Three days had passed since the incident with Kansukay.
Things were reasonably hectic at first, but the land of Takeda quickly regained
stability and found a new lord. Apparently, Kousaka — the one from the Elite
Four who asked for our help — was hiding Lord Schingen's child from Kansukay.
The necromancer was fully aware of the boy's existence, but with Lord
Schingen himself already being his puppet, he probably just didn't give much
thought to the child. At least, that was how it seemed at first glance. There was
no doubt that this chaos was caused by none other than Kansukay, but I
couldn't help but question whether the sorcerer we fought in the garden was
acting out the man's own will.
I could've been overthinking things, but a part of me believed that even after
the Artifact robbed him of his sanity, Kansukay subconsciously tried to avoid
hurting the child of his late lord.
Regardless, the son in question, Takeda Khatsuyohri, became the new feudal
lord, and the Elite Four were once again the closest advisers to Takeda's head.
Just to be on the safe side, I told them to avoid picking fights with Oda. Then
again, considering that my previous world and this one weren't completely in
sync, my worry and the warning might've been unnecessary. But I decided that
if a few years passed and I was suddenly informed that Takeda had been
annihilated, I wouldn't be very pleased, to say the least.
With the war between Tokugawa and Takeda settled, we decided to make our
way to our original destination, the Ruins of Nirya.
We were told they were at the edge of Shimazu's territory, toward the
southernmost part of Eashen. Luckily, old man Baba visited the place when he
was young, so all I had to do was have him share those memories with me.
In all honesty, holding hands and touching foreheads with a burly old man felt
like a weird party game punishment or something.
"Father, Mother, Brother, Ayane. I am taking my leave, I am."
"Alright, take care of yourself."
"Touya-san, please look out for my daughter." As we were giving our
goodbyes to Yae's folks in her house at Oedo, Nanae bowed her head to me.
Not knowing how to react, I bowed back in the same manner. Jutaro and Ayane
stood alongside Nanae, smiling at us all.
"We'll come visit you again when we have the free time. You're welcome to
visit my place in Belfast, too."
"We look forward to it." I gave Jutaro a handshake and opened a [Gate] to
the ruins.
After we walked through, still saying our goodbyes to Yae's family all the
while, we were greeted by a beautiful sandy beach.
An endlessly wide sea gently caressed the white sand. I could see a rocky area
and a small forest in the distance, but that was about it as far as scenic diversity
went.
With a single look at the map, I found out that we were on a small desert
island. Well, desert might've not been the right word, considering that the
mainland was only a two-hundred meter swim away.
The emerald green sea dazzled us with the sparkling sunlight it reflected. I
recalled reading something about white sand being white because a lot of it
was coral and shells that had broken into tiny pieces.
"Wow, it's so beautiful..." Yumina walked across the white sand, her eyes
fixed on the sea. Kohaku was right next to her, clearly having trouble walking,
while Paula the autonomous bear was frolicking about as if it was nothing.
Seriously? What the hell is up with the [Program] on that thing?
In contrast to the bear, its master was gracefully walking on the sand with a
parasol in her hands. Wait, where did you even get that?
"It's been a while since we've seen the sea."
"You've got that right, Sis." The twins embraced the salty sea breeze and went
on ahead, leaving footprints in the sand behind them.
Yae started after them, but before she could catch up, she stopped to remove
her sandals and socks. Probably full of sand, that'd annoy me too...
"Ouch! Hot! Hothothot!" Come on, Yae. With sun like this, what did you
expect? It wasn't even midday, and yet the sun, hanging high in the clear blue
sky, was already blazing down upon us. All the heat from the light turned the
sandy beach into a minor inferno.
Yae opted to avoid the heat by hopping on one leg and then the other, hastily
making her way to the sea. It looked like a weird dance.
Well, this place would definitely make a great resort, but where exactly are
these ruins? Wait, didn't Jubei say something about it being at the bottom of the
sea? Is that really the case? I better make sure...
I ran a map search for 'ruins.' Instantly, I got one hit.
Jubei hadn't been lying, it really was at the sea floor. According to the map, it
was about a hundred meters ahead, beneath the waves. I couldn't see anything
at a glance. Guess we're gonna have to dive.
"Leen. Do you know any spells that allow people to survive underwater?"
"I only know magic that lets people walk on water. I recall hearing of a Null
spell that allows the user to breathe underwater, but I wasn't interested, so I
forgot its name."
Dang it Leen, that's the most important part... Guess I have to dive in and
confirm the existence of the ruins first. If I had a bathing suit, I'd already be
changing into it, but this world doesn't even have those. Going in with just my
underwear would be embarrassing, too...
I walked right to where the sea met the sand, where Elze, Linze, Yae and
Yumina were having fun in the shoreline waves. From the way they were
splashing about, it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves.
"The cold water feels so good! Sucks that we didn't bring our swimsuits. I
wanna go for a swim."
"...Now wait just a minute. Swimsuits exist?" Elze's words almost made me
freeze in place. I'd always been under the impression that this world didn't have
swimsuits.
"Hm? I-I think most clothing shops sell them. I even hear that there are
different types of swimsuits that are sold depending on the region." Linze
answered my question. Oh, so swimsuits do exist...
"Well, we're already on the beach, so we might as well make the most of it."
When it came to clothing, there was no better place for us than Zanac's shop,
so I opened up a [Gate] that connected us to Reflet.
It had been a while since we last saw Zanac, so our conversation dragged on a
bit, right up until he began talking about how he had recently stocked up on
swimsuits to keep up with demand for the warmer seasons. It was a case of
perfect timing.
I questioned the existence of swimsuit demand here in Reflet-not-by-the-sea
and was told that people often swam in the nearby rivers or the lake about half
a day's walk away from town. I was also informed that some of the more
affluent locals even had private pools.
Since the girls were obviously going to take forever to choose their swimsuits,
I told them that I'd pick them up later. I made a quick detour back home. If we
were going to have fun in the sun, I'd do my best to make sure nobody was left
out.
"The sea, is it?"
"Wooow. That sounds wonderful!"
"Miss Cecile, wot's the 'sea'?" My three maids gave their unique reactions to
my suggestion. They weren't against the idea, so I opened another [Gate] and
basically shoved Lapis, Cecile, and Renne straight through to Zanac's shop.
I then went to the kitchen and did the same to Crea. Her husband, Julio the
gardener, was soon to follow suit.
Leaving the home completely unguarded was a bad idea, though, so Tom and
Huck couldn't come with us. I made a mental note to make it up to them
somehow later on.
Laim said he wouldn't go swimming, so I took him with me straight to Duke
Ortlinde's house. After all, that was the house of someone who'd get really mad
if I neglected to invite them.
"The seas of Eashen, huh? Sounds great! Let's go!"
"Father! He invited me, not you!" Is this country seriously that lacking in
important business? Why is a duke of all people so eager to go to the sea? The
duke and his daughter were in high spirits. Ellen, Ortlinde's wife, watched them
with a wide smile on her face.
I was about to open a [Gate] to move the duke's family and their butler, Leim,
to Zanac's shop, but then Duke Ortlinde said something absurd.
"Why not invite my brother!"
"Hohoh, Eashen's seas, you say? How considerate of my little brother to invite
us."
"Ooh... it's been a while since I've enjoyed the salty sea breeze."
"...Don't you have government affairs to take care of?" As His Majesty and
Queen Yuel got themselves excited about the prospect of going to the seaside, I
cast a rainy cloud over their parade with my question.
"I have absolutely no plans for this afternoon. I was actually thinking of
inviting Al for a game of shogi. It's been a while since our last game, you know?
So there are no problems in that regard! I'm totally free! Ahahaha!" I couldn't
tell if that was good timing or an ill omen. Either way, their regalia stood out
like a sore thumb, so I had them change into something simpler. I was fairly
sure that the sight of His Majesty's magnificent crown would make Zanac pass
out and drop to the ground.
Then I went to General Leon to ask for escorts to make sure the king and his
family would be fine. He didn't hesitate to say that he himself would take the
role. Wait, are you for real? You're the general! You have duties!
"Heh! There'd be something terribly wrong if I didn't come with the good old
king on his holiday! I'll have some fun, too!" Boisterous and intense as ever,
Leon pounded on my back and further splintered my fragile spine. Damn, that
hurts! I tried inviting Charlotte, too. She was receptive, but then promptly shut
me down when she learned Leen would be there. The trauma must've run
deep.
Once the king and his wife came out in their simplistic, but still expensive
clothing, I opened a [Gate] to Zanac's shop.
Oh geez, there's a lot of people here now. Wait... I count two more than there
should be. When did Micah and Aer get here...?
"Hey, it's been a while. You doing well?"
"Elze invited us. We couldn't refuse a chance to go to the sea." Ah, so it was
Elze. Well, it's not really a big deal. I began sending those who had already
bought their swimsuits straight to the beach. It was getting annoying, so I just
fixed the [Gate] and kept it open.
Once I was on the beach, I used [Storage] to retrieve some iron and linen, on
which I used [Modeling] to create two simplistic dressing tents.
The girls got a big one, but us guys would do just fine with a smaller one. Elze
quickly walked into the dressing tent and shooed me away. You don't have to
treat me like a dog, you know...
I went on to make some parasols and beach chairs, followed by a sizable
sunshade. Relaxation was paramount during a beach episode, after all. Things
would get pretty sour if someone got heatstroke. Last, but not least, I used
some rubber to make a few beach balls and swimming rings.
The more people got their swimsuits from Zanac, the more people came
through to the beach. There was quite the crowd by the time everyone was
done.
Myself, Elze, Linze, Yae, Yumina, Leen, Lapis, Cecile, Renne, Crea, Julio, Laim,
Duke Ortlinde, Ellen, Sue, Leim, His Majesty the King, Queen Yuel, General Leon,
Micah, and Aer. Not counting the two small creatures... We amounted to a
grand total of twenty-one. Almost a whole third of us were royalty, too.
Though, there were things to be said about men being outnumbered in a similar
proportion.
Alright, with all of us kitted out in our swimsuits... Laim and Leim not included,
I guess it's time to close up the [Gate]... Wait... Crap, I forgot my own!
I rushed back through and bought a simplistic one-size-fits-all pair of
swimming trunks. They were black and weren't made of nylon or polyester, but
the material wasn't too different from them. It was nicely elastic and even had
water-repelling properties. I asked Zanac, and he told me that it was made from
the threads of cocoons made by a waterside bug called the 'Aqua Butterfly.'
Apparently, it was often used for fancy umbrellas.
I thanked Zanac, went back to the beach, and created a fixed [Gate] leading
to the living room of my house back in Belfast. I didn't really want to bother
making a toilet or anything, so that would work just as well.
Now, for food... it's gotta be a beachside barbeque. All I had to do was
prepare an iron plate and charcoal fire. We had quite a lot of meat and
vegetables in our pantry, after all. Wait, what about drinks...? Ah, I can just
magic up some icy containers and cool down some fruity water. Oh, what
about... Wait... is it just me, or am I the only one doing any work around here?
No, it's clear as day! Nobody's even trying to help me out here! Damn you all! I
want to have fun, too! Hm...? Wait, why'd we even come to the beach in the
first place?
◇ ◇ ◇
I changed into my swimming trunks, walked out on to the beach, and began
doing warm-up exercises. Well, I actually had no idea what kind of exercises I
should be doing to prepare for a swim, so I just went with the radio calisthenics
I was used to. As I faced the ocean and did my one-two-threes, I suddenly heard
someone call out to me.
"What kind of dance is that?" I turned around to see Elze, who was already in
her swimsuit. Linze was standing right behind her.
The designs of their bikinis were exactly the same, plain with white borders.
However, Elze's was red, while Linze's was blue. The bottom part was a lowriser that had to be tied on the side.
Linze was also wearing a long, pastel blue parka. I figured she was shy about
her attire. It went without saying that they had beautiful bodies, and honestly, I
had trouble figuring out where to fix my gaze. I was quickly able to confirm that
the little sister was the one with the bigger breasts, though.
"It's not a dance. I'm doing warm-up exercises. Don't want to just jump in and
get an instant foot cramp, you know?"
"Oh, alright then. Is that how it works? Well, I'll just go ahead and believe it, I
guess." It's a fact, damn it! I don't need you to believe me. I glared at Elze as she
lightly turned her wrists and ankles, stretched her leg tendons a bit, spun her
waist, and ran straight into the sea.
"Oh, I see that Elze-dono is already in the water, she is. I shall join her, then."
Yae was already at my side, smiling at what she was seeing. I hadn't even
noticed her approach. She was wearing a light purple bikini that had to be tied
at the sides, and a halterneck. A part of me expected her to wear a sarashi and
a red bikini, but I decided to never speak a word about that. After all, that
would be her usual underwear, and this was a situation for swimwear.
Oh, now's my chance to get a better look at them... They're huge. Whoa... she
always binds them up with a sarashi, so the difference between this and her
normal appearance is really throwing me off.
Yae completely ignored my dumbfounded stare and ran into the water.
"You're not gonna swim, Linze?"
"Ah, I-I'm not very good at swimming, so I'll just rest in the shade..." Linze
walked into a nearby area devoid of sunlight. Linze didn't seem like an
especially healthy type of girl. I could only hope that she didn't get sunstroke or
something.
"Touya!"
"Oi bruv!" Right on cue, the littler ladies stampeded toward me.
Both of them were in one piece swimsuits. Sue's was yellow and had frills all
over the chest area, while Renne's was red with white dots all over and frills
around the waist.
They both looked simply adorable. There was no risk of me getting nervous or
shy around those two. Sue was in a swimming ring, while Renne was holding a
beach ball.
"Make sure not to go too far into the sea. Not like it's deep around here, but
still, you should stick close to the others."
"I know. We'll be just fine. Let us go, Renne! Onward!"
"Gotcha, Sis!" Sue took Renne's hand and led her to the water. "Sis," huh?
Well, I'm just glad they're getting along so well. With Renne being younger, I
got the impression that Sue was enjoying being able to play "big sister" with
her.
"They get along soo nicelyyy."
"Whoa?!" Cecile's voice startled me into backing away. I'd have preferred it if
she didn't approach people without giving away even a hint of her presence.
Then again, it really showed what her real vocation was. Cecile was wearing an
emerald green bikini with a pareo of the same color wrapped around her waist.
It was a standard swimsuit, with no suggestive properties to speak of.
That being said... her breasts were even larger than Yae's, and I couldn't help
but give them an occasional glance. I always thought they were big, but that
chest might even pass "large" territory and go deep into "huge." Guess this is
the true power of maturity that I've heard so much about. She's fully equipped...
"Lady Sueee, Renneeee! Let me join youuu!" Cecile began running. I keenly
observed her movements.
...Boing... Boing... Boing... Boing... Say it once, say it twice — it was quite a
sight.
"I wonder if large ones really do float..."
"Large what?"
"Hyahh?!" Lapis was standing behind me with a puzzled expression on her
face. Again?! Quit hiding your presence, damn it! "What's supposed to float?"
"Huh?! W-Well, the swimming ring, of course! I was wondering if it'll float
okay!"
"...It seems to be floating just fine, sir."
"Sure is!" Lapis, who was watching Sue and the others, was clad in a navy blue
swimsuit that looked like a combo of a tube top and shorts. For some reason,
she was holding a silver tray.
"What's that?"
"Well, there's work to be done. I was just bringing some drinks to the Ladies
and the others." Lapis looked away and I followed her gaze to see the queen
and the duke's wife reclining on beach chairs beneath a parasol. The table
between them had a pair of tropical drinks placed on it, seemingly brought
there by Lapis.
"Lapis... you're free to relax, you know?"
"Ah, don't worry about me. I'm having lots of fun! Cecile and I are switching
work shifts now and then." With a broad smile on her face, Lapis walked
through the [Gate] leading to our house. She was truly an exemplary maid. I
shouldn't have expected anything less from a member of the Maid's Guild.
Huh...? I heard a loud noise, turned to its source, and saw His Majesty the
King divebombing into the water. Th-That doesn't look safe... Oh, he popped
out. Guess that spot must be pretty deep. Duke Ortlinde and General Leon were
soon to follow after him. Are they... Are they racing? What the hell are they
doing now...? These three grown men are acting like little kids.
"Touya." I was staring at the king and his friends, completely weirded out by
their frolicking antics, when Yumina called out to me. The cutesy white bikini
with frills on the chest piece and waist looked really good on her. She spun
around and looked straight at me.
"Well? Any thoughts?"
"It looks great on you. You're adorable."
"Eheheh. Thank you very much..." Huh, that praise came pretty naturally... Is
it because I still view her as a child? Guess it must be that. Actually, now that I
think about it, I'm not getting flustered or shy looking at her body. Guess she
just can't capture my heart as she is now.
"Touya, shall we go swim together?" Yumina hugged my arm. Uhh... You're
pressing your chest against me... I couldn't tell if she was doing it on purpose or
not. I didn't realize it before... but she's showing clear signs of development...
It's soft... Oh no, my face is gonna turn red, ack...! Wait, I am getting
flustered! "Can't capture my heart," my ass! SHE'S CAPTURING IT RIGHT NOW!
HELP!
"I-I have to investigate the ruins, you know. I'll come with you when I'm done
with that." I slipped out of Yumina's grasp and made a quick promise. She
seemed slightly dissatisfied, but didn't take too long to agree.
"Make sure to come play with me when you're done, okay?" Yumina ran off
after Sue with a smile on her face.
Man, that was close... My mental defenses were crumbling just there. Well,
maybe it wasn't so bad... Or was it, actually? Yumina is cute, after all. There's no
real disputing that... If I was forced to say whether I liked or disliked her, of
course I would choose the former. But I don't know if I can look at her
romantically or anything... Alright, what about this... Yumina finds a guy she
loves... and she's just told me she's gonna marry him. Wait. No, why would you
think about that?! That sucks! I just made myself mad by thinking about
something stupid! Ugh... what the hell... Was that jealousy just now? I'm... not
really sure. No, no. It can't be that. Yumina is as dear to me as a little sister, so
my fatherly instincts simply don't like the idea of sending her off with some
random guy... right? Right. Surely. Definitely... Probably. I think.
"Why the pensive expression?"
"Huh...?" I turned around to see Leen, clad in a black, adult-like bikini with
white laces, holding a black parasol.
If she was so averse to the idea of bathing in the sunlight, she could've chosen
not to wear a bikini, but calling her out on that seemed like it'd be some kind of
inexplicable loss in the grand scheme of things. Also, there were things to be
said about a person wearing such a bold, side-tie, low-rise swimsuit while
having such a small build.
I wasn't going to say anything until I saw the autonomous bear doing warmup exercises while wearing a red and black border swimsuit straight from the
early 20th century.
"Wait. Paula, you're actually gonna swim?" She pounded her chest as if to say
"Of course I'm gonna swim!" I gave Leen a questioning glance, and the fairy
chuckled in response.
"I didn't give her my [Protection] for nothing. She's completely waterproof."
Man, [Protection] seems like a great spell. I'll have to cast it on my
smartphone. On the subject of my smartphone, I left it in the changing tent. I
wonder if Kohaku's still resting there.
"Well, I figure it's time to go for a swim." I began making my way to the sea,
and Paula wasn't far behind me. Is she really gonna be okay?
Paula made it to the shoreline, prepared herself for an amazing run into the
water... and was promptly smacked in the face by a wave. She rolled back to the
beach. Not one to give up, Paula charged back toward the seas. And, like
clockwork, a wave hit her and sent her rolling back to the beach. I had no
doubts she'd be trapped in this loop all day.
I shifted my attention away from her and ventured into the sea. I reached the
point where my feet were unable to touch the ground and shifted to a breast
stroke.
Should be around here... I took a deep breath and dove downward.
The water was crystal clear, so I could see everything below and around me
without much trouble. There it was, the ruins I'd been seeking. Various large
slabs were laid out in a stone circle, in the center of which was a small building
that resembled a temple. I dove further down and looked inside the entrance to
see a staircase leading down.
It was dark in there, so I couldn't be sure, but I had a feeling it went really far
down. At that point, I really needed to catch my breath, so I swam back up to
the surface.
I wasted no time. After getting a fresh intake of oxygen, I dove down once
more. I instantly went straight for the stone stairs underneath, but again I was
thwarted by my puny human lungs.
There's just no way I can do it like this. I can only hold my breath for about a
minute.
I desperately wanted to know what was at the bottom of those stairs. I
wanted to find out, but there was a limit to what I was capable of. I didn't
accomplish much, but that was the best I could do. I had no choice but to return
to the shore.
Once I got back, I saw Paula facing the waves and wiping the imaginary
"blood" from her mouth, as if to say "You're... pretty good." She's still trying?
I told Leen of what I saw and sat myself down on the beach.
"So it's at the very bottom of the sea, is it...? What should we do now, then...?
Perhaps I should try calling Marion?"
"Marion?"
"The clan matriarch of the Marines from Mismede. An old friend of mine.
She'd have no problem doing things underwater... but it just so happens that
she's quite the recluse." Leen folded her arms and began thinking.
I tried suggesting inviting any others of that species, but according to Leen the
"recluse" part referred to a policy shared by all Marines who lived in Mismede.
In short, they did everything they could to not meddle in the affairs of surfacedwellers, so getting any of them to come wasn't an option.
"It's surprising that a race like that agreed to take part in the founding of
Mismede."
"That's the result of my negotiation ability. She's not a bad girl, and if you
know someone for a hundred years, you tend to become able to tell what
they're thinking." A hundred years...? Geez, the scale of what Leen talks about is
always too great for me to process.
"Well, let's leave it at that for today. Go and have some fun now. If I keep you
to myself for too long, the others will come to bear a grudge on me, I'm sure."
With those words as her last, Leen went to Paula. The others? Suddenly, my
sense of smell was overwhelmed by the attractive scent of cooked meat. I stood
up and looked to where the wind was blowing from. There, I saw Micah and
Crea, both clad in aprons. They were standing and making merry before an iron
cooking plate. Micah was wearing an orange bikini, while Crea's was striped
with black and white. With them both being cooks, I wasn't surprised that they
got along.
Not far from them, I saw Aer, who was wearing a flower-patterned one piece
swimsuit, getting Linze to cool down a metallic container. Oh, guess they're
making ice cream. Looks like that'll be our dessert, then.
I then noticed Julio bringing ingredients through the [Gate] leading to our
home. Apparently, the straw hat I got him became a part of his look. I hadn't
seen him take it off yet.
I decided to help out, but as I walked over there I noticed something that
needed my attention.
"...What are you doing?" Two butlers, ignoring the deadly heat and still
wearing their usual pitch black suit and white glove combo, were looking at
something through pairs of opera glasses.
"To see if she is safe, I am observing Miss Sue."
"For the same reason, I am observing the princess."
...These brothers seem a tiny bit overprotective. Wait, Leim's master is the
duke and Laim is my butler. What about ensuring my safety?
Well, I didn't see the point of saying that, so I just left them to their business
and made my way over to the food. I had worked up quite the appetite.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Alright, now..." A day had passed since our beach party, and I had resolved
to actually make some progress toward getting a look inside the underwater
ruins. However, I had absolutely no idea where to begin.
"If only I had a spell that would let me repel water or breathe under it..."
"How about we build a tall wall around the ruins and drain all the water...?"
And just how do you expect me to do that, Elze?
"Um... I-I just thought of something..." Linze timidly raised her hand. Well
now, that's a rare sight. Linze wasn't one to volunteer her opinion often.
Because of that, I assumed she must have had some kind of revolutionary idea.
"So, what is it? If you have a good idea, let's hear it."
"I-I don't know if you can call it an idea, but... wh-why don't you just send
your vision there with [Long Sense]...?"
"...Oh." Right. There's nothing stopping me from doing that. Why didn't I
think of that? Am I retarded? I wordlessly gave Linze a thumbs-up and cast
[Long Sense].
I quickly cast my vision into the sea and got a look inside the ruins. Hm... this
is...
"Well? See anything?"
"...It's too dark to see..."
"Get a hold of yourself, already!" Elze's verbal push made me hastily send a
[Light Sphere] down there.
A part of me thought the orb of light would vanish once inside the sea, but
that didn't happen. It was a silly worry, since it wasn't like it was a Fire spell or
anything.
Soon enough, the surroundings around my disembodied vision grew bright. I
moved the light in sync with the vision, heading further down the stairs.
Eventually, I entered a large hall. In the center, there was a platform with a
magic circle inscribed on it, surrounded by six pedestals. Each had a spellstone
embedded in it. Red, blue, brown, green, yellow and purple — all the magic
schools except Null were represented by a shining jewel.
Aside from that, there was nothing notable. No treasure chests, no
inscriptions — nothing at all. Was that really it? I returned my vision and told
Leen about what I saw. The clan matriarch of the fairies folded her arms, took a
moment to think about something, and finally spoke up.
"That was probably a teleportation circle."
"A what now?"
"I think that when you activate the six elements around it, the magic circle
will transport you elsewhere. It'll work in a similar fashion to your [Gate] spell, I
believe."
Hmm... A teleportation device for fast movement between locations, huh? I
wonder if the sea level used to be lower in the past... Maybe people used that
place as a normal means of transportation? Maybe the ruins are only
abandoned because the sea level got higher?
"I'd like to activate it... But that isn't exactly possible if we can't even get
there. I guess we'll have to search for Null magic that allows you to breathe
underwater and..."
"My master, if I might interject for a moment." Kohaku, who was nestled in
Yumina's arms, suddenly spoke up and prevented Leen from continuing her
train of thought.
"What's up, Kohaku?"
"I happen to know someone who can help you with your predicament."
We moved away from the beach and closer to the rocky area, where Leen
conjured up a large magic circle.
"You are aware that summoning magic doesn't allow you to pick who you
want to summon, yes?"
"Fret not, we shall mix master's magic power with my spirit power. If we do
that, the one I desire to bring here will surely hear and respond to the call."
Kohaku brushed away Leen's words. I hadn't the faintest idea that was an
option. I figured it was just some kind of special-case workaround.
"But even so... to summon the Black Monarch of all things... I'll confess that
I'm extremely surprised to discover that the tiger here is the White Monarch,
but bringing forth another of the Monarchs should be absolutely impossible..."
"It is best if you stop logical thought when it comes to Touya-dono, it is." As
Leen mumbled, Yae gently talked her down and left the magic circle.
"Summoning them should be possible, but I cannot predict what they will
want for the contract to be complete. They are not too wild when it comes to
temperament, but they can be quite, well... odd..."
"I keep hearing you use 'they' and 'them' when referring to the Black
Monarch... He won't be alone?"
"How should I put this... the two of them make up the entity known as the
Black Monarch. Well, you will understand once we summon them." True
enough. Better to get the summoning itself over with.
I stood before the magic circle and focused my Dark magic upon it. A mist
began gathering in the circle, becoming ever thicker with every passing second.
Soon enough, Kohaku joined the magic channeling, charging the mist even
more. Apparently, Kohaku's magic was called Spirit Power, but I wasn't one to
care about such trivialities.
"O Beast who governs the winter, the waters, the north and the mountains.
Heed my call. Heed my summons, present your form before me." The dense
mist suddenly released a strong burst of magical energy. Or maybe it was Spirit
Power, I couldn't tell. Just like the time I summoned Kohaku, I could feel the...
whatever power overwhelm my surroundings.
Once the mist dispersed, a gigantic turtle appeared before me. It was about
four meters in size. Or maybe it was a tortoise. They were both pretty similar.
Just like any tortoise, it also had just four legs. However, it had characteristics
which distanced it from normal tortoises and made it look closer to some kaiju
from monster movies. More specifically, it reminded me of that one kaiju that
could fly through the sky by launching jets from its shell. Though, the one
before me didn't have that kaiju's large fangs, and its expression didn't seem
nearly as menacing.
A black serpent was wrapped around the kaiju-tortoise-turtle thing. Just like
the tortoise, it was quite large, too. It was larger than an anaconda. Its scales
shone like black pearls and its golden eyes gleamed brightly. Those eyes were
fixed on Kohaku, and myself.
"Oh myy... Sso it really iss the White Monarch. Haven't sseen you in forever.
You doing okay, ssweetheart?"
"It's been quite a while, Black Monarch."
"Oh, come onnn, darling. Didn't I tell you to call me Blackie?"
Man, this thing sure sounds carefree. But what the heck is up with this snake?
Yeah, he sure is friendly... but maybe a little too friendly. His voice sounds kind
of thick, too... Reminds me of a stereotypical drag queen...
"And this young fella iss...?"
"Mochizuki Touya. My master."
"Your... master?" The tortoise suddenly glared at me. I felt as though I was
being evaluated. Its appearance made me think it'd have the voice of a dignified
old man, but boy was life full of surprises. The tortoise sounded more feminine
than the snake. He did have a sharp harshness to his tone, though.
"To have such a human as your master... Oh, how the mighty have fallen,
White Monarch."
"Say what you will. He will soon be your master, as well."
"Don't make me laugh!"
Kohaku calmly responded to the tortoise's provocation. Both the snake and
the tortoise were now staring at me, the former with curiosity, the latter with
anger. This situation was starting to feel a little troublesome.
"Very well, boy. Touya, was it? We shall test if you are worthy of contracting
us."
"Fine by me. What do I have to do, though?"
"Face us in mortal combat. If you still stand and are in good health by sunset,
we will recognize your power and permit you to make the contract. However, if
you leave the magic circle, lose consciousness, or become unable to attack us,
you can forget about it entirely." It didn't say anything about me winning if I
defeated them. They probably believed that there was no way they could lose
to me. Kohaku had mentioned that they excelled at defense, so that confidence
was probably justified.
"I just have to stand around until sunset, right?"
"Yes. You can choose to run around, if you like. That is, if you believe you can
keep running that long." The tortoise replied with a mocking chuckle. His
arrogance was starting to piss me off by that point.
The magic circle was about twenty meters in diameter. It was definitely large
enough to run around in. However, it was about to turn noon, meaning that I'd
have to run around for a whole six to seven hours, and I knew that I'd reach my
limit way before that.
Then again, that was probably the Black Monarch's plan. But it wasn't
something I was going to let come to fruition.
"Alrighty. Let's get to it."
"T-Touya, are you sure you want to do this?" Yumina looked up at me, worry
apparent in her tone and eyes. What a gentle girl she was. I calmed her down
by patting her head. She had nothing to worry about, after all.
"Don't worry, Yumina. This'll all work out, trust me." With those words, I
entered the magic circle. The turtle was still chortling to himself and, well, I
didn't really care anymore.
"You're sssurprissingly calm."
"Indeed. I praise your courage, child. Let us begin!" As if to signal the start of
the battle, the turtle let out a deafening roar. That was exemplary kaiju
behavior if I ever saw any.
Victory belongs to he who casts the first stone!
"[Slip]."
"Hwuh?!" With a loud crash and a strong quake, the snake and the tortoise
crashed to the ground. Considering how large they were, it probably hurt them
pretty badly.
As I channeled the effects of my [Slip] spell, I reached for my waist pouch,
took out a single bullet, and applied magic to it.
"[Enchant]: [Slip]." And so, I cast another spell, giving a certain function to
the bullet.
"Begin [Program]／ Starting Condition: The effects of [Slip] wear off／ Cast
Spell: [Slip]／ Ending Condition: The original caster cancels the effect／ End
[Program]." That should do it.
"Guh!!!" The tortoise was trying to stand up, so I fired the bullet at the
ground right under it.
"Gwaugh?!" It fell down once more, causing another quake. Again and again,
the tortoise tried to stand up, only to spectacularly fall down and make the
ground tremble.
"You... You're actually evil, did you know that?" Leen stared at me. The
disgust in her eyes was palpable. I saw Kohaku, rolling on the ground and
laughing loudly right next to her. The sight must have tickled the tiger's funny
bone. Paula, too, was rolling with her paws on her stomach. Just how much
programming does that thing have? Two hundred years' worth of code had
resulted in something truly impressive.
"Once the effects of [Slip] wear off, another instance of the spell takes its
place. When that one's gone, another is cast and, well... it's an infinite loop.
Normally, the caster would run out of magic to sustain it in mere seconds."
I'll have to thank Paula for this wonderful idea. I was inspired by seeing her get
perpetually smacked by the waves yesterday. My magic regeneration is greater
than the cost of sustaining the loop, so there are no problems in that regard.
"Now, I just had to wait until sunset. Linze, you brought a packed lunch,
right?"
"Ah, yes. I do have some, but..." Linze, clearly unsure about how to process
the situation, looked at the Black Monarch. Hey, I'm not breaking any rules or
anything.
"How should I put this... I feel quite bad for them..."
"I've seen Touya do things like this way too many times by now, and I don't
think there's any point in saying it, but you should be more considerate of your
opponents... Try to read the mood, I mean." Wow, my methods are actually
damaging my reputation... I felt that was uncalled for, honestly. A fight was a
fight, and if it there was a safe way to win without breaking the rules, it was
only logical to take that option.
"Augh!" A thundering crash echoed out again. I unpacked my packed lunch
and brought Crea's special sandwich to my lips. Damn, this is a good sandwich.
Can't really go wrong with ham and cheese.
"Gyuh!" There was another crash. The veggie salad's pretty good too. Man,
what did she put in this dressing? Delicious!
"Grruh!!!" And another crash.
"Hey, you guys. Could you stop that? I'm trying to eat over here."
"You're terrible!" Everyone in the vicinity felt like they had to yell that in
unison at me. What, really?
"Don't you make light of me, impudent brat!!!" The black serpent finally
roared something as he fell over for the umpteenth time. It was speaking in a
completely different manner than before. If you can talk normally, then what
was with the drag queen mannerisms? Why would you do a character bit?! It
released a ball of water through its open mouth. However, since the snake fired
as it rolled along the ground, the ball went to a completely different direction
and hit the barrier around the magic circle.
Huh, that actually looked dangerous. Those outside the circle were
completely safe, but it was clear that it could hurt me pretty badly if it landed a
hit.
The tortoise saw an opportunity and, while airborne after a fall, opened its
large mouth.
"Eat this!" It spewed water at me, compressed so hard it reminded me of a
laser. Though, just like the snake's ball, it fired off into a random area.
The spell resembled Linze's [Aqua Cutter]. I knew that one could hurt me if it
landed a hit, too.
[Slip] made the victim fall if they moved even a single millimeter, meaning
that the very first fall would have them falling over and over forever. Aiming at
and hitting me was difficult, but not completely impossible.
"Guess I've got no choice. I'll make you fall even more."
"Wh-What?!" Both of the beasts that made up the Black Monarch cried out in
unison. I reached for my pouch, took out two bullets, enchanted them, and
then loaded them into my gun. Instead of the ground, however, those two were
meant for the snake and tortoise.
"Nghuuaaooooh!"
"Ngyaaaaaaah!" The two began to slip over even faster than before, ridding
them of any opportunity for ranged attacks. They were falling so much that it
seemed like they were inside an invisible washing machine.
"Wh-What did you do to them?!"
"Hm? I simply hit them with an acceleration spell."
"You're evil." Once again, everyone in the vicinity felt the need to tell me that.
It was [Accel], one of my Null spells. It was meant to increase the movement
speed of the caster, but as I just demonstrated, it wasn't impossible to grant it
to someone else. Normally, it created a magic barrier around the affected
person, but I made sure to keep it from activating. What, why is everyone
looking at me like that? Even Kohaku had stopped laughing. Instead, the little
tiger just stood there half-smiling awkwardly.
I think I overdid it.
"Ohh... Ghohhhh... It'ss sspinning... Th-The world is sspinning..."
"P-Please... No more... I don't wanna fall any more... I don't wanna slip
anymore..." Yep, I overdid it. The black serpent's eyes were rolled backward and
its head was lolling around, while the tortoise just wouldn't stop crying. It
looked like they were laying eggs or something.
"Well... Sorry about that. Guess I went too far. Seriously, I regret it, I
promise." I could feel everyone's cold stares from behind me, like daggers in my
back. They accepted defeat and agreed to make a contract with me, so I
dispelled the [Slip] loop. However, getting them to calm down took quite a
while.
"Oh, that wass truly horrid... I can ssee why the White Monarch accepted you
as masster." Even now, the snake's head was bobbing a little bit. The tortoise
had already stopped crying and was now looking at me in a stoic manner. I
patted its head and apologized once again. It closed its eyes and lowered itself
before me.
"Mochizuki Touya. You are worthy of being our master. So please, form a
contract with us." With those words, the tortoise and the serpent bowed their
heads to me.
"Uhh... I have to name you, right?"
"Yess. Pleasse give uss ssome ssplendid namess, ssweetheart."
Kohaku suddenly chimed in on the matter at hand.
"Just 'Snake' and 'Tortoise' would be more than enough for these two."
"Shut that trap, punk! Ya pickin' a fight or ssomething?!" The tiger's words
made the snake bare its fangs and spit verbal venom. Its true self was showing
again.
I decided to keep quiet about the fact that I was actually just going to name
them Snake and Tortoise. The snake's reaction made me realize it would've
been a bad idea. I also assumed "Snakey" and "Tortoisey" wouldn't work,
either.
Just like how the White Monarch is Byakko, the Black Monarch is clearly
Genbu, the Black Tortoise or Turtle that represents water...
"Alrighty, it's decided. Kokuyou and Sango."
"Kokuyou?"
"Sango?"
When I saw those two, what came to mind was "black" and "water." So I
named the snake Kokuyou, after obsidian, and the tortoise Sango, after
precious coral. It also fit with the precious stone theme I'd given Kohaku. That
tiger's name meant amber, after all.
"Do you like it?"
"I will gladly take the name Kokuyou."
"It is the same for myself. I will now respond to the name Sango. Use it as you
see fit." I was glad they agreed. With their names set, the summoned beasts
could now leave the magic circle. Sango slowly crawled through the barrier.
"Hey, wait just a moment, Black Monar— No, Sango and Kokuyou. We can
stay in this world because of our master's magic. However, your current forms
would cause problems for him. You should change into something simpler."
"...Really?"
"Sso we should become ssmall, like the White Monar— like Kohaku, yess?
Whatever you wish, Masster! Here!" Sango and Kokuyou instantly reduced their
size. There was even a "pop" sound effect.
They had collectively become a thirty-odd centimeter long, black shelled land
turtle with a normal-sized black snake wrapped around it. It was a... relatively
normal appearance, until you noticed that they were floating in the air.
"You can float?"
"Only when we are this small. We cannot move especially fast, either." Sango
began swimming through the air. True, he wasn't fast in any sense of the word.
It seemed about the same as standard human walking speed. But man, seeing a
turtle swim through the air was quite a surreal sight...
Still, at that size there'd be no issue bringing them along with me.
"Alright, Sango and Kokuyou. Let's get along." They came close to my
shoulder and I patted them on their heads with my fingertips.
"I, Sango, will do my best to support you."
"Ssame here. I'll help you lotss, masster." That was good, because I had just
the job for them.
"Sso we have to allow you to breathe underwater?"
"Yup. Can you?"
"Of coursse. None can come closse to uss when it comess to warding." The
breathing part was settled, but there might've been other dangers. I decided
that first, I would go there alone and activate all the spellstones. Since I had an
affinity for all the elements, that wasn't a problem for me. Upon using the
magic circle and seeing where it leads, I would open a [Gate] and let everyone
join me.
"If something happens, use a [Gate] to return right away, okay?" As Elze and
the others expressed their worry, I turned my back to them and walked into the
water with Sango and Kokuyou still on my shoulder. Whoa, my feet aren't
getting wet. There seemed to be a magic barrier about a centimeter away from
my body. Sango and Kokuyou were already impressing me.
I entered the water with a splash. Soon enough, the water reached my neck,
and a moment later, I was completely submerged.
I found myself facing no difficulties. I could breathe without a problem. Even
water pressure had no effect on me.
"Just how strong is this barrier?"
"Well... When it comess to physsical attackss, it could even ward off a Dragon,
but when magic iss involved, it dependss entirely on the opponent." Kokuyou
answered with a slight sway of his head.
"We might be powerful, but there is nothing we can do against attacks that
break through the barrier's limits, or spells that completely dispel the barrier."
Sango continued the explanation. Basically, no matter how impressive, it wasn't
the panacea to all defensive problems.
I continued walking along the seafloor. It occurred to me that the barrier
seemed to be warding away the effects of buoyancy as well. I tried swimming
upward to test that, and ended up floating a little bit, so I guess it wasn't
completely gone.
I spent time pondering about the barrier until I finally arrived at the stone
circle. I walked past that, making a beeline straight for the stairs in the middle
of the ruins. With a magic light at my side, I illuminated the long way down.
Finally, I reached the large hall with the magic circle in the center. It looked
the same in person as it had with [Long Sense]. It was surrounded with six
spellstone pedestals.
I approached the red spellstone pedestal and filled its jewel with fire magic.
Moments later, the pedestal itself began to emit a reddish light. It was safe to
assume that I'd activated it.
I continued to do the same with all the other spellstone pedestals. After
making five lights come alive, I made my way to the final spellstone and filled it
with water magic. Then, the entire magic circle began to shine.
"Guess this means I activated the teleportation circle." I hesitantly stepped on
it... And nothing happened. Huh? Why, though? The six pedestals are all shining
and... oh...
Does it need Null magic after all?
My [Gate] was a Null spell, after all. It was possible that the teleportation
circle was based on a similar principle...
I stood in the center of the magic circle and focused my Null energy. The circle
released a burst of light that was downright explosive! I teleported off in a flash.
I closed my eyes due to the sudden bright light, and after I slowly opened
them, I realized I was in a garden. Blooming flowers, chirping songbirds flying
around, there was even a small canal with water flowing through.
Just like in the underwater ruins, there was a magic circle beneath my feet.
However, the six pedestals were nowhere to be seen. Guess it was a one-way
trip.
"Masster... where are we?"
"No idea..." I stepped off the magic circle, looked around the garden, and
noticed something approaching from the distance. Is that... a girl? Soon
enough, I could see her clearly. So clearly, in fact, that I had no choice but look
away from her. Silky, smooth, short, and jade-green hair. Porcelain-like skin and
golden eyes. The girl had a thick air of mystery around her. When it came to
age, she looked about as old as Elze and the others. That was fine by me.
She was wearing a sleeveless black jacket with a large, pinkish ribbon. She
also wore white knee-high socks and black enamel shoes. That too, was fine by
me.
Indeed, it was all fine. Except there was one thing that wasn't!
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Francesca, the terminal gynoid tasked with
managing this Garden of Babylon." Garden? Terminal? Her words left me with
some questions, but the biggest question of all was related to what I was
looking at!
"Uhh, well..."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Why... Aren't you wearing anything... down there?" I knew it was bad to
look, but I couldn't help throwing the occasional glance at her lower body,
where I could see neither skirt nor trousers.
All she wore there was a small white piece of cloth. Her panties were
completely exposed.
Wh-Why?! Just where am I?! What is happening here...?! I kinda liked it,
though.
◇ ◇ ◇
"I do not know how to answer your question. I believe you could call it a...
duty?" The girl who introduced herself as Francesca tilted her head in a cute
manner.
Wait a sec, does she mean that wearing skirts or pants isn't allowed? Who's
the manager around here? I have some compliments to give!
Wait, calm down... This situation is dangerous for your mental health.
I need to do something about this.
"Uhh... Francesca, right?"
"That is correct. However, you should refer to me as Cesca." Wouldn't Fran be
the more logical nickname here? Ah, whatever.
"Can you please put something on? I, uh... I'm having trouble deciding where
to look."
"But I am wearing underwear, am I not?" That's true, but so not the point
here! Guh... Stay calm and keep it together, Touya. Just think of it as a swimsuit.
It's a swimsuit, nothing more, and...
I couldn't prevent myself from peeking at it again. Nope! Those are panties,
damn it! No doubt about it!
"You just peeked, didn't you?"
"I'm sorry!" Ah shit, she's on to me!
"Well, if you insist, I will go ahead and put something on." Cesca pulled a
black skirt adorned with white frills out of nowhere and began getting into it.
Why didn't you just wear that from the beginning?!
"...Are you sure you do not wish to do something to me?"
"I'm sure. Just put it on already."
"I will not protest if you fondle me even a little."
"Enough of that! Hurry up and put it on!" I wanted to cry. I just needed to get
her into the skirt so we could finally have a proper conversation, but the whole
situation was mentally exhausting.
"So, I have several questions. Can you answer them?"
"Yes. I certainly could."
"What is this place?"
"This is the Hanging Garden of Babylon, high in the sky. Some call this place
Nirai Kanai." Hanging garden? The sky? I looked around and it definitely was a
garden, but it didn't seem any different from your standard botanical ones. I
could see the sky through a glass dome above us. Cesca led me to the edge,
where there was a wall of glass separating us from the outside.
Beyond it, I could see a sea of clouds. There was no doubt about it. The place
actually was floating in the sky. It was well deserving of its name, a hanging
garden.
"What's the purpose of this place? Why was it made?"
"The construction of this hanging garden was Doctor Babylon's hobby."
"Doctor Babylon...?"
"Doctor Regina Babylon. Our creator."
Creator? What a weird thing to say. She's making it seem as though she was a
product and... wait a sec.
"My lord. This is not a human. I cannot feel the flow of its vitals."
"Wha—?!" Sango told me exactly what was on my mind. Both my
understanding and my lack of comprehension of the situation crashed into each
other at once.
"Dr. Babylon created me to be the management terminal of this garden. That
was five thousand and ninety two years ago."
"Five th— Huh?!" Leen told me she was six hundred and twelve, and I'm
supposed to believe that this girl is almost four thousand five hundred years
older than her?! Wait, I guess calling her a girl isn't right, is it? If she was
created, then she's a robot...? Wait, is she an android? Or I guess a gynoid? I
think she said something like that...
"So, Cesca. You're a machine?"
"Not entirely, no. I have some magically-made organic parts and a magic
reactor, so I am more of a combined magical-mechanical lifeform."
Guess that makes her closer to a Golem or a homunculus, then... But man,
she's so realistic. A normal girl from top to bottom...
"...I am incapable of being impregnated, but I am well-equipped to partake in
the relevant act, if you so desire."
"I didn't need to know that! H-Hey! Quit raising your skirt!" Is she not
programmed for standard shame?! Was Dr. Babylon a goddamn idiot?!
"Worry not, my parts are fresh, clean, and like new."
"I didn't need to know that, either!" Cesca let go of her skirt, a look of
disappointment clouding her face. Her mannerisms gave me a good window
into the creator's mind. It was clear to me that Dr. Babylon was not right in the
head.
"Thiss girl iss sso hard to undersstand." Kokuyou looked at Cesca, his head
bobbing side to side. I couldn't agree more.
"That aside... I'm impressed that this place has been active for five thousand
years. Is there a reason why either you or the garden didn't decay or break
down?"
"The hanging garden in its entirety is strengthened by magic. Though five
thousand years might seem like a lot to you, I was in sleep mode for most of it,
standing by in case of an emergency. The hanging garden was largely
automated as I slept."
...Wait a sec. If she's active right now, doesn't that mean this place is in a
state of emergency? I asked the synthetic girl, and she gave a small nod.
"Emergency, indeed. We do not have a better word to describe it. You are our
first guest, after all. What is your name, if I may ask?"
"Ah, I'm Touya. Mochizuki Touya."
"Very well, Administrator Touya. You have been recognized as compatible. I
— Apparatus Number Twenty-Three, codename Francesca — have been
assigned to serve you. Till death do us part."
"Excuse me?" Compatible? No, wait... assigned? Cesca pointed at the magic
circle I used to teleport here and began explaining.
"No normal person can activate that magic circle. It is made to be unable to
accept magic from multiple people. That means that it can only be activated by
those with an affinity for all types of magic... Just like Doctor Babylon."
So, the woman who made Cesca was just like me in that regard, huh? Wow, so
someone else like that actually exists in this world... Well, it was a whole five
thousand years ago, but still. So this place can only be accessed by people with
the same potential as the old doc.
"Dr. Babylon resolved to assign us to a compatible person who could make it
past the teleportation circle. That was four thousand nine hundred and seven
years ago."
"So when you say compatible, you mean people who have an affinity for all
pools of magic?"
"No. That is not the case."
"Wait, I was wrong?!" She instantly shot my assumption down. If that wasn't
the condition, then what was...?
"Administrator Touya, you were recognized as compatible because you told
me to hide my exposed underwear when we first met."
"You can't be serious! How does that gauge compatibility?! That doesn't even
make any sense!"
"Oh, but it is very important. If you had let your instincts dominate you and
tried to have your way with me, I would have dropped you to the surface in but
a moment. If you had chosen to ignore my attire and let me stay like that, you
would have been deemed incompatible and I would have politely asked you to
return to the surface." For real...? Her exposed panties were that important? I
couldn't help but doubt her words.
"Dr. Babylon decided on this method to gauge whether a person is
considerate and kind enough to be worthy of myself and the Hanging Garden of
Babylon."
"I see... Dr. Babylon was some kind of freak, then."
"I will not disagree, Administrator."
Seriously? The doc was definitely some kind of complete freak. I couldn't
stress it enough.
"Well, with that joke settled, I must reveal that it was actually left down to
our own individual discretion. Personally, instead of a fake gentleman who is
excessively kind and clearly used to women, I would rather settle for a 'secret
degenerate' who throws glances at my underwear, but controls himself and
pretends he doesn't care about it at all."
Wait, so that's how it was decided?! I'm getting confused! And what did she
mean by 'secret degenerate'?! That's super rude! The word 'settle' doesn't sit
right with me, either.
"At any rate, I am your property from here on out. I do hope we get along
well, Master."
"Hhaahhh..." A sinking feeling came over me. I'd gotten into something
troublesome. I could easily picture the twisted grin on Dr. Babylon's face.
I figured it was about time to summon the others. We all had a lot to talk
about, after all. I explained the situation to Cesca and opened a [Gate] to the
surface.
"A garden, is it...? This could be a relic left behind by the ancient civilization of
Partheno." Leen was looking around, clearly overwhelmed by what she was
seeing.
The ancient civilization of Partheno. It was a highly advanced culture
responsible for creating various spells and magical implements, more
specifically Artifacts.
This Hanging Garden of Babylon was a relic left behind by that civilization, and
it was fair to call it an Artifact in itself. Going by that logic, Cesca might be
considered an Artifact, too.
Everyone was walking around and exploring the place. Cesca told us that this
hanging garden was the size of four Partheno Domes. That didn't mean
anything to me as I had no idea what a Partheno Dome was. I had no doubt it
was very big, though.
There were areas much like botanical gardens, fountains, stepping stones,
flower beds, ponds — anyone even casually into gardening would go crazy over
the place.
As I stood there admiring the flora, I could easily tell what was on everyone's
minds. Julio would love to see this.
Leen, Cesca, and I were resting in one of the garden's corners, at a spot near a
pool beneath something similar to a gazebo.
"So, you got what you wanted to find, Leen?"
"I'm actually unsure. I only hoped to discover some ancient magic, but we
happened to find something far greater." She wasn't wrong. The whole of this
hanging garden was one giant gathering of ancient magic. It had a garden that
should never have survived five thousand years, but it somehow did. Then there
were flowers that never withered, a barrier that made the whole of it invisible
to outsiders, and so on... It was impossible for us to guess what kind of, and just
how much, mysterious ancient magic was at work on this floating paradise.
Regina Babylon, the creator of this place, was a genius, no doubt about it.
Though, it was kind of hard to ignore the fact that the good doctor was the type
of person to force gynoids to walk around with exposed underwear.
"Cesca, is there anything more to this place besides the garden?"
"No. Nothing. Unlike the others, this Babylon facility is simply a wonderful
personal garden floating through the sky. It has no treasure worth mentioning
and no weapons to speak of. It is nothing more than a wonderful garden."
"Hey now, this place is a treasure in itself."
"That's very kind of you to say. However, you are aware that this Hanging
Garden of Babylon is already yours, right, Master?" Huh? What's she saying
now?
"The one that controls and manages this place is myself, yes? And I'm your
property now, Master. That means my property is vicariously yours,
understand?"
"...Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm quite serious. You can consider it my dowry."
Quite a big dowry, at that... Wait, what? I have no intention of marrying her!
I've got enough on my plate with just one fiancee.
"Hey, Cesca. You've now piqued my curiosity. You said that unlike the others,
this place is just a personal garden. What did you mean by that?" Leen looked
at Cesca with keen, perceptive eyes.
Come to think of it, Cesca hasn't been referring to gynoids in singular terms,
either... Her phrasing kind of suggests that there's more than just her.
"Babylon is split into several floating sections. Besides this hanging garden,
there's also the research laboratory, the hangar, the library, among several
others, all of which are managed by my sisters. Babylon becomes complete
when all of them are joined together." What...?
"So, you're saying that the floating island of Babylon was created by your
creator, Dr. Regina Babylon, some five thousand years ago. It then became
separate and its parts are now floating all over the world, correct?"
"Indeed." Leen confirmed the facts with Cesca. The scale of it all was a tad too
large for me to wrap my head around.
Everyone who had been out in the garden gathered in the gazebo and intently
listened to what Cesca had to say.
"If something like that was floating around out there, wouldn't someone have
noticed and made a huge fuss already?" Elze raised a fair point.
"Babylon is protected by a magic barrier that prevents outsiders from seeing
it. Because of that, it is nearly impossible to view it from the surface."
That seems about right... Dr. Babylon, the genius pervert of days long lost,
must have used some kind of ancient magic to give Babylon the perfect stealth
function. And the only way to discover it is by making it past the teleportation
circle. A circle that would only work for those who had an affinity for all magic,
just like the creator.
"So, how many floating islands are there?"
"Besides my garden, there is the library, research laboratory, hangar, tower,
rampart, workshop, alchemy lab, and storehouse. Nine in total, but I do not
know if all of them still remain active."
A whole nine?! Wait, considering they were all over the world, that number
might actually be small. Plus, I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that the
garden is the biggest of the individual pieces. Dr. Babylon was simply amazing...
despite the perverted nature.
"I'm quite interested in this library you mentioned. It seems like something
that'd be full of knowledge about ancient cultures." Leen, sitting at my side,
adopted a bold grin, but I wasn't sure if I could relate to her in that regard.
The library belonged to that Dr. Babylon. I would not have been surprised if it
was actually a gigantic porn collection. It was way too suspicious.
I thought similar things about the storehouse, actually. I really did not want to
go there and find a bunch of erotic goods.
"I-Is it possible to contact the other floating islands?" Linze asked a question,
fear and apprehension laced into her words.
Better work on that confidence, girl. You're still no good at interacting with
new people. Well, I guess calling Cesca a person doesn't really count...
Either way, Linze had a point. If the other places were controlled and
managed by others like Cesca, then the most efficient way to complete Babylon
was to get in contact with them.
"Sadly, the links between me and my sisters are now inactive. Our barrier is
set to the highest level, preventing any and all magical communication
attempts. Unless Master orders it, the defense level can't be lowered."
"What does 'link' mean...? And what exactly do you mean by 'Master,' here?"
Yumina tilted her head to the side. She wasn't familiar with the word "link"?
Guess Belfast hadn't progressed enough in scientific fields to let them know
about technical terms.
"A 'link' is basically a connection between multiple things. And when I say
Master, I mean 'my dearly beloved husband,' of course."
"Don't tell her lies like that. Master in this case is more along the lines of
'boss' or 'superior,' Yumina."
Does she actually equate master with husband? How self-serving. Despite
being an artificial girl — no matter how partial — she's too much of a jokester. I
already know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this too, is the fault of Dr.
Regina Babylon. I didn't really think about this before, but Regina is a girl's
name, isn't it? Well, she's definitely not the type of woman I'd like to have
around...
"And why exactly are you this girl's superior, hm?" Linze furrowed her
eyebrows and pressed me for an explanation. Wait, why am I being
interrogated?
"My dear administrator gazed upon my underwear, so I decided to dedicate
my heart and body to him alone. That is why he is my master, the admin of my
heart."
"Hey! You left out several key details just now!" The air around us turned sour
almost immediately. Everyone in the vicinity with the exception of Leen,
Kohaku, Sango, and Kokuyou was glaring at me with cold eyes.
Slowly, Linze folded her arms and stood in front of me. She didn't let me get
up from my seat. Her eyes were emanating a light as cold as ice. Wh-Who's this
girl? What happened to the usual calm and docile Linze?
"...Touya."
"Y-Yes?"
"On the ground, now." Linze was mad beyond words. Her voice suddenly
carried an immense weight, probably because she was always so calm and quiet
most of the time. I stood up from the chair and sat on the ground. I didn't want
to risk making her any angrier.
"You've already seen all of us in our underwear, and yet you did it again with
another girl? Do a girl's panties really mean that much to you?!"
"That was just an accident back then. I just happened to walk in and see it all,
and..."
"So you did it on purpose this time, then?"
Hey, there was just no way to defend myself from that exposure! She was the
one showing them off to me! Why am I the one getting in trouble?!
"So you weren't satisfied with seeing us in our swimsuits? I know you were
looking at us a lot."
"Well... That was, uh..."
"I did my best to choose a bikini that paired well with my sister's, and that still
wasn't enough? So you're the type to see a difference between swimwear and
underwear, are you?" Sh-She's being really scary! Linze was looking away at
nothing in particular, mumbling something quickly to herself. Even the other
girls were a little confused. Leen piped up, a malicious grin spread across her
face.
"Hey, shall I show you my panties too? Seems to be the fashionable thing
nowadays."
"Sorry, but could you please shut up?!" Leen's grin only grew wider. She was
clearly enjoying the unfolding scene. No, but seriously... why am I being picked
on? I didn't do anything wrong!
"It looks like you don't know why they're mad at you." Leen shocked me stiff.
It was as though she had read my mind. Is she an esper?! Does she have some
Null spell for that?! That'd be nice right about now! Gimme!
"Just leave it at that. If you want to press him further, you should make your
relationship with him clear. At the very least, you have to be on the same level
as Princess Yumina here."
"...Yeah, okay." Leen's words made Linze nod and back off.
I don't get it. They completely lost me. I looked over to see Elze with a wry
smile on her face. She was patting Linze softly on the shoulder. I don't get it,
but... it's over, right?
"Only the master, Touya, can give the order that will lower the level of the
barrier. At a lower level, communication should be possible. However, his
administrative powers do not extend beyond this garden. Unless something
causes the other facilities to lower their own barriers, we will be unable to
make contact, is that correct?"
"Exactly." Leen and Cesca brought us back to the point of the situation.
I used my smartphone's map to search for 'Babylon,' but didn't get a single
hit. Even the garden we were standing upon wasn't marked. I took that to mean
the barriers prevented my [Search] magic.
"You've been floating about for so long. Surely you'd have encountered any of
the other pieces at least once."
"Only twice. Once, three thousand and twenty eight years ago, and another
nine hundred and eighty five years ago. The first time, it was the library, while
the second encounter was with the storehouse."
Good assumption, Yumina. But even so, that's a lot of years separating
encounters. It's not like we can just sit around waiting for that to happen
again...
"So, to find the other Babylon pieces, we have no choice but to search for the
teleportation circles, then." Leen heaved a long sigh. Wait, we're actually doing
it? I couldn't help but feel a bit reluctant...
"Do you happen to know where the other teleportation circles are?"
"Negative. I do not even know the location of the one you used to get here.
Where is the garden's teleportation circle, anyway?"
"Beneath the sea, just off the coast of southern Eashen."
"Eashen...? No such location exists in my database."
That makes sense. Eashen probably wasn't around five thousand years ago.
Regardless, it was troubling that Cesca didn't know the location of the other
teleportation circles. That would make things considerably difficult. Hell, the
first teleportation circle was deep underwater. It wouldn't be unusual if the
others hadn't survived the five thousand years they had to have been around
for. That being said, finding them would not be an impossible task if they were
all housed within ruins like the first one.
"Why was Babylon separated, anyway? Spreading it out all over the world like
this just makes getting it back together seem almost impossible..."
"I am unaware of the reasons Dr. Babylon had for separating the facilities. I
never asked, after all." I wondered if she had a particular reason for doing it. It
could just as easily have been for a joke or something, after all.
Geez, my faith in Dr. Babylon is going down the more I think about her. It
probably isn't nice to assume that a person long gone was some sort of
deviant...
"So, Touya. What are you gonna do with her?"
"Not sure how to answer that..." Elze's question made me ponder. She'd been
alone for five thousand years. That made her seem like quite a tragic character,
but...
"What do you want to do, Cesca?"
"Well, I want to be with you, dear master. From dawn till dusk. From
bathroom to the bedroom."
Those words made me feel uneasy. I was tempted to leave and pretend none
of that day's events had happened. Oh shit, Linze is mumbling something again!
"Well... is it really okay for you to be separated from this garden? It can't
sustain itself without your management, right?"
"No need to worry about that. I instantly know if something happens to the
garden, and I have the ability to teleport here at will. The garden sustains itself
just fine in auto-mode, so there are no problems in that regard."
Damn it. My escape route is well and truly closed. Seems I've no choice but to
take her, now.
"With that in mind, I wish to register you as the garden's master. I am already
yours, but I must make your ownership of the garden official, as well."
"Registration? What do I have to do?"
"Excuse me for a moment." Cesca walked over to me before I had a chance to
get out of my chair. She placed her hands on my cheeks and, as if it wasn't a big
deal, pushed her lips against mine.
"MmMpPh?!"
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Four shrieks resounded around me. However, Cesca
ignored them and continued to force her tongue into my mouth. Whuh? He—
Huh?! WHAT? What is she— Explain?! Finally, she released my lips from the
lock, which gave me a moment to process the fact that she had kissed me.
"Wh— Whuah?!" A strange sound escaped my mouth. But how else was I
supposed to react? She had nonchalantly taken away my first kiss. She had
stolen it from me, in fact.
The thief in question licked her lips as if tasting them and closed her eyes.
"Registration complete. I have consumed and recorded my master's genetic
information. Ownership of the garden will now be transferred to Mochizuki
Touya."
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Yumina closed in on Cesca. With her
small hands raised high, she was making her anger extremely clear.
"Wh-Who in their right mind just k-k-kisses someone like that?! Even I didn't
get mine yet! I've yet to get mine, you know?!" Did she actually just say the
same thing twice? Her face was beet red, and I couldn't even tell if she was mad
or flustered. Whatever the case, for some reason, I found it rather adorable.
"I believe this to be the most effective way to retrieve genetic information. I
cannot bear children, but the alternative retrieval method would've taken more
time all the same."
"Ch-Children?!" Yumina's face grew even redder. I didn't know if it was just
my imagination, but I swore that I could see some steam rising from her head.
Suddenly, someone stood before me, blocking my view of the scene. I looked
up to see Linze, glaring down at me with a stern expression. Her hands were on
her hips.
Oh, things were sure looking grim for little old me. After all, I had enhanced
senses that informed me of serious danger. I resigned myself to the fear and
closed my eyes tight.
"Touya..."
"Y-Yes?!"
"I... love you."
I'm sorry, WHAT? Her oh-so-sudden words made my eyes open wide, and
when I looked up at her again, I saw that Linze's face was as red as Yumina's.
She quickly closed her eyes, gathered her determination, and hastily pushed
her lips against mine.
It was a kiss, no doubt about it, but unlike Cesca's, it was clumsy and forceful.
"Hgmgh?!"
"AAAAAHHHH!!!" A trio of shrieks echoed throughout the Hanging Garden of
Babylon.
◇ ◇ ◇
Some time had passed since Linze's confession. We were all flustered beyond
words, so we took Cesca with us and returned home.
I quickly asked Laim to look after Cesca, hastily returned to my room, put my
hands over my head, and dropped onto my bed. I was in a complete state of
panic.
What kind of situation did I get myself into? Linze is in love with me? "Love,"
as in... that kind of love? Oh man... Maybe I shouldn't overthink it. Linze is cute,
no doubt about that. She's a graceful, calm girl. Always thinking of others. A bit
shy, sure, but she more than makes up for it with how hard-working she is. She's
definitely the kind of girl many people would be proud to call their girlfriend...
But I'm still engaged to Yumina. Yumina's an adorable girl as well, and I can't
help but admire the composure and reliability she has at such a young age. Then
again, I find it pretty endearing when she acts her age, too. Am I just moved by
the gap between her normal personality and her youthful actions? Hm? Wait, is
it really a gap if her actions fit her age? Oh man, how the hell do I deal with
this...?
I buried my face into my pillow and sighed when I suddenly heard someone
knock on my door.
"Touya, it's me, Yumina..."
"H-Huh?!" I opened my door to see Yumina, standing there in her casual
clothing.
This is super awkward... But why? I didn't do anything wrong. Is this how
husbands feel when their wives find out that they're cheating? Wait, we haven't
even gotten married yet, so it clearly wasn't cheating or anything! Yumina
walked into the room and sat on the sofa in the middle. I nonchalantly sat in
front of her, but I was unable to look her in the eye. I was unsure if what I was
feeling was guilt.
Staaare...
Staaaare...
Staaaaare...
Staaaaaare...
Guh... She's giving me the old heterochromic glare. Why is the air so heavy...?
"Touya."
"Y-Yes?"
"I am quite mad, you know?"
How am I supposed to react to that...? We happen to be engaged, so it should
be obvious that you wouldn't enjoy seeing another girl profess her love to me.
I did find it somewhat adorable how she furrowed her brow and pouted, but
it did absolutely nothing to remove the weight from the situation.
"Even I didn't get a kiss yet, and now two girls got theirs before me?!"
"Wait, that's the problem here?!" Well, that's all well and good, but I wasn't
the one who kissed them in the first place! They kissed me! I don't care if that
sounds like a cheap excuse, just understand that already!
"You're not mad about Linze confessing her love to me?"
"Why would I be? Anyone with working eyes can see that Linze loves you,
Touya."
Well shit. Guess my eyes are on the fritz. That made me feel a little
disappointed in myself.
"This is a good opportunity, so let me tell you this. I don't care how many
mistresses you have. It can be ten or even twenty, and I won't mind as long as
you don't make them unhappy. That's just something natural for men, and I
don't mind at all." Seriously? I know that polygamy isn't uncommon in this
world, but those kinds of numbers sound a little unreasonable. It's a little scary,
actually!
"However! HOWEVER! You can't be so careless as to get kissed when you still
haven't even kissed your first wife! You have too many openings! Be more
defensive! No, become impregnable!"
"Well, but—"
"No buts!"
"Okay..." A large part of me thought that she was mad about the wrong thing,
but apparently, it was pretty damn important to her.
"So, you're saying that you wouldn't have any problems with this happening if
I kissed you beforehand?"
"Well, I admit I would be a bit jealous, but I wouldn't be against it. So long as
you properly treasure me, anyway."
Is the person talking to me really twelve? Kind of feels like her views on things
are a bit too objective, right? Does she really love me as much as she claims...?
"...You just thought something rude, didn't you?"
"Uhhh..." Why am I surrounded by such perceptive girls? Yumina got up off
the sofa, walked around the table with determination in her step, and sat right
next to me.
"Touya. I am prepared to take you as my husband and live my whole life as
your wife. That is because I love you. Because I love you just as much as, if not
more than, Linze does. I don't want you to doubt that."
"...Sorry." My apology couldn't have been more sincere. Being so doubtful of
her feelings was the height of discourtesy. I was at fault for not having been
clear enough to her.
"...I really am sorry."
"...I'll forgive you if you hug and kiss me."
Whoa! Talk about a difficulty spike! The situation's tough enough already,
isn't it?! Then again, it really doesn't seem like she'll back down until she gets
what she wants. I fearfully reached for her shoulders and pulled her small frame
closer. I pulled her into a tight embrace, the top of her head resting under my
chin. The softness of her body and the feminine smell of her hair made my
heart stir wildly.
Alright. Okay. I have no choice but to admit how I felt about her. Yumina
slightly backed away from me, then slowly closed her eyes and tilted her face
upward. That's a clear sign that there's no going back now! Even I'm aware of
that! I steeled myself and kissed Yumina on her small, soft lips. It wasn't much
more than a light, gentle touch.
I quickly reeled backward, pulling my face away from hers. She gave me a
bright smile and tightly wrapped her arms around me.
"Eheheh. You kissed me! That makes me the first one you kissed, right?!"
"Er, well... Yeah. Guess that's true..." I was already kissed twice, but this was
the first time I had done the kissing. Wait, was that her goal all along?! A part
of me began to believe that everything that had just happened was all a part of
her master plan, but the thought was kind of scary, so I chose not to dwell on it.
That aside, what would society think about a boy who's sixteen kissing a girl
who's twelve...? I had no idea how it was in this world, but in the previous one,
it would basically be a first year high schooler kissing a sixth year elementary
schooler... And that seemed like a huge crime. Which was a little strange. I
mean, considering that there was only a four year difference between us, it
wasn't so bad...
"What do you think of Linze, Touya?"
"Well, I... I think she's cute and, honestly, I was kind of happy when she
confessed her love to me. But I can't even decide how I feel about you, and now
I have to think about Linze, as well, which is really nerve-racking. And yeah, I
know that makes me sound pathetic."
"And if you had to say whether you liked or disliked her?"
"Well, obviously I like her. There's no doubt about that. She's dear to me."
Yumina smiled, still wrapped up in my arms. What? What's with that sly smirk
on her face...?
"Did you hear that, Linze?"
"What?!" Yumina spoke toward one of the room's corners. I looked over
there, and a moment later, Linze appeared out of nowhere, her cheeks red as
beets. Wait, what?!
"We asked Leen to cast that spell on her. Without it, there's no way Linze
would've come here."
Wait, she was using [Invisibility]?! She was in the room the whole time? That
means she heard everything I said and... Damn it, how embarrassing!
"It's your fault, you know? You just shut yourself in your room without saying
anything. Linze was actually crying because she thought you hated her. Elze was
about to come over and punch your teeth in."
"Ahh... I'm thankful she didn't..."
Geez, I was so overwhelmed by my own feelings that I didn't consider anyone
else. I'm totally hopeless...
"U-Uhm, I-I'm sorry about what I did. When I saw Cesca kiss you, I just didn't
want to lose to her... And it happened before I realized it... I didn't even
consider your feelings... I'm so sorry..." I closed in on Linze and took her hand in
mine. She was trembling, tears running down her cheek.
"Ah..."
"As I'm sure you just heard, I don't hate you. I think you're cute and yeah, I do
like you. I'm not sure how I should go about this, but I do know that I treasure
you."
"Touya..." Linze faintly smiled. Yep. A smile fits her face better than any tears
could. And I'm the one who caused those tears. Elze could knock my teeth out
and it'd be justified.
"With both of your feelings settled... how about it? Will you take Linze as your
second wife?"
"E-Excuse me?" Yumina nonchalantly said something unbelievable. Another
wife? Linze? I looked at the girl and saw her fidgeting. Her face was still red as a
tomato.
"It's fairly standard for royalty, nobility, and wealthy merchants to take
second or third wives. The only issue is your dependability as a man. If you are
able to properly care for us, no one will complain. I'm sure you're okay with
that, right, Linze?"
"I-I want to be your w-wife, Touya."
Seriously...? Well, that makes me happy, sure, but there's a lot of other
aspects to consider here.
"...D-Do you not want me?" Linze looked as if she was about to cry.
Crap, I can't let that smile disappear. Making her sad again just isn't an
option. Alright! Whatever! Come what may!
"You're fine with being my second wife? Are you sure about that?"
"...I-I think I can get along with Yumina. If we can both find bliss while loving
the same person, nothing would make me happier."
"...Alright, then. If you're really both fine with it... I'll accept the both of you."
Suddenly, Linze smiled brightly and hugged me tight. With her usually being so
docile, that action temporarily confused me. Yumina stood up and jumped at
me, too. Th-This is seriously embarrassing!
"So, from now on, Linze is just like me — a fiancee!" Yumina looked really
happy. Linze's face was still kind of red, but from the way she nodded, it was
clear that she was happy, too.
It was already quite late, so I told them to go back to their rooms. They
responded by asking me for a goodnight kiss. I didn't yet have the guts to kiss
them on the lips, so I somehow got them to compromise, strange as it may
sound, with a kiss on the forehead. Yumina was happy, while Linze was
embarrassed.
After they left my room, I heaved a long sigh. Way too many things happened
today. I need to get my feelings in order. As always, I lay down on my bed.
So, how am I supposed to deal with this...? I have the money to take care of
both of them, I have a proper house for them to live in. Do I even have any
actual problems? Oh, right, I'll have to pay a visit to Linze's parents... All that
matters now is my resolve. I have to be prepared to live the rest of my life with
them. I have to think ahead about this... After all I... want them to be happy.
I slowly fell asleep, with many thoughts gently bouncing through my mind.
THUD!
The door to my room crashed open, startling me awake. Huh, who what
where why?! Is it morning? The room's bright... I looked around, half-asleep, to
see a person standing by my bed. It was a girl. She loomed over me, the
morning light shining down on her.
"We gotta talk. Now." It was the elder twin sister of the girl that had become
my second fiancee just a day before. The morning light made the gauntlets on
her hip shimmer slightly.
Well, this isn't ominous. Could trouble avoid coming so early in the morning?
Just once, please?