Flying Carriage

84 years after the hero Himmel defeated the Demon King (79 years after the hero Himmel defeated the Demon King in the original story, 29 years after Simmel's death).

The Northern Countries, the Bond Forest.

The carriage moved slowly along the dirt road through the forest, its wheels making a regular creaking sound as they rolled over the surface. The dense canopy of trees blocked out the sun, allowing only a few dappled spots of light to filter through, filling the entire procession with a leisurely atmosphere.

Frieren leaned against the side of the carriage, her silver hair casually draped over her shoulders, her emerald eyes gazing at the passing shadows of trees outside the window. "Thank you so much. There aren't any public carriages around here, so this ride has been a huge help."

Fern sat opposite her, her long purple hair perfectly styled, her hands clasped on her knees. Hearing this, she nodded gently. "Indeed, this forest is vast. It would take a long time to walk through, and flying would consume a lot of magic..."

"We should help each other out in times like these." The young merchant driving the car turned around, smiled broadly, and said, "Actually, I'm a merchant; I run a jewelry shop that's been passed down through generations in the village up ahead."

His gaze swept over Frieren and Fern:

"Are you ladies interested in accessories? Both young ladies possess a charm that makes me want to bring out my family heirlooms. And the two gentlemen, if they were to accessorize a little, they could also exude a softer, more rugged charm—perhaps a flower accessory on their chest..."

"You really know how to do business," Frieren teased, her gaze sweeping over the butterfly ornament in Fern's hair and the woven bracelet on her wrist. "Fern and I are both quite interested."

"What kind of flower accessories are these, Akainu?" Lowell, who was sitting next to Frieren, had been leaning lazily against the carriage, and suddenly let out a soft "Hmm?"

"What's wrong?" Frieren turned her head.

Lowell's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and waved his hand, "Hmm, it's nothing."

Just then, the carriage suddenly lurched violently!

The white horse pulling the carriage let out a panicked neigh, and the entire carriage was lifted off the ground by a tremendous force!

Several people peered out and saw the sharp claws of a huge bird-like monster firmly gripping the roof of the carriage. The carriage, along with its passengers and horses, was lifted into the air. The white horse stamped its hooves restlessly, but quickly calmed down after being soothed by the merchant; it seemed to be a formidable horse.

Inside the carriage, the group quickly regained their balance, surprisingly remaining quite calm.

A hint of self-reproach flashed across Fern's face. "I'm sorry, sirs, I clearly stated that I was in charge of magic detection..."

Frieren hugged her knees, her tone flat and indifferent:

"Bird-like monsters are indeed very good at concealing their magic, and they're quite cunning... It's normal that you didn't notice, Fern..."

Fern looked at Lowell: "However, Lord Lowell's behavior just now clearly indicated that he realized it."

Lowell chuckled, his tone relaxed. "Haha... just to give you some practice."

Sein gripped the edge of the carriage, peered down at the increasingly smaller woods below, and asked:

"So, what should we do? Kill the monsters and then make the carriage fly? That should be achievable, right?"

Frieren glanced at him. "Have you ever seen a carriage that flies in the sky?"

Sein pointed to the ground. "I'm sitting right there."

Frieren explained:

"You don't understand. Humans have only developed Flight Magic in the last hundred years, and most mages are only skilled at 'floating in the air,' while 'aerial shooting' is a completely different matter. Making something heavier than a person fly is extremely energy-consuming and can usually only be maintained for a very short time... Like when we were clearing debris from the beach, we all used magic to move the heavier things together. The Flight Magic that humans currently use is essentially a basic version learned from Demons, and they can't use it skillfully..."

"As for Demons... well, alright." Sein seemed to have thought of something, but didn't say it. "However, at least we have three mages; only this merchant and I can't fly..."

"Sein, don't rush, take out the Holy Scripture first," Lowell suddenly interjected.

Sein was taken aback. "Huh? Why are you taking out the Holy Scripture? Goddess Magic doesn't allow flight."

"It has nothing to do with Goddess Magic," Lowell gestured. "You take out your weapon, and then use a falling attack just before you hit the ground. You won't die from the fall; you'll only lose a little health."

"What is this guy talking about? Is there such a setting? At least it doesn't exist in this world, right?" He had a "Are you kidding me?" look on his face.

"Yes, it exists in many parts of the world..."

Frieren ignored Lowell's nonsense and quickly made arrangements:

"Never mind him. Hmm... then how about this, Lowell, you take the merchant and fly, I'll take Sein, Fern, you're in charge of the horses..."

Fern puffed out his cheeks slightly. "Why do I have to bring the heaviest horse?"

"Haha... I want to give you some practice?" Lowell laughed.

Fern shook his head and calculated, "No, the horse is too heavy. At this height, my magic can only keep it airborne for about ten seconds at most, which won't guarantee a smooth landing."

Sein suggested another idea. "Then... could we use Flight Magic to cushion the impact just before the carriage crashes? That way, only a very short hovering time would be needed."

Frieren thought for a moment:

"Theoretically, it's possible, but it requires extremely precise timing and magical control. If the impact of the fall cannot be completely countered, we might be flattened along with the car."

"So scary..." Fern pouted and squinted.

Lowell remained relaxed, looking at Fern: "Hahaha... Humans are so fragile. Fern, if Frieren and I weren't here, and you were all alone, what would you do?"

Fern pursed his lips, deep in thought, "Hmm..."

Sein, watching the clouds rushing past the window and the ground drawing ever closer beneath his feet, reminded him:

"Um... anyway, let's decide quickly. I remember this bird hunts by carrying its prey high into the air and then slamming it down..."

Before he finished speaking, the giant bird clinging to the carriage swooped down and plummeted rapidly toward a clearing in the woods below!

"Tsk, Mr. Sein really has a jinx."

Frieren replied decisively, "Yes, there's no time to hesitate, Fern."

Fern sighed, seemingly somewhat helpless. "Do I always have to do this...? Fine."

She gripped her staff tightly, and in a flash, she flew out of the carriage. A faint light shone from the tip of her staff as she lightly touched the giant bird's body. "Bird-Catching Magic."

Several beams of light formed ropes that instantly entangled the giant bird's wings and talons. The giant bird let out a mournful cry and involuntarily released its grip.

The carriage immediately began to free fall!

Sein looked at the rapidly enlarging ground. "I said... didn't you say you were going to pull me along and fly...?" His tone was quite calm.

The merchant closed his eyes and murmured, "Ah, my Aureole grandmother is beckoning to me..."

Just as the carriage was only five or six meters off the ground, and was about to crash and shatter—

The descent suddenly stopped.

The carriage hovered in mid-air, swaying slightly.

Everyone was taken aback.

Then, the carriage began to descend very slowly and smoothly, finally landing gently on the soft ground covered with fallen leaves, with almost no bumps.

Everyone looked down at the carriage with a puzzled expression.

Lowell emerged from under the carriage and dusted off his hands.

"I mean... is this even possible?" Sein's eyes widened.

Catching a carriage falling at high speed with bare hands? That's beyond the realm of magic.

"Haha... Just because human standards don't apply doesn't mean I can't. Besides, don't always treat me like a simple mage. Knowing a little about everything makes life more exciting." Lowell chuckled.

The merchant jumped off the carriage, inspected it carefully, and a look of relief appeared on his face:

"Thank you so much... If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would really be going to see my great-grandmother. It's a miracle... The horse was only a little frightened and had some scratches. The carriage only had a few holes in the roof from bird claws; it can be repaired and will continue to run without affecting its operation."

Frieren jumped off the carriage and walked to Lowell's side. She looked at him with her emerald eyes, then at the undamaged carriage, gave a soft "humph," and said nothing, but her eyes seemed to imply "well done."

Fern landed back on the ground, letting out a sigh of relief.

"... What kind of monsters are in this team?" Sein shook his head and muttered to himself.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves again, and the forest returned to its previous tranquility, as if the terrifying aerial incident had been nothing more than a minor episode.