After takeoff, I realized that everything wasn't as smooth as I imagined it to be.
There would always be uncontrollable fluctuations in the magic flow, causing the hot air balloon to sway up and down. Linsi Daisy, who had never experienced such turbulence, was constantly anxious. The two of them huddled together, watching me with worried expressions on their faces.
But it wasn't because I couldn't control it properly. It was the influence of the environment. I could easily pour water into a beaker, but with someone shaking my hand, how could I maintain a steady flow?
"You're so clumsy."
Ferry, who couldn't stand it any longer, pushed me aside.
I gave him a disgruntled look and stepped back.
"Watch closely." He started adjusting the magic stones one by one, explaining, "You also need to learn how to use these auxiliary magic stones to stabilize the sphere."
Ferry's palm gently brushed against the magic ball, and the hot air balloon began to stabilize.
"That's much better." Linsi Daisy let out a sigh of relief. Once the hot air balloon stabilized completely, their faces regained excitement.
Hif looked unaffected, seeming to find everything boring.
"Let me try again." After the stability lasted only a short while, Ferry left the control console and called me over.
"Okay."
But when it was my turn to handle it and we encountered an air current, I tried adjusting the auxiliary magic stones, but it still didn't go well. The balloon started swaying again.
"Ah!" Linsi Daisy clung to each other, trembling. But this cry only ignited Hif's excitement.
"Yiluodiya, you continue." She looked at me expectantly, smiling at Linsi Daisy's pitiful appearance.
Don't bully Linsi Daisy like this. It's not like I intended it to be this way.
"You're really clumsy." Ferry couldn't stand it again and quickly came over to grab my hand. I was taken aback and immediately pulled away, glaring at him fiercely.
"It's just a touch, so what?" Ferry was also very displeased, turned his head to look at the control console, and said, "Since you won't let me teach you hand in hand, then learn properly and practice slowly."
"Okay."
Maybe I had reacted too strongly, but I couldn't accept someone other than my master touching my hand.
Perhaps sensing the tension between us, Hif walked over as a mediator.
"Alright, Yiluodiya is doing well. Most humans won't get the hang of it so quickly. Ferry, don't be too strict." Ferry ignored Hif, causing her to stick out her tongue helplessly. Ferry silently adjusted the hot air balloon and stopped swaying before speaking again.
"You take a rest and enjoy the scenery. Leave this place to me."
The air cooled down, and the sun was setting. I nodded and walked to Linsi Daisy's side, with Hif following behind.
"Linsi Daisy, don't worry. Ferry will control it well, and with Lord Yiluodiya here to protect you, even if something happens to the balloon, you'll be safe."
"Okay."
After Hif's response, Linsi Daisy observed the surroundings from the observation deck. Finally, they walked to the edge, lightly gripping the railing. I followed closely, keeping an eye on them to prevent any accidents.
"Wow, the mountains and buildings below look so small."
"Just like models."
As Linsi Daisy marveled at the sight, suddenly the hot air balloon swayed again. Linsi Daisy screamed in fright, and I quickly reached out to support them. They turned back with fear in their eyes.
"Cough, sorry for my mistake."
Ferry's voice came from the control console behind me. I comforted Linsi Daisy, and with my sharp ears, I could faintly hear Ferry's sneaky laughter.Shiva laughed on the side, which was normal because she enjoyed seeing Linsi Daisy's panicked look. But I didn't expect Fiori to be so mischievous as well.
Linsi Daisy cautiously stepped away from the railing. I felt like Shiva and Fiori were both teasing Linsi Daisy, who, despite being a timid demon, was still a human.
I frowned, worried that Fiori might take her frustration out on Linsi Daisy.
"Yiluodiya, come on, smile! You did really well, you know? When humans first experimented with this balloon, there were often cases of it exploding, crashing down, losing control, and not knowing where it flew off to due to insufficient fuel. Many lives were sacrificed to obtain valuable experimental data. But you were able to fly it as if you were a pro. That's amazing."
Shiva obviously thought that I was worried about not being able to control the hot air balloon properly. In reality, I was concerned about Linsi Daisy's first experience in a hot air balloon. I didn't want them to feel anxious right from the start.
"So, people have died doing this?"
"Well... not really. But it's true that the safety of these balloons was quite low."
Linsi Daisy was getting nervous. I looked up and saw Shiva smiling brightly, almost like an evil grin.
"Hey! You guys did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Fiori deliberately shook the hot air balloon, and Shiva purposely mentioned fatalities. They were definitely doing it on purpose.
"Oh, you caught us. But Linsi Daisy's reaction is just too cute. I couldn't resist teasing her a little."
Shiva covered her mouth, laughing as if she was saying sorry but also indicating she would do it again next time.
"Yiluodiya, when you're done resting, come over and start practicing. Try to get it right before it gets dark."
"Okay."
I turned around and then looked back. At this moment, Linsi Daisy seemed like an innocent little girl, nervous about something new.
"Shiva, please stop teasing them."
"Fine, fine."
She sounded dismissive.
I couldn't worry about that now. Before tomorrow came, I had to familiarize myself with controlling the hot air balloon and give our guests the best experience possible.
----------------------------
As the sunset glowed, the orange clouds spread across the vast sky, creating a beautiful halo.
Linsi Daisy had already adjusted to it. Even if I did a 180-degree turn right now, they wouldn't scream anymore because I had scared them enough.
They leaned against the railing of the basket, gazing at the distant sky. The last rays of sunlight illuminated their faces, and their black hair was touched by the orange light.
Confidently, I left the control panel and joined them, watching the sun setting.
Fiori leaned against the railing, uninterested in the scenery outside. The four of us lay on the railing, facing the warm evening breeze as the heat from the setting sun washed over us.
"We've never used the flying ball for leisure before, like this, admiring the scenery from up above. Usually, it's all about training. When I'm up there, I can only aim my gun at the ground and practice shooting accurately at targets."
Shiva's expression carried a faint sadness, suddenly becoming a lot more mature.
"What's so interesting about it?"
Fiori casually disrupted the atmosphere.
"It's because of the demons. As humans, we have to cherish every moment, wishing for two days in one so that we have more time to think of ways to deal with the demons."
Linsi Daisy frowned upon hearing Fiori's criticism.
"We have to follow the orders of the Demon Lord."
"Hmm... I guess so. No one is at fault, yet everyone is at fault."
Fiori looked up at the white ball, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy, beyond Shiva's ability to save it.
"I don't know if you're genuinely happy or pretending to be happy, but I've never seen you this happy among humans."
"Of course, I'm genuinely happy. No one understands me like humans do. Plus, the world's cutest person is here with me every day. Why wouldn't I be happy? And you know I love cute things."
Fiori lowered her head, her expression somewhat unnatural."It turns out I was overthinking. Actually, I am not that important to you, am I?"
The air instantly fell into a deadly silence as LinsiDaisy and I stood awkwardly by the railing.
And the dim golden sunlight created such a melancholic atmosphere that I didn't want to break this sorrowful scenery.
Hif closed off her emotions and hadn't given Ferris any response, but her calm expression made it clear what her answer was.
A burst of air disrupted the silence.
The protective shield of the auxiliary magic stone couldn't withstand the strong wind, so I hurried over to the control panel to adjust it.
After stabilizing the hot air balloon, LinsiDaisy looked at me with relief, as if to say that Lord Yiluodiya could finally fully control this thing.
But the awkward atmosphere between the two of them couldn't be eased anymore. I'm not a social expert.
"Let's practice some more."
Ferris walked over from the railing, completely unfazed by the recent turbulence. He should have been quite handsome, but for some reason, I inexplicably felt that Ferris was downcast.
I should also be grateful for the ambiguous relationship I have with the master and for not being like Ferris, who will never reach that level.
