Author: Yume Neiji

“There’s a town just up ahead.”

Dana said, leading the way. We followed her for a while across the rocky terrain. But when she stopped and gestured before us, all we saw was barren wilderness stretching to the horizon.

“Mm. Where?”

“I don’t see any town.”

Anje and Fana looked around curiously.

“…So you truly have lost your memories.”

Dana murmured, pity flickering in her eyes.

“Anyone born and raised on this island would know about this.”

(…A barrier huh.)

『Indeed. And quite an advanced one too. It not only conceals the town from outside view but also weaves in several other enchantments.』

Even from the airship, we hadn’t been able to spot any sign of a town. Now it was clear why. The settlement had been hidden within a powerful barrier.

“It’s designed to keep monsters out. There aren’t any native to the island, but on rare occasions, a creature with strong flight abilities like that dragon earlier may wander in from outside.”

The barrier allowed us to pass through effortlessly. It repelled monsters, yet seemed to permit humans—even outsiders like us—to enter without issue.

“It’s warm in here!”

“Mm. The air’s thicker too.”

“There’s even greenery!”

“The barrier also regulates the environment. It maintains a temperature and air density comfortable for human life.”

What an astonishingly versatile barrier.

Just as Lindwurm had said, its structure was intricate—an advanced piece of magical engineering. If the people of this island were maintaining something of this scale themselves, then their mastery of magic was no small feat.

“Without the barrier, life here would be impossible. Naturally, every other settlement on the island is protected by one as well.”

“So when you say other settlements, you mean there are more towns here, Dana-oneechan?”

“Yes. At present, this island holds more than ten towns, home to roughly two hundred thousand people.”

Apparently, towns were scattered all across the island. Because the land outside the barriers was so harsh and uninhabitable, travel between them was rare. Each settlement seemed to live in near-complete self-sufficiency, sustaining itself within its protective dome.

Dana led us to her home. It’s a fairly impressive residence, with what looked like a workshop attached to it.

“As you can see, I’m a magitech artisan. I specialize in creating and developing magical tools for everyday use.”

“Oh? Then that ship-looking thing from earlier….was that one of your magic devices too?”

“W–well… yes, something like that.”

She answered, averting her eyes slightly.

Apparently, on this island, where natural resources were scarce, nearly everything relied on magic. Food, clothing, even the very houses themselves were all products of magical creation. It wasn’t quite on the level of the magic metropolis Endelsen, but it was clear that the island’s magical technology far surpassed that of the surface world.

“Amazing. To sustain two hundred thousand people on a barren island like this… it’s incredible.”

 Anje murmured, genuinely impressed.

“That is all thanks to the Three Sages of the Beginning.”

Three Sages of the Beginning?

“Mm. Who’re they?”

Fana tilted her head.

“What—!? You mean to tell me you’ve forgotten even them?”

Dana stared at us in disbelief.

Still speechless, she eventually sighed and began to explain.

“They were the three great magi who first cultivated this island. Our ancestors once lived on the surface, enslaved and oppressed by a certain nation. But the Three Sages saved them, leading our people here—to this land of peace and freedom.”

Though the island had once been a harsh and lifeless place, the Three Sages transformed it in the blink of an eye with their magic, reshaping it into a land where humans could thrive. They had also shared their vast knowledge of magic freely, teaching the settlers everything they knew.

The barriers protecting each town were among their creations, now maintained by the island’s own mages who inherited that legacy.

“Since then, we’ve lived here in peace. Our ancestors numbered only a few thousand when they first arrived, yet now our people have grown to two hundred thousand. That alone speaks to how comfortable life on this floating island has become.”

The names of those legendary three were Avices, Monides, and Domas.

(Huh? Those names sound kind of familiar. Linlin, do you know them?)

『Indeed I do. Those three were once your apprentices, Master. The disciples who trained under you at the Tower of the Great Sage.』

(Ah, right! That’s why I remembered them!)

I recalled now—each of them had been young and full of promise back then. I didn’t know the full story, but it seemed that after my death, they had gathered an oppressed people and brought them here, to this floating island.

“Our ancestors arrived aboard a great ship built by the Three Sages themselves. Normally, ships are meant to travel across the sea, but this one… it could soar through the skies.”

A giant ship, huh?

Most likely it’s a magic-powered airship. But it would have to be far beyond ordinary models to carry a group of people across the sky.

“It still exists. It’s enshrined within the Grand Temple. I’ve visited it myself a few times.”

So the vessel had survived all this time. That alone was enough to spark my curiosity.

(A magic airship crafted by those three, huh. I’ll have to see for myself what kind of work my apprentices managed to produce.)

『…You really are the worst kind of teacher, Master.』

I turned to the others with a grin.

“Since we’re here, why not go take a look at that ship? Maybe seeing it will help jog our memories. Dana-oneechan, where is this Grand Temple located?”

“It’s in the town on the western side of the island. That’s said to be the very first settlement our ancestors built when they arrived. If you wish to go there, you can take one of the regular transport ships.”

Apparently, there’s a special magical tool for traveling between towns on this island.

However, it only departs once a month, and the next trip isn’t until two weeks later.

“I can’t wait two weeks.”

“Hm.”

“You’re right. It’s only about 20 kilometers away, so I think we should just head there normally.”

“No way! We’re on the east side of the island, and if we want to go to the town on the west, we’ll have to go around the mountain in the center! Going there on foot would be suicidal! And with such scanty clothing too!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A mysterious land floating in the sky.

—I had a vague idea of what it might be.

“Don’t tell me… a floating island?”

A floating island. Just as the name suggests—an island that drifts through the sky. I heard rumors of such things even back in my previous life, but I had never seen one with my own eyes before I died. 

After all, they say it never stays in one place, forever moving across the vast sky. Tracking one down, is no simple task.

『That seems to be the case.』

Lindwurm replied with a nod.

(Huh? Don’t tell me, you’ve seen one before?)

『Indeed. Back when I still roamed freely through the skies, I encountered them a few times. As far as I know, only a handful of such islands exist in the world. To cross paths with one like this is truly rare.』

Well, that made sense.

Lindwurm was once a legendary ancient dragon, known as the Radiant Dragon.

“How does something like that even stay afloat?”

“Magic, maybe?”

“I don’t think it’s magic. I can’t feel any trace of magical power from it.”

Some say the very bedrock that forms those islands possesses an innate ability to float—an impossible mineral that defies gravity itself.

“Well, whatever the reason, it looks interesting. Let’s go take a closer look.”

The Seno Grande Kai flew higher, rising to an altitude where we could peer down upon the drifting island.

“It’s huge! At least several times the size of Onigashima!”

The island stretched long and narrow across the sky. Its long axis is probably about 50 kilometers, and its short axis is about 20 kilometers.

We descended slowly, setting down upon its surface.

“C-cold!?”

“Master, the air—it’s thin! It’s hard to breathe!”

“That’s because we’re at an incredibly high altitude. It’s still bearable since it’s a warm season right now, but come winter, this place would be far harsher.”

There was barely any vegetation. A barren landscape of endless rocky terrain stretched out before us. The mountains were bald, and there were surely no animals or monsters in this environment.

Naturally, there was no way people could live—

“Uwaaaaaah!”

—Was that someone screaming?

“Let’s take a look.”

We headed in the direction of the voice.

“It’s a man-made object.”

Lying on the ground was a clearly man-made object. It was about the size of a carriage, but its appearance was more streamlined, giving it a vaguely ship-like impression. But whatever it once was, it had clearly suffered a violent impact. The hull lay in ruins, shattered beyond repair.

“What in the world is something like this doing here…?”

Even more shocking, however, was the figure nearby—

a human, clutching her head and screaming in frustration.

“Uwaaaaaaah! I failed again! Why can’t I ever get it right!?”

She a young, tall woman. She has messy hair, no makeup on her face, and is dressed in what looks like shabby work clothes. She’s far from fashionable, but she’s a beautiful woman with fairly well-proportioned features.

And, above all else—she has large boobs!

(Alright, decision made. I’m getting a hug from her.)

『What do you mean, “alright”? This is hardly the time for that. Something’s approaching from above.』

“Eh?”

After Lindwurm pointed it out, I looked up at the sky and saw a dragon gliding toward me at breakneck speed. It was likely one of the beasts that made its lair somewhere within the Great Mountain Range.

“Guruaaaaaah!!”

“W–what!? A d-dragon!? Waaaaaah!!”

Realizing the danger too late, the mysterious woman turned to flee in a panic.

But the dragon was far too fast. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with her, claws outstretched to seize its prey—

Zhang!

The dragon’s head flew into the air, spinning before crashing to the ground. Its massive body followed soon after, slamming into the ground with a loud impact.

“Eh…? I–I’m alive? You… saved me?”

“Mm. You’re safe now.”

It was Fana who had severed the dragon’s neck in a single, fluid motion.

“Y-you did that…?”

“Mm. I cut it.”

“To… to kill a dragon in one strike…”

The woman stood frozen in disbelief, her voice trembling.

I stepped forward and greeted her casually.

“Hello, Oneechan. Can I have a little taste of your milk?”

『Master, that’s the kind of line that gets you arrested on sight.』

The woman finally noticed me—and screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Gyaaaaaaah!? A b-baby’s floating in the air!?”

“Haha, you’re funny! Most people freak out that I’m talking, but you’re more shocked that I’m floating!”

“W–what!? The baby’s talking too!?”

She pinched her own cheek hard.

“D-don’t tell me… my experiment failed and I died? No—! I can still feel pain! So this isn’t a dream…?”

“You’re just making things more complicated. Stay out of the way for a bit.”

Anje sighed, stepping forward. She grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and unceremoniously tossed me backward.

Wuu-, so cruel.

“I’m Anje. You live on this flying island?”

“M-my name is Dana. And of course I live here! It’s not as though one can simply come and go from the island as they please!”

So, her name was Dana.

I sent a message to Anje and the others through telepathy.

『Hmm… maybe it’s best not to mention that we came from outside the island. We have no idea what kind of culture or customs they have here. 』

If we weren’t careful, they might decide to capture us or even kill us.

Not that we’d have any trouble turning the tables if it came to that though.

Anje’s voice came through,

『…In that case, you—who draw the most attention—should just keep pretending to be a baby.』

Easier said than done. When there’s a woman with a chest like that, talking to her just happens instinctively. Some impulses are simply part of human nature.

“W-wait a minute—”

Dana gasped, eyes widening as realization struck.

 “—y-you mean… you came from outside the island!?”

Panicking, I quickly tried to cover it up.

『Actually, we all, uh… kinda lost our memories! Total group amnesia. Can’t remember much of anything!』

『Master, I must protest—there’s no way an entire group having amnesia sounds believable.』

“Oh… I see. That must be rough.”

Dana said with a sympathetic nod.

『…She believed that instantly!? This one is…. remarkably gullible….』

Apparently, she was just as easy to fool like Karen.

“Anyway, you mentioned you were running some kind of experiment earlier. Would that have anything to do with that ship-looking thing lying over there?”

“Ah—well, that’s… uh… a secret. Or rather, something I can’t really talk about…”

So it was something she wasn’t supposed to reveal.

“A-anyways, I owe you my life! There’s a town nearby—please, come with me! Let me repay you properly!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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As we crossed the Atlas Mountain Range aboard the Seno Grande Kai, a colossal peak loomed ahead of us. Compared to the surrounding mountains, it stood nearly twice as tall—an overwhelming mass of rock that pierced the clouds.

“Hn… it’s really high.”

Fana murmured.

“That is the main peak of the Atlas Range.”

I answered as I nod towards it. Even with Seno Grande Kai, we were only barely able to reach this altitude.

“The oxygen is thin… even just breathing feels tough. It’s also freezing up here.”

Anje said, rubbing her arms. No ordinary human could survive long in such an environment—too little oxygen, too much cold.

“At this altitude, only dragons could live here normally. And not just ordinary ones either… eh?”

I squinted toward the summit.

“Wait a second—doesn’t the top of the mountain look… discolored?”

As we drew closer to the main peak, it became clear that the summit was covered in a dark, viscous substance.

Then—

Wooong—wooong—wooong—wooong—wooong—!

A piercing alarm blared throughout the bridge.

On the monitor before us, the internal map of the airship flashed red, a series of X marks had appeared where the entrance and exit were.

“It’s detecting hazardous elements in the outside atmosphere. It’s warning us not to go out.”

Anje spoke, her eyes narrowing.

The source was obvious—the strange black liquid smothering the mountaintop.

“Something just moved. There—something shaped like a lizard.”

Fana said, pointing at the display.

“Let’s check it out.”

I aimed the scanning radar toward the spot Fana had pointed out.

—And immediately, a powerful reaction flared across the display.

Judging from the outline, it could only be a dragon. Roughly thirty meters long, its massive body moved with unsettling grace as it waded through that strange, tar-like liquid without a hint of discomfort.

『That substance is likely poisonous.』

(You can tell, Linlin?)

『Without a doubt. That’s definitely the abominable evil dragon…the poisonous dragon Fafnir. I can’t believe it’s making a place like this its lair.』

Lindwurm’s tone dripped with distaste, as though even speaking the creature’s name left a foul taste in her mouth.

Among dragons, those with low intelligence and deeply malicious natures are known as Evil Dragons.

…Well, Bahamut could technically be called evil too, but at least she’s smart enough to hold a conversation. That alone puts her in a different league.

“Since we’ve stumbled across it anyway, we might as well take care of it while we’re here.”

Leaving an Evil Dragon alone was never a good idea. Just like the demons, they only brought disaster if ignored. Sure, in a place this remote there was little risk to people—but there was no telling when it might decide to descend upon the lands below.

“You—you actually plan to fight that thing!?”

Karen’s voice trembled.

“Look strong.” Fana said, eyes sparkling.

“Wait, isn’t it hard enough just to breathe outside?!”

“Not to mention, the area is saturated with that poison. Entering its domain means certain death.”

“It’s fine. We don’t even need to go outside for this one.”

It was the perfect chance to test the Seno Grande Kai’s combat capabilities. Honestly, I’ve been thinking that the small fry dragons we’d run into so far were far too weak for a proper trial run.

“—Tch! SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“It noticed us!”

As we drew closer, Fafnir turned its massive head toward us.

A heartbeat later, a high-output mana cannon roared to life.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!

The blast struck Fafnir head-on.

—Or so it seemed. At the very last moment, the beast twisted its body and narrowly avoided the hit. Though its body was massive, Fafnir’s stance was low to the ground, its movements more akin to a lizard slithering across the earth—swift and unnervingly agile for a creature of its size.

“Poison breath incoming!”

As if in retaliation, the dragon spewed a torrent of venomous liquid toward us.

But the Seno Grande Kai deployed its barrier in an instant, easily deflecting the attack. Without pause, the airship retaliated with another blast from its mana cannon.

Once again, the evil dragon evaded with blinding speed. Yet before it could regain its footing, the next barrage was already upon it.

“How long do you think you can keep dodging?”

Fafnir scrambled desperately along the cliff face, twisting and turning to escape the relentless bombardment. But at last, one of the mana blasts struck into its back with a resounding impact.

“Gruaaaaaah!?”

The Seno Grande Kai immediately followed up with a rapid volley of mana blasts, showing not the slightest hint of mercy as it drove the evil dragon into a corner.

“…This feels a bit one-sided, doesn’t it?”

“Mm. It’s just getting pummeled.”

“Can’t that thing fly or something?”

Hmm. What a disappointment.

『Fafnir’s wings have long since degenerated, rendering it incapable of flight. As such, when attacked from the air like this, its only means of retaliation is that poisonous breath. But with even that neutralized by your barrier, it truly has no options left.』

“So once its breath was blocked by the barrier, that was pretty much game over for it, huh.”

Before long, the mana cannons fell silent.

The Seno Grande Kai must have determined that the enemy had been completely annihilated.

Fafnir’s colossal, mangled body tumbled helplessly down the sheer cliffside, disappearing into the ravine below.

『Once the evil dragon is dead, its venom will eventually dissipate as well.』

“Good enough. No one’s coming to this place anyway—let’s just leave it be.”

Leaving the poison-soaked peak behind, we pressed onward.

“Ah! Master, the end of the Great Mountain Range is in sight! At last, we’re about to set foot in the western lands…!”

The airship soared past the final ridge of the mountain range.

No longer needing to maintain such an altitude, I began to lower our height.

—that was when it happened.

Wooong—wooong—wooong—wooong—!

Once again, the piercing sound of the alarm echoed through the control room.

I frowned and checked the monitor, wondering what it could be this time—only to see a massive object rapidly approaching from ahead.

“W–what the heck is that!?”

“…An island?”

“Y-you’re right. It is an island! But why in the world is it floating in the sky!?”

Beyond the window stretched an impossible sight— a vast expanse of land, suspended high above the clouds.

“Don’t tell me… that’s a floating island?”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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After we’d had our fill of the eastern lands, we decided it was time to head back west.

“I definitely want to come here again. I would love to be breastfed by the shogun again. Luckily, I should be able to use teleportation magic soon—next time, the trip will be a breeze.”

Teleportation magic required an immense amount of mana and it puts a heavy strain on the body. That was why I refrained from using it up until now.

Of course, I already prepared the magic circle. By marking a specific location as a destination, I could greatly reduce the burden of teleportation.

『By the way, where exactly did you inscribe the circle?』

“Eh? Oh, in the shogun’s bath, of course. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly hidden.”

『…I see. Of course you did.』

While Lindwurm let out an exasperated sigh, the rest of us headed toward the Seno Grande.

“Hmm… is it just me, or did it get bigger?”

“Yeah, it definitely looks larger than before.”

Fana and Anje tilted their heads, studying the ship’s newly altered form.

“You noticed! Excellent eyes, both of you! That’s right—I did a major renovation!”

I spread my arms proudly. I had given Seno Grande a major makeover, enhancing both its structure and performance. And, naturally, I had taken the opportunity to “upgrade” its most distinctive feature—the massive twin bulges on either side of the hull.

“It’s like I boosted it from an H-cup to a J-cup! Honestly, I wanted to go for an L-cup, but I figured focusing more on flight performance than sheer size was the smarter call… so I held back.”

“…What on earth are you even talking about?”

Honestly, with only a handful of us aboard, there wasn’t any practical reason to make the ship larger. Even as it was, the interior space was more than enough.

“But thanks to the makeover, the flight performance is magnificent! With this, even the massive mountain range dividing East and West should be a breeze to cross!”

For the record, I had considered renaming the vessel from Seno Grande (“Big Boobs”) to Seno Tropo Grande (“Massive Boobs”), but it felt a bit too long—and truth be told, the ship’s current size didn’t quite qualify as massive. So, in the end, I kept the old name.

『I believe a J-cup already counts as massive, though…』

Huh? No way. True massive starts at least from an L-cup upward.

That said, to commemorate its rebirth, I decided it would henceforth be known as the Seno Grande Kai—the kai(快) of  pleasure.

『I’ve been meaning to ask… but didn’t you mean to call it kai—as in “改,” meaning “Improved”?』

(Nope. It’s the kai, meaning ‘Pleasure’)

『……』

To achieve this “Pleasurable Refit,” of course, a powerful new energy source had been essential. Luckily, the female-type demon we’d captured earlier made the perfect solution. Even now, she is probably down in the engine room, dutifully channeling her magic in place of me.

『You really have no mercy, do you? Even though she’s female—complete with the kind of chest you’re so fond of.』

(Demon breasts don’t count. They’re hard—no softness, no warmth, nothing! Honestly, the disappointment alone makes them a sin against mankind.)

『Every time I think you can’t disgust me more, you somehow manage to outdo yourself, Master.』

And with that, the Seno Grande Kai soared into the sky, rising higher and higher as the city of Edo shrank to a scatter of rooftops far below.

“My homeland… Edo….This is farewell for now. I’ll grow stronger, and one day I’ll return, I swear on it.”

Her voice carried a quiet conviction. For Karen, who had joined our party in the East, this was her first time truly leaving home behind.

The airship continued its smooth ascent, rising until we were soaring high above the clouds. Below us, the sprawling city had dwindled to a scattering of tiny shapes. Up here, even the largest birds and most persistent flying beasts couldn’t hope to reach us.

“Alright, let’s kick it up a notch.”

The Seno Grande Kai tilted forward, its engines humming with renewed vigor as we surged toward the distant mountain range. Thanks to the makeover, our flight speed had nearly doubled.

“The mountain range’s getting close way too fast… just how fast are we going?”

“At this pace, we could get from Volante to Vegaltia in about five minutes.”

“F-five minutes!? That’s so fast! I can’t even comprehend it….”

“You are a genius, Master”

“This speed… Even at my full sprint, I would not come close.”

Lill, also said in surprise. After all, she is a Fenrir, a divine wolf capable of outrunning storms when she was in her true form.

Soon, the mountain range that divided East and West loomed before us, filling the view ahead. We were flying at an altitude that would make most airships stall out, and yet, the jagged peaks of the Atlas Great Range were still alarmingly close—some rising almost to our level.

“The Atlas Mountain Range is a chain of mountains thousands of meters high.”

Incidentally, Atlas was also the name of a giant-type monster. No one really knew whether the Atlas Mountains were named after that creature, or if the monster had been named after the mountains. Either way, the connection was clear—and fitting.

And within this colossal range lives countless dragons.

“At this altitude, we could just fly past them. But since we’re here, why not take a closer look?”

Lowering the ship’s altitude, I guided us toward the jagged peaks.

As we drew nearer, the scene came into focus—hundreds of dragons swarming around the summit like flies, their wings glinting in the sunlight.

For the record, I’d turned off the stealth mode. It wouldn’t be much of a sightseeing trip if the locals couldn’t even see us, after all.

“W–wait! Why are we flying straight into them!?”

“Are we fighting?”

“It’s fine. We’re just going to take it easy and watch for a bit. I just want to test how the new flight systems perform under live conditions.”

At that exact moment, one of the dragons noticed us.

It let out a bone-rattling roar and came hurtling toward the airship. Its jaws wide enough to swallow a wagon whole.

At the same time, a low hum built within the hull—then the magic cannon fired.

Doooon!!

A beam of condensed mana tore through the sky.

“~~~~!?”

The dragon didn’t even have time to scream. Its massive body was pierced clean through, wings folding uselessly as it plummeted into the mountain below like a falling meteor.

“Okay, let’s keep going!”

With the first one down, the rest of the dragons went wild. Dozens, then hundreds, took to the air, their roars merging into a thunder that shook the peaks. They surged toward us like a living storm of wings and flame.

But the airship’s magic cannons roared louder.

Beams of pure mana lanced through the sky, punching holes through scale and tendon alike. The dragons didn’t even have time to retaliate. Each blast sent another beast spiraling down in a pillar of fire and smoke.

“They’re going down like goblins….. I never imagined I’d see dragons slaughtered so easily…”

“Yup, and we’ve still got plenty of mana to spare. As expected of a demon—she makes one hell of a power source.”

“…Was that really what demons were meant for? I can’t help but feel sorry for that female demon, being turned into a power source just because she encountered such a monstrous baby…”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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