Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:Part3

Part 3

August, Empire Year 1342, Messus Island, Odessa—

The thick, green leaves of the corn formed a wall, standing tall before them. The stalks were nearly two meters high, about twice the height of the two children.

Twelve-year-old Mio Syira looked anxiously at the boy of the same age, whom she had only become friends with this summer.

“We’re going in there? Won’t we get lost?”

Sakagami Kiyoaki, with his mischievous grin, turned to her with a challenge. “Are you scared?” Mio puffed out her cheeks in defiance. In contrast to Kiyoaki, she was dressed like a proper young lady, wearing a frilled blouse, a red skirt, leather boots for children, and a straw hat. Her soft golden hair absorbed the summer sunlight, and with her hands on her hips, she struck a defiant pose.

“I’m not scared! I just don’t think you’re reliable, so I wondered if we’d be okay.”

“You can’t get lost in my family’s field. Follow me! You’re going to be amazed!” With a cheerful smile, Kiyoaki stepped into the deep green cornfield. A white bird fluttered onto Mio’s shoulder as she hesitated. “What do you think, Fio?” The bird, about 30 centimeters long, met Mio’s gaze and let out a soft “Fee.” “I guess we have no choice. Let’s go.” Mio looked up at the contrast between the deep blue summer sky and the pure white clouds, then steeled herself and followed the cocky boy.

“Isn’t this amazing? You can’t even see the sky because of the leaves.”

Just as Kiyoaki said, the bright green leaves overlapped above them, hiding the sky. The dappled sunlight rained down in patches, and as they walked through the damp, soft soil, the endless blue tunnel of corn stretched on. Mio knew that if she lost sight of Kiyoaki’s back, she might never find her way out of this maze again.

“Hey, don’t go so fast! Slow down a little…” “It’s fine! No worries!” Mio adjusted her straw hat and hurried to keep up with Kiyoaki’s back. The golden maze continued endlessly, and just when the anxiety rose to her throat, the view suddenly opened up.

“We’re here! How about this?”

In the middle of the densely packed cornfield was a round clearing, about five meters in diameter. In the center stood a small shack made of slate, iron, and tin sheets.

“This is my secret base!”

Kiyoaki stood proudly. Mio wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, exchanged a glance with Fio, and snorted.

“What’s with this rundown shack? It’s not impressive at all.”

“What? No way! Everyone else is amazed! Come on, you think it’s awesome, right?” “No, I don’t. There are way cooler things in Harmonia.” Kiyoaki faltered when Mio mentioned the faraway land of the Mitterland continent, a country he had never seen. Hanging his head in frustration, he muttered,

“City girls really are different… Even though this base is so cool…” Mio crossed her arms and turned her face away haughtily. “You’re just a frog in a well. You’re the typical arrogant country boy. Instead of hiding in a shabby shack like this, you should look at the bigger world.”

“Ugh… That stings.”

“Stop sulking and show me the inside already. I bet you’ve only got marbles and bottle caps in there, anyway.”

“How did you know!?”

“I knew it! I’m disappointed. Why do boys always collect shiny things? It’s so dumb.”

“You don’t have to be that mean! Hey, Fio, this base is cool, right?”

Fio, perched on Mio’s shoulder, let out a chirp and flew off into the summer sky.

“Looks like he didn’t want to go inside.”

“No, that’s not it! Birds just prefer flying in the sky. Come on, get inside. Everything that’s important to me is in there.”

Encouraged by Kiyoaki, Mio followed him into the secret base. Just as expected, it was a simple shack made of scrap materials, offering little more than protection from the wind and rain. The floor had a straw bed, and there were marbles, bottle caps, and broken machine parts carefully arranged in one corner. It was far from impressive.

“It’s cramped and dark.”

“It’s not that cramped. Look, I can lie down.”

In the dim light, Kiyoaki stretched out on the straw bed. “Ah, this feels just right.” “You sound like an old man.”

“Why do you always complain? Come on, lie down too. It feels really good.” “Alright, alright…” With a small thud, Mio lay down next to Kiyoaki. For Mio, who had grown up in the city, the straw bed felt novel. She had played hard during the day, so the bed brought a sense of comfort. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tin roof, and the earthy scent of the soil, warmed by the sun, was pleasant to her nose.

“How is it? You like it, right?” “Not at all. It’s dumb.” “Mio, you’re always complaining.”

“That’s not true. I’m honest, so if I think something is cool, I’ll say it’s cool.”

Still lying down, Mio puffed out her cheeks and turned her face toward Kiyoaki. Kiyoaki, also lying down, turned his face toward Mio from up close. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“…Alright. I’ll show you something that’s really amazing.”

Kiyoaki moved his face closer to Mio’s, with a determined look in his eyes. “W-What? Don’t get so close.”

“This one’s really incredible. It’s life-or-death. Are you ready for that?”

Their foreheads almost touched as Kiyoaki’s serious face got even closer. Mio, refusing to back down, widened her emerald eyes and glared back at him.

“Do you think I’ll get scared? How stupid. I’m not scared at all.”

“You said it. You can’t take it back now. I’m going to show you my secret weapon.”

“No one calls it that themselves. That’s not normal.” “Here comes the secret weapon.” Kiyoaki abruptly stood up, pushing aside the toys, and pulled out a strangely shaped pair of wooden clogs. These large wooden clogs, unique to Odessa on Messus Island, were meant to be worn over cloth shoes, but these had a 30- centimeter-long cylinder added to the soles. Wearing them would make someone 30 centimeters taller, but it was doubtful they could walk in them.

“What weird shoes.”

“My master taught me how to make them. He used to practice wearing these when he was a kid. Now, let’s go to the airfield. Follow me!”

Kiyoaki grabbed the strange wooden clogs in both hands and darted out of the shack like the wind.

“Wait, why do you always run off suddenly…?”

Not wanting to get lost, Mio hurriedly chased after Kiyoaki’s back again.

After running through the cornfield for about five minutes at full speed, they arrived at the Sakagami family’s airfield.

Farmers with large fields often had airstrips to use planes for spraying water and pesticides. The control tower was a simple hut, and the runway was just a leveled patch of dirt.

“Good, Dad’s not here! If he catches us, a scolding won’t be enough… He’s scarier than my master. It’s life or death…”

Kiyoaki looked around cautiously, making sure none of his family members were around, then ran over to an old, bright red biplane parked by the runway.

“Hurry, Mio!” “Wait, wait…” Out of breath, Mio managed to catch up. With Kiyoaki’s help, she climbed onto the wing and soon found herself seated in the back seat of the biplane. In the front seat, Kiyoaki, now wearing flying goggles, beamed at her.

“Did you buckle your seatbelt? Do you know how?”

“Huh? Oh, this? I know how to do it, but… Hey, you’re not…” “Hurry up! If we get caught, we’re dead!!” Kiyoaki laughed as he said something alarming. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Mio fastened the seatbelt around her body as instructed. The front and rear seats were separated by about a meter of the fuselage, so they were facing forward, and Mio had to speak to the back of Kiyoaki’s head. There was no

enclosed canopy; they were exposed to the open air, with only small windshields for each seat.

Kiyoaki put on the wooden clogs with the cylinders. They were to help him reach the foot pedals to operate the plane. He looked back at Mio, then used the soles of the clogs to press the left and right pedals, causing the rudder to flap. Next, he pushed and pulled the control stick to check the elevator, then tilted it side to side to test the ailerons.

Mio’s heart started pounding loudly. No way. There was no way a twelve-year-old boy could fly a biplane.

Or so she thought, but Kiyoaki’s actions were undeniably the preparations for takeoff.

“Hey, you’re not saying we’re going to fly, right?”

Her question was drowned out by the roar of the propeller as it started spinning.

Kiyoaki turned around.

“What!? Did you say something!?”

“You’re not really going to fly this, right!?”

Mio yelled desperately, but the combination of the propeller noise and the fuselage separating them meant Kiyoaki couldn’t hear her. He responded, annoyed,

“Use the voice tube, the voice tube! I’m busy right now, so I can’t talk!”

He began pulling various levers and switches, and the aircraft started its takeoff roll.

The old biplane, vibrating intensely, sped down the dirt runway. Realizing her worst fear was coming true, Mio finally screamed.

“Nooo!! Let me off!!”

“Huh!? Did you say something!?” “I don’t want to die here!!” "I can't hear you at all! I'll listen once we take off, so just wait a moment!" The engine roared louder, and the propeller spun even faster. The distinct exhaust sound of the reciprocating engine crackled, and the old, beat-up plane sped down the runway at a surprising speed that didn't match its shabby appearance.

The speed increased. The cornfields on the edge of Mio's vision blurred into lines and then into a solid, bright blue curtain.

"We're taking off!!" "Stooooppppppp!!!" Her desperate cry was swept away as the red aircraft lifted into the sky. The air rushed from Mio's lungs, the sound of the propeller echoing across the runway grew distant, and the cornfields that had once been a curtain now dropped

beneath them like a model.

A cold wind blew into the rear seat, lacking the familiar scents of grass and soil—it was the raw, unfiltered wind of the sky. The straw hat Mio had been holding onto flew away, useless in her fight against the wind. Her golden hair whipped wildly in the breeze.

"Noooooooo!!"

Even her scream was thrown into the air behind them, unheard by Kiyoaki. The biplane steadily climbed into the blue sky, leveling off at an altitude of 120 meters and cruising at 150 kilometers per hour.

"How's it? Pretty amazing, right?"

The voice tube sounded. When Mio looked forward, she saw Kiyoaki proudly turning to face her from behind the windscreen. The flight seemed smooth now, with the engine humming steadily, and the biplane glided through the air like a soaring kite.

Mio bit her lip hard, wiped the tears from her eyes with her arm, tied her flailing hair into a ponytail with a rubber band, and grabbed the voice tube, yelling as loud as she could.

"You're the worst, you idiot!!" "Huh? What? Why!?" "Why would you take off all of a sudden!? Are you stupid!? You're still a kid! You don't have a license! You can't even reach the pedals properly, and you're flying a plane!!"

"I told you it was life-or-death! If my dad caught us, it'd be way scarier than flying! Flying is totally fine—no big deal!"

"Well, I'm not fine with it!! Just land already, please!!" "Wow, Mio, you're crying." "Shut up, idiot!! Idiot, idiot, idiot!!" "Is this your first time flying?" "I’ve flown before with pilots way more reliable than you! I wouldn’t get into an unlicensed plane with someone like you!"

"It’s fine! My master is amazing, and if he taught me, I must be amazing too. Probably."

"How can you be so carefree, you idiot!!"

"No need to cry. Come on, take a look at the view. Isn't it incredible? You've never seen anything like this, even in Armageddon, right?"

"It’s Harmonia, idiot!! Ugh, I’m never going to make it back to the ground…"

"You will! I’ve practiced landings a lot with my master. Oh, look! The fortress! You can see Odessa Fortress!!"

Kiyoaki pointed down to the harbor diagonally below. On the shimmering summer sea, cargo ships sailed here and there, and concrete fortifications were built into the hills overlooking the port. Around twenty massive gun turrets were all pointed toward the sea. This was the Odessa Fortress, currently under construction by the Akitsu Federation, the ruling power over Messus Island. "As long as the Akitsu army is here, this island is safe. Urano won't even come close. Even though the Sylvania royal family is gone, the Akitsu army can't be defeated."

"………………"

"Huh? What’s wrong, Mio?" "……You're so insensitive." "Huh? Why are you mad?" "……Never mind." "I don't get it, but hey, look at the sea! Isn't it amazing? It’s so blue, there's nothing else like it!"

Kiyoaki continued to cheerfully chat, oblivious to Mio’s feelings. Mio sighed, trying to compose herself as she stared at the sky and the sea with a sulky expression.

"………………"

Just as Kiyoaki said, the world was nothing but blue.

The vast ocean stretched as far as the eye could see, like a giant carpet. The calm waters of the archipelago resembled a serene lake, reflecting the sky like a massive mirror. The shadow of the biplane darted across the deep blue surface like a playful dolphin. The sunlight, streaming down from the sky, sparkled and scattered as it hit the ocean beneath them.

Kiyoaki flew toward the horizon. In the distance, there was a towering cumulonimbus cloud over 10,000 meters tall. Even as they watched, the pure white cloud continued to billow upward, as if it were trying to claim the clear blue sky for itself.

Looking down from the sky, the towns, mountains, and sea that Mio had known on the ground now appeared small, like toys in a box.

The sunlight swirled inside the cockpit. The shadow that had been falling to Mio’s left side passed over the instrument panel and moved to the right. The plane had begun to bank. Beyond the windscreen, Mio saw the coastline of Messus Island. The gun turrets of the Odessa Fortress, positioned on the hillside, were pointed in their direction.

"That was fun, right? Isn't the view amazing?"

Kiyoaki’s carefree voice echoed through the voice tube. Mio, with a scowl on her face, picked up the voice tube.

"It was okay, I guess."

"No way! You definitely think it’s awesome."

"I don’t. You’re an idiot. Just keep your eyes forward and fly properly. I’ll stay a little longer."

"Aww… I guess city girls really are different. If even this doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will."

Kiyoaki turned to look back at her with a frustrated expression, but Mio responded with a smug smile.

"Hmph. Looks like you finally understand your place. But I’ll admit, for you, this wasn’t too bad. You barely passed. But don’t land yet. Keep flying until I say so."

"What's with that? You actually like it, don't you?" "I don’t! This is just normal!" "You’ve been crying, and now you’re mad. You're all over the place. I don't think there's much else to see in Odessa… Oh, how about we visit my sister? She’s super nice. And really pretty. And she's smart, too."

"………………"

"What's with that face? Why are you glaring at me?" "Nothing. If you want to go, then go." "Alright, it's decided! My sister's in the vineyard over there…"

Kiyoaki tilted the control stick, and the plane banked left again, with the propeller humming contentedly as it flew.

They crossed the coastline, over vast fields of wheat and sugarcane, and followed the river inland. On a gentle hillside, thousands of grapevines were planted in neat rows, almost ready for harvest.

Flying just 60 meters above the vineyard, Kiyoaki waved down toward the ground. "Sis! Sis!!" People working in the vineyard looked up from between the vines, curious about the noise above. Kiyoaki slowed the plane to about 100 kilometers per hour, straining to spot the person he was looking for.

"There she is! Sis!!"

On the ground, a girl in her mid-teens waved and smiled up at the biplane. Kiyoaki, clearly overjoyed, circled repeatedly over her, waving enthusiastically.

Mio, still sulking, continued to watch the scene below without waving back. Oblivious to her mood, Kiyoaki kept circling, calling out to his sister over and over again.

"Sis! Do you see me? I look cool, right!? Sis!!"

As it showed no sign of ending, Mio finally shouted into the voice tube. "How long are you going to keep doing this!? It’s getting boring!" "Huh? Are you not having fun?"

"You’re the worst, idiot! You're so selfish and only care about yourself!"

"Huh? What? Why are you mad, Mio? Look, my sister’s really pretty, isn’t she? She’s nice and great at cooking. Why are you mad?"

"Shut up! I don’t care! Just land already! I’m done! I don’t care about you anymore, you idiot!"

"I… I don’t really understand… City girls really are different…"

Confused by Mio’s anger, Kiyoaki tilted the control stick in the opposite

direction.

After landing safely, with Kiyoaki's help, Mio climbed down from the biplane and, once Fio landed on her shoulder, she slapped Kiyoaki hard across the face.

Stars danced before Kiyoaki's eyes, and in the midst of the swirling stars, Mio’s furious face came into focus.

"You unlicensed, reckless idiot!" "Oww… What was that for…?" "I lost my hat because of you!! It’s your fault!"

"Huh? Your hat? Oh, it’s gone. Well, you’re dumb for wearing a straw hat while flying!"

As Kiyoaki laughed and held his stomach, Mio slapped his left cheek even harder, and once again his vision was filled with stars.

"I said it hurts!"

"You should have told me not to wear it before we took off!" "But… but I thought you’d be happy…" Suddenly, Kiyoaki’s expression turned sad, and he hung his head. Realizing she might have overreacted, Mio turned away with a disgruntled look.

"Well, it wasn’t all bad. I guess. It wasn’t terrible. It was… kind of nice, maybe."

At those words, Kiyoaki's face lit up.

"Right!? Flying feels great, doesn’t it!? You feel the same way, right? Airplanes are awesome!"

"…Well, maybe a little. If you can fly a plane, then maybe I can too." "You can! I’m sure you can, Mio! You’d be even better at flying than me!" Kiyoaki looked genuinely thrilled as he said this, and Mio’s stern expression slowly began to soften.

"R-Really? Do you think I could be a pilot?"

"Definitely! You and I should both become pilots! We can fly together! It’ll feel amazing!"

"Me and you, flying together?"

"Yeah, yeah! You and me, flying all the way over the ocean! Come on, let’s become pilots together!"

Mio opened her mouth, blushing bright red as she lowered her gaze. She struggled to hold back a smile, tightening her expression and returning to her usual confident look before raising her head.

"Well, if that’s what you want, I suppose I could become a pilot. I don’t have much else to do anyway, so I might as well."

"Wow, really!? That’s awesome! Let’s work hard together!" "But I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"When we become pilots, you have to make me your wife." "Huh? My wife?" "What? Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-No, not really, but… Mio, my wife? That’s kind of sudden…"

"It can’t be helped. You forced me to become a pilot, so you better take responsibility."

"I don't really get it. I can't say anything about the future. If I meet someone better than you, I might end up with her instead."

Slap! Kiyoaki's face whipped to the side so hard it felt like his neck had been twisted. Holding his stinging cheek, he protested.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"You cheater! Idiot! You're the worst!"

As she scolded him, Mio suddenly turned away and wiped her eyes with her arm as she ran off. Still seeing stars from the slap, Kiyoaki hurriedly chased after her retreating figure.

Chasing after her, he couldn’t help but think to himself that girls were really hard to understand.

It had only been two weeks since Mio and her foster parents had moved to Messus Island. Mio’s foster father was a diplomat from St Vault, previously stationed in Harmonia, but this summer he had been sent to Messus Island’s Odessa Fortress to handle treaties and negotiations with other countries. The day Mio arrived on the island, Fio had inexplicably landed on Kiyoaki’s head, leading to their meeting. From that very first day, Mio had treated Kiyoaki like a servant, acting like a queen, and he had simply followed along, playing with her every day since. Even though they hadn't known each other for very long, Kiyoaki couldn’t figure out why Mio would suddenly talk about marriage.

"Miooo—why are you running awayyy?"

"I don't want to know a country bumpkin like you anymore! I'm going to find someone more urban and handsome—!"

Her voice was trembling with tears. Realizing that she was crying made Kiyoaki feel guilty, and he shouted after her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sooorryyy! I'll marry you, Mio!"

Mio abruptly stopped right before the field of canola flowers. Kiyoaki, sprinting at full speed, crashed straight into her back.

"Whoa!"

The two of them tumbled onto the soft ground, with Kiyoaki ending up on top of her. Panicking, he quickly apologized.

"S-Sorry! You stopped so suddenly…!"

Lying beneath him, her golden hair spread out on the ground, Mio was laughing. "Really? You'll marry me?"

Her jade-green eyes looked up at Kiyoaki with an unwavering gaze.

At that moment, Kiyoaki didn’t understand the weight of the promise he was about to make.

Trying to appear as serious as he could, he looked down at Mio and swore. "Yeah. I'll become a pilot and make you my wife." Mio let out a strange satisfied hum from her throat, smiling contentedly.

Kiyoaki's heart skipped a beat. Her smile stirred emotions he had never experienced before. Nervously, he helped Mio to her feet.

"Don't forget your promise."

Brushing the dirt off her dress, Mio reminded him firmly. Kiyoaki, his cheeks flushed red, looked down and responded.

"Yeah. I won't forget."

"You seem like the type who would forget." "No, I won’t… probably." "You're not very reliable. Oh, I know!"

Suddenly getting an idea, Mio eagerly began picking canola flowers. She skillfully wove the yellow petals into a crown and handed it to Kiyoaki.

"Here. Put this on me."

Kneeling in front of Kiyoaki as if she were part of some ceremonial rite, Mio waited.

Kiyoaki, unsure of what was happening, stared at the flower crown. For something Mio had made so quickly, it was surprisingly well-crafted, a cute little tiara. But he didn’t understand why she was making him do this.

"Hurry up. This is part of the engagement ceremony."

Still kneeling, Mio puffed out her cheeks and glared up at him. "O-Okay, then…" With awkward hands, Kiyoaki placed the flower tiara on Mio’s head. The soft golden strands of her hair gleamed under the bright yellow petals.

With a radiant smile that matched the summer flowers, Mio stood up, grabbed both of Kiyoaki's hands, and exclaimed excitedly.

"Now, no cheating! We promised to get married!" "O-Okay…" "Swear on this tiara!"

"Yeah. I swear on this tiara… that I'll marry you."

Mio let out another satisfied hum, placing her hands on her hips as she proudly declared.

"I'm Kiyoaki's wife now!"

"Y-Yeah."

"Next, I'll give you a silver ring! Once I do, the ceremony will be complete, and our love will be eternal! I don't have it right now, but I’ll give it to you later!"

"There's a lot of steps, huh?"

"It’s a promise. Now, let’s seal it with a pinky swear."

Holding out her dainty pinky, Mio grinned mischievously. Still flustered, Kiyoaki hesitantly linked his pinky with hers.

Neither of them had any idea at the time what this small promise would eventually lead to in their world.

The vow they made in that quiet field of canola flowers would one day involve the great powers of the Mitterland continent and the entire archipelago, changing the course of history.