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The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War ~And Thus, I Became The Strongest Knight Disciple (โ) in The World~-Chapter 392: 16 Year Old Inglis and the Highland on Distance Sea
The source of this c๐ธntent is ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ
The vast expanse of the clear blue sky stretched endlessly in front of them. But when Inglis turned her gaze downward, a different shade of blue greeted her โ the deep, mesmerizing blue of the ocean. freew ebnov el
Inglis and her friends had embarked on a journey from Chiral, the Royal Capital of the Charalia Kingdom, and were now traversing the sea. Their destination was the stronghold of the Duke of Art, one of the Three Archdukes of the Highland and the father of Special Envoy Theodore and his sister, Rene (Cyrene).
Their mission was twofold: to seek healing for Eris, who had been wounded in her weaponized form during a confrontation with Jeldegrฤซva, the Duke of War, and to secretly consult with a Highland technician about restoring Rene to her normal state.
For Inglis, however, there was an additional, personal anticipation โ the hope that the Highlandโs defense weapons might malfunction and provide her with an unexpected challenge. After experiencing a thrilling battle with Jeldegrฤซvaโs formidable prowess, she couldnโt help but wonder what kind of excitement the Duke of Artโs technological marvels might offer.
โHnngh~! The sky and the sea are both such beautiful shades of blue. Itโs so refreshing! Iโve never seen everything so blue before! Right, Glis?โ Rafinha stretched comfortably on the deck of the flying battleship, which had arrived from the Highland for their transport.
โYes, Rani,โ Inglis replied with a smile. The scenery was indeed a rare and mesmerizing sight, one she hadnโt even experienced in her previous life. It was a spectacle worth beholding.
โYou are most correct, it is a lovely sight, isnโt it?โ Lieselotte agreed, nodding appreciatively.
โYes, it is, butโฆโ Leone glanced at Inglis, seemingly hesitating to say something.
โโฆWell, you shouldnโt worry about it. Youโll lose if you care too much,โ Eris interjected as if reading Leoneโs mind. Eris, Leone, Lieselotte, and Rafinha were all aboard the Star Princess, which they had managed to bring onto the ship.
Meanwhile, Inglis, appearing as a child of five or six years, was busy lifting the Flygear with both hands, flexing and stretching her knees as she conversed with Rafinha. This was her typical practice routine, sparing no moment for training, although it must have looked quite peculiar to see someone so small engaged in such an activity.
โBut itโs been a few days already. Itโs about time we got there, right, Miss Vilma? We were supposed to arrive by now. How much longer? What hour, what minute, what day of the week?!โ Rafinha inquired, turning to the Highlander Knight standing nearby.
The knight, a beautiful woman with lustrous blond hair marked by a stigma on her forehead โ a sign of her Highlander status โ had hair just below her shoulders, slightly shorter than usual for a woman. This gave her a gallant and stern aura, complementing her striking appearance.
Appearance-wise, the Highlander Knight Vilma looked a bit younger than Eris but slightly older than Inglis and her friends. However, given the longevity of Hyrule Menaces and Highlanders, appearances could be deceiving, making it hard to ascertain their true age.
Vilma, dressed in heavy jet-black armor, looked ready for war at any moment. As the captain of the Highland battleship that had come for Eris, she projected an aura of authority and readiness. Special Envoy Theodore couldnโt accompany them, having duties in Charalia, but Vilma, summoned by him, was presumed to be approachable.
Yet, Vilma remained silent, disregarding Rafinhaโs enthusiastic inquiries.
โMiss Vilma! Can you hear me?!โ Rafinha persisted.
โYouโre making too much noise, donโt talk to me so casually,โ Vilma retorted with a glare.
โEeeh~. But youโll be our guide in the Highlands, right? We should try to get along since weโll be together for a while!โ Rafinha maintained her positive attitude, undeterred by Vilmaโs dismissiveness.
Vilma, though blunt and distant, didnโt demean or ridicule them, an attitude somewhat friendlier than typically expected from Highlanders. Thus, Rafinha continued her attempts at conversation.
โโฆ.โ
โA~ahh, youโre terrible for ignoring me! Hey hey hey, Miss Vilma, youโre terrible I said!โ Rafinha protested, trying to engage Vilma in conversation.
โShut upโฆ! Youโre the terrible one! Youโre making a child carry all of youโฆ?! This is pathetic, are you surface people all so barbaricโฆโฆ?!โ Vilma retorted, her voice tinged with disbelief and disapproval.
Vilmaโs indignation was evident as she observed Rafinha, the Star Princess, and Inglis. She appeared to misconstrue the situation, assuming it was a form of punishment imposed on Inglis by the others. In reality, it was simply part of Inglisโs regular training routine.
โYou donโt get it, out of everyone on Midland, Glis is the odd one outโฆ! She said it wasnโt heavy enough, so weโre helping herโฆ!โ Rafinha explained.
โI mean, I can see how misleading it looksโฆโ Eris added, sighing.
โWhy donโt you get on as well, Miss Vilma? Youโll understand that there is nothing to worry about, and it would help my training with the added weight.โ Inglis suggested, eyeing Vilmaโs heavy armor as a potential training aid.
โI-, I would never do such a horrible thingโฆ!โ Vilma swiftly declined.
โYou can answer my question then~ Come on, tell us how long until we reach Highland?โ Rafinha pressed.
โโฆweโre almost directly below the rendezvous point. All thatโs left isโฆโ Vilma began, but her words were cut off as the Flying Battleship entered thick clouds, obscuring their visibility.
โOnce weโre above this wall of cloudsโฆweโll be there,โ Vilma concluded as they emerged from the clouds.
โWaahโฆ! So weโre finally there. I wonder what itโs likeโฆ!โ Rafinha exclaimed excitedly. ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐๐จ๐บ
โThis is fun, right Rani? I canโt wait to see what kind of awesome weapon of mass destruction will attack usโฆ! It is the home island of the Duke of Art, after all, Iโm sure his technological prowess surpasses what we saw with Lord Jillโฆ!โ Inglis mused, anticipating potential challenges.
โCome on, weโre not here to wage warโฆ! Besides, Iโm more interested in the food and snacks in Highland, and what kind of clothes are in style!โ Rafinha added, her thoughts drifting to more peaceful aspects.
โThis isnโt a vacationโฆ!โ Vilma rebuked her.
At that moment, as Vilmaโs words echoed, the hazy view suddenly became clear. The Flying Battleship had just pierced through the wall of clouds.
โWhatever. This is the home island of the Duke of Art, Illuminus. Seeing it is a privilege for those from the Midland!โ
Vilma pointed ahead, her voice tinged with pride. Yet, only the endless blue sky stretched above a sea of clouds.
โEhโฆ? But, Miss Vilma, thereโs nothing thereโฆ?โ
โHah, typical of you Midlandersโฆโ
Vilmaโs face lit up with the glee of a successful trickster.
โ?โ
โItโs all camouflage. Our home island can merge with the sky, concealing itself completely. This showcases our superiority in technology, surpassing all in the Highland, including the Foundersโ Church!โ
โWow, thatโs incredible!โ
โAnd still, it appears as though thereโs nothing to gaze upon. What a paradoxical sightโฆโ
โYouโre right. Itโs vastly different from what exists on the surface.โ
Rafinha, along with Liselotte and Leone, marveled at the display. It was their first glimpse into the technological might of the Highlands.
โโฆMiss Eris, do you sense the flow of mana?โ
โ? No, but isnโt that expected?โ
โIt may be, yet it feels unusually weakโฆ Miss Vilma, are we truly in front of a piece of the Highland?โ
โRidiculous. Weโre almost at our rendezvous point. Or are you insinuating that Iโm misleading you? Thatโs absurd.โ
โNo, not at all. I just want to confirm there are no unexpected issuesโฆโ
As Inglis spoke, a report arrived from another Highland soldier, his identity hidden behind a full suit of armor.
โExcuse me, weโve lost communication with Illuminus.โ
โWhatโฆ?! But weโre right at the edge of the camouflageโฆ!โ
โThereโs no response from the camouflage magic either.โ
โWhat did you sayโฆ?! Are you implying that Illuminus isnโt actually hereโฆ?! Then whereโโ
Crash!
An enormous splash erupted, its sound seemingly reaching for the heavens, leaving Inglis under the illusion that the water had ascended to great heights.