Bullet Points, Part II

“Why did it come down to this…” I complained, strong winds ruthlessly brushed against my face.

“Shut it. It’s Her Excellency’s command. It’s not like I wanted to work with you either.” The princess replied.

“The feeling is mutual. Still… She’s throwing someone with three weeks’ worth of training onto the battlefield. Wouldn’t I return in a box at this rate?”

“You can fly well enough. At least you can run quickly if needed.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?” I protested. “Well, you might be right on this one, after all…”

I looked below. Twisted clouds flew by, as did thousands of fragmented isles. Without relying on a ship or a dragon, the princess and I were cruising at hundreds of miles per hour through the skies, driven by nothing but the vague and intricate power of magic.

-----------------------

Three hours ago.

“So… you want me to go with the princess for to investigate the site?” Shocked by Dandelion’s order, I asked.

“Why?”

“Neil is talented, but he’s too young to be near a battlefield. That means you are the only one available.” Dandelion nonchalantly replied, her azure blue eyes half closed.

“What about you? You are the master of this tower, and the one receiving the request anyways. To begin with, do we even need to help the princess? It’s not like she is going to pay us or something.”

“If it is about compensation, the Imperial Army will---" The princess tried to say something.

“Don’t worry about my assistant’s rambling. I will help with the investigation; I have an obligation to uphold the Protocols, after all.” Dandelion interjected.

“An obligation? Why would a witch living away from civilisation have an obligation to the Empire that rules half of the world? To uphold a peace treaty” I quipped.

“Did Her Excellency never tell you that? She is a signatory of the Vertian Protocols.” The princess answered.

…What?

“I suppose I did forget to tell my assistant about it. I spent too much time researching these days.” Dandelion sighed and turned towards me. “Remember that little town on this island? The one that’s not so far away from here?”

“Yes, of course. You asked me to run errands there a couple times already. I don’t know its name though; for some reason, there are no signs with the town’s name on it.”

“Well, that is because it’s common knowledge. That little town is called Vertia.” Dandelion laid back on the sofa and took a sip of the fragrant tea. “And I rule over it, as well as the rest of this island. At least in name; the villagers do a pretty good job managing themselves.”

…Wait.

“The Protocols were signed here, in the Viridescent Tower, after all.” The princess smirked. “I guess Mr Assistant really didn’t know.”

“Well, at least now you understand why I can’t go with the princess now, right?” Dandelion asked, her eyes turning away out of guilt.

“…It seems that you are the lord of a small, neutral country, despite how your appearance. And if you --- a signatory of the Vertian Protocols --- go on an investigation with a member of the Imperial family, it will endanger your neutrality and jeopardise the investigation.”

“Precisely, my dear assistant.” Dandelion smiled. “This investigation was proposed by the Empire, after all. The Republic will also send an investigator, but they will not be as high-profile as the princess. So that means I have to make my assistant work a little bit more.”

“Do I have to go?”

“Well, wouldn’t it be a great learning experience for you too, my assistant? You got to practice your magic in a real-life scenario.”

“Yeah, I get to practice a total of two spells. On a raging battlefield.” I protested.

“Don’t worry, I will guarantee your safety. What do you have to worry about if the greatest witch in the world is behind your back? Besides, you are my greatest student and my one and only assistant. Have some more faith in yourself.”

“…Flattering won’t get you anywhere.”

“Is that so?” Dandelion smiled brightly. At that moment, I felt that Dandelion, whose attitude was usually as mysterious as gentle moonlight, seemed more like the dazzling sun.

-----------------------------------

…and that was why I was flying high in the sky, with nothing but my clothes and a magic staff, with no one but the twisted clouds and the indomitable princess by my side.

“…But I must admit, your flight magic is quite unique.” The princess continued to speak. “I don’t see any magic wings on you, and you have a strange, translucent light blue tail behind you. And you are fast enough to catch up to me. I’ve never seen flight magic like yours. Is that Celestial flight magic? Are you a Celestial mage then?”

“Are you trying to find out my secrets, princess?” I joked. “Maybe if you offer me a cushy position in the Empire, then…”

“I am afraid I don’t have much political power. Still, if you are willing to serve me, I can offer you the title of a count---”

“Wait, princess, stop your jokes.” I cut the princess off. “I am a country bumpkin and I don’t deserve such honour. I am only good at flight magic, which you can also do. Besides, Dandelion will never let me go. There is still so much research to be done…”

“I was serious. For a second.” The princess smirked, giving off an impression that she totally wasn’t serious. “You are right, you are not worthy of a county. But you shouldn’t underestimate yourself. Celestial mages are rare, and flight magic is difficult to master. If you were to join the Imperial Army, you should be able to become a fine magic knight and earn a title eventually. I just wanted to poach you before the Republic, or worse, my younger brothers do.”

“…You flatter me, Your Highness. Please don’t involve me in something so troublesome. I hate it.” I sighed. “I can tell you more about my flight magic, if you want. It’s not exactly top-secret research, anyways.”

“That’s unfortunate. I’d love to have the Witch’s affiliates by my side.” The princess casually revealed her real intentions. “But let’s talk about magic first.”

“As you have guessed, it is a type of Celestial magic, and it draws power from the stars, which, according to Dandelion, I am very good at. Other than that, though, the principle of the magic is extremely simple; it is just a magic that constantly pushes me upwards and forwards by pushing air the opposite way. It’s a magic based on ion thrusters.”

“So, it’s like wind magic? That is not very different from what I am using. I wonder why your magic gives out that beautiful blue tail, though…” The princess reached out her hand; mesmerised as she was, it seemed that she wanted to touch the blue tail.

I pushed her hand away instantly. “Don’t! That tail is the exhaust, filled with high-energy ions. If you touch it, you might get shocked or even get your hand blown off!”

The princess, surprised as she was, did not flinch a bit. “Huh. It’s a shame that such a beautiful thing is lethal. Though, a flight magic that can kill your enemies behind you sounds quite useful. What other magic can you use?”

“’Ruination’, apparently.”

“…You sure have some vile magics in your possession.” The princess frowned. “I hope we don’t have to use it this time --- oh. It looks like we’ve arrived.”

The princess pointed at the land below us. Between the lush vegetation and the opaque clouds was a barren field, dotted by white tents and flags of crimson and black, and people in uniforms of the same colour. We’ve arrived at the Imperial Army’s camp.