“Tek here, the days when I survived on noodles, rice, or frozen meals at University are long gone. But making a meal with the proper nutritional balance is difficult--so I fell back onto pre-made meals…so much easier.”

 

“Lulu, taste strange?” Mia eats the hamburger with a puzzled look.

 

Apparently, her hamburger is purely tofu today.

 

“It does? Try eating this one.” Lulu sounds innocent as she slides a plate over to Mia.

 

“Nn, delicious.” Mia takes a small bite, before nodding and happily nibbling the burger.

 

Lulu looks at me, she wants me to tell Mia, it seems. I guess I should announce it soon.

 

I wait until she has finished her hamburger, before telling her the truth, “Mia, I have something I need to tell you.”

 

“Nn?” She tilts her head in confusion.

 

“Mia, the hamburger that you just finished, had meat in it.”

 

She looks a little betrayed, “Guilty.”

 

“Yeah, sorry. Your Mother wanted me to arrange this.” I pause, “furthermore the first hamburger you ate didn’t contain meat.”

 

“Mwuu.” She looks slightly conflicted, let’s do the last push.

 

“Mia, which hamburger will you pick for the second helping?” I show her one without meat, on its blue plate, and the one with meat, on the red plate.

 

She stares down at the red plate in front of her, and the blue one that held her first burger.

 

“Mwuu, this.” She seems to hesitate for a second, before pointing at one on a red plate.

 

While looking conflicted she nibbles a new burger, pushing back the pile of meat that Pochi tried to give her.

 

***

The Scarecrows are taking off into the Void, emerging from the special hangers of the Lightship that’s sitting just outside the Observatory. These are a new Scarecrows are only half the number of the MK.7s, but they were designed from a modified blueprints that we had sent to the Beriunan and Burainan Clans.

 

During these 10 days, the jellyfish have been successfully eliminated from 5 World Trees.

 

The Beriunan Clan, the ones who had initiated the jellyfish extermination first, did so in order to ‘get ahead’ of their rival, the Burainan Clan. Sure enough, jellyfish eggs remained inside their World Tree. They managed to prevent more damage with our information, and they expressed their gratitude for that.

 

It seems that there were also eggs that remained in the World Tree of the Biroanan Clan, which used fire to destroy the jellyfish before.

 

As thanks for the achievement this time, the clans of Bareonan, Zantanan, and Dawosanan have decided to bestow one Lightship each to the Bornean Clan. The Elder asked me if I want one, but for now it would be too much--I politely declined it, but asked if I could have a rain-check.

 

“Hey, Tek. Are you leaving the forest after Arisa and the others finish the final Spriggan’s training ground today?” Aialize, who’s sitting on the chair beside me asked, while putting her face on her knee, which she has grasped.

 

“Yes, that’s the plan.” I answered her clearly.

 

It’s a rare occasion, and Lua isn’t here today.

 

“Won’t you go with me, Aze?” I ask. Even though there is an almost 100% chance of her declining, I had to ask.

 

I see her face brighten for an instant, before she buried her face in her knees to hide her expression, “I’m sorry.” She muttered.

 

***

I perform one last check on my airship. It has been modified to look like a Lightship, but it isn’t identical--so no one will mistake me for the Hero, Hayato.

 

It seems that there was a movement to create their own Lightship among the Elves 300 years ago, one of the frames that was made at that time was given to me. I modified the shape and size, making sure it can’t be mistaken with the Jules Verne.

 

It’s a rather small 30 meter in size, but the capacity is abnormally large. Which isn’t surprising, as the crew/passenger quarters and the cargo bay are expanded using Space Magic. It seems that a Philosopher’s Stone to maintain the expansions.

 

It also has eight Double-Inversion Disks, which are a type of Aerodynamic Engines. Four cylinders work in a manner similar to jet engines, air is pulled in, compressed, and blown behind the airship.

 

Unfortunately, it seems to be unable to enter subspace and travel instantaneously like the Jules Verne.

 

It has been coated in a pitch-black paint, and it also has a Magic Power absorption.

 

It’s powered by a Philosopher’s Stone Power Reactor--it also requires me to use around 30 batteries, made with crystallized World Tree Sap, and charged to capacity with Magic Power.

 

It goes without saying that the power that actually moves the ship, is mine.

 

Since I couldn’t think of a good name, I decided to keep it nameless for now.

 

There are two more vehicles.

 

A wooden sailing boat with a lower-powered Aerodynamic Engine, and a small box-shaped carriage with a self-propulsion engine. The sailing boat has ‘feet’ equipped for wandering a short distance up the shore when landing.

 

I’ve decided to leave the two old horses that I bought in Seryuu City, and the hornless Unicorn at Bornean Forest. The hornless Unicorn if pregnant--it sure works quickly.

 

***

I had learned, before I left, that from the Elves’ perspective: a kiss on the forehead is only ever used between family members…or as a proposal. If the receiver, who isn’t family, kisses the other person’s forehead, it means that the proposal is expected. Lua told me this secretly, just before I left--which explains the reaction that Aialize had when I only met her for the first time and kissed her on the forehead. Luckily, while she wasn’t good with people, or socializing with people who weren’t Elves--but Aialize understood that cultures differed, and that I didn’t mean it like that.

 

Though Lua mentioned that Aialize complained about it a few times with flushed cheeks when she thought Lua wasn’t in hearing range.

 

***

The Dryad appears, and I allow her to suck Magic Power, much to her delight. It’s only after this she obeys her Summoner, which is Mia’s father, and opens the Alv Road which connects from the Bornean Forest to near the hidden village of mermaids on the southern tip.

 

It’s a bit hot there.

 

I can see that the sailing boat that has been put into the inlet in advance.

 

“Well, farewell. I’ll drop by sometimes.”

 

“Come back anytime. The Bornean Family will always welcome you.”

 

I shake hands with Mia’s family, and Aialize, who’s also tagged along.

 

With permission from Aialize, and the Elders, I have left a carved plank as an anchor for Return Magic in the tree house. I’m not sure if the distance is reachable, but if it’s not, I can just use Flash Drive and acceleration Magic to fly there.

 

“There’s something strange.”

“Strange smell?”

 

It’s probably the first time that they have smelled the sea. Pochi and Tama are holding their noses, Arisa mentions to them that it’s the smell of salt water.

 

I carry everyone, and our new horses, with Magic Hand to the sailing boat. I carried Mia last, so she got sufficient time to say goodbye to her family, and I use Sky Drive to carry her to the deck.

 

While waving to the people who stay to see us off, which is Mia’s Family, Aialize, Ms Poltomea, Lua, and Jia…the numbers have increased since I last checked--I use Magic Hand to lower the sail, and Air Control to blow wind into the sail and start moving.

 

The side trip is over.

 

We will now advance along the West Coast, disembark at the trade city Tartumina, southwest of the Royal Capital, and head towards Labyrinth City.