Half a day's walk north from the magic city Sharia.
Less than an hour by carriage.
That was where the ruins were.
Ruins—or rather, the remains of a fortress.
The ground was littered with rubble that looked like the remnants of stone paving, and thick stone pillars lay on their sides.
It felt like the Parthenon Temple had been further demolished.
There was no doubt it had once been an impressive structure.
Ruins you could feel the history of.
"It's the remains of Scott Fortress.
It was built by humans during the Laplace War.
During the Demon Race invasion, thousands of humans barricaded themselves inside and resisted.
In the end, their strength was insufficient, and it fell."
The one giving me this explanation from beside me was a woman with beautiful blond hair braided together.
With a refined appearance, expensive-looking traveling clothes, and an aura of charisma visible even from a distance.
She was Ariel Anemoi Asura.
"..."
Had she perhaps been addressing me?
I looked around to check.
Right behind me stood Luke and Sylphie.
Further back, Roxy, Zanoba, Cliff, and Elinalise were following along.
Ahead was Nanahoshi.
Ariel's gaze was directed at me, with no one standing between us.
"You know quite a lot about this, Lady Ariel."
It would be rude to ignore her.
As I gave my reply, Ariel smiled gently.
"It appears frequently in the local folk songs, you see."
"You're interested in folk songs?"
"To get along with the local nobles, these are the sorts of things one needs to know."
Ariel answered with a composed expression.
Apparently, getting along with nobles meant you had to memorize old tales too.
What a pain.
"But can we really get to Master Pergius's place from somewhere like this?"
"Well, I'm not sure how we'll be transported..."
I looked ahead at Nanahoshi.
She was carrying a large backpack and had difficulty walking over the rubble on the ground, but she kept her eyes forward, walking straight ahead without hesitation.
We'd followed her here as instructed, but was she really planning to go from this place?
If I remembered correctly, this location wasn't in the notes on teleportation magic circles.
Or perhaps it existed but simply wasn't written in those notes.
"I'm more worried about whether it's a bother that so many of us have barged in uninvited."
When I said that, Ariel chuckled.
"How unusual of you to say something like that, Master Rudeus.
The person in question is, after all, a hero who bears the title of 'King.'
To think he would be bothered by a mere handful of guests..."
"Is that so..."
I glanced back behind me.
Me, Nanahoshi, Ariel, Sylphie, Luke, Roxy, Zanoba, Cliff, Elinalise.
Nine in total.
It seemed like a large group, but perhaps from a royal's perspective, it wasn't that much.
For royals, groups of ten or so would be standard visitors, and anything in the single digits was still quite manageable.
Incidentally, Norn had declined to come, saying she was busy at school.
She'd just said she'd work hard on both the student council and swordsmanship, so she may have been being considerate.
Well, if we were bringing her along, we'd probably have had to bring Aisha too, so it was fine.
"Master Pergius lives in seclusion, but after the Laplace War, he resided in the Asura Kingdom for a while and was said to be on equal footing with the Asura King.
He once visited the Asura Royal Palace with dozens, even hundreds of attendants in tow.
I find it hard to believe such a person would be bothered by a mere nine guests."
"Is that how it is?"
Ariel's voice was bewitching—too pleasant to the ear.
There was no way we wouldn't be causing trouble by showing up unannounced, yet hearing Ariel say it somehow made me feel like it really would be fine.
"...If he's grown tired of palace life, he might resent guests altogether."
"That may be true. But if he truly disliked them, Master Nanahoshi wouldn't have approved of me coming along."
"I don't think Nanahoshi thinks too hard about things like that."
Even as I said that, I was recalling the reason Ariel was here in the first place.
Back when Nanahoshi first mentioned Pergius's name, I'd gotten excited like a child despite my age.
Pergius, the Dragon King.
I knew of him too.
I'd read about him in a book shortly after arriving in this world.
A hero of the Laplace War four hundred years ago.
According to the book, he commanded twelve familiars, revived an ancient aerial fortress, and fought Laplace alongside many companions.
After Laplace was sealed, the current calendar of this world—the Dragon King Calendar—was established in honor of his achievements.
Pergius, the Dragon King, never assumed the throne or ruled, and to this day still flies across the skies of the world aboard the aerial fortress Chaos Breaker.
I was going to meet someone like that. Of course I'd be excited.
After all, I was going to that fortress floating in the sky.
Laputa!
I was indeed busy with raising my child and research.
But I wanted to go.
Purely, I wanted to go.
Sorry, Lucy. Your dad couldn't beat his curiosity.
But I promise I'll bring back a souvenir.
Sylphie was the polar opposite of me in this self-centered thinking.
She had made a suggestion to Nanahoshi.
"Could Lady Ariel come along as well?"
"Ariel?"
Nanahoshi had a reluctant look on her face.
She had been approached by Ariel multiple times with offers to recruit her.
Nanahoshi held strong connections in the trade routes between the Asura Kingdom and the Ranoa Kingdom, and Ariel probably wanted her as an ally.
Of course, Nanahoshi didn't want much involvement with this world, so she'd been acting put-out about it.
"Yes. I've heard that even though Master Pergius has been in seclusion for a long time, he's still a respected figure at the Asura Royal Palace. And, well... considering Lady Ariel's future, I think she would want to meet someone like that."
Ariel had connections in various places.
They were for the purpose of eventually seizing the throne of the Asura Kingdom.
Whether she could actually claim it was uncertain—it was said to be an extremely difficult battle.
I didn't know what Ariel planned to do after graduating in a year.
Whether she'd continue building her strength or return to Asura to wage a fight.
As long as her family wouldn't be put in harm's way, I wouldn't mind helping, but my own position on the matter was still undecided.
I didn't want to get caught up in the mess, but since this involved my wife's workplace, I felt inclined to help.
Still, Ariel apparently didn't particularly intend to bring Sylphie to the Asura Kingdom.
Sylphie had a child now, and she probably wouldn't abandon Lucy to go to a war zone.
But it wasn't exactly a "goodbye" either—it seemed she was doing whatever she could to build up strength for Ariel.
This proposal was likely part of that.
Connections were incredibly important in any conflict.
Especially if one could secure the backing of a hero respected even within the Asura Kingdom—Pergius, the Dragon King—then Ariel's bid for the throne would become significantly easier than anticipated.
"Well, you've been a help to me. Fine, bring her along."
Nanahoshi gave permission, even though I expected her to refuse.
It was only later that I learned that while I'd been away, Nanahoshi had relied quite heavily on Sylphie.
Leftovers from cooking, procurement of clothing, antidotes for when she fell ill, and so on.
Ever since Sylphie's child was born, she'd stopped coming around as often, but apparently Nanahoshi used to visit frequently to use the bath as well.
"Really? Thank you! Lady Ariel will be so happy..."
Sylphie clenched her fist and smiled with delight.
And so, Ariel and Luke joined our party.
According to Sylphie, Ariel had been unusually excited about it.
When you're told you'll meet a famous person, you're pretty much the same as anyone else.
I'd gotten excited too, after all.
After all, this was a real hero.
I looked forward to seeing what kind of person he was.
As long as he wasn't difficult to deal with.
...Come to think of it, I remembered something.
Quite a long time ago, I'd once encountered one of Pergius's subordinates.
It was right before the Teleportation Incident.
Almanfi the Radiant.
If I recalled correctly, he'd mistaken me for the mastermind behind the Teleportation Incident and attacked me without warning.
Gilleen had talked him down, and he'd put away his weapon. I remembered him not being a bad person, but I'd certainly felt the danger in someone who'd try to kill you on the spot.
Could it be that Pergius himself was dangerous too?
That made me a little nervous.
No, just because a subordinate was dangerous didn't necessarily mean the master was too.
Besides, if Pergius had foreseen what would happen during the Teleportation Incident and tried to detect and prevent it in advance... his actions were actually praiseworthy.
But I'd nearly been killed...
Oh well, it was in the past.
Let bygones be bygones. Yeah.
You shouldn't pick fights with someone you're meeting for the first time.
The key was having a forgiving heart.
"We've arrived."
While I was thinking all this, Nanahoshi stopped near the center of the ruins.
It was an empty spot.
Or so I thought, but looking closer, there was a single stone embedded in the ground—the perfect height to sit on.
It was a stele.
The stele of the Seven World Powers.
A stele where the emblems of beings with terrifying power glowed faintly.
I'd heard they existed in various places around the world, but there was one here too.
However, there were no magic circles to be found.
Surely the stele of the Seven World Powers wasn't some kind of warp device.
Chant a spell in front of it and get teleported to another stele or something.
"What do we do from here?"
"I'll call them."
Nanahoshi said this, then set down her backpack and pulled out a metal whistle.
It had no holes for producing sound. A whistle, in other words.
She put it to her lips and blew into it forcefully.
Fwoosh!
No sound came out.
Only the sound of air escaping could be heard.
Was it a dog whistle or something?
"It didn't make any sound," Cliff asked with a confused look.
"A sound was made that humans can't hear. He should come soon."
Nanahoshi said this and sat down on a nearby rock.
A sound humans couldn't hear.
That was supposed to reach Pergius?
Normally it wouldn't.
Which meant that whistle was a mana-imbued item.
"Cliff."
Elinalise called Cliff's name in a serious tone.
"What is it?"
"I want to say this now, just in case.
There's a chance we might be mocked when we arrive, but whatever happens, you must not raise your voice and lash out verbally.
Do you understand?"
"...I know. I'm not a child anymore."
Cliff pouted like a child who'd been told to study.
Elinalise leaned against him and whispered something in his ear.
Seeing Cliff's expression relax, I guessed she'd offered an apology or some affection.
"I cannot contain my excitement at the thought of what sculptures might adorn the Aerial Fortress itself!"
Zanoba was his usual self.
The moment he'd learned we were going to Pergius's place, he'd said, "Then let us have Master Pergius hear of our works as well," and packed the Louigerd figure I'd made along with several other figures into a box with his belongings.
Whether there'd be such an opportunity was uncertain, but he intended to do the same kind of promotion he'd done at Bardigardi.
Quite the go-getter.
Incidentally, Ginger wasn't here.
Ginger was serving as a bodyguard for my family.
On Zanoba's orders.
Ginger had probably wanted to come with Zanoba.
Well, from my perspective, having one more person watching over my family was reassuring.
I didn't intend to be gone for very long, though.
"Don't push your tastes on people. After all, he's someone who's lived four hundred years."
"Hahaha! Hasn't His Majesty Badi lived even longer? Anyone who has lived a long time will surely appreciate the quality of the Master's figures."
"I suppose so... hm?"
Something glinted in the distant sky.
"He's here."
The moment Nanahoshi uttered those words, he appeared.
Truly, it was so sudden you could only describe it as "when did that happen?"
With blond hair, a stiff front-fastening uniform with a white appearance, trousers.
His face, which was probably quite handsome, was hidden behind a yellow mask.
A mask modeled after a fox-like animal.
At his waist hung a large dagger.
"Almanfi the Radiant, reporting in."
It really was sudden. He'd materialized as if out of nowhere, standing right in the center of our group.
He had most likely flown here.
At the speed of light, from that aerial fortress.
It had been the same back then.
Just before the Fittoa Region disappeared.
"..."
Almanfi turned to look at me.
Did he remember me?
I was scared he might attack again without warning.
I secretly activated my Magic Eyes and gripped my Staff tightly.
But Almanfi didn't seem to remember me at all.
Without giving me any particular notice, he walked up to Nanahoshi.
"...Quite a few. That's quite the group."
He looked around and spoke to Nanahoshi.
Nanahoshi nodded with an "Yes."
"There shouldn't be a problem. He said up to twelve was fine."
"The number isn't the issue, but..."
Almanfi paused, then looked at Roxy.
"No demons allowed."
"Huh? Wh-why not?"
Roxy's face went pale, like a cat doused with cold water.
"We cannot allow demons into our Aerial Fortress."
"I-I see."
Roxy's shoulders slumped in dejection.
Pergius had fought against demons during the Laplace War.
He must have had strong feelings about the Demon Race after all.
"Is there nothing that can be done?"
"Master Pergius is a generous man, but he does dislike demons."
Discrimination against demons wasn't that common around here, so I'd nearly forgotten, but the prejudice still existed.
Pergius, though a legendary figure, had been a party to the war.
Like Louigerd, he might still be carrying something from that conflict.
Still, it was a bit sad that Roxy alone couldn't go.
"No, it's fine. If that's the case, I'll stay and watch the house. I was honestly a bit afraid to meet Pergius... sir anyway, and I have my teaching duties, so this works out."
Despite her drooping shoulders, Roxy accepted it gracefully.
But she must have wanted to see it, because she looked disappointed.
She turned to me and gave a wry smile.
"Rudy, I'll leave the house to you."
"Got it. I'll bring back souvenirs..."
"I don't need souvenirs. Just give me a hug when you get back."
I did it right then.
I held her slowly for about ten seconds, until her heartbeat began racing and—before a nuclear warhead could be loaded into my Atomic Bazooka—I pulled away.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you."
Roxy's face was red with discomfort, but she wore a satisfied smile as she stepped away from us.
When I got back, we'd cuddle some more.
"Are you done? The discussion."
While I'd been saying goodbye to Roxy, Almanfi had come closer.
He held out a baton-like rod to me.
Looking around, the others were holding the same thing.
"Hold this."
I took it as instructed.
It was a metal rod about twenty centimeters long, its surface engraved with intricate patterns.
At both ends were what appeared to be mana crystals.
It was almost certainly a magical tool.
"Hold it and then what?"
"Just holding it is enough. Master Pergius will teleport you to the Aerial Fortress using Teleportation Magic."
Teleportation Magic—so this was a tool for teleportation magic.
Something like this actually existed?
How convenient.
Wait, but didn't they say humans couldn't be summoned...?
No, this was teleportation.
What was the difference?
It was probably teleportation from this rod to the Aerial Fortress.
"Ah, how do we get back?"
"Something similar. It works the same way for the return trip."
Almanfi said this matter-of-factly.
Since he said so, there must have been some method.
If the return trip was on foot, Lucy would be grown up by the time I got home.
That put my mind at ease.
"Has everyone got one? Make sure you're gripping it firmly with bare hands."
Once everyone nodded, Nanahoshi gave the signal to Almanfi.
"Please wait a moment."
Almanfi nodded, then vanished into light, disappearing into the distance.
He was probably going to report to Pergius that preparations were complete.
"...This is making me kind of nervous."
"It is, isn't it?"
Ariel was chatting happily with Sylphie.
She did seem to be getting a bit excited.
Luke was smiling wryly too.
Still, Teleportation, huh?
If something went wrong, would we end up somewhere weird?
That was scary.
No matter how amazing Pergius was, he was still human and could make mistakes.
"...Oh?"
As I was thinking this, I suddenly felt the rod in my hand grow warm.
A sensation washed over me, as though my palm were being pulled toward the rod.
What would happen if I let go now?
Would it fail?
But if something changed this suddenly, some people might let go...
"Hm?"
I looked around.
No one was left.
No—Sylphie had been looking at me as she disappeared.
Left behind were just me and Roxy.
Huh?
Were we being left behind?
The instant I thought that, my consciousness was sucked into the rod.
---
When I came to, I was flying through a purely white space.
An empty, completely white void.
I was hurtling through it at high speed, as if pulled by invisible threads.
Was this how a fish felt when reeled in by a powerful winch?
Ahead, slightly in the distance, I could see Sylphie being pulled along the same way.
So this was what being summoned felt like.
And yet, this place.
I felt I'd seen it somewhere before.
Where was it?
Right—the Human God.
It didn't usually leave much of an impression on my memory, but this place closely resembled where the Human God appeared in dreams.
If there was one difference, it was that my body wasn't from my previous life.
I was in my usual robes, flying through the void.
And then, ahead, I saw a great light.
The light was shaped like a complex, enigmatic magic circle, and I was drawn into it.
---
When I came to again, I was standing on the ground.
"Hah!"
I snapped awake as if startled from sleep.
Had I passed out?
No, that wasn't it.
I had definitely been flying through an empty space.
"So this is... Pergius's Teleportation Magic."
It was a strange sensation.
But I'd experienced this same feeling before.
The Teleportation Incident.
I'd had the same sensation of flying through the sky back then.
But this time was different from then.
Most importantly, there was a sense of stability.
If the Teleportation Incident had been like jumping from a moving car, this time it was like riding in a taxi.
I'd been safely delivered—that was the feeling.
"...It felt familiar, somehow," Sylphie whispered.
So she'd felt the same way.
"Yeah."
I replied while looking around.
Ariel, Luke, Zanoba, Cliff, Elinalise, Nanahoshi.
Everyone except Nanahoshi and Elinalise had bewildered looks on their faces.
In any case, everyone appeared to be safe.
"What a massive magic circle..."
Cliff murmured.
It was only then that I noticed where I was standing.
We were standing atop a colossal magic circle.
Was the radius ten meters?
The circle was carved directly into marble-like polished stone, and water flowed through the grooves.
The water emitted a faint glow. Some kind of magic must have been cast on it.
Setting the water aside, the color of the light was familiar—I'd seen the same thing at the teleportation ruins on the Begaritt Continent.
In other words, this was some kind of teleportation magic circle.
Between the rod, the water, and the teleportation magic itself, it seemed there was quite a lot of preparation involved.
"Whoa..."
What truly captured my gaze lay beyond the magic circle.
There was a massive fortress.
It had to be about fifty stories tall.
Wide as well—it didn't just tower upward, it looked solid and imposing.
I couldn't tell its depth, but it was no stage prop.
I searched my memories from my previous life, and I couldn't immediately think of any building this massive.
It was like a castle placed on top of the Tokyo Dome.
So this was the Aerial Fortress.
I'd seen it from the ground before, but... had it really been this enormous?
No wonder it was imposing even from a distance.
"It's amazing. It's bigger than the Asura Royal Palace," Sylphie said.
I lowered my gaze as I listened.
Before the fortress was an equally vast garden.
Trees planted like a labyrinth, and flowers of every color.
A waterway ran along the front of the garden, the water reflecting light and sparkling.
Even from a distance, it was clear it was meticulously maintained.
"R-Rudy... behind us."
"Hm?"
At Sylphie's words, I turned around.
Beyond the magic circle. Beyond the metal fence.
A vast sea of clouds spread out.
"Clouds..."
In my previous life, I'd ridden an airplane once as an elementary school student.
Did it look like that scene?
But this was the first time seeing it with my own eyes rather than through a window.
Why was it so moving to see clouds from above?
Did mountain climbers scale peaks just for this kind of feeling?
"..."
Cliff and Luke both stood with their mouths half open.
Ariel, too, gazed wide-eyed at the sea of clouds spread below.
None of them spoke—they were simply stunned by the sight.
And who could blame them?
This world had no airplanes, nor even the concept of mountain climbing.
A sight like this was something they'd never experienced.
Suddenly, I noticed Sylphie was clutching the hem of my clothes.
"Mm... I-I'm really bad with high places..."
Her legs were trembling in small, rapid shakes.
She'd come to the Aerial Fortress despite knowing she had a fear of heights.
She was really trying her best.
If her legs gave out and she couldn't move, I'd carry her.
"I trust you are satisfied with the view from the Aerial Fortress Chaos Breaker?"
A voice I didn't recognize suddenly came from behind.
I hastily turned around to find a woman standing there.
She was positioned just outside the magic circle, standing like a statue.
Her hair was near-white blond, falling to her shoulders, and she wore a white bird-shaped mask.
I couldn't tell if she was beautiful, but her figure made it clear she was a woman.
She was dressed in pure white robes reminiscent of vestments, and she held a Staff.
The Staff had a dark magic stone of low transparency at its tip.
Without a doubt, it was an expensive Staff.
Not that everything had to be tied to money, but that was clearly a high-end piece.
It was probably worth far more than my beloved Staff.
Well, that was beside the point.
What was most notable about her appearance wasn't the Staff or the vestments.
It was her back.
To my astonishment, she had jet-black wings.
"The Celestial Race...?"
Her wings commanded an overwhelming presence.
And yet her posture was so quiet and still that she was nearly imperceptible.
A strange woman, to be sure.
The moment our gazes converged, she dipped her head gracefully.
"Welcome, everyone, to our sanctuary."
It was an elegant bow.
Even I, who was clumsy with etiquette, could tell her movements were refined.
"I am Silvaril, First Servant of Master Pergius. I shall guide you to the Aerial Fortress Chaos Breaker."
"I am Luke Notos Greyrat, Knight to the Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom. Thank you for the gracious welcome. I appreciate it."
Luke returned the greeting immediately.
He stepped forward in front of Ariel and directed a warm smile toward the woman who called herself Silvaril.
Silvaril was neither too large nor too small—perhaps that was the right range for a defensive partner.
No, that wasn't the right word.
Social. That was the word.
"I am Ariel Anemoi Asura, Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom."
After Luke's introduction, Ariel pinched the hem of her skirt and curtsied slowly.
Another refined gesture.
I couldn't imitate that.
Following her lead, we each introduced ourselves one by one.
Even Cliff and Zanoba executed rather elegant bows.
Among them all, I might have been the most ill-mannered.
"Yes, thank you all. I look forward to our time together."
Whether Silvaril's true feelings matched her words, I couldn't say, but she treated us with impeccable courtesy.
Last, Nanahoshi gave a slight nod.
"It's been a while, Silvaril."
"Yes. And Master Nanahoshi, you don't look entirely well."
"Just a bit under the weather."
They exchanged only these brief words.
The atmosphere was amicable, though—no problems there.
"Now then, please follow me."
Silvaril turned on her heel and walked forward without making a sound.
Her head barely moved up and down. Her robes obscured her feet, making her look almost like a ghost.
Nanahoshi followed her as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
We exchanged glances and followed suit.
---
Silvaril led us straight through a path that cut through the garden.
At its end was a massive gate.
When I say gate, I mean a triumphal-arch-like stone entrance.
Before it, Zanoba let out a groan of admiration.
"Oho, what a magnificent relief!"
Zanoba only cared about figures, but he knew a fair amount about art beyond that. There was probably some common ground.
I myself couldn't tell good decorative patterns from bad ones, but if Zanoba said it was magnificent, it must have been something special.
After all, he wouldn't exclaim in admiration over something that wasn't a figure.
Looking more closely, I could see what he meant.
The triumphal-arch-like gate was covered in intricate relief carvings, even on its inner surfaces.
The arch's ceiling was adorned with elaborate patterns that demanded your gaze upward.
As I walked while looking up, Silvaril's explanation reached me from ahead.
"This gate was crafted by the Dark Dragon King, Master Maxwell.
Master Maxwell was known for such craftsmanship and magical architecture.
Among the works that still exist today is the bridge to the White Palace of the Holy Kingdom of Millis—"
"Whooooa!"
Zanoba suddenly let out a shout.
Silvaril turned around, startled.
"Is something the matter?"
"W-where is Master Maxwell now?! Where does he roam?!"
The excited Zanoba was trembling, his gaze fixed on a particular point on the gate.
Was there something there?
I couldn't even tell what he was looking at.
"The Dark Dragon King, Master Maxwell, is a wanderer.
If he has not passed on, he is believed to still roam the earth somewhere."
"Is... is that so? How... what an incredible man..."
Zanoba could barely contain his excitement.
Then again, Zanoba rarely contained it at all.
"May we proceed?"
"O-of course, my apologies. I was simply overwhelmed by the magnificence."
"Very well. Once inside the fortress, there are many more wonderful works to admire. Please take your time enjoying them."
Silvaril spoke in a gentle tone, then walked on ahead.
She was probably smiling behind that mask.
At the same moment, Zanoba sidled up to me.
He leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
"Master, did you see that?"
"Yeah."
"It's a tremendous discovery. I'm so glad we came. I must thank Master Nanahoshi for this."
What was the discovery?
I had a feeling Zanoba and I had noticed entirely different things.
"Sorry. I'm not sure what you found. Can you tell me later when we have time?"
At this, Zanoba looked openly disappointed.
"To think that even the Master failed to notice..."
Even as he said this, he fell back behind me.
Sorry, but my eye for detail isn't as refined as yours.
"Hm?"
Just as we passed through the gate, I thought I saw white particles scatter from Sylphie's body.
"Oh?"
Silvaril stopped, turned, and looked at me and Sylphie.
Her expression was hidden behind the mask, but I felt her aura shift.
Actually, had they come from me too?
"Um, is there a problem?"
I asked Silvaril cautiously.
Last time, Almanfi had attacked without warning.
There was no guarantee something similar wouldn't happen this time.
If so, I'd rather hear the issue now and clear up any misunderstanding.
Or if it wasn't a misunderstanding but something serious, I'd rather leave without conflict.
I had questions for Pergius, but if it meant becoming enemies, I'd rather just go home.
"No, nothing of concern. People like you are quite common on the surface."
"We are?"
What did she mean by "people like you"?
I was getting nervous.
Once inside, was I going to get ambushed and locked in some barrier?
I'd keep my Magic Eyes active, just in case.
"But might I ask one question of you two?"
"What is it?"
"The name Hitogami—does it ring a bell?"
I kept my expression carefully neutral.
Hitogami.
Hearing that word, I thought of Orsted.
I'd been asked about it before, answered, and nearly been killed.
Would the same thing happen this time? I really hoped not.
I hesitated.
If I said I knew, and we ended up in conflict again, that would be problematic.
Indeed, I was dancing in the palm of his hand, and I'd been saved by him.
I didn't intend to be his pawn, but I was aware it was something close to that.
"No, I don't know it."
While I was deliberating, Sylphie shook her head.
"And when you hear that name, do you feel an inexplicable surge of rage or killing intent bubbling up from deep within your chest?"
Sylphie shook her head silently.
I shook mine too.
But I did have some understanding of that.
Orsted had felt exactly like that.
If Pergius was concerned about it, then he must be opposed to Orsted.
I couldn't quite figure it out.
"Then I have nothing further to say."
Silvaril turned and walked on.
---
The Aerial Fortress Chaos Breaker.
The name was about as peak adolescence as it gets, but its appearance was nothing short of magnificent.
It was a fortress so massive you had to wonder how anyone could build such a thing.
Yet despite its enormous scale, intricate stone statues were placed throughout, and each decorative detail displayed the careful craftsmanship of skilled artisans.
It wasn't just the exterior.
Inside the fortress, carpets embroidered with gold thread covered the floors, paintings hung on the walls, and expensive-looking vases and statues lined the corridors.
Zanoba would examine each piece of art and exclaim things like, "This sculpture has the hallmarks of the Gannon school—could it be the master's own work?" or "A statue of an Elanjin knight? To see the genuine article here—what an extraordinary privilege!" He was delighted, providing his running commentary.
At first, Silvaril and Ariel had been nodding along to his remarks, but eventually even they grew tired, settling for wry smiles.
On a normal day, there'd be one more noisy person around.
I looked at Cliff, and he was incredibly tense—almost pitifully so.
His eyes were wide, and his lips were sealed with an iron will, determined not to speak unless directly addressed.
Beside him, Elinalise held his hand like a mother guiding her child.
Well, if both of them got loud at the same time, it'd be trouble, so this was probably for the best.
"This is the Audience Chamber."
At the end of a long corridor, Silvaril stopped before a set of doors.
A heavy, imposing double door flanked by dragons and decorated with silver.
It felt like it had taken about an hour to get here from the magic circle.
Being spacious was exhausting.
Maybe we should introduce Segways.
"Master Pergius is a generous man, but please take care not to commit any offense."
Silvaril placed her hand on the door.
No need to knock, apparently.
"Pardon me, but we're still in our traveling clothes! Wouldn't it be improper to meet him looking like this?"
It was Ariel who spoke up hastily.
Now that she mentioned it, in situations like this, it was customary to be led to a waiting room.
There, you'd change from traveling clothes into formal wear, prepare yourself, and then proceed to the audience.
I was pretty sure that was how it had gone when I met the king in Siluone.
I hadn't owned formal attire, so I'd shown up in my dirty robe, but still.
This was a problem—I hadn't even considered it, but now that it was brought up, this was an audience, wasn't it?
Should I have brought formal wear too?
"Master Pergius is not one to concern himself with attire.
In fact, he grew weary of the formality of the Asura Kingdom.
I believe arriving as you are will leave a better impression than changing."
Hearing this, Ariel fell silent.
Perhaps there was some anecdote behind it.
Like how Pergius had moved to the Aerial Fortress because he'd been bullied by the Asura Kingdom or something.
"But could we at least leave our outer garments and luggage somewhere?"
"Very well. Please follow me."
At Ariel's earnest request, Silvaril nodded.
She stepped away from the large doors and opened the door to a room diagonally across the hall.
It was about the size of my bedroom.
For the scale of the fortress, it was small and simple, but the furniture—from the table and lockers to the hangers—exuded quality.
"You are too kind."
"Master Pergius is already waiting. Please hurry."
Silvaril said this, then closed the door.
Ariel confirmed the door was shut, then immediately removed her jacket.
Luke took the jacket without delay, and Sylphie pulled a brush from their belongings and began to comb Ariel's hair.
Likewise, Zanoba took off his outer garment, hung it up, and pulled out a different jacket from his luggage to put on.
Elinalise, too, checked Cliff's outfit and hairstyle.
I, for my part, brushed the dust off and straightened my collar.
I didn't have formal wear, but... what mattered wasn't the outfit—it was the heart.
They'd said to come in casual attire, so I'd go in casual attire.
Incidentally, Nanahoshi was doing nothing at all.
She was barely even checking her bangs.
Then again, she was the only one still in her uniform today.
Didn't she want to wear regular clothes?
"Alright."
Finally, Sylphie removed her sunglasses, and everyone was ready.
It had taken less than ten minutes.
And yet, Ariel looked like a completely different person.
She already had an air of elegance, but she'd been polished into something truly refined.
Perhaps royals needed to master the art of making themselves presentable in limited time.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Yes. Right this way."
I signaled to Silvaril, who had been waiting outside.
Without missing a beat, she moved to the door from before.
The large doors, carved with dragon motifs.
On the other side waited Pergius.
That thought made me feel a little nervous.
"Su..."
Right before the door opened, I heard Ariel take a deep breath.