In the end they departed after the sun had already risen fairly high into the sky.

This wasn't owed to a delay of the preparations or such, but because Rubydra had fallen into a state of stupefaction with its entire boding doing nothing more than twitching and its mouth being partly open after it had its entire body got crushed by Renya's sorcery. The time for it to revive and recover to the extent of being able to fly was considerably long.

So far as it goes one might as well evaluate it highly since the whole matter finished without anyone getting injured, but the appearance of Rubydra as it unconsciously laid stretched out with the whites of its eyes showing and breathing roughly while drool was dripping out of its mouth apparently caused the other members to feel pity with it. It turned into a situation where they looked at Renya, who averted his eyes from what he had done, with cold eyes.

Emedra threw in a bomb that aggravated the situation even further.

(Emedra)

(Renya)

Renya glared at Emedra, but he can feel the even colder looks stabbing into his back.

(Emedra)

The additional information causes an increase in the chilliness of the looks stabbing Renya's back.

As if in proportion to that, Renya's look became even grimmer.

The head of Emedra, who wondered whether she has stepped in too deeply with this, was tightly grabbed by an invisible hand.

You have made your resolve, right? (Renya)

(Emedra)

What a calm bugger (Renya)

If Emedra were a normal creature, she would have difficulty to form the words or suffocate thanks to the atmosphere being forcibly manipulated, but probably because dragons speak telepathically, their words won't become disturbed as long as they don't lose control over their emotions.

Not losing her composure despite her head being crushed might be an aspect that makes it worth to say As expected of a dragon. Renya cancelled the spell while thinking that.

(Emedra)

If you understood as much (Renya)

After glaring at Emedra once more, Renya shifted his attention to the sources of the cold gazes piercing him from behind.

Resolve yourselves and speak up? (Renya)

Just as he said so, the cold looks dispersed, and the other members all at once turned their eyes away, looking anywhere but not at him.

Among the members, who seemed to expect something unknown and outrageous happening to them, if they matched their eyes with Renya, only Shion alone took Renya's gaze head-on for some reason.

Renya, something like messing around with an innocent girl (Shion)

Just how have you perceived the current conversation and situation? (Renya)

Renya asks as he looks at Shion, who states her opinion while bending forward, with half-opened eyes.

The area around Renya's cheeks is twitching as he's obviously subduing his emotions, but Shion doesn't notice that.

If you have such desires, I will accept them with this body of minewai-, sorry, cancel that just nowh!? (Shion)

Very likely Shio wanted to imitate Emedra and make fun of Renya, but if she had correctly understood the circumstances, that would have been an action she should have avoided by all means.

With slightly glazed eyes Renya activates his sorcery, without giving Shion or anyone a chance to say anything.

Having both her flanks attacked instantly by a sensation as if several hundred long, thin fingers are groping her, Shion frantically covers her mouth. With her legs, which lost all strength, having become unable to carry her weight, she falls down to the ground.

Seemingly because of her good upbringing, Shion neither releases a coquettish voice nor does she roll about with laughter. With her face being bright red, she covers her mouth with all her might. Her whole body is twitching occasionally while she's still laying on the spot.

Renya planned to bring down Shion, who poked fun at him in this situation even if it actually was a thoughtless deed, by fondling her until she's in the same state as Rubydra so that she never feels like doing something like this ever again, but Shion's appearance as she desperately endures while being in agony is a sight that gives him a somewhat odd feeling. Sensing that things will develop into a very dangerous direction if he keeps going, he quickly cancels the spell.

Shion, who was released from the spell, blushes with her strength having been drained from her entire body, and her breathing being somewhat rough.

Seemingly because she frantically held back on moving and releasing a voice, she looks up at Renya with slightly moist eyes, making Renya understand, I see. It's one thing if the other party is a dragon, but if done normally, this turns into an extremely bad situation.

Rubydra, who seemed to have finally regained consciousness at this point in time, only lifted her head with her body still laying down, and looked with frightened eyes in Renya's direction, but Renya turned in her direction and bowed very deeply.

Sorry, it was my bad. (Renya)

Renyawhat about me? (Shion)

You got your just dessert. (Renya)

Once she sees that it has come to an end, Rubydra becomes cooperative albeit still being cautious of Renya. It was decided that Renya's party would mount the two dragons for the travel.

The breakdown per dragon was handled on the fly, resulting in the human group and the two fox-eared beastmen riding on Rubydra's back, and the rest on Emedra's.

Once the two dragons flapped their wings after confirming that everyone got on their backs, the ground became distant within a twinkle, and Renya's party quickly became unable to see the cave where they spent the night.

In the eyes of Renya, who has already experienced riding on Emedra's back, the flight was something at the level of being almost normal, but for the other members, who experienced this for the first time, the flight speed was apparently so high that it froze their spines. Shion, who rode together with Renya, didn't even move while closely clinging to his back. Kurz, who held the scared priestesses in his arms on both sides, was enjoying the flight with an expression that kept hidden what he was thinking.

Only Rona felt bored while being all by herself. As it's not like she can push her master, Shion, aside to cling to Renya's back, she looks up to the sky at the edge of Rubydra's back indulging in a melancholic nostalgia by herself.

The one having similar circumstances is Emil, who rides on Emedra's back. Being together with the huddling two beastmen, who are lovers, and the two elves, who are siblings, she tries to not move while sitting near the tail and staring in the opposite direction of the flight, seemingly in order to make sure that she doesn't look at either of the pairs as much as possible.

Renya believes that there are quite a few things that don't work out as one expects, but as he has only one back, even for lending, he cannot help out as Shion is already occupying that spot.

I can't really tell them to use my back in turns as I can sense Shion's will to cling to it at all costs from behind. I might need to somehow follow up with Rona and Emil later. Renya, who started to think that, smiles bitterly while wondering, Isn't this completely as if I'm a main character in some story?

Hey, Renya.

Upon Shion whispering into his ear, his heart rate jumped up by a beat, but while maintaining a superficial calmness, he curtly answers,

What is it? (Renya)

Can I put my hands around your waist? I'm slightly scared. (Shion)

Renya felt like asking, Was your personality always like this?, but even compared to Drkun, Rubydra and Emedra are flying at an exceptionally high speed.

Apparently they have chosen a safe altitude in consideration of possible attacks from the ground, hence we are flying quite high up in the sky. So it might be inevitable for her to feel scared. Renya thought, and then replied while nodding.

Do as you like. You can read the mood, right? If you touch any strange places, I will kick you off. (Renya)

Renya felt slightly worried that she might get her revenge for what he had done to her before the departure, but Shion's answer had a gentle and somewhat relieved tone.

Mmh, got it. (Shion)

Upon Shion placing her face on his back and softly hugging him by wrapping her hands around his waist, Renya judges, I shouldn't be a character that would obtain such position, and Shion shouldn't be a character that acts like some kind of a heroine either. Suddenly he notices Rubydra looking in their direction with just her eyes.

Her look somehow seems like an envious stare, saying, How nice, I'm so jealous~. In a hurry Renya turned his eyes far ahead of their flight direction.

Emedra and Rubydra, both fly very quickly.

Very likely you can call this the fastest travel method on this world, if you exclude the transfer gates.

But then again, it still leaves the question open just how many beings would use dragons as means for travel.

I really wonder, how long it is going to take us to arrive? (Renya)

A flight isn't overly interesting in regards to the scenery unless you look below.

This was knowledge he obtained from flying on airplanes in his previous life.

The other party members were somewhat excited by the sky view which they can hardly ever watch, but despite being interested in a different world's sky scenery at the beginning, Renya got bored of it in no time.

As for the destination, Emedra said that it would just be a little flight, but Renya doesn't know how much time a dragon's a little takes in human terms.

In the worst case I have to consider the possibility of a little being several hours with the dragon's attitude being as carefree as the elves'.