Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 147 - Scarlet Wings, Above the Clouds

In the northern skies of the Central Continent, a scarlet figure cleaved the air like a living comet.

Scouring the icy currents and gales and tearing through the clouds with authority, a red dragon flew with majestic grace.

Its eyes glowed golden like incandescent coals, and each beat of its wings seemed to bend the very wind itself.

It was a creature feared across the world for its ferocity, its savage intelligence, and its devastating power.

But there was something... different about this particular dragon.

It was one-eyed, and one of its horns was broken clean in half.

Around its neck hung what looked like an emerald-green chain, and firmly fastened to its back was a piece of black leather armor with silver metal plates, secured by enchanted straps and stabilizing runes.

It was clearly a saddle. If someone saw that from afar, they might question their own sanity. A saddled red dragon? That was madness.

Who would dare such a thing? Only a legendary figure like the Demon God Laplace had ever tamed such beasts and commanded them in battle—and he had been "dead" for ages...

But the sight did not lie. The dragon was real, and so was the saddle. That soaring, majestic beast was Ezkalor, the red dragon now answering to Rygar.

He flew with controlled power, gaining altitude with every mighty wingbeat.

The rarefied air hissed around his scales as he cut through the sky like an absolute lord.

On his back, three figures stood out. In the center, wearing a calm, carefree smile, was Rygar.

His eyes studied the horizon with confidence, one hand casually holding the saddle's pommel, the other gently supporting the small figure before him.

Clinging to Rygar's back, her eyes shining with excitement and her long red hair dancing in the wind, was Eris. Her expression was pure ecstasy.

She looked around in every direction, absorbing the world below as if seeing such vistas for the first time.

She was a fierce warrior on the battlefield, but now, high in the sky, she was like a child discovering a new world.

Ahead of Rygar, seated with her arms firmly wrapped around a small bar on the saddle and her body sheltered by the young warrior's arms, was Aisha Greyrat.

The little girl, with reddish-brown hair, was equally enchanted.

"That's the sea!" she shouted, pointing toward the horizon where a bluish patch stretched faintly, blurring into the distant sky.

Rygar smiled at their excitement.

Eris glanced down briefly, her eyes widening a little, and exclaimed:

"We're not going to fall, are we?!"

Rygar laughed loudly, his voice blending with the roar of the winds.

"Even if we fall, I've got you two. Don't worry!"

Eris looked horrified.

"That's not very reassuring!"

Despite her words, her face beamed. The sparkle in Eris's eyes made it clear she was loving every second.

Adrenaline, altitude, freedom... it spoke to the wildest part of her spirit.

Since meeting the dragon, Rygar had begun training Ezkalor in flight.

He was already good at gliding, but needed to master maneuvers and such.

The first sessions were brutal—full of resistance, sudden drops, furious roars, and head-butts against rocks.

But Rygar was persistent and refused to give up on flight, and Ezkalor, proud though he was, was intelligent.

Over time, the dragon learned to balance, to control his altitude, to navigate the air currents like a true dragon.

A few months ago, Rygar finally deemed Ezkalor nearly ready.

He then commissioned one of the blacksmiths and leatherworkers of the small town surrounding the Sword Sanctuary to craft a massive saddle for Ezkalor. And so they did.

Rygar even helped by inscribing enchantments and magical circles on various parts of the saddle.

It took a while—and few dared to work so close to a beast of that magnitude.

Fortunately, Rygar was very wealthy.

I mean, it wasn't too hard to make money with his level and strength, but just the spoils from their many adventures—selling dragon fangs, scales, and magical stones—was a fortune.

And he hadn't even sold most of it.

Thanks to that, a handful—whether out of greed, courage, or some other motivation—ended up helping.

For the past two years, Skoll, the ebony wolf, had been training constantly.

Obviously, he was improving, becoming more skilled and an exceptional hunter. Yet there was a limit imposed on him from birth.

As a monster, he had reached the Saint rank in his third year of life—a Rank‑A monster, an incredible feat.

Once fully grown, he was a force no one dared underestimate.

But the source of that strength was also his ceiling.

Skoll could train as much as he wanted, but he could never improve as much as the other beings in this world.

He wasn't fully intelligent; he was like a dog far smarter than normal.

And there was no record of monsters using touki in complex ways, much less magic. His power came from following his instincts in every case.

It was similar to humans in Rygar's previous world—no matter how much they trained, they could never surpass a certain racial limit. Skoll was trapped by that barrier.

Although Rygar had some ideas on how to change that, it was not yet the time to put them into practice.

While Skoll trained, Ezkalor served two functions: warming the fifteen red dragon eggs with the natural heat only red dragons exude—the very eggs Rygar had taken from the red dragon territory—and regularly practicing his flight.

With the saddle finally ready, Rygar now had an incredibly convenient way to travel.

Ezkalor was primed for long flights, for journeys, for adventures. And so the tests began. This current flight was one of them, and so far, it was going even better than expected.

Rygar looked ahead, the wind whipping his face hard. He felt his heart pound with energy. Below, the world moved at its slow pace.

In that moment, Ezkalor broke through one last layer of clouds, reaching an extremely high altitude. The sky opened up, revealing the rising sun on the horizon.

The sea of clouds stretched below them like a silent white ocean.

The mountain ranges far beneath looked like tiny toy formations, as if the entire world had shrunk under their feet.

It was a sublime scene—the sky tinged orange and gold, the wind slicing the air, the light reflecting off Ezkalor's crimson scales like living fire.

Aisha's and Eris's eyes shimmered. The view was breathtaking, and the two were seized by a near-childish excitement.

Rygar was bringing his companions up one by one, knowing that no one was used to flying.

And, most importantly, wanting to ensure that, if anything went wrong, he would be able to save each of them.

Flying above the clouds, Aisha and Eris were completely enthralled, buzzing with the unique experience. It was then that Rygar said:

"You two... do you trust me?"

Aisha answered without hesitation:

"Yes!"

Eris, a bit wary, said:

"Yes..."

"Ezkalor, in circles," Rygar ordered with a smile.

He then picked Aisha up in his left arm and took Eris's hand with his right. She tried to protest:

"Wait—!"

But before either could say another word, he leapt from the saddle into the open sky.

"NOOOOOO!" Eris screamed, shocked.

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Aisha shouted, pure elation.

"Don't move too much!" Rygar warned, his expression calm.

He lifted Eris slightly, holding her at his right side by the waist.

Despite her initial fright, Eris stopped struggling.

And when they should have been falling... they did not.

Eris opened her eyes slowly and saw Rygar holding her firmly, with Aisha still nestled in his arm.

Around their bodies, a subtle purple glow and a magical energy enveloped them, keeping them suspended in midair.

Eris felt the strong winds still whipping around and a supernatural lightness.

Her long red hair began to float, as did Aisha's, who also seemed bathed in the same purple energy.

Gradually, Rygar began to lower them, still holding both by the hands, keeping the spell active.

"Woah!" Aisha exclaimed, ecstatic, her body floating freely in the sky, held only by her connection to Rygar's hands.

"Master, is this gravity magic?!" she asked, thrilled.

Rygar smiled.

"That's right, Aiz... after all this time, I finally managed to gain some control over it. And that means now I can soar through the skies freely with the help of wind magic, just like dragons!"

It had taken longer than expected to reach this point, mainly because his early training at the Sword Sanctuary had focused almost exclusively on swordsmanship.

But after finally acquiring basic control over gravity magic, he devoted himself to achieving this goal.

Now, technically, Rygar could fly anywhere he wanted.

Eris still seemed a bit dazed, but soon her face lit up, and she began to feel the air around her, experimenting with the sensation. Rygar said with a grin:

"But my control is still most efficient only for myself. So don't move too quickly, or you'll break the spell!"

The two nodded, their eyes still fixed on the horizon.

Rygar used wind magic to give himself a slight boost, rising and falling gently. It was a different experience from flying on Ezkalor... more ethereal, almost dreamlike.

Unconsciously, the two looked at Rygar at the same time, who watched their reactions attentively, and smiled.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"It's the coolest thing in the world!" replied Aisha. "I want to learn too, Master!"

Eris blushed and looked away, murmuring:

"It's... pretty amazing..."

Rygar responded kindly:

"If you work hard, Aiz, you can get there... And Eris, even if you can't fly with magic yourself, one of the dragons hatching will be yours. If you train it well, you'll be able to fly too."

Eris looked at him and smiled.

"No need. Just promise to take me with you!"

She seemed truly convinced, and Rygar was momentarily speechless, inwardly laughing. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

'Am I a private plane now?' he thought, resigned.

After the two peppered him with questions and observed every detail of the majestic world stretching before them, they decided to return.

The first to experience the ride had been Ghislaine, when Rygar first performed the technique. Aisha and Eris were second in line.

Several others were still waiting their turn.

After Rygar called Ezkalor back, they gradually descended toward the clouds again, ending that magical journey through the skies.

After landing with Aisha and Eris, Rygar wasted no time and summoned the next in line.

This time, it was Nina and Jino's turn. Of course, he didn't hold Jino as intimately as he had the girls—he merely used the spell on him and let him maneuver on his own.

"You're a man, figure it out," Rygar teased with a playful smile, and Jino laughed, though a bit nervously.

Nina, meanwhile, was amazed by the experience. Her eyes glowed with sunlight reflected on the sea of clouds, and she could hardly contain her excitement.

Jino was also impressed and made no effort to hide it.

There were not many people in this world who could resist the temptation of riding a dragon, especially in such a surreal setting.

Even Ghislaine, Rygar's wife—known for her seriousness and focus—acted differently while flying, animated and excited, a soft smile on her lips as Ezkalor sliced through the sky with smooth ease.

But the most surprising came afterward.

Reida Reia, the Water God and Rygar's master in this style, also wanted to join.

Rygar saw no reason to refuse. He took her and her granddaughter, Isolte, at the same time.

The elderly lady, though appearing frail, proved energetic and exhilarated during the flight. And at the end of the ride, she said with a sparkle in her eyes:

"If one day you start selling domesticated dragons and I'm still alive... consider me your first customer."

Rygar smiled, both surprised and amused by her remark.

Rygar extended invitations to a few figures he considered at least somewhat important: Nigav Dedoldia, Gall Farion, and some other Sword Saints who were close to the Legion or whom Rygar deemed promising.

However, the Legion members declined out of respect, and the Sword Saints refused as well. The reason? Gall Farion, the Sword God himself, replied loudly and firmly:

"Who needs distractions like this? If you have time to saddle a dragon, your sword will remain slow!"

The words echoed like an order.

Some had wanted to accept—their looks said it all—but none dared openly contradict their master.

The truth, however, was that Gall Farion himself wanted to ride.

It was impossible that his warrior's spirit was not tempted by the idea of soaring atop such a magnificent creature. But his pride would not allow it.

He, the Sword God, being taken for a ride entirely at his disciple's whims? Unthinkable. He preferred to deny the others rather than accept it himself.

Even so, the flight on Ezkalor had its effects. He became even more famous.

And Rygar, by extension, as well. The flame-scaled red dragon was now a legendary figure cutting through the skies, and everyone knew who its master was.

Finally, something unexpected—and pleasant—happened.

After everyone had flown, Nina approached Rygar. There was a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.

"Rygar... do you think one of the dragon eggs could be given to us?" she asked cautiously.

Rygar, serious, replied:

"Nina... unfortunately, these dragons are reserved for members of the Iron Legion."

Then he added casually, as if it was nothing:

"Perhaps, if you wish to join us..."

It was the first time he had extended a direct invitation to her.

Nina seemed lost in thought for a moment.

It was a big decision. Aisha and Rygar had already been trying to persuade her—and Jino too—but always subtly, without revealing their true intentions.

Now, the seed had been planted.

"I'll think about it," Nina said, her face serious.

And to Rygar, that was already a great step in the right direction.

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