Editing City Series:Volume1 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 5===

The bicycle raced through the forest. The mansion was not far away now.

The noise coming from behind was their pursuers.

“They sure are persistent. Doesn’t this count as trespassing?” asked Else while looking worriedly back.

“We trespassed with the Kaiserburg too.”

“What you did was landing or crashing, not trespassing.”

She raised her head just as they left the forest. Her vision opened up and she saw a yard the size of a plaza. There was a giant mansion beyond it and a sword-like metal ship floated in front of it.

“…!”

The Kaiserburg’s nose was pointed their way.

It moved forward as if someone had given it a light push.

Meanwhile, the bicycle slowed to a stop and the two stepped off of it.

The Kaiserburg slid gently through the air and stopped in front of them. There was no instability in its movements and it was no longer struggling to remain afloat like it had that morning. Even Else could tell the ship could fly.

She watched it in silence.

…''Thank goodness!

Walter glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Hmm. Looks like the emblem worked. Good, good.”

“…”

“Else?”

“Eh?”

“Why do you look so nervous?”

“I-I’m not exactly nervous…”

“It’s thanks to you we got it running. You should be a little happier.”

…''I am happy!

But that was why she could not speak. Even she felt her role had been too simple. She had only opened the book to the entry Walter had indicated and recited the most powerful emblem to Paul.

Walter could have done it if she had not been there.

Even so, she had been the one to actually do it.

It may have been indirect, but it really was thanks to her that the only ship trying to reach space could fly once more.

Her pulse began to race.

“…”

The man in front of her turned toward her with his usual smile.

She smiled back.

“Isn’t this great?” she asked.

“It is. We can fly again.”

He sounded almost embarrassed as he answered.

At the very least, he was experiencing the same joy she had felt. And it was an ordinary experience for him. He also had the ridiculous goal of reaching space. No normal person would be willing to clash with the military for their goal.

He and Paul were betting their own lives on this ship and a chance to reach space.

She had nothing like that. Not only did she not have a physical representation like the Kaiserburg, but she had nothing in her heart either.

…''What is this? Am I jealous?

Just as she wondered that…

“Else! Move away from that ship!”

Her gaze turned to a deep voice and she saw Gaston rushing out of the mansion. He pointed behind Else and Walter.

Without even turning around, she knew what that meant: the military was entering the yard.

She heard something whiz by and sparks flew from the Kaiserburg’s outer paneling. The gunshot reached her a moment later.

If one bullet had flown, more would be coming. Sure enough, more and more sparks blossomed like flowers and the sounds of gunfire joined them.

“…!”

The tail end of the Kaiserburg slid to the side and formed a wall in front of Walter and Else.

“Else! Hurry over here! It’s dangerous out there!”

“You’re the one that made it so dangerous!”

She knew those words would shut him up.

…''If it makes you feel so guilty, don’t do it in the first place.

An amplified voice from the forest drowned out the gunfire.

“You piloting the ship and you two hiding behind it! Surrender immediately!”

“ ‘You two’? Does he mean Else and me?”

“Seems that way.”

“Hmm. This misunderstanding is quite interesting indeed. Are you going to surrender?”

“Why do I have to surrender in front of my own house? I’d rather hole up in the house.”

“A decent opinion, but we have the Kaiserburg here. The correct options are to escape or fight back.”

“Hey! Else! What are you doing!?”

She saw Gaston shouting while hiding behind the mansion’s door.

“What are you doing, dad! Have some shame.”

“Sh-shut up! The bullets are flying over here too!”

She could indeed see a few broken windows and it did not seem the military was trying very hard to aim. It was quite a commotion.

Else thought for just a moment.

…''What should I do?

But a moment later, the distant amplified voice shouted at them again.

“Hey! You two hiding there! Hurry up and surrender!”

She frowned and turned to Walter. He was looking at her with a similar expression.

“Hey, Walter.”

“Yes?”

“Am I part of your group?”

Walter tilted his head at that question.

“Based on the situation, that’s definitely a valid way of looking at it. …Hm.”

After a short pause, he clapped his hands and changed his expression.

“Okay. How about you join us on the Kaiserburg?”

She had not expected him to say that.

“Eh!? Ah, wait! Really?”

“If we left you here, you’d be arrested by the military.”

“But isn’t that ship important to you two?”

“But you helped us get it flying again.”

“…!”

She looked taken aback and he smiled bitterly.

“You’ll probably have fun if you do. And if you don’t, we can always drop you off somewhere or other.”

His tone almost seemed to be testing her.

It may have only been in her mind, but she felt like he was asking if she could keep up with them.

And so she nodded.

There was something she wanted to know.

…''Why are you so intent on going to space? I want to know.

She knew this young man would not tell her if she simply asked.

He looked her in the eye and gave his usual grin.

“Well, if you force yourself to keep up with me, you’ll end up regretting it.”

“Why?”

“Because I dream big.”

He turned his back on her and stepped up on the side of the Kaiserburg. He then turned his head to look back.

“How about I show you just how amazing and frightening that dream is?”

“Please do.”

She smiled just like he was and nodded.

She felt like flying through the sky would answer all of her past questions.