We got on the VTOL aircraft and moved quickly, but I didn't get the feeling of flying. What was flight to me? A way of transportation where your face was exposed to wind so cold as to cause frost, and coming with it a sense of giddiness knowing that a misstep or letting go of the means of flying would directly lead to death. It wasn't so comfortable as sitting like this.

The leather of a common high-quality sofa in Fantasia's continents was stuffed with either wool or feathers in order to make it cus.h.i.+ony.

Boing-boing.

They didn't contain springs like the one I was sitting on at this moment. The power of ergonomics cosily wrapped my b.u.t.tocks—ah, what ecstatic comfort…!

"Is it to your liking?"

The female Sorcerer so asked me, sitting oppose me and leaning against the back of another cushy sofa with her legs stretched out and crossed.

"Somewhat."

I did feel a slight discomfort mentally and not physically, due to the feeling of suddenly having entered an unsuitable environment. Just looking at the inside of the aircraft, it was more comfortable and splendid than any carriage of a Fantasian great emperor. If I had to describe it…

It was like a commoner sitting on a flush toilet with a bidet installed VS an emperor crouched over a gold chamber pot.

It was the difference of living standard divided by civilization, which I didn't dislike. I felt a sense of liberation, of my body and heart—which had become used to the lifestyle in that barbaric fantasy world where ergonomics and safety regulations were tossed into the trashcan—being cleansed. I had the thought that this was the life befitting a cultured man, that this was what I had put in so much effort for.

"What will you drink? Cola, beer, wine, orange juice… Ah! There's also fresh milk produced from a clean region in Denmark."

I unhesitantly made my choice at the female Sorcerer's question.

"Cola."

I had tasted plenty of high-quality beer, wine and the like even in Fantasia's continents. Even if this female Sorcerer could take out good liquor, she wouldn't be able to offer any of the finest goods made in the eighties or whatnot. That wasn't the only reason, however; there was no way to procure carbonated drinks in Fantasia. While I did have several opportunities to try natural carbonated water, that was closer to health goods rather than soft drinks.

"Are you still a minor?"

"And what does that have to do with cola."

"I was just asking."

The female Sorcerer took out a 500mL cola bottle from the small fridge placed next the sofa and handed it over to me, while she took out the banana milk next to the creamy white milk pack for herself. The high-quality wines and beers neglected in the fridge seemed to me as if they were bitterly grieving.

Tsck, gulp.

I wordlessly took a mouthful of cola. Beyond the crisp sensation of the liquid refres.h.i.+ngly pa.s.sing down my throat, the ensuing fizzy feeling presented me with strange delight and deep emotion. As I thought, this is the stuff, I felt the stress acc.u.mulated from that fantasy world being cleanly washed away.

Meanwhile, the female Sorcerer was drinking banana milk.

Gulp-gulp.

I observed as a line of milk messily dribbled from her lips and ran down her slender chin and neck, heading into the deep valley of her cleavage. And then our gazes met.

"Mm? Don't laugh. You've got a childish appet.i.te yourself."

The female Sorcerer's face turned bright red.

"I didn't laugh."

My expression had eased purely because my mood was good; after all, coming back after 17 years, I found everything on Earth to be beautiful—including messily dribbled banana milk.

The female Sorcerer had quite the spirit. She had her own comrades seated in the common seats of the first deck below, while she sat alone with just me, face to face, in the VIP seats in the second deck. Was this a display of her confidence, perhaps?

"Mm… Now that I've actually met you, I don't know what would be good to talk about first, even though I prepared a manual in advance."

Having emptied her pack of milk, the female Sorcerer began talking with a light sigh.

"I'll ask a question first if you've got nothing to say. At your Level, Miss Sorcerer, how do you rank among the individuals on Earth?"

"How would you calculate rankings like in a game? When victory or defeat can change in any way depending on your condition of the day, as well as matchups. In particular, a big difference is made for Sorcerers like me depending on how much we invest and prepare. But this isn't the kind of answer you're looking for, am I right? My official rank that covers single and group battles, hunting, versatility and so on is 8th place."

I examined her Status once again.

▷Race: Arch-Human

▷Level: 999+

▷Job: Sorcerer(Willpower=Sorcery↑)

▷Skills: Willpower(SS) Sorcery(SS) Swordsmans.h.i.+p(S) Immunity(S) Survivability(A)…

▷Condition: Doubtful, Expectant, Demon Sword

I thought, wouldn't it be too hard for her to manage to slay even a pet of Demon King Pedonar? Yet on Earth she was supposedly the 8th strongest human. In order to make a confirmation, I made a remark with a covert implication.

"8th ranking female Hero, isn't that amazing?"

"It's the overall ranking, though?"

With a single line from her, the available fighting power of Earth I had estimated dropped by more than half.

"… Really amazing!"

"Enough with the soulless compliment!"

"I'm not giving you lip service. Have confidence, I tell you."

"Are you teasing me? I saw that golem you summoned, destroying dozens of Valkyries with overwhelming ability."

"If it couldn't even do that, I ought to send it to the sc.r.a.pyard."