I was right. During my vulnerable moment of takeoff, assassins tried their luck. If I hadn't been careful and asked Raven to protect me during takeoff… just thinking about it gives me chills.
But now this high-speed flight is giving me problems. Sky Dogs that they should be able to carry atleast 4 but their shape leaves room for just one person, and though it provides a little protection from air drag, I'm still having a tough time. Good thing I have insulated and water-resistant clothes, otherwise I'd have died of cold first.
At this speed, it will take me a full day to reach Mist City. I'm fast, but nowhere near the speed of a plane—maybe 70% of one. Sky Dogs also don't fly too high. Just as wind flows in my old world, here mana flows at higher altitudes. On the ground, natural mana is tame, but the higher you go, the more unrestrained it becomes. To put it in perspective, the highest anyone has ever gone is 100 km, and that was a World Dragon.
"World Dragon" is a title, not a specific dragon. Dragons were naturally designed to fly, so their ability to reach such heights isn't surprising. For comparison, birds can fly but humans can't—if a human species member reached that level of power, they'd probably only make it to 80 km. A Sky Dog can fly up to 10 km, but I'd die long before reaching that height.
I've mentioned natural mana many times before, but it's still not the right moment to explain it.
Also, I'm not flying in a straight line. I have to avoid big cities and monster-filled forests. Some flying monsters aren't afraid of Sky Dogs, and cities can be even worse. The situation is unstable in many places, and a city might mistake me for an attacker. War zones are completely out of the question.
With all these restrictions, and with Mist City being far away in the first place, it'll take me a full day to reach it. Sky Dogs can fly for days nonstop, but I don't want to overburden mine. If I need him later and he's exhausted, I'll be done for. So I'll let him rest just before reaching the city.
Sky Dogs are pseudo A-Rank beasts, so they can handle weaker attackers. It's not that they're weak—far from it—but most of their attacks are area-based. If he fought seriously, he'd likely kill me along with the enemy. Still, his actual strength is that of a mid A-Rank.
Since we'll be traveling together for a while, I should give him a name. Considering his speed—at least compared to me—I'll call him Flash.
"I'm thinking of naming you Flash. If you have any objection, raise your head—or never complain about it in the future."
I don't know if he understood, but he didn't raise his head.
"So from now on, you're Flash."
---
Meanwhile, in a luxurious office in the Star Kingdom, a man sat frowning as he signed documents. Another man stood silently behind him, so still he might have been a statue. He wore armor marked with the crest of the rising sun. Attacking him would be a very bad idea.
Knock knock
"Come in."
A man, probably a butler, entered and bowed respectfully.
"Master, the one responsible for the Lewin family is asking to meet you."
The seated man's frown deepened and his pen paused. After a moment, he continued signing.
"That rat, huh? So he does have a spine. If I don't like what he says, I'll have his spine removed. Call him in."
The armored man behind him didn't react.
The butler left, then soon returned, followed by another man who hid behind him like a shield. The newcomer stood in silence, not daring to make a sound. The seated man continued writing, this time without a frown. After several minutes, he finally looked up, locking eyes with the man hiding behind the butler. The stare lasted a full minute before he finally spoke.
"Tell me. What great news do you have for me? It had better be worth standing in my office. Not many are allowed to even enter my mansion."
The man trembled but forced himself to speak.
"Master, it is an honor to stand here. I bring urgent news. The new head of the Lewin family has been chosen. It is Adrian Lewin, son of the previous head."
The seated man listened silently.
"Belhart has started selling everything. We don't yet know how much more he intends to sell. The new head abandoned his escorts and is now being protected by A-Rank adventurers. The last sighting of him was at the border, flying off on a Sky Dog."
The seated man sighed.
"So they're selling everything? Why? Even I, the Duke of the North, can't make sense of this. Wouldn't it be smarter to hide and enter the academy? Are they planning to run so fast I can't catch them?"
He turned to the armored man.
"What do you think?"
Silence. The duke expected no reply.
"Bring me a map," he ordered.
The butler returned with one, and the duke studied it carefully. He pointed to several places.
"Have the information guild track his sightings here, here, here, and here. You'll find his location within a week. We can't move quickly outside my sphere of influence, so send contracts to the Dark Guild. Tell them to dispatch assassins."
When the others had left, only the duke and the armored man remained.
"Belhart," the duke muttered, "don't make foolish moves. If this continues, I'll kill both you and Adrian."
Then he turned to his silent guardian.
"Prepare. We're going to the royal capital."
---
I was close to Mist City now.
"Alright, Flash. Let's rest before we reach the city."
I landed in a quiet area with a few trees and a river running through it, smooth stones lining its banks. I sat on one of the rocks.
"Damn, my butt and back hurt. My eyes feel dry too."
This place was relatively safe since a road to Mist City ran nearby, and travelers meant the area was often cleared.
After a short rest, night fell, and I decided to continue.
"Let's go, Flash—time to reach Mist City."
For the first time, I heard Flash's voice.
"Grrrr."
It wasn't a protest, but it wasn't exactly friendly either. Hard to tell.
Mist City had three gates: North, East, and West. All were moderately guarded, but with no major events happening, security wasn't particularly strict.
As for which gate I'd enter? None. Instead, I rose high into the sky and approached the city center—though not directly over the lord's castle. Near the bright castle, I spotted a dark patch: a park. From high above, it looked like a stain in the middle of the city.
I dove straight down at full speed, landing in the park and smashing into some kind of decorative structure. Without hesitation, I grabbed as many pieces as I could, and Flash even picked up a few himself—maybe imitating me? Then we left as quickly as we'd arrived.
Minutes later, guards arrived. They looked at each other, then began searching the park, following standard protocol.
Meanwhile, I was already far away, having flown high into the sky before landing in a remote area. Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
I left Flash hidden and re-entered Mist City on foot. The city wasn't very crowded at night. I went to the central market, asked for directions, visited several shops, and bought supplies.
Then I returned to the park where I'd landed earlier. This time I entered on foot, moving slowly to avoid drawing attention. The park was quiet. A few guards lingered, but otherwise it was empty—just as when I'd first come.
Satisfied, I left and returned to where I'd left Flash. But he wasn't there.
I squinted, scanning the area. Suddenly, Flash emerged from a shadowy corner, moving like a predator stalking prey. For a moment, I nearly jumped out of my skin—back in my old world, I'd rarely seen animals this big outside a zoo.
Then I noticed the pile of stolen objects Flash had hidden. Maybe he understood these weren't trophies to display but things better concealed. Such a smart creature.
I walked over and placed the items I'd bought alongside the stolen ones.
-----------
Then I started next step.
I ground the broken pieces I had stolen in the park, converting them into fine powder. The process was time-consuming, but necessary for my plans. The other pieces I didn't need for now were buried—I hoped I would never need them.
I then opened the book, scanned through it quickly, and checked the precautions before starting the next step.
After that, I took the ingredient for the detoxification potion I had bought in the capital. I heated it on the stove I had purchased when I first entered Mist City, adding a little water. When faint vapors began to rise, I added the powdered fragments.
The moment I put them in, the heated ingredient reacted—it began bubbling even though the temperature was still far from boiling. I quickly turned off the stove and dropped in a few ice pieces I had also bought. Finally, when the bubbling stopped, I poured the product into the special bottles I had brought from the capital. These bottles were rare, designed to preserve magical effects effectively—something that wouldn't be available in Mist City.
At last, I smiled—a twisted, villainous grin creeping across my face.