while Vixen-san accompanied us.
That was a relief. If they had asked us to bring the horses aboard as well, things would have definitely gotten cramped.
"Now then, Amanda-sama. The royal capital lies just down this road. At our current speed, we should arrive by midday."
"Yes, understood! Wy-chan, follow this road!"
'Gyaaas!'
Wy-chan let out a cry in response.
..I catch myself thinking this often, but is asking a monster that can speak human language to reply with animal cries really necessary?
Is it a form of animal roleplay? No, in his case, maybe it's just his lazy way of saying "Sure thing" or "Gotcha"? ...Hmm, that piqued my curiosity. I'll have to ask him about it later.
Though, in Wy-chan's case, acting as a normal monster is necessary because being able to speak would create all sorts of problems. If people knew he could speak, it would mean anyone could negotiate with him directly without needing a Dragon Knight.
Anyone with half a brain would realize they could bypass Dragon Knight Amanda entirely and deal with Wy-chan directly for their own profit. In short, they would come to the conclusion that a Dragon Knight who controls the dragon as a mediator isn't even necessary.
While absentmindedly thinking about that, I peeled a mandarin at the kotatsu.
The weather remained as clear as yesterday. While the sky wasn't entirely deep blue, the clouds were a pristine, brilliant white, showing no sign of rain.
Besides, we don't have anything pressing to do once we reach the royal capital anyway. Now that the Holy Sword incident is resolved, this visit to the August royal capital is really nothing more than a formal introduction for Dragon Knight Amanda.
"Come to think of it, we never really had a honeymoon, did we?"
The words slipped out of my mouth unexpectedly.
Hearing this, Filia—who was sitting on my lap—looked up at me and tilted her head.
"A honeymoon?"
"Yeah, a honeymoon. In other words, when people get married, they go on a little trip right afterward to deepen their bond and get closer."
"Haaah... so that's a custom from your hometown, Onii-san?"
Overhearing the conversation, Ratz joined in.
Since Vixen-san was nearby, she intentionally kept her phrasing vague regarding my homeland.
"Yeah, exactly. It's a bit late, but since we're heading to the royal capital anyway, why don't we set aside some time for everyone to enjoy sightseeing?"
"""Yes!!!"""
It turned out all my wives had been listening, and they responded in unison with enthusiastic cheers.
"How delightfully harmonious! If you wouldn't mind, shall I pick out a few recommended sightseeing spots for you?"
"Would you really, Vixen-san?"
"Of course! It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the royal capital. I doubt anyone would object."
"I see! In that case, please do. As you can see, I've dragged my wives into endless battles and haven't really been able to act like a proper husband to them."
"Leave it to me! This is the perfect moment for a man to demonstrate his worth! As a fellow man, you have my full support!"
Vixen-san beat his chest with a thud. He really is a passionate guy...
As I was admiring his enthusiasm, I noticed my wives gathering behind me for some reason...
"You haven't been able to act like a proper husband?"
"If Yuki is the standard, then every other husband in the world is a total failure."
Nod, nod.
"Putting that aside, is it fine if I get to go on the first honeymoon date?"
"Don't be silly, Derieu! Everyone here is aiming for that first spot!"
"Exactly! Yuki-san is gentle, so even if he gets tired of going along, he'll still accompany us. But we all want to enjoy it together, and I want to be first too!"
"I agree with Ria! Let's decide who goes first with a card game or something when we get home today!"
"That sounds fair! Danna-sama, please wait for me! This Rurua will make sure she's your very first partner!"
And just like that, a fierce battle for the first honeymoon date erupted among my wives.
...Would it be a bad idea if I suggested we all just go together?
