Chapter 15
2. Re: Life in Another World Starting with the Grand Duke (1)
Selena and Geum Ga-yeon chose the aerial route instead of teleportation or the land path. It was to move as safely as possible while avoiding the pursuers.
For a great wizard who has few things she cannot do if she sets her mind to it, creating a new means of transportation was easy.
They took a carpet of suitable size from a carpet shop for a single gold coin—without asking, of course. Then, over the course of three days, Selena inscribed flying magic onto it.
“A flying carpet… this is a dream come true,” Geum Ga-yeon said.
“The destination isn’t a garden full of colorful gemstone flowers and silk deer, though,” Selena replied.
“That’s fine. I much prefer concrete buildings where the Wi-Fi works and my phone has a signal.”
“Honestly, me too,” Selena said.
The wind resistance was strong, making the flight far from comfortable. But the sense of freedom from being untouchable in the clear blue sky was enough to satisfy them.
Whenever they spotted a small village too tiny to appear on their map, they would descend to pick up dried fruit, stews that only needed heating, tin kettles, and cups. They didn’t forget thick furs to block the cold wind.
“Oh no! That’s not allowed! This black bear fur was meant to be sold in the city, wizard!”
“Hmm, how much? How much would it take?”
“…How much can you give me? I… really need the money.”
Selena threw gold coins coldly at the frail-looking hunter.
“Ten gold coins. All in cash.”
“Ah…?!”
“Take all the furs and warm new blankets in this village.”
“Yes! Thank you! Come again!”
With a bow so deep it bent her back, the hunter ran off, while Selena, draped in the bear fur over her shoulders and a fox scarf, headed toward Geum Ga-yeon waiting in the nearby forest. She looked every bit like a skilled protector who had succeeded in her hunt.
She put a wool hat snugly on Geum Ga-yeon, wrapped her in a cotton blanket like a happy little roll, and Geum Ga-yeon smiled brightly. She must have liked the warmth.
Wrapped in the soft furs, they braved the chill as they neared the Frost Mountains.
More than anything, watching the Empire’s pursuers spin in circles from above was entertaining.
People rarely look up at the sky. Naturally, there were few witnesses, and without clues, the Empire’s squads wandered in all the wrong places.
This world had no concept of flying vehicles, brooms, or superheroes. It would take them a long time to realize that Selena and Geum Ga-yeon were flying.
Watching the Empire knights scatter from one point, Selena praised the magical carpet.
“Slower than teleportation, colder too, but still better than I expected.”
“Yes. But sister, you seem to be using a lot of mana. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Three hours flying, thirty minutes resting, and it’s fine.”
The speed was like a car, she guessed. Ignoring terrain, the carpet could travel far in the same time. And the scenery… was unmatched.
Selena glanced below. A vast green forest of conifers, a long winding river cutting through it. If one could take a photo, it would make a beautiful postcard. But there were no cameras here.
“The only downside… no rest stops. I want some walnut cookies.”
“I’d take a spiral potato. With honey butter powder, it’s amazing.”
“Oh, right. Spiral potatoes too. Have you tried pumpkin taffy? It sticks to your mouth in a strangely satisfying way.”
Geum Ga-yeon tilted her head, her cheeks red from the cold.
“I had rice taffy at the university exam, but not pumpkin taffy.”
“You’ve been wasting the small joys of life. I’ll buy you some when we return. Actually, I’ll order one of everything at a rest stop.”
“Sis…!”
Geum Ga-yeon looked at Selena with genuine awe, her face bright. Seeing her like that warmed Selena’s heart.
Another thing warmed the thirty-three years of Selena’s heart that had known only cold hardship.
Because night flights were tough, they descended to the ground. Fortunately, they found a village big enough to have an inn. No need to sleep outside or forcibly rent someone’s house—they were delighted.
“Whoa! A stunning beauty… is she a mountain fairy?”
“Wait. Pink hair. Could it be… Lightning?”
Being an inn, a few oblivious mercenaries were there, but Selena handled them quickly.
Not wanting three generations to suffer the wrath of a great wizard, she told them to shut up, gave them her name, and even took their newspaper.
The newspaper made Selena smile. Its headlines read:
- “Terrible destruction at Danni Square by Count Kim’s magic”
- “Thanks to the intervention of Sub-Grand Duke Roderfel, no casualties occurred”
- “Sub-Grand Duke Roderfel was not seriously injured, but…”
“Ha, serves them right. ‘Not seriously injured’? If it were a real minor injury, they would have called him ‘our glorious Empire’s Sub-Grand Duke’ or something.”
“How badly was he hurt?”
“One limb must have been deeply cut. That kind of magic attack is rare here, so he probably didn’t respond well. He must have bled a bit. High-level potions would fix it quickly… But anyway, we won’t see him again.”
“True. Before, they sent knights for searches and tracking, but now… they won’t risk sending the heir to fight a great wizard.”
“Exactly. And who knows when the great wizard might attack out of grudge? The Sub-Grand Duke would likely be kept at home.”
The great wizard Count Kim was known for being unpredictable and vindictive.
If he got unlucky, he could strike a noble family that had supported the dukes—no compensation, no recourse.
Since he had shown displeasure at the Emperor’s oppression toward Geum Ga-yeon, and had injured the Sub-Grand Duke, a small grudge could double, a big one would be impossible to stop. If Selena went crazy and risked her life, it would not end well.
Some doubted Selena’s mental stability from the moment she kidnapped the Empress. The Empire’s upper class, obsessed with self-preservation, wouldn’t leave her alone. Half the knights sent reluctantly by the Emperor would be pulled back to guard their homes.
The dukes, worried their precious heir might be disabled or killed, wouldn’t let him roam outside for a while.
“So that means he’ll get a taste of confinement, at least partially,” Geum Ga-yeon said, thrilled, humming a little celebratory tune.
Freed from the Emperor and the dukes, her fortune seemed to open up.
The next day, after being waved off by the innkeeper with a gold coin, which mixed in some hush money, they had been traveling about an hour when Selena suggested:
“Ga-yeon, your mana flow should be fully stabilized by now. You can summon your spirit again.”
“Really?”
She could have summoned before, but they decided to wait until her body fully recovered. Too much blocked mana could cause severe damage if an unscheduled counter-summon occurred.
“Can I do it now?”
“Of course.”
Geum Ga-yeon’s eyes sparkled. Selena watched with a bit of anticipation, curious to see what form her spirit would take.
Spirits were unique even in this world of magic, swordsmanship, and alchemy.
Not strictly academic, scientific, or artistic, they existed independently. They roamed freely across dimensions and nature. Only those chosen by a spirit could form a “contract,” a mutual agreement.
Once contracted, a spirit’s vague form solidifies based on the mind of its summoner.
Spirit masters were rare, comparable to high-level wizards, and spirits’ appearances varied widely.
Selena had seen many spirits. Water spirits often resembled the children or fish from the fairy tales of this world, likely influenced by common imagery associated with water.
“Come forth! My little cutie!”
