Viol 32
A Relaxed, Enjoyable Honeymoon
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THE forest below was passing at an incredible speed. Of course, that was because we were hurtling through the sky in the cart flown by Seren.
“Refreshing, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve felt such a nice breeze.”
A month after our wedding, Seren and I finally embarked on our honeymoon.
Though Disto had ordered us both to take leave, I still had a number of important matters to attend to first. Only natural for an Archmage such as myself. I rearranged my schedule to be able to take a full week off, and finally, Seren and I were able to head off.
“It’s so convenient to be able to fly there,” I remarked.
“Yes, and now that the cart has been expanded, it’s a comfortable way to travel,” Seren replied.
“And it’s great that we can travel together, of our own accord, without worrying about anyone else.”
Yes, that was the best part.
Our destination, the village of Mincallan to the north, would usually take a week’s ride by horse and carriage. We’d need to take a detour around the forest, after all. And that’s just the distance going one way. It would take up our entire vacation just to get there. And having to travel for a whole week in a communal coach, packed into a tight space with strangers, eating shared meals, and sleeping in the same space… personally, just the thought makes me break out in stress hives.
But now it was just Seren and me, enjoying the pleasant breeze instead of being rattled around in a coach. And we could fly right over the forest. The trip to our destination would take less than a day.
When Seren said she wanted to learn to fly, I never imagined she would become so skilled at it, so at home in the air.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that beautiful sunset again.”
“Me too. We’ll be staying at a lakeside inn close to the forest. No doubt we’ll see even more beautiful scenery than last time.”
This time around, we were visiting the village where we bought our wedding rings. We didn’t have the luxury of spare time last time, but the scenery was beautiful, and the village had some delectable confectionery shops. Both Seren and I loved the place.
The artisan who made our wedding rings, Rote, is a friendly type, and it was arranged for us to order a matching hairclip for Seren on our next visit.
I’ve heard you can buy all sorts of high-quality and powerful magic stones in Mincallan. A hairclip with stones imbued with powerful protective magic would make for a special piece.
Suddenly, I sensed a strong magical energy radiating up from beneath us. I looked down and saw that we seemed to be right over the deepest part of the forest.
“What’s wrong?” Seren asked, sensing me shift.
“Nothing… I just sensed some strong magic. But then, we ARE passing over the heart of the forest.”
“Oh, right… Yes, you’re right. We ought to be right over the central part.”
“I suppose the magical energy concentrated there is so strong, it can even be felt from the sky.”
Seren and I had been to this forest many times for monster hunting, but we’d never gone past the start of the deepest part. My hunch is that there’s a huge reservoir of magical power further in, right in the heart of the forest.
“Lord Viol, can you see that area there, with the particularly lush, thick trees?”
“Yes. I can sense a strong magical power from where the treetops rise. That area might be a reservoir of great magical power.”
The deeper you go into this forest, the more powerful the magical beasts. And previously unseen plant-type beasts have also started appearing lately. The Third Mage Guild, in charge of beast subjugation, believes there’s a reservoir of magical energy deep into the forest generating these creatures. Although, that is just our hypothesis.
I narrowed my eyes and focused on where I’d felt the magical energy coming from. Then, I recoiled.
Wait a minute. I hadn’t been able to stop myself from peering with curiosity, but I was on my honeymoon. I should really refrain.
“Goodness… All done looking?” Seren asked when I stopped leaning forward.
“Yeah. We can go and do some scouting in the forest when we return. Today, I want to focus on being with you and cherish our time together, Seren.”
“Hehe. You’re making me blush.”
Seren blushed and smiled. The cutest sight imaginable. I felt an urge to reach out and touch her hair, which only made her blush even more.
Though over a month has passed since we started living together, it still feels so fresh.
When I’m in Vi form, Seren kisses and fondles me like you wouldn’t believe. But when I’m in human form, she gets embarrassed.
I tried my best to keep a composed expression, though I felt like grinning whenever I looked at my blushing bride.
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🐈🐈🐈
“OH my…! It’s so beautiful!”
Seren’s cheeks flushed as she sighed in admiration. It was an astonishingly beautiful sight.
We parked our cart and headed to our lodgings. Even from up in the air, we’d seen it was in an amazing location.
A large lake was on a grassy plain between the forest and the village, its surface sparkling with reflected sunlight. By the shore of the lake was a many-storied inn with bright white walls and contrastingly pitch-black pillars and window frames. The reflection of the inn on the lake was a stunning sight to behold as well.
What appeared to be a cowshed was next door, with cows grazing within the spacious compound. It was a fairly major-scale inn, it seemed.
“Lord Viol! Cows! Grazing cows!”
“Yes. This place seems very well set out.”
“I’ve never in my life seen grazing cows before!”
Seren looked excited, just like a child. I was born in the sticks, so I was used to seeing cows wandering about. For me, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. But no doubt, it seemed novel to Seren. Horses trotted around the palace and city, of course, but perhaps Seren had never really seen cows in the flesh before.
“They seem to be raising the livestock themselves. I expect we can get fresh milk and cheese here. If you ask nicely, you might even get a milking demonstration,” I suggested.
“…! M-Maybe I WILL ask!”
Seren gulped with excitement. Yes, she’d certainly ask. I was pleased to see how much she was enjoying herself already.
“There seem to be some chickens in the back as well?”
“There does… So, the eggs are homegrown, too. I can’t wait to see what the food is like here.”
“Amazing…”
Seren seemed taken aback by the little farm ecosystem set up here. With that lake right there, I bet the fish were local as well. No waste. Wonderful.
“But, with it being so close to the forest, I wonder about attacks from magical beasts,” I pondered.
Thinking about things like that comes with the job I do. And in fact, the grasslands near the forest back in the royal capital are prime hunting grounds for magical beasts. So, it’s only natural to assume that the local beasts would come out of the nearby forest to hunt for food.
“That’s true. Maybe you should ask the people at the inn about it,” Seren said.
“Right. I should. Either way, we’ll be staying here for a while. I’ll be able to observe for myself.”
“Hehe, that’s true. Let’s take it easy and enjoy ourselves.”
“Absolutely.”
We exchanged grins.
We’ve both been working hard. We deserve to kick back and enjoy this trip. We decided to spend the entirety of the first day just lazing around at the inn.
Planning to enjoy a relaxing trip at our own pace, we slowly pushed open the inn’s front doors.