And so, we are currently on our way to the village where Alec's younger brother is, riding on Fūsuke's back along with Alec and Rurune.

“Alright, Fūsuke, we’re counting on you.”

“Hoo!”

We carefully climb onto the back of the now much larger Fūsuke. His back is fluffier than I expected, feeling as if I were sinking into a luxurious sofa.

If I tuck my legs between the gaps of his feathers, they stay firmly in place, and as long as I wrap my arms around his neck, there’s no chance of falling off.

“Fūsuke-chan is so wonderfully fluffy!”

“Are we really okay doing this…?”

The two of them climb on behind me. Alec seems a bit scared. I get it—flying through the air is no small thing. If I couldn’t use wind magic, I’d probably be terrified too.

“Fūsuke, let’s start off slow.”

“Hoo!”

Fūsuke spreads his wings wide, and his massive body slowly lifts off the ground.

“Th-this is a little scary…”

“Y-yeah…”

“Uh, Alec, I understand that you’re scared, but please don’t close your eyes. We need you to guide us.”

We’ve already gained a considerable altitude, and I understand why looking down would be frightening, but Alec is the only one who knows the way. The surroundings are getting darker, making visibility worse.

At first, the wind resistance was strong, but after setting up a barrier spell in front of Fūsuke, we were able to move much faster. Who knew owls could fly at such a speed?

“For now, just head straight for that big mountain. Once we cross it, there will be a large river beyond. Stop there once we reach it.”

As expected, this world lacks large structures. We navigate by landmarks like mountains, rivers, and big towns.

“Alec, we’ve reached the large river.”

“A-ah… no way, we got here already?”

It’s no wonder Alec is surprised. It’s been about an hour since we took off, and we’ve traveled far faster than I could even if I used wind magic to create footholds and ran.

“Past that mountain ahead, there’s another mountain. My brother’s village is on its slopes. It’s too dark to see clearly now, but there should be a guard with a torch at the village entrance.”

The surroundings have grown even darker, but Fūsuke is an owl—his night vision should make it fine.

“Fūsuke, just a little more. Please keep going.”

“Hoo!”

Just as Alec had said, beyond the first mountain, there was another. In its middle slopes, we spotted the glow of torchlight. If we landed directly in the village, we might get attacked by mistake, so we decided to land a short distance away.

“Hoo.”

“Thanks, Fūsuke.”

“Fūsuke’s back was incredibly comfortable.”

It really was a great ride. Even Nenea and the others had been wanting to try it. When things settle down, I’ll ask Fūsuke for another ride.

“Who’s there!?”

“It’s me, Alec.”

“Oh, Alec? What brings you here at this hour?”

“I’ve brought someone who can use high-level healing magic. Let us through!”

“Seriously!? Hurry, help Nil already!”

We’re led into the village and taken to a particular house.

“Nil, are you still hanging in there!?”

“Hah… hah… B-bro…ther…”

Ugh…

The young man called Nil was in a terrible state. A large wound stretched from his right shoulder down to his left side, with blood soaking through the bandages. His right hand was nearly severed, barely hanging on. His head was also wrapped in bandages—perhaps his eyes were injured as well.

“Please… Masayoshi, I’m begging you. Save my brother…”

“…I’ll do my best. Rurune, is it safe to apply healing magic immediately?”

“…To be safe, we should remove the bandages from his severe wounds and clean them first. Also, someone should support his right hand while the healing magic is cast.”

“Understood. Everyone, please lend a hand.”

“Graaahhh… nghhh…!”

“…Nil, hold on.”

Rip, rip

While I held down his body, Alec and the villagers carefully removed the bandages.

But the wounds had fused with the bandages, making them difficult to peel off. When water was poured over them for cleaning, Nil let out a pained cry. He instinctively tried to move, but he was too weak.

“I’ll hold his right hand. Do it.”

“Alright, here goes.”

I had never attempted to heal such severe injuries before. I poured even more magic into my spell than usual.

“High Heal!!”

“Incredible, the wounds are closing up so fast!”

“As expected of Lord Masayoshi! A truly marvelous spell.”

Nil’s injuries healed before our eyes. It was like watching a video of a wound being reversed in time.

“A-ah… I can see! And I don’t feel any pain!”

“Nil!!”

“Brother!”

Alec and Nil embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces. Alec might have a foul mouth, but he’s clearly a devoted older brother.

“I can’t thank you enough… truly, thank you!”

“Really, thank you so much!”

Alec dropped to his knees in a deep bow before me. Seeing him, Nil did the same. Seriously, enough with the bowing already… Who even started this whole kneeling culture anyway?