Augustusmens 8, 1616 Central Calendar
Great Sand Sea, Northwestern Vallarge Province, Holy Milishial Empire
Princess Lugiel fancied a rather childish thought of reaching out with her hand and skimming the peaks of the passing dunes with the tip of her fingers as if they were waves upon the sea, seeing that the Heavenly Vessel that she traveled in continued to hover unflinchingly at an altitude low enough to prompt such imaginations to surface in her mind. Underneath the blanket of stars and the faintly visible Heavenly Stream that spangled the inky black canvas of the desert sky, the Great Sand Sea stretched like a vast ocean beyond the cabin.
Despite the romantic scenery, however, it was honestly a long business trip coming all the way from Runepolis, even if they were mostly flying. While the Princess was allowed the privilege of sleeping whenever she wanted, they were already on the final leg of the trip, and staying awake when arriving at the destination was a longtime personal preference. It's just that the faint sound of the engines outside disturbed the air as a constant drone that lulled at the edges of Lugiel's consciousness, weaving a subtle invitation for a nice shut-eye. She knew the moment she closed her eyes, she'd be out like a light.
Lugiel, feeling restless and expressing her frustration with a sigh, shifted her glance from the circular window to Kuvira sitting opposite her. The friend, Imperial Guard Captain, and the Illustrator's deputy in charge of her protection was still sitting with her back ramrod straight, and upon noticing her charge's expression morphing from composure to a show of discontent, she returned Lugiel's gaze with a faint grin, no hint of tiredness in her expression.
"Is there something wrong, Your Highness?"
"We're about to reach the destination soon, right...?"
"Indeed."
"Right..." Lugiel stretched with a strained sigh. "I fear that my vigilance is waning. Kuvira, would you humor me with small talk so that I may stay awake?"
"Please, Your Highness, should that settle your mind."
"Mm, thank you. It gets so comfortable and quiet in here that I couldn't help but want to call the night early... What a pleasant experience akin to boarding a typical Heavenly Vessel, I feel like floating, but at the same time it's not. I find it beats riding a sand skiff any day. Wouldn't you agree?"
A knowing smile bloomed on the Guardswoman's face. "Why, of course, Your Highness. Without having to get the rough and irritating sand flying to one's face from everywhere, I'd take this craft over any open-air vehicle too."
Lugiel stifled a laugh. "It sounds like something Nanaki would say when you worded it that way."
"You know your subordinates well," Kuvira's grin widened. "He complained upon hearing this time's destination would be in the middle of Vallarge."
"Oh, figures. Was he scared over getting selected to go to the place he detested?"
"Maybe. Though it was rendered moot now that he's not among the ones chosen to be the entourage this time."
"He's such an angry cat, isn't he?"
As Lugiel's giggle became less restrained, Kuvira joined in while some of the passengers who were still awake stole sneaking glances at the two ladies' conversation.
The inside joke and the thought of Guardsman Nanaki and his legendary dislike of the desertic environment eventually brought back to Lugiel's mind this very Heavenly Vessel. Here, amidst the vast emptiness of the Great Sand Sea, they rode not just in comfort, but aboard a piece of magitech that is the first of its kind in a world that existed long after the Ancient Sorcerous Empire's disappearance.
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Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)
Fanfiction"Unacceptable. If there's one thing that a conveniently appearing overpowered entity in this world has shown us, is that we are seen as weak and hopeless. I find that previous life's terms unacceptable. I want a better world. With these hands, I dar...
